As greater amounts of information are generated through the process of patient care, experts say that EHR systems have become more important than ever.

The technology allows physicians to compile vast amounts of data and to analyze this information for indicators of how best to proceed. Peter Basch, the medical director of ambulatory EHR and health IT policy at Medstar Health, said at the recent meeting of the ONC that this is the key to improving patient, according to Cardiovascular Business.

"Knowing the patient is fundamental to providing excellent and safe care. That knowing includes making sure that key clinical information is accurate, complete and up-to-date," Basch said, according to the news source.

Time is another critical factor in care quality. A physician may not be available to comb through extensive patient records to view their history. Furthermore, when records are unavailable, doctors often recommend tests that may have already been conducted. This slows down the treatment process and prevents people from getting the care they need promptly.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association showed that most practices that implement an EHR system have shorter documentation time, which may lead to higher quality care.