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Is it time to look at replacing paper charts with EMR software in your clinic?
There are federal incentives in place for the next few years to try to encourage this adoption. Patients are expecting their doctors to be sharing information electronically with other practices in town. And from a disaster standpoint, providers find that their data is better protected in digital format.
Software Advice shared their ten best practices for selecting an EMR system, and below is an excerpt:
Take ownership of the decision. Your EMR software will impact how you practice medicine, so this is not a process that should be delegated to back-office staff or the local “computer guy.” While your staff should play a key role in selection, this process demands medical expertise and leadership that only the physician can provide…
Determine your own requirements. Too many physicians let software salesmen drive the selection process. Only you know how you should practice medicine. Therefore, it’s critical to map out your ideal workflow and how you interact with office staff to complete a patient visit. Do you want to limit the system to electronic charting, or do you want and end-to-end solution that extends all the way to claim management? At the same time, realize that your interactions with software vendors are good opportunities to learn new best practices and workflows that could improve the way you work. ..
Get the right EMR for your specialty. Most EMR products are designed to serve a wide range of medical practices while others are designed for specialties. There are benefits and drawbacks to each approach. The narrow focus of a specialty EMR vendor allows them to design their systems around the unique needs of physicians within their target market…
Integrate practice management. In addition to EMR functionality, consider how you want your system to support medical billing, patient scheduling and practice management. Do you want all of these functions in one complete suite, or should your EMR interface with existing systems? There are advantages to managing clinical and practice management functions in a single system.
Focus on ease-of-use. Medicine is complex enough without software making things more difficult. Therefore, it’s critical to find a system that makes each encounter easier, not harder. The system must be highly intuitive and easy-to-use. The simplest way to evaluate ease-of-use is to use a demo copy yourself. Try to manage a common process such as documenting a frequent diagnosis. Did you figure it out right away? These days, the right software should make it easy….
Assess support and upgrades. You’ll need them. Leading vendors provide support 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. You’ll most certainly want weekend support if you work like most physicians, and you might want nighttime support too, even if only while reviewing records…
Consider vendor viability. An EMR isn’t all you’re buying. You’re also entering into a long-term software vendor relationship. It’s critical to assess the software company’s viability…
Be smart about your budget. With EMR prices ranging from $1,000 to $100,000, you can quickly narrow down your software search based on price. However, this approach will more than likely limit your ability to find the right system. While software does not have to be expensive to be good, never buy on price alone. The more sophisticated buyer will consider the value of the system (as measured by return on investment), rather than thinking in absolute dollars…
Consider your deployment strategy. With faster Internet connections and new technologies, it’s now possible to access your medical records entirely over the web. Think hard about the tradeoffs between a SaaS solutions and the more traditional path of installing and maintaining your own IT infrastructure…
Don’t forget the technology. We put this last for a reason. We do not think that development languages and databases should drive a software selection process in health care or any other industry. Instead, we advocate that you assess underlying technology from a defensive standpoint…
ChartZoom is your Free Online EMR Consultant. Let us help you find the best EMR Software vendor for your needs!We will quickly match you with three to six electronic medical records providers in your area. They will provide you with free quotes, with no obligation. First, tell us what you are looking for by answering these questions:
