Electronic Health Records have transformed healthcare delivery by digitising patient information, streamlining data access and enhancing care coordination. However, the focus on existing functionalities often overshadows critical areas where innovation is still lacking. Addressing these gaps can unlock greater efficiency, collaboration and patient outcomes in the healthcare sector.

Enhancing Real-Time Collaboration and Data Sharing

EHRs should prioritise real-time collaboration tools that foster seamless communication among care teams. Enhanced communication can improve patient outcomes by ensuring all healthcare providers remain aligned during treatment. Equally vital is the incorporation of social determinants of health (SDOH) into patient records. By integrating factors such as housing stability and nutrition, clinicians gain a comprehensive view of patient health, leading to more holistic care decisions.

Another overlooked area is the development of data-sharing pipelines for research. Standardised interfaces like FHIR and DICOM should be more widely adopted to facilitate secure data exchange between institutions. Expanding EHR interoperability through AI-driven data digitisation techniques, such as Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision, can make historical health data more accessible and actionable. This expansion would allow healthcare organisations to share anonymised patient data for medical research purposes, furthering innovation in treatment strategies and personalised medicine.

Addressing User Experience and Clinician Workflows

The current structure of EHR systems often imposes significant cognitive load on clinicians due to complex, data-heavy interfaces. To counteract this, EHR designs should be reimagined with intuitive, snapshot-driven visualisations that highlight critical health trends and anomalies in real time. Drawing inspiration from fields like finance or gaming, interfaces should emphasise rapid decision-making support rather than overwhelming data tables.

https://healthmanagement.org/c/it/News/overlooked-innovations-in-electronic-health-records