EMR Benefits: Environmental
Contents
Environmental
Electronic Health Records have the potential to improve the environmental footprint left by the health care industry. [1]
Decreased Paper Consumption
Using EHRs can greatly reduce the need for paper in an office setting. Instead of throwing away and shredding old paper records or documents and destroying trees, digital documents can be erased without another tree being cut down to make another sheet of paper. [2] As an eco-friendly software application, it reduces need for reams of paper and the environmental costs associated with it. [3]
Avoided Transportation
EHRs also reduce the gasoline consumption by patients by avoiding non-urgent medical office visits and instead using it’s services to securely message requests for prescription refills, ask clinicians questions, and conduct other virtual activities. [1]
Avoided Plastic Waste From X-Rays
X-ray film is composed of at least 57 percent plastic. EHRs ability to digitize and archive x-ray images avoids the waste of printing x-rays on plastic film. [1]
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