Just a decade ago, nine out of ten doctors in the U.S. managed patient’s records by hand and stored them in color-coded files. But with the apparent limitations of paper: expensive to store; hard to copy; vulnerable to damage; impossible to track; and not to forget the risk it brings to patient’s privacy and security.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 was introduced to promote Meaningful Use (MU) and to increase the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Although, provider’s EHR adoption jumped from 42% in 2009 to 83% in 2014 but broader impact of this transition remained questionable on patient outcomes.

While EHRs are expected to improve the quality and accessibility of health care, increase patient engagement, and lower care costs but issues of cost, usability, interoperability, and regulatory compliance severely limited the anticipated growth.

With the rise of digital health, EHR landscape is shifting dramatically and the barriers to adoption have started to diminish.

Let’s review the following infographic to see how digital health is shaping the future of today’s EHRs:

Healthcare future is about the patient. As providers focus more on patient engagement and personalized care, patients seek more control of their health records, improved communication with providers,and involvement to make educated decision about their care.

Digital Health innovation would enable EHRs to play a pivotal role in shaping patient-provider relationship, ensure patient safety, and deliver better patient outcomes.