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Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software
Medical practices that still rely on impractical paper medical charts for their patients could be shortchanging the business! With electronic medical records (EMR), any medical office can easily store information, maintain physicians’ notes, prescription data, medical charts, and diagnosis. With all data in a central location, it facilitates searching and finding specific information. You also greatly reduce the chance for errors and can make updates to existing data when needed.
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Then you can choose to speak with one of our Purchasing Advisors who can walk you through the process and handle any issues or questions that arise. Our Advisors provide these services and more:
- Verify your information and give an overview of the purchasing process
- Provide purchasing tips and send buyer's guides
- Provide supplier profiles and ratings
- Mediate issues with suppliers
When shopping for the right EMR software, here are five key things you want to be able to do:
- Use the codes and terminologies that your office is familiar with
- Handle multiple offices for several physicians
- Creates the chart templates that are most familiar to you
- Find different ways to sort and manipulate the data
- Manage other patient information such as test results, x-rays, and medical history
As with MPM, make sure any EMR software you work with is compliant with HIPAA so your sensitive patient data is safe.
Entering data into EMR
You have four options for actually entering the data into EMR. Depending on what’s most functional to your practice, you can select one or a myriad of options. For many doctors, surgeons, and dentists, the decision comes down to the quickest and most convenient method for busy offices. Be sure that the vendor provides you with the option you need to simplify the process.
- Keyboard and mouse – Features a simple user interface that allows medical personnel to type in the data and select certain information about a patient.
- Touch screens – Navigate the on-screen menus to select the options you want to work with.
- Speech recognition – Allows doctors on the go to record patient data into a portable recording device.
- Handwriting detection – Lets doctors jot down notes that the software will decipher into an electronic format.
In addition to these data entry options, you also have to consider what kind of hardware you will use. Most offices will opt for standard desktop or laptop PCs in each room. While the costliest option, it’s also the most familiar so doctors can realize the benefits right away. Tablet PCs are a portable option for doctors that want to enter information from anywhere in the office and it saves a step from using paper patient files. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are smaller and lighter than tablets, but may not have the same functionality as their larger counterparts.
EMR Features
Among the various options for entering patient data, there are key electronic medical software features to choose from. Once you decide what you need your EMR solution to do, you can select the software that best represents the features you need.
- Multiple records access: Allows other personnel to work on aspects of patient records concurrently with the physician
- Remote access: Log in over a secure Internet connection to access the data from anywhere
- Cross-checking prescriptions: Ensures prescription matches patient symptoms appropriately and that the patient doesn’t have allergies to specific meds
- Rich reporting capabilities: Generate useful reports for patient data, prescription inventory, appointment history, and more
- Secure access: Use SSL technology to protect sensitive and confidential patient information and comply with HIPAA regulations
- Compatible with other medical solutions: Works in tandem with MPM software or the electronic side of medical transcription services
While the feature sets sound great for EMR, how do you know what you and your staff will find the most useful? The best way to make that decision is to keep everyone that will use it in the loop. Ask them what features would make their jobs easier and which add-ons would streamline operations. You can then let them know which EMR features are available, and allow them to provide input on what you should purchase.
The trial process is extremely important when buying EMR. Most vendors will allow you to try out the functionality of the software without making a purchase. They will either send you a demo CD or set up a “dummy account” for you to try the software online. If you find the software intuitive and think it’s a good fit for your business, you can then discuss buying the fully-licensed version.