The first steps to designing and developing an Electronic Patient Record System (EPR) are to determine the Societal Needs of the community. Then the system must be designed and developed with the needs of all stakeholders in mind. The process includes the analysis and definition of Societal Needs, analysis and development of systems of accountability to determine, assess and measure Societal Needs, implementation of a system of measurement to determine the effectiveness of an EPR and evaluation of effectiveness of EPRs. This process requires comprehensive planning.
Once the society’s need for an EPR is identified, a system of measurement and validation can then be developed. The measurement tool or methods of validation include cost, time, quality, and safety of procedures, equipment, procedures, and the overall efficiency of health care in terms of patient care.
The analysis of Societal Needs is based on the premise that the benefits and risks of changes in an EPR should be identified in relation to the risks and benefits of changes in the entire system. Then the system of measurement can be developed. There are several ways of measuring and validating the system’s success. These include Cost-Effective Management Systems (CEMS), Cost-Effective Planning, Health Information Technology (HIT), Social Policy, and Social Value-Added Theory (SPAT).
If the health care management system is to be developed on an ongoing basis and not as a stand-alone solution, then a Health Information Technology (HIT) strategy must be designed and developed. The objectives and scope of such an initiative may be to upgrade existing EPR systems to incorporate information technology into the design and maintenance of the systems; or it may be to develop an entirely new system of patient record management that will integrate a mix of paper and electronic resources into a single system. A complete HIT approach will involve a series of steps, from identifying, analyzing and quantifying health care and social issues that are relevant to the design of the system, defining goals, and developing a system that is relevant to the issues.
The system should be able to meet the needs of all parties by meeting its intended purpose and functionality for all members of the community. An EPR must be scalable, flexible, reliable, cost-effective, and user-friendly. EPRs must not only meet the needs of its users but also be applicable to the local community in which they live and work. In order to be scalable, an EPR system should provide an interface that can be modified and updated with respect to changes in requirements, while still providing an effective, efficient way to perform its original functions.
As the system’s functionality and effectiveness must be evaluated to ensure optimal performance, its functionality should not be affected by factors unrelated to the health care needs of the community. For example, some systems may need to be modified to meet the needs of a particular demographic. Therefore, if the EPR system is to be developed for a specific group, then the design should be designed around that group. The system should meet all legal, ethical and policy standards without requiring major modification or redesign. It should also be easy to change, so that when needed, it can be changed without impacting the community.
The system’s efficiency must be tested by the test or validation of its ability to meet its objectives. Testing of the EPR software is necessary to assess the EPR’s functionality and performance. A robust system that meets all of its objectives is important to its success.
In order to meet the goals of this system and meet the needs of all of its users, an EPR needs to have a strong design and the most up-to-date infrastructure to facilitate its use. EPR software must be easy to modify and customize and it should have a robust set of features to support the health care practice of all parties involved.
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