Increase Efficiency of Your Health Organization Using EMR

EMR (or Electronic Medical Record) is a medical software system for entering, automating, and sharing medical information. EMR System is designed to increase the efficiency of patient record keeping and sharing valuable health information between various medical specialists. EMR is easy to use medical software loaded with special features and customizable settings, which is great for medical groups and solo practices.

Physician practices as well as hospitals get great benefits if they use good medical software that allows more efficient accounting.  The main goal of an EMR is to make your practice run easier, faster with more efficiency, and for this you need to select the perfect EMR. EMR software brings an instant access to office status & also eliminates the scope of wastage of time. Operations become simple as every work is possible just by a mouse click or tapping few keys. A lot of EMR Software's offer advance facility like e-mail to all staff, assignments, calendars and many more.

The EMR software is a must for healthcare professionals to adapt to the growing need of faster medical services and to improve the efficiency of the health institution.

Practical Advantages of EMR Software

EMR (Electronic Medical Records) is an application that delivers great practical advantages when it comes to managing your medical practice.

On the first place is the issue of eliminating paper. An EMR system will do that, thus it will save a lot of space that otherwise would have been covered with files, invoices, receipts and many other things. Also, it will require a much smaller amount of tie and fewer personnel will be needed. Not to mention that computerized charts are a true blessing, there will be no more problems with illegible writing and lost documents, everything will be instantly stored by the system.

In addition to this, you are also able to restructure all the accounts and organize them in a much more efficient, time-saving form. Not only one has happened to lose money due to a simple staff error or through bad managing of the daily charges. Well. This is not the case anymore. Now the missing charges and the claims will be reduced at a minimum level, therefore your revenues will raise.

More over, an EMR system can increase the safety of the patients. Nothing is more important than that and how human errors are inevitable, even in medicine you will make great use of a system that enables you to prevent them. 

Improving Service Efficiency through EMR

Are you still trying to decide if EMR software (speaking of Electronic Medical Records applications) is practical for your business? The facts show that electronic health record software makes you more money in the long-run. Here are considerations that are hard to ignore:

Elimination of Paper

Increased Revenues

The Safety of Patients

E-Prescription

Improved Reimbursements and

Reduced Insurance Premiums

Accuracy of certified EMR and certified EHR programs is so trusted that many malpractice insurance companies are now offering discounts to doctors who use full software systems. In addition, practice management software can also greatly improve your reimbursement rates as they will ensure your office claims are compliant with insurance company drug formularies and other policies.

These are just a few reasons why EMR electronic medical record software can save you money and improve service efficiency.

Tips for Best EMR Implementation

EMR can be of great help to doctors, hospitals as well as patients if implemented properly. We see following important rules that should be followed for best EMR Implementation practices.

1. Train Nursing Staff: According to experts the first and foremost offence related to EMR Implementation is to forgetting to train your nursing staff. EMR is not just only related to physicians. Although physicians are the main owner and decision maker but they are not the only users of the EMR. As far as the usage data is concerned Nurses as 75 percent of user of the chart whereas physicians only 25 percent users of chart. So a successful EMR implementation focuses on how the nurses can assist the physician in the integration of EMR into their clinical workflow.

2. Take EMR Implementation as opportunity to change and improve workflow: At this point it is important to remember that EMR should not be used as magic stick to fix holes and other issues in workflow. According to Steve E. Waldren, MD, director of AAFP Center for Health IT, "Most people think that EMR solves problems, but actually EMR will only amplify problems that already exist in practice."

3. Schedule more training: As EMR is a complicated environment with a lot of regulation, coding and documentation, so there is need of dedicated time for training. There is need of scheduling time outside of office hours for you and your staff to get on EMR and actually going through all tasks that you will perform when it will go live. And this should be scheduled after office hours because if you close office hours then it may cost you overtime or even lost productivity. You should also budget for additional training costs, so that you can get the most from your investment in EMR Implementation.

4. Expect for the stress and effort required over several months: Although EMR implementation is full of features and functions that will bring efficiency to our operations, but you should also keep in mind that adoption of technology is an iterative process so it is impossible to take full advantage of it within first two weeks of your go live. She said that groups will be in learning and adoption phase of transition for proper EMR Implementation to several months, although it looks tiresome but you should be prepared for that.

5. Round on providers and clinical support staff: Just as nurses and clinicians round on patients at hospitals, experts suggests of rounding on everyone in practice to measure their EMR comfort level. "After few months you're go-live you should visit each and every user for even few minutes to observer and identify shortcuts", says Nelson. Or otherwise you can offer tips on how they can use EMR more efficiently and properly. In that way learning is quick and non-threatening.

6. Personalization and recognition of differences among physicians: "Don't try to compel all physicians to do same thing, because incorporating technology into all personal use is not one-size-fits-all". She added more that even different people use simple technologies like email and word processing differently. And EMR implementation provides several ways to accomplish same task, and it might add complexity to training, so you should be sure to offer EMR providers the variety that will fit your practice style the best.

EMR Electronic Medical Records Are the Future

Organizations that provide medical care or provide administrative support to health institutions are more often than not incredibly short on time. Filing the vast quantities of paperwork within this type of organization is a difficult task. If even the smallest of errors are made, retrieving vital documents when they are needed most could take far too long, which at worst could potentially endanger the health of the organizations patients by delaying treatment.

Using an EMR system (electronic medical records) can deliver a number of benefits such as:

1. EMR (Electronic medical records) can be easily stored as electronic files in secure locations. The history of the patients, the notes of the practitioner, facts, statistics and figures can be stored at the same place without occupying a large physical area.

2. The electronic medical records stores very large amount of information. This makes the process of management very easy. When the documents and records have to be searched later for some use, the electronic method is the easiest. It cuts all the hassle that was involved in looking and searching the bulky records and files for hours and hours. Thus it saves a lot of time.

3. The professionals and the practitioners associated with the health care industry reap huge benefits from the EMR transcription records when it comes to urgent situations. Unlike the earlier times, the history of the treatment and the prediction and detection of problems becomes very easy and fast and this can saves the patient from the adverse affects of prolonged medical condition.

4. When it comes to operations, where all the information if required at the tips, the electronic records or electronic medical transcription can be gained access with a few click of the mouse. This saves a lot of bother on the part of the practitioner and she/he can therefore concentrate better on the real tasks.

5. The older forms of storage of medical records saw the piling up of records in no time and therefore it was very difficult to clean the space and remove all the unnecessary records. With the EMR electronic medical records, it is easy to manage the medical documents and the unnecessary records can be easily deleted to ensure that the storage space has only the required information.

6. The EMR electronic medical records create the conditions for easy analysis of the medical records which would otherwise have been a very tedious job. All the statistics and analysis can be done with a few clicks of mouse. This also helps in the growth and betterment of the health care organization or clinic.

7. The electronic storage of the data is very cheap as compared to the large amount of paper work that was required traditionally. The storage space is very cheap and so is its maintenance, no more bulky cabinets and congested offices.

Using an EMR electronic medical record system can help any clinical establishment to run in a smooth and effective manner, which not only benefits doctors, hospitals as well as patients. EMR saves time, energy and space, whilst simultaneously minimizing the possibility of errors.

Implementing EMR – Is It Worth It?

EMR is the digital version of patient medical records and according to industry experts EMR can deliver numerous benefits for doctors, hospitals as well as patients if used in a right manner. Apart from its advantages, EMR implementation is also a statutory requirement. The US government wants to shift the health industry into the digital age and has provided incentives and an EMR implementation deadline. For those who do not meet the Electronic Medical Records deadline for implementation, the government has laid out a series of penalties.

The EMR is a software that is composed of clinical data storage area, medical decision making backing, medical terminologies, pharmacy applications, and medical documentation applications that are used by the healthcare providers and medical practitioners in monitoring, documenting, and managing and in delivering care to the patient. The integration of EMR in the healthcare delivery setting offers a wide array of advantages usually outweighing the cons. One can't deny how pricey EMRs could get; however, if quality patient care is the concern, purchasing an EMR is but the right thing to do.

With the help of EMR Doctors and nurses can now have instant access to all of the patient's medical records including his laboratory test results, x-rays, past and present medical histories including drug allergies. Once files are easily accessed the concerned healthcare provider can act right away. So why not make the decision to implement an EMR?

Certified EMR

A certified EMR has become a hot topic with the providers being now able to reimburse for a portion of the price of the EMR by the government. According to experts, occupational health providers can be totally assured that their certified EMR will be totally safe and appropriate and will make for great care system. But many still doubt the current certification criteria of the EMR doubting whether they will make a viable occupational health application.

A certified EMR provides a level of transparency to healthcare providers as they make EMR purchasing decisions. The actual idea is to certify its functionality and level of security. This forms the first step to getting the systems in place.

There are over 400 EMRs to choose from in the industry and those providers interested in its implementation, for the very first time can check with the current vendors to verify that the EMR software is a certified one. 

Tags: EMR Certified | EMR Certified

Advantages of Implementing a Web Based EMR

There are huge advantages of implementing a web based EMR as compared to its counterpart desktop version. A desktop version of EMR is installed on to the local machine of the user itself. The software and the user data gets stored into the local hard disk of the user. This creates great problem as regards accessing patient medical information. There are times when a physician would like to pull the patient medical records while on the move, however, in case of a desktop version this flexibility is not available to the physician (user). The user gets tied up with a particular machine; the biggest disadvantage of a desktop version can be experienced at times of emergencies when it is required to pull patient information at places other than the physician’s clinic. 

According to industry experts, a web based EMR is a gift of advanced internet technology that provides with immense flexibility as regards storage of patient data and its retrieval. In case of a web based EMR, the data is stored centrally, which provides with all the flexibility. As the data is stored centrally (server), it can also be used to integrate / compile it with other applications like EMR and so on.

Security is one of the most important benefits of web based EMR software. The web based software offers more security than many small clinics can provide themselves. Provided server maintenance is also a huge benefit to web-based software. The provider of the software program takes care of server maintenance so that you can focus on what you do best; take care of your patients.

The initial investment for web based EMR (online EMR) software is much lower compared to other systems. This is because you do not have to purchase hardware, servers, or software that can be very expensive. The initial investment is very low and the monthly fee incurred to utilize the system can be written off as a monthly operating cost. The most outstanding features in the new age web based EMR is that of portability.

How to Select a Best Web EMR

Whether investing in an EMR to improve care, increase revenue or office efficiency, choosing the best web EMR can be a daunting task. There are numerous vendors in the market providing a wide range of web EMRs, which makes it very difficult for the physician or hospital to make a decision. More over, each vendor provides a range of EMRs with different features. Truly speaking, not every practice or a hospital would require all the features; by and large it depends on the specialty and modus operandi of the practice or hospital. There are certain features that may be useful for the practice and others may not. In this situation it’s really very important to list out the requirements and to make a decision as regards best web EMR for the practice. 

Let's consider 10 of the most important features of web EMR software.

1. Web-Based and Secure Portability
2. Complete Integration with Other Medical Systems
3. E-Prescription Compatibility
4. PQRI Automation
5. Adaptive Learning (System Memorizes Data)
6. Patient Portal Accessible From Anywhere
7. Flexible, Non-Template Based Systems
8. Electronic Document Management and Imaging
9. Voice Recognition and Handwriting Recognition
10. In Compliance with Federal and State Regulations

As you can see, EMR software should be, and for the most part is, highly flexible and customizable to your needs. These are just some of the features that may help your business. A careful analysis of the existing system and listing out the features of various EMRs available in the market can help to make a decision as regards best web EMR for the practice (or hospital).

Certified EMR and Meaningful Use

Implementation of health IT products like EMR is not only helpful to the healthcare professionals but also to the patients as well as the entire healthcare industry. However, the implementation cost has been a big hurdle in the path of smooth implementation. Recent Federal legislation has charted a new path forward. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, authorized expenditures of at least $20 billion to promote the adoption and use of EMR solutions / EHR technologies that would ideally be connected through a national health information network.

The Medicare program enables you to qualify for $44,000 if you are meeting CMS criteria for Meaningful Use with your electronic medical records software. The Medicaid program incentives reach $63,750. The Medicaid program is easier to qualify for in the first year, but it is in the hands of the individual states to conduct this program. Also, as a provider, you will need to see at least 30% Medicaid patients to qualify for this program.

To qualify for these incentive dollars, providers must be using a Meaningful Use certified EMR product. Vendors are quickly pursuing Meaningful Use certification for 3rd parties.

Electronic Medical Records - Benefits and Concerns

 

In this digital age, every thing seems to be digitized - the library catalogs, the telephone diary and so on. Healthcare industry is not an exception to the rule, the industry is under rapid transformation with the introduction of health IT solutions like electronic medical records system, pactice management system, claims processing system and more.

Benefits:

1) Digitization of patient medical records helps to drastically reduce the work load.

2) The use of EMRs supposedly reduces errors in medical records.

3) Digital records provide more safety to the patient medical records as compared to manual (paper based) records.

4) Digital records (EMRs) brings about increase in ROI for the practice.

5) Electronic medical records ultimately help to bring about the improvement in quaity of patient service.

Concerns:

1) Cost of implementation, training and operations.

2) Patient data security issues.

3) EMRs can lead to loss of the human touch in health care.

Certain concerns as regards the implementation of electronic medical records can not be denied, however, looking into the unmatched advantages it can deliver for both doctors as well as practice, more and more doctors and hospitals are turning to electronic medical records.

EMR and Data Security

EMR software has become a must have in today's healthcare industry. The software promises to deliver unmatched avantages for both doctors as well as patients. The system ensures to streamline the overall back end process of clinics as well as hospitals. EMR can bring about drastic reduction in time spent and costs, there by bringing about improvement in overall revenue for the practice. As far as patients are concerned, the system if used in a right manner promises to bring about improvement in the quality of service.

In today's hi-tech world EMR system is a very important component for any practice or hospital, however, the importance of data security can not be denied. HIPAA is playing a wonderful role by regulating the software. A certified EMR would necessarily possess the technical features to control the access of patient data, however, a full-proof policy as regards data access is equally important.

EMR For Better Productivity & Revenue

 

Clinics and hospitals are struggling to handle an overload of patient cases, and this struggle can often result in errors and difficulties. This has created a huge demand for EMR software.

EMR (Electronic Medical Record) software ensures to streamline the overall patient record management process of clinics and hospitals. A fully functional EMR system can cut down on time spent on various patient management functions. The time saved can be utilized for attending to more no. of patients.

The EMR software not only brings about reduction in time and costs, however, it also helps to bring about improvement in the quality of patient service. All these factors result into increased productivity and ultimately more revenue for the practice.

Can EMR Improve Physician Efficiency?

EMR (electronic medical records) is in existence for years, however, it is only recently that this technology has started gaining popularity across the entire US healthcare industry. The pressure on the US healthcare industry is rising persistently for want of more quantity and better quality of patient service.

EMR seems to be an answer to the growing pressure across the healthcare industry. The EMR software ensures to streamline the overall back end process of clinics as well as hospitals. It is believed by industry experts that EMR can not only save time, cut down on costs but at the end will benefit patients by improving the quality of patient service.

Looking into a large no. of advantages that EMR implementation can deliver; US government is keen on implementing EMR software across the entire healthcare industry. President Obama has also set aside a large portion of the American Reinvestment Act for electronic medical records.EMR

Is there any difference between EMR and EHR?

Electronic medical records (EMR / EHR) are the hot buzz-words these days as physicians are now heavily encouraged to switch from paper to electronic based systems. The two terms (EMR / EHR) are used interchangeably, however, there is size-able difference between the two terms. 

The NAHIT has provided the following definitions for EMR and EHR:

EMR: The electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is created, gathered, managed, and consulted by licensed clinicians and staff from a single organization who are involved in the individual’s health and care.

EHR: The aggregate electronic record of health-related information on an individual that is created and gathered cumulatively across more than one health care organization and is managed and consulted by licensed clinicians and staff involved in the individual’s health and care.

By these definitions, an EHR is an EMR with interoperability (i.e. integration to other providers’ systems). In other words, EMR is at micro level (single provider) where as EHR is a wider macro level concept (multiple providers / medical setups). So, yes, the difference between “electronic medical records” and “electronic health records” is just one word. But in that word there is a world of difference.