he US healthcare industry is looking forward to many technological and industry based implementations in the forth coming years. With the deadline fast approaching for ICD10, version 5010 Compliance, ACO program and EMR implementation, hospitals & healthcare organizations are busy working out plans for smooth transition of these ventures. ICD10 and ACO implementations are being anticipated with the view to improve quality of healthcare in the US.
In line with this, EMR is also considered as an amazing product of technology that can help physicians provide better care to their patients and manage their clinical and administrative functions effectively. Though there is a strong need to implement EMR and pressure from the government, there is resistance prevailing in the industry for adopting it, due to various reasons. Good understanding of the EMR is essential in order to accept the transition from paper records to EMR.
Well, you need to know what an EMR is and how its different from EHR:
EMR: Its an application that is a complete repository of patients clinical documents. It contains patients medical history, the summary of all visits, observations and treatment rendered within a Care Delivery Organization.
EHR: If the medical history of patients is made accessible across multiple CDOs within a locality or across states, then it is looked upon as electronic health record
Types of EMR:
Based on the technical feasibility, EMR is classified in to various types namely, SaaS Based, Client Based & Hybrid Model. Depending upon your practice requirements, you have to choose the best suiting EMR by consulting with the solution provider.
Essential Features of EMR:
The features of EMR may vary depending upon the brand you opt for. Compare the features of various EMRs and make sure that your EMR is equipped with the basic features to run your practice smoothly. There are specialty specific EMRs and EMRS with integrated
medical claims billing software that can be more flexible for your needs. You should evaluate the EMRs with integrated
medical insurance billing and coding features for practicability of matching your
physician billing needs.
Main Advantages of adopting EMR/HER
EMR has numerous advantages that can benefit your day-day functions:
Legibility of notes
Great features corresponding to charts
Drug & allergy interactions
Electronic Prescriptions
Disaster Recovery
Main reasons for physicians to resist implementation of EMR:
Cost factors associated with EMR
Fear of losing productive hours during transition time
Pressure to develop new skills
Time factor associated with analyzing, comparing and choosing the best EMR for their practice
Why you need EMR: EMR usage has resulted in remarkable benefits for the physicians.
Improved work flow & greater accuracy in process
Appropriate use of EMR that is integrated with medical billing features has resulted in decreased errors in
medical claims billing
Enhanced network with patients, labs and drug stores
Reduced medication errors due to drug allergy interaction alerts
Increased safety for patient records
Better drug refill capabilities
Tools integrated with EMR and its extensive reporting features enables better clinical decision making
Adopting EMR- Incentives & penalties:
The US government insists implementation of EMR for betterment of practice performance and quality in healthcare &
healthcare billing. It has also fixed up good incentives for physicians who take up EMR and heavy penalties for those who dont. So, if you have not started with EMR, its good that you start now. You get multiple benefits by satisfying governments requirements on meaningful use of EMR. So, taking up EMR can be highly profitable for your practice in a long run.
For smooth transition from Paper records to EMR:
Discuss with an EMR clinical informatics consultant in order to clearly understand your requirements with EMR and how to make the transition more effective
Homework before you start with EMR. The product you choose will decide the performance of your practice. So, analyze the different EMR products available in the industry, their features, cost factors pricing model, usability and success ratio before going for one.
Implementation of EMR is dependent on several technology factors - So, make sure that you have other technical requirements satisfied to implement EMR
EMR is becoming a must. So, be well informed of the operability & features in order to keep pace with the usual dynamism of your work.
Monitor the changes continuously after the implementation of EMR
Researches done with the healthcare organizations that have implemented EMR prove that there is an overall improvement in efficiency, quality of care and patient services. Implementing a best suited EMR for your practice can translate into supreme quality at work and eventually, satisfied patients.
