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.

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.

Important Functions of EMR Solutions

Thanks to the modern technology, there is no need for you to worry about filing huge numbers of paperwork into your patient's charts. With the use of EMR solutions, you can easily update the patient data and all other information regarding their health within your computer and save this important information at the same time.
EMR solutions are going to be needed in the future. It is important to learn the functions of EMR and how it fits into an office work flow:

1. Patient Charting

Patient visit information is put into templates or forms; to contain information such as vitals, complaints, medical histories, review of systems, physical exams, etc. Most EMR systems have pick lists, drop-down boxes, handwriting recognition, or voice recognition to accomplish patient charting.

2. Order Communication Systems

This is often referred to as a Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE). This allows the EMR system to communicate information with external systems such as laboratories, imaging centers, hospitals, and pharmacies via Health Level 7 Interfaces. This allows providers to send out lab requests, imaging requests, prescriptions, submit visit charges, and diagnosis codes to the office/billing system.

3. Clinical Decision-Making Support Systems

Alerts, reminders, and recommendations are built into the system allowing automatic clinical decision making with information in the database. It also helps doctors with coding and diagnosis. Many electronic medical records systems provide physicians with a recommended CPT code based off of Evaluation and Management (EM) rules. This allows physicians to bill payers at the highest possible rate for the services performed.

4. Document/ Image Management

It is important for offices to manage the enormous flow of paper entering their office. Offices are constantly flooded with patient intake forms, referring physician letters, lab reports, and faxes. EMRs allow doctors to access these documents on a intuitive user interface. Electronic medical records provide physicians a way to manage images such as x-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds.

5. Patient Portal

Personal health records allow patients to access their health record from any computer with a secure internet connection. These programs include features such as appointment scheduling, refill requests, electronic intake forms, record access, outcome assessments and patient education. The patient can also grant other providers access to this information which allows provider-to-provider communication.

6. Statistics and Reporting

With the help of EMR solutions providers can create reports from databases for statistical purposes. This becomes especially useful in the case of drug recalls, health maintenance reminders and disease management.

Electronic Medical Records – A Must Have in Today’s Digital Age

Electronic Medical Records is a computerized medical record of a patient maintained in a clinic or a hospital, including the patient's demographics, medical history, treatment details etc.  Implementing EMR is a complex, expensive investment that has created a demand for Healthcare IT professionals and accounts for a growing segment of the healthcare workforce. As compared to EMR an Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a cumulative health record of an individual which is gathered across different healthcare institutions and maintained by licensed professionals involved in the person's health.

EMR refers to a paperless, digital and computerized system of maintaining patient data, designed to increase the efficiency and reduce documentation errors by streamlining the process. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) is an integral part of adoption of health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE). As part of the healthcare reform proposed by the Obama administration, up to 2 billion dollars is allocated to states for meaningful use of health IT and ensure that every person has access to EHRs by 2014.

A typical Electronic Medical Records vendor will focus on all of the business and technology needs of your practice, from choosing the best medical software solution for your needs, and making recommendations to ensure a successful installation. They can become a long-term partner if chosen wisely. For sure electronic medical records is a must have in today’s digital age.

What Do You Understand By Certified EMR

A certified EMR is the one that which is certified by a certifying body. The certification guidelines and criteria are handled by ONC (The Office of the National Coordinator). Currently there are 6 organizations recognized by ONC as ATCB (authorized testing and certification body) namely Drummond Group, InfoGard Laboratories, Inc., SLI Global Solutions, ICSA Labs, and Surescripts LLC.

The ONC’s mission involves many aspects of health information technology (HIT), including policy coordination, strategic planning for the adoption of health IT and health information exchanges (HIE), establishing governance for the Nationwide Health Information Network and, above all, promoting a national health IT infrastructure.

This last mission, according to the ONC, aims, among other things, to improve the quality of health care while reducing costs; improve the coordination of care and information among hospitals, labs, physicians and other health care organizations; ensure that personal health records (PHR) remain secure, and promote the early detection, prevention and management of chronic illness.

For the ONC to do its work, significant upgrades to health IT systems across the country will be necessary. To that end, and in response to provisions of the HITECH Act, the ONC drafted an interim final rule for an initial set of standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for electronic health record (EHR) systems.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a part of ARRA passed in 2009, created "new incentive payment programs to help health providers as they transition from paper-based medical records to EMRs.  Incentive payments totaling as much as $27 billion may be made under the program.  Individual physicians and other eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 through Medicare and almost $64,000 through Medicaid.  Hospitals can receive millions." (Aug. 30, 2010)

The HHS further explains that "to qualify for the incentive payments, providers must not only adopt, but also demonstrate meaningful use of certified EMR systems. Certifying bodies such as the ONC-ATCB ensure EMR users that their (EMR certified) software will support the specific tasks of Meaningful Use.

Tips for Choosing Best Online EMR

Making the right EMR purchase the first time can be a positive experience! Keep in mind successful electronic medical record implementation will enhance your practice and improve patient care. Even if you have shortlisted the list between desktop and online EMR, selecting a best online EMR for the practice or hospital is not an easy task.

Software selection tips that can help to choose a best online EMR for the practice (or hospital):

1. Have your current and near future practice needs been defined?

    * Does the EMR interface with your billing or practice management systems?

    * Is your practice's record management methodology supported?

2. Before you purchase your EMR...

    * Compare a number of EMR systems

    * Focus on EMR systems that best fit your needs

3. Which EMR technology do you need?

    * A client-server EMR software or a web based EMR software solution

    * Does the EMR allow and support for practice growth

4. Can you get an EMR software demo?

    * Is it specialty specific

    * Is it as easy to use on complex patient cases

5. How complicated is the EMR to use?

    * Are the EMR document templates customizable?

    * Will the electronic medical record solution save your office staff time?

6. How easy is office implementation?

    * Easy and shared access among providers and staff

    * How disruptive implementation will be to your practice

7. What electronic medical record features are supported?

    * Charge capture for billing?

    * Voice recognition

    * etc, etc, etc.

8. Is the EMR solution technologically stable, compatible and flexible?

    * Is the electronic medical record solution 'certification focused'?

    * Is it stay within HIPAA compliance for privacy standards and confidentiality?

9. What is the actual cost of electronic medical record ownership?

    * Cost for EMR hardware/software license, installation, training, upgrades and maintenance

    * Is there an EMR software efficiency cost savings from successful office implementation?

10. After you purchase your software system, what then?

    * Is there reliable continuing EMR software vendor support and training?

    * Are EMR customizations easily available?

Taking into consideration the above mentioned selection tips would help to make a right decision as regards best EMR / best online EMR for the practice.

Increase Efficiency of Your Health Org with EMR

EMR refers to a computer based system that is helpful for entering, automating and sharing medical information. The EMR application aims at making life easier for both doctors as well as patients. Electronic Medical Record is easy to use medical software loaded with special features and customizable settings, which is great for medical groups and solo practices.

Health organizations can get unmatched benefits if the EMR software is used in a right manner:

By using the EMR system health organizations can save a great deal of time, money & office space. The computerized patients chart helps to save time and all the patient data is stored in the system itself.

By using the EMR system 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.

And above all, in the end the EMR software helps patients with improved quantity and quality of patient service.

EMR Software - What To Consider?

EMR is a new age IT tool for the healthcare industry that can deliver unmatched advantages to both doctors as well as patients. The EMR software could be of great help and support to the industry if implemented and used in a right manner. The first step in the successful implementation starts with the selection of the right emr. The task may seem easier, however, it becomes difficult due to the availability of numerous vendors with a wide range of EMR softwares.

Each EMR software has its own capability, providing different features and facilities. A particular EMR may be suitable for a particular practice and it may not be suitable for the other practice. Hence, choosing an EMR that suits the requirements of the practice is of utmost importance. The EMR must also comply with HIPAA and healthcare industry guidance. It should have all the inbuilt features that can help to accomplish the "meaningful use" of the solution.

EMR Software - Improving Physician Clinic Margins

EMR software is transforming the healthcare industry. The software is all set to deliver great benefits to both physicians as well as patients. Maintaing patient medical records is a tedious and time consuming process that consumes maximum time resources of healthcare professionals and their staff. Huge cost is spent on creating and maintaing the medical history of patients. Implementation of EMR software ensures to streamline the overall process of patient medical records.

EMR software provides with a ready to use data input form with a number of other functionalities. The data entered is more accurate and in detail as compared to the old manual practice. It helps to cut-down on the time spent in creating the patient record, which in turn helps to manage the clinic (or hospital) with lesser staff and thus resulting into improvement in the profit margins for the clinic (or hospital).

EMR - Improving The Quality of Patient Service

EMR is a wonderful software, a new age tool for the healthcare industry that can deliver unmatched benefits to both doctors as well as patients. Advanced healthcare IT solution like EMR if implemented properly and used in an optimal manner can do wonders for both doctors as well as patients. The solution ensures to streamline the whole process of patient record keeping.

There is a wrong belief that the EMR solution would benefit only doctors in saving time and bringing down the cost of services. However, the ground reality is far from this belief; the ultimate or the long term goal of electronic medical records solution is to bring about improvement in the quality of patient service. The solution needs to be used in a "meaningful manner" called "meaningful use of EMR", which being also an important criteria in availing the stimulus incentive benefits.

EMR Software and The Ultimate Benefits

Healthcare industry is very complex in nature; the complexity goes up with the load of backend processes. It is believed that patient record management is the most time consuming process, which puts maximum pressure on any healthcare professional. Recording patient medical history and taking care of them is a tedious task, it often results into a number of errors.

Modern technology is changing the face of the healthcare industry with a wide range of advanced technology solutions like EMR, claims processing, practice management and more. The advantages of automation is vast - it helps to streamline the overall processes of patient record management. It speeds up the overall process, resulting into saving of time and costs. 

The ultimate benefits of EMR could be seen at the patient level with better quality and quantity of service.