Most Americans work hard. Stay very busy. But until you've seen the routine at a physician's office on a daily basis, you may not truly comprehend the concept of "busy". Imagine seeing 50 or 100 patients each day, many encountering problems or managing pain. Now imagine having to diagnose problems, assign laboratory tests and X-rays and then prescribe the right medication to deal with illness. It's a lot to manage and take care of, to be sure. Fortunately, EMR software offers physicians the ability to manage and be aware of all issues with their patients, while also easing stress.
Despite the major advances in healthcare and medicine overall, it's a harsh paradox that medical practitioners themselves have been such late users of EMR and practice management software. Many medical practitioners still work with paper medical records, record treatments and billing statement on paper or with rudimentary UNIX systems, when they could be benefiting from the major efficiency advantages of today's graphically oriented EMR systems. Recent Federal Government stimulus funds have been focused on providing EMR software to medical practitioners, and the better awareness has led to a stronger installed base. The well-informed doctor knows that all systems are not the same however, and needs to realize these crucial EMR points:
Automation - Most industry-leading EMR software products provide a big selection of simple to use, but efficiency-generating automation benefits. Having an assistant repetitively type out letters should definitely be a thing of the past, particularly considering the database-to-print automation features in most EMR software products. Finding the most effective automation features for your clinic is certainly up to you, but don't forget to think big - dynamic companies can typically design features into the system for you, whether they are new or not.
Business Condition Reporting - With the assistance of Federal Stimulus dollars, many medical practitioners have been able to add in a complete practice management system with medical billing to their EMR software. The resulting benefits are huge, as it enables both medical office managers and physicians to get a financial bird's eye view of their business. Best of breed systems will usually provide templates for hundreds of key accounting reports, such as billings and treatment details, but also offer customizable demographic reports. Seeing the billing and cash flow picture in your practice with a simple click should be a benefit to seek out with your EMR.
Customizability - Any EMR software vendor who replies to a "Can your system do this...?" question with a "no, not possible" probably isn't your best choice. It's software, silly, and the main thing with software is that developers can always stretch the boundaries of their applications to where they need to be to please their customers. Be reasonable, of course, but requesting interface changes, specialized electronic medical billing templates and quick-click features for any practice management or EMR program is not too much to ask - this is the case where a "yes-man" that executes correctly may be your best friend.
Ask any physician, and he'll tell you that operating a practice in today's healthcare environment isn't going to get any easier any time soon. But, being competitive becomes more and more necessary as patients get older and start to be more choosy with their medical dollars. EMR software offers that ability to compete, and refine your practice to ensure its health in the new decade.
Carl Hardy is a system trainer, project manager and webmaster of http://www.electronicmedicalrecords.org. His company, EMRG, specializes in developing industry leading electronic health records and offers a free online demo.
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