Patient Management:

A solution like Suitemed EMR helps efficiently manage a primary physician’s OPD practice and ensures effective decision-making in management of patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. It also provides support services such as easy referrals and comes with in-built billing software.

Easy Accessibility:

The introduction of Web-based EMR has made it even simpler to remotely access and share patient information like test and diagnostic results with specialist doctors for second opinions.

Unlimited Storage:

Every medical facility faces the challenge of maintaining mountains of documents such as medical histories, prescriptions, vital statistics, lab reports, X-rays and others deemed vital to take medical decisions in the future. A tour through Suitemed will make evident the convenience of storing scanned medical documents on certified EMR systems.

Why a Certified EMR Solution?

President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that provided $17.2 billion in financial incentives to ensure the integration of certified EMR software among physicians and medical institutions. The initiative guaranteed high standards in software analysis thereby ensuring quality control in practice management systems within these healthcare facilities.

Certified EMR solution providers such as Suitemed EMR meet the federal standards of product quality and also offer features such as drug interactions (recognition of unfavorable drug reactions) through databases integrated with the FDA’s.

How to Select a Certified EMR System?

The market offers several static and Web-based EMRs. It is important to identify a provider who can counsel you on customized software for your practice. Take into consideration the size of your practice, the clinical specialty and the local market. Selecting a reputed service provider with strong customer support will benefit you in the long run. Some software also allows integration with insurance companies and assists in efficient claim management.

Executing an EMR system without having any clarity on its usability in the day-to-day operations of the practice, communication process and medical decision-making hinders the application of the software. A clear understanding of common challenges faced within the practice help in the selection of the right EMR Solution.

Appropriate selection of an EMR solution provider helps improve productivity of clinical staff, enhances time management, increases patient turnover and income and reduces expenses.

While most of the healthcare industry looks at EMR products as a cost-cutting tool due to the savings in HR spends and paper, many experts are of the opinion that the focus needs to be on building innovative solutions to improve the overall health of the population. They believe that instead of lack of integrated systems and haphazard information, it is the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses and the high cost of services required for its treatment that is the root cause of increased costs. Health experts clearly see value in the implementation of EMR systems to reduce medical errors and duplication in diagnostic testing; thus ensuring effectiveness in clinical decision-making and treatment procedures.

With more and more individual practitioners employing EMR systems, today’s EMR products include management of diagnostics and imaging results through user-friendly interfaces that allow easy uploading, storage and access features. The majority of physician EMR systems is shifting from static, server-based software to online versions allowing remote access and the ability to share data with specialists and patients. Web-based EMRs also allow system upgrades to keep up with the latest trends in software applications. In addition, many EMR products are now introducing applications customized for smartphones and new-age tablet PCs. New EMR products allow doctors to manipulate 3D diagnostic images by simply pinching, dragging or tapping the screen. Thus, continuous development in the EMR space is extending help to medical practitioners for patient information and interaction management.

Growing at the rate of more than 16% per year, EMR product development is expected to form a major chunk of the global healthcare IT market in the next five years. The initiative by the U.S. Government to encourage implementation of EMR systems by offering additional Medicare payments has resulted in the emergence of newer system developers and EMR vendor. The increasing demand for cost-effective but quality healthcare services also acts as a catalyst to the growth of the EMR market.

In addition, the Obama government is actively encouraging the adoption of EHR systems. Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), the federal government is expected to commit exceptional resources to support the adoption of EMR systems. In addition, HITECH lays great emphasis on the meaningful use of EMRs, that is, their use by caregivers to achieve significant improvements in healthcare. This Act links stimulus funding to the accomplishment of advances in healthcare.

This regulation has divided meaningful use into two parts: core objectives and menu elements, which are additional important objectives. While the former are an essential starting point, healthcare providers may choose several from the latter to implement in the first two years of adopting meaningful use EHR systems.

Core objectives consist of basic tasks to be executed while creating an electronic medical record. In addition, they include usage of software applications that bring out the true potential of EHR in improving quality, safety and efficiency. To qualify for incentives, caregivers must use these features to avoid errors and make better healthcare decisions.

The second group consists of menu objectives, a list of ten tasks of which five may be selected for implementation in 2011-2012. This gives providers flexibility to choose how they want to move towards setting up meaningful use EHR systems in their practice. This menu includes reminder services to patients, providing patient-specific health education resources and supporting patient transitions between personnel.

HITECH also specifies the rates at which caregivers have to use particular functions in order to be considered meaningful use for most of the tasks on the core and menu lists.

How does the physician know whether or not he is entering data in a way that qualifies for stimulus? An ideal EMR system should showed whether the practice is complying with the meaningful use regulation. To serve this purpose, top providers have built in a stimulus dashboard into their EMR systems.

The stimulus dashboard, or meaningful use dashboard, enables the caregiver to gather real-time information on current meaningful use levels at his practice. Customized reports generated allow for monitoring of innumerable CMS-required data elements and enable him to visualize the patients covered within. The caregiver can also export this data quickly and easily to regional Health Information Exchanges. In this way, the stimulus dashboard assists him with regulatory compliance and helps qualify him for stimulus funding.

In conclusion, meaningful use regulation helps create a private and secure EMR system. It strikes a perfect balance between encouraging the adoption of EHR to enhance healthcare and recognizing teething challenges. This combination of ambition and achievability makes meaningful use improve healthcare quality and efficiency.

The chief components of an EMR system are:

Hardware
This includes all the physical components of computers and servers connected to the EMR system.

Software
This includes both the programs used to direct the operation of the hardware and the documentation that gives instructions on how to use it. Thus, EMR software, operating system software, fax servers, lab interfaces, and other applications make up the software of an EMR system.

Users
The people using the EMR system are termed ‘users’. This includes physicians as well as staff members involved in administration, medical dispatch and maintenance.

Data
All the information fed into, used, supported by and displayed in an EMR system comprises its ‘data’. This data includes electronic health records, medical records, patient databases and images.

Learning about these components effectively clears the prevalent ambiguity about EMR systems and EMR software. While the latter forms an integral part of the former, the two are not synonymous.

To clarify further, when a medical practitioner purchases EMR software, the package will typically consist of the following:

• Application software
• Application database
• Interface
• Specifications of requisite hardware

Once he purchases the EMR software and installs it into the correct hardware, he must ensure that the software is configured to give the best results. Next, processes and guidelines for data entry and usage must be set. Finally, by training the users, he can complete the formation of an EMR system in his workplace.

Once a physician sets up an EMR system at his practice, he can reap benefits like:

• Eliminating the need for physical storage space as all records would be maintained electronically
• Saving costs of storing, duplicating and transferring data on traditional media like paper or film
• Increasing efficiency and reducing the scope of errors, damage and loss, usually associated with physical records
• Accessing a centralized, updated database to check patient records and to carry out research
• Standardizing forms, terminology and abbreviations, resulting in well organized, regulated data input
• Exchanging data easily both within the facility as well as with other facilities

Eventually, all these benefits help the physician to focus on his core competency, that of providing quality healthcare; while the EMR system proficiently takes over his administrative responsibilities.

The Original source of this article is www.foxmeadows.com. For more information on Electronic health records systems, please visit our website.

In spite of all the benefits they offer, statistics show that a mere 6.9 percent of American doctors currently use EHR systems. When compared to Danish doctors, who convey over 90 percent of clinical communication electronically, America seems to be lagging far behind.

However, one of the chief factors that prompted Denmark to become technologically advanced in the field of healthcare seems to be triggering the US too. This factor is the social network of doctors.

According to the May Journal of American Informatics Assn, close personal ties play a large role in prompting skeptics to adopt electronic health records systems. According to a Commonwealth Fund report, the time saved by early adopters of EHR systems has not gone unnoticed by their colleagues. Additionally, when they share their personal experiences on the benefits that maintaining EMRs (electronic medical records) has brought them, it entices aspiring tech-savvy physicians to learn more about them. Add to this the affordability and flexibility of newer EHR systems to understand why more and more doctors opt for them due to a temptation triggered off by their social network.

According to the August Management Science study, the biggest percentages of EHR-adoption influencers were relatively smaller healthcare facilities. Their size proffers them the space to innovate. Combined with their sheer numbers, larger hospitals feel pressurized to jump on the technological bandwagon.

Insights from an empirical study assessing professional, friendship and perceived influence networks revealed that it was the friendship network that significantly influenced doctors to adopt EHR systems. Another study referred to this power of social networking over traditional sales and advertising stimulating the adoption of maintaining health records electronically as “social contagion”.

With the rapid increase in social media and the even faster increase in its influence in every imaginable field, it is of little surprise that social networking greatly affects the healthcare sector in the adoption of electronic health records systems.

To get the best of your EMR software, it is essential to determine which system ably fulfills the needs of your particular healthcare set-up. To select your ideal EMR solution, follow these steps:

• Purpose:

  Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish with the implementation of your EMR system. Do you need all the features it promises? Or are you simply looking for an electronic billing system?

• Research:

  Begin your research by:

  • Asking your colleagues about the EMR software they use and whether they are satisfied with it
  • Checking out prospective software providers’ websites
  • Being realistic about your actual needs

  Once you have your shortlist:

  • Ask for a demo. Also see if the EMR solution provider can give you a more realistic view of actual cases in addition to his prototypes.
  • Check that the EMR software provider offers IT support
  • Ask other existing customers about their satisfaction levels with the company’s product
• Cost:

  Basic EMR software costs a little below $3,000. For small- to medium-sized set-ups, EMR software costs between $5,000-$35,000, depending on the features and scope for customization it provides.

  Other costs incurred on EMR systems include:

  • Hardware and software installation
  • Licensing fees
  • Re-wiring for multiple access
  • Staff training
  • Maintenance and upgrade fees
• Customization and Integration:

  Although many EMR solutions may look similar at the outset, carefully select the one that best suits your requirements. Both you and your staff should be able to operate it with ease and it should be customized to match your practice’s specific requirements. The software should also integrate easily with your existing IT infrastructure.

• Security:

  Ensure that your chosen EMR software satisfies all HIPAA and related confidentiality requirements. As an increasing number of staff members gain access to the centralized database, you should be able to verify user authorization and set up multiple levels of security checks.

• Staff conviction:

  Finally, to make installing your EMR solution really effective, your staff needs to buy into the idea of paperless record maintenance. They need to believe that the software does not threaten their way of working; instead, it offers them ease of administration so that they can focus on patient care.

  An EMR vendor who makes the transition smooth by providing training and support to staff at low costs would be your ideal choice. Once your staff is accustomed to the system, it will ensure faster working and greater employee productivity.

Myth 1: EMR software is expensive.
Fact: While installing EMR systems may seem expensive at the outset, it results in tremendous cost savings in the long term. These savings come from:

• Decreased need to purchase paper
• Greater savings in worker time
• Elimination of staff needed to maintain paper-based records
• Elimination of unnecessary medication

Also, a quick calculation will prove that hiring an IT person costs about $60,000-$80,000 while an IT service costs $3500-9500 a year. If you choose to handle the function yourself, you end up spending both valuable time and money managing your IT infrastructure. Not only does a professional EMR solution enable you to focus on your core occupation of providing quality medical care but it also helps you in doing so by taking over many of your administrative responsibilities.

Myth 2: Making medical data available over the Internet poses a huge security risk.
Fact: As long as your EMR solution fulfills these three major criteria of data security, you don’t have much to worry about:

• The applications used to access the records must be secure.
• The network over which the records are transferred must be secure.
• Sensitive records in the database should be encrypted.

Myth 3: Staff would object to EMR software.
Fact: Research shows that instead of inspiring employee attrition, EMR software actually attracts staff. The simple reason behind this is that through the use of EMR solutions, workers are able to devote more time to their passion, which is providing healthcare, rather than doing paperwork. All EMR software needs for successful implementation is for the employees to learn about the advantages it represents.

Myth 4: Using computers interferes with physician-patient relationships.
Fact: While cynics portray insensitive visuals of physicians staring into computer screens instead of attending to patients, the fact is that today, patients have come to expect thorough documentation and specific information on how to improve their own health. Using EMR software, you can pull up information about the patient and his illness with the click of a mouse. You can also discuss the treatment plan, all the while involving him, with the data available on-screen.

Myth 5: EMRs are just another passing trend.
Fact: The sheer advantages of maintaining EMRs show that the system is here to stay. In an era of information explosion, EMR solutions help physicians to make informed decisions. Besides, increased governmental support, reduced costs and ease of accessing and sharing information will make EMR software indispensable in the not-so-distant future.

Medicare already provides bonuses to those who do well with their Hierarchical Condition Categories coding and other medical insurers are likely to follow suit. EMR systems make this tracking easier, enabling users to reap the benefits of pay-for-performance measures tied to healthcare reimbursement.

The benefits of EMR software far outweigh the time it takes to get used to the new technology. Jump onto the EMR bandwagon and become one of the early benefit-reapers!