Description of Session
UnEMR (The Free & Uncomplicated Electronic Medical Record App, https://www.unemr.net) is our response to potential health disparities that can be brought about by the technological divide between those who can afford to purchase and maintain an EMR system, and those who cannot (usually independent healthcare providers (doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives etc), and small medical practices and clinics in rural and under-resourced areas in developing countries such as the Philippines). Patients whose records are not part of digitalized systems often do not get included in national-level analyses of health data, therefore their medical needs are not revealed and thus not resourced/addressed. UnEMR empowers small players in healthcare with a tool to store patient medical data for free and collectivize to form a resource for other small players. Perhaps the best feature of UnEMR is patient referral, where providers from one area can refer patients to specialists within UnEMR who exist in another area, and patient data are instantly shared. This is akin to a small scale Health Information Exchange (HIE), or a hospital where various specializations are represented virtually. Such a system furnishes medical service access to providers and patients alike, and has the potential to further expand towards telehealth. To date, without a scaled promotion of UnEMR, there are already several thousand records (from 27 active independent providers representing different specialties in various areas across the country come 3000+ distinct patients and almost 6000 patient encounter records). Future plans include institutionalization within a non-profit organization (academic, medical or research), expansion of users to include independent laboratories and pharmacies, and direct patient access to their medical record and the provider and services network in UnEMR.
