EMR Software -- Important Purchasing Factors

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.  However, the success to a great extent depends to a large extent on selecting a right EMR for the practice. The question is though -- how can you tell which EMR System is the most ideal for your needs?

To assist in clearing up the confusion, this is a simple list of 5 important aspects to think about when purchasing an EMR Solution:

1 -- Certification Status & Usability

2 - Set Up of the EMR Solution

3 -- Personalization & Integration

4 - Lab Interface

5 - EMR Instruction & Ongoing System Assistance

Having a new answer in the form of EMR for your healthcare information is great -- although not in the event that not one of the personnel understand how to implement it. Does the provider providing the program offer initial training? How do they go about making sure your staff understands the particulars of it; on-site or perhaps by remote training? After the instruction, concerns will likely occur - make sure the EMR seller will be there when you need them later on in the future.

Choosing a Best EMR Software for Your Needs

When it comes to choosing a great EMR software program, it's fundamental to look for attributes that would preferably support the services offered by the medical center including specialized treatments. Evaluating items such as the specialization, preservation ratio and solvency.. Undoubtedly, factors to analyze and consider any time searching for a EMR product that's befitting ones medical center.

Any time looking for an EMR company, be sure to determine if they cover multiple specializations. Practices that will specialize in a particular field including actual physical treatments, neurology, chiropractic, or anything else. Must possess a more impressive range associated with knowledge and abilities built in the program, although EMR software programs that make an effort to complete every thing may very well be without some spots. 

For instance, REHABILITATION clinics would want to see EMR software including tools for better paperwork for actual physical therapists, specifically. It's not only significant to find out the length of time the company has been in company, and pinpointing the growth rate is important. Yes, a corporation that's been around for quite a while can have much more experience, but a lack of growth may be trigger with regard to concern. They could have as well hit a stalemate or simply experience a decline.

Medical Students' Training in EHRs Inadequate

Medical Students' Training in EHRs Inadequate

 

Medical school students are using electronic health records at a higher rate than practicing physicians, but education is lacking. Without guidelines, physicians face significant roadblocks to adoption, according to two companion studies published in Teaching and Learning in Medicine.

In the first study, researchers from the Alliance for Clinical Education found that 64 percent of the medical school programs allowed students to use their EHRs, but only two thirds of those allowed the students to write notes in them. They were further stymied by the mechanics involved in the use of EHRs. 

"Previously, students were just able to pick up a physical patient chart. Now they need permission to use hospital computers and passwords to access the EHR. There also are concerns surrounding Medicare rules about physicians using trainees' findings in the [EHR],"  lead author Maya Hammoud, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Michigan Medical School said in a statement.

In a related study, the Alliance, which works to enhance the education of medical students, expressed concern that limitations on medical student training in EHRs will adversely affect their overall education. The organization proposed that medical schools follow practice guidelines in training students to use EHRs, including required documentation in the systems, review of their notes, the opportunity to practice order entry in an EHR, exposure to clinical decision support tools, and development of competences related to EHR charting.

Inadequate EHR training has long been a barrier to successful EHR adoption, overwhelming and frustrating clinicians. Enhanced training of medical students in EHRs as a part of their medical school education would likely improve their competence and acceptance of EHR use as a tool.

Source: http://www.fierceemr.com/story/medical-students-training-ehrs-inadequate/2012-08-15

Tags: EMR | Claimat EMR | Electronic Medical Records

Preparing to Implement an EMR

All medical offices get great benefits if they use good medical software that allows more efficient accounting.  There are some considerations in using EMR that are really hard to ignore.

 By using this system you can save a great deal of your wasted time, money & your office space. The computerized patients chart helps you save time and all your data is stored in the system itself.

The revenue can be increased and the accounts can be managed more speedily without making any kind of errors.

E-prescription is one of the best features of the EMR software. It prevents medication errors and gets alert warnings automatically about drug reactions or unsafe drug combinations.

Using EMR Software helps you improve reimbursement rates and insurance companies also offers discount to the doctors who use full software system.

Electronic Medical Record Software helps in increasing workflow and productivity of the healthcare professionals.

The powerful built-in security features in form of encryption does not allow any one else to access your data.

The superior billing feature lets you print all that you need and also include other financial details like tax and insurance codes.

Best EMR for Your Clinic

EMR is an electronic version of patient medical records. The patient medical data is stored electronically with the help of the software (EMR). The use of EMR software can make life easier for doctors, hospitals as well as patients. It can help to streamline the overall workflow of clinics as well as hospitals, thereby helping to improve the productivity, ROI and quality of patient service.

The success of EMR implementation to a great extent depends on selecting a right or best EMR for the practice. With so many EMR vendors and so many EMR versions it becomes really very difficult to choose the best EMR for the practice.  However, an EMR with certain must have features can definitely be a good choice.

Let's consider 10 of the most important features of 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.

Funding Option for Implementing EMR Solution

The herculean task of assuring compliance with the proposed federal guidelines for the use of electronic medical records (EMR) comes with a hefty price tag. The expenses to hospitals and private physicians include not only the price of the software and technical support, but also the contracted manpower to enter all current data into the electronic system.

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was created to fund and support a paperless national health information network through the adoption of EMR solution. The stimulus is based either on Medicare OR Medicaid but not both. The incentive per practice provider began in 2011 and reduces payments through 2016. After this date a penalty of 2% less reimbursement from CMS occurs for physicians not using EMR solution.

EMR and Usability

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) companies must pay close attention to the usability of their product. Usability is the idea of making software, in this case, easy for users to learn and operate. Patients and providers alike will get the most out of an EMR if the usability is at a high level. Understanding human behavior and designing software around the user are both key to creating an EMR with optimal usability.

The EMR Usability Group is a great resource that discusses and outlines key criteria of usability for an EMR program. Key components of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) usability is interface design, interface layout, and matching the office workflow.

EMR Usability:

- Simplicity

- Naturalness

- Consistency

- Minimizing Cognitive Load

- Efficient Interactions

- Forgiveness

- Feedback

- Effective Use of Language

- Effective Information Presentation

- Preservation of Context