Since the day we are born, our health records follow us. From doctor’s offices to specialty consults, our health information continues to be gathered and transferred between physicians to provide the best quality of care possible. Over the past few years, technology has advanced to allow easier access to medical records in any healthcare setting. Personally, I believe this is extremely useful especially in emergency situations where information is unable to be gathered directly from the patient. The HIE allows physicians from a variety of healthcare settings to access key information that patients may not always remember or that may be crucial in making a proper diagnosis. More specifically in the field of nursing it allows nurses to be aware of potential medication interactions, allergies, and past admissions to know what to prioritize with each individual patient. This allows nurses to provide the most efficient and high-quality care by applying past knowledge to enhance current treatment. 

After learning about Electronic Health Records, I plan to apply it in future practice with each of my patients. Prior to meeting my patients, I will be sure to investigate their electronic health record to understand if the health complication they are experiencing is recurrent or something new. This will encourage me to look more at the full picture of my patient rather than what I solely see at the current moment. Overall, the use of HIE will allow me to better my future practice as a nurse and provide a high quality of care throughout my profession.