A modernized way to keep patient records electronically is Electronic Health Records (EHR) software. For the majority of modern practices, the medical histories of patients are written on paper and stored in filing cabinets.

With EHR software, physicians can securely share patient information with other authorized medical institutions, laboratories, pharmacies, or specialists, improving patient care and treatment.

Did you know that 78% of physicians with EHRs report that EHRs improve patient care?

In contrast, healthcare software that provides Electronic Medical Records (EMR) solutions can have various features. Let’s look at some of the most talked about EMR and EHR features of 2022. Here we go!

• Telehealth Portals

Whether through email, text message, or in-app notification, most patients prefer electronic communication for paying medical bills. Telehealth portals or other virtual payment methods are even more popular with patients.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, Telehealth has also experienced a rapid growth spurt. Virtual appointments, more artificial intelligence, and increased insurance coverage are expected to be the norm for future health software. 

Despite this, telehealth does more than facilitate appointments. Telehealth portals offer secure access to patient medical records rather than slow, inefficient paper files.

• HIPAA Compliant Software

In 2022, the trend is to adopt an EHR that complies with HIPAA. A patient data protection program is your best guarantee of patient confidentiality and healthcare data integrity.

Furthermore, EHRs with HIPAA compliance software address your practice’s compliance and security needs.

Hence, the HIPAA compliance software must provide the following tools:

• Conduct annual audits of your practice for HIPAA compliance on the administrative, technical, and physical aspects
• Address remediation plans whenever there are compliance violations.
• Built-in privacy and security standards
• Develop Policies and Procedures that meet HIPAA regulatory standards to avoid future compliance violations.
• Manage protected health information (PHI) securely and mitigate liability calls for documenting all vendors with whom you share PHI.
• Notify patients and document the breach if there is a data breach in your practice.

A HIPAA-compliant EHR platform protects your practice and your patient’s data. In this digital and electronic healthcare environment, establishing trust with patients begins with an open discussion about HIPAA compliance.

• Medical Billing Software

Before providing medical services to a patient, you must check their insurance eligibility using an electronic medical billing system. Use it to submit insurance claims and bill patients.

With electronic medical billing, not only can your practice become more HIPAA compliant, but it can also simplify your billing and claims process through various features. You can quickly locate medical billing records without having to sort through piles of paperwork. With its electronic claims management feature, fast billing coding, and revenue management system, you can easily submit claims to insurance companies.

A medical billing system may be bundled with an EHR or practice management system. Software packages like these can be expensive, but they can also be an excellent investment for your practice. Automating data entry, payments, and claim submission simplifies the medical billing process and reduces errors.

• System Integration and Interfaces

A vital part of any EHR solution is its integration — accomplished through interfaces that allow data to move between EHRs in real-time and on-demand.

E-billing systems and hospital information systems (HIS) are two common integration points. You can streamline billing by integrating EMRs with billing software.

Furthermore, it assists in the reduction of coding errors that cause payment delays, resulting in both time and money being lost. Integrating billing systems within EMR solutions used by hospitals and clinical practices can help reimbursements happen faster. The adoption of an EHR system often includes this feature. It speeds up entering the patient information every time a billing cycle occurs, making it one of the most outstanding features of EMR software.

As a result, you can devote more time to patient care and ensure that your operations are as efficient as possible.

• Online Appointment Scheduling 

Employee burnout is at a record high across healthcare practices. A recent survey found that nearly one in five healthcare workers quit their jobs due to the pandemic.

Are there any ways that healthcare practice owners can better support their employees? The solution can involve reducing tedious tasks, increasing valuable tasks, and streamlining office operations. An EHR with online appointment scheduling can be beneficial for the office.

If a practice does not offer online scheduling, front desk staff must juggle more than they can handle. It is exhausting to schedule appointments, respond to incoming phone calls, and assist patients during their visits. Patients’ on-demand convenience preferences are often met via online scheduling systems, and the front desk staff is free to handle more patients during busy times of the week. 

Online scheduling allows staff to focus on other duties for the practice, thus accomplishing more daily.

Key Takeaway

You need to find the right features in the technology that fits your practice when choosing EMR and EHR software. Any clinical management software you use or consider should include these features.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Burnout results from emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. In the healthcare setting, medical providers can face high emotional demands and workloads that can lead to burnout.

A study found that 40% of physician burnout is linked to electronic health records (EHRs). Moreover, stress, time pressure, a chaotic workplace, and family obligations are factors to consider.

Yet, how can physicians avoid burnout when it comes to EHRs? This article will discuss the five best strategies to utilize EHR to lower physician burnout.

5 Best Strategies to Utilize EHR to Lower Physician Burnout

1. Choose an EHR System With a Specialty-Specific Program

A major cause of physician burnout is a complicated EHR interface not tailored to their specialty.

Non-specialty EHR interfaces are the most common reason for interface failures. If physicians used a non-specialized EHR, they would have to click the mouse multiple times to perform one small task. Over time, this can lead to frustration and physician burnout.

The use of a specialty-specific EHR offers many advantages that:

• Gets rid of useless tools and features to reduce confusion and improve daily EHR usage.
• Improve clinical outcomes for doctors by making the EHR workflow more user-friendly.
• Provides secure access for physicians to patient records that increase patient care quality and treatment.
• Continuous data collection enables personalized care, allowing providers to prevent health problems before they arise.

As a result, providers can boost clinical efficiency and reduce physician burnout by using specialty-specific EHR interfaces that provide only relevant data.

2. Don’t Waste Your Time on Unnecessary EHR Tasks.

In the United States, 86 percent of office-based doctors and 94 percent of hospital doctors currently use EHRs. Despite its intended benefits, EHRs have inadvertently burdened clinicians and have been cited as a cause of physician burnout as well.

That’s why physicians need to eliminate all EHR tasks that are unnecessary.

Optimizing EHRs requires eliminating processes and tasks that interfere with patient care.

Think about the unique aspects of your practice. Do you receive too many alerts? Do you still work when the EHR screens close? Streamlining order entry and simplifying login can all be part of minimizing unnecessary EHR work. Discuss the issue with your colleagues, IT, leadership, and other stakeholders if you need to resolve it quickly.

For example, you can turn off automatic inbox notifications for copied test results and test-order and scheduling confirmations other physicians ordered. You can also set another time for the automatic logout for your EHR system.

Removing unnecessary work may take more time, research, and resources, but it may help lessen physician burnout.

3. Gather Your Thoughts and Share It With Your EHR Provider

A strong customer support team is another strategy to reduce physician burnout.

It is because they will help you get better acquainted with the EHR software and learn how to use it more effectively. Staying in touch with your solution provider can lead to quick tips for improving efficiency.

Your EMR or EHR company cares about your input since their success depends on your product satisfaction. Thus, share your problems with your EHR provider or request to help improve the product for you and other users.

4. Hiring Medical Scribes 

Using scribes in physician practices may help physicians cope with clinical documentation demands. Medical scribes are one of the best methods to reduce physician burnout. They record the details of the patient’s exam – clinical history, complaints, diagnoses, procedures performed, and medical orders (including prescriptions). 

In addition, they help clinicians find and document information faster. It may be costly for practices to hire one, but the increased productivity of doctors due to fewer EHR tasks will offset the expenditure. According to research, medical scribes reduce physician burnout and improve the physician-patient relationship.

5. Provide EHR Staff and Provider Training

EHR implementations, workflow changes, and new health IT modules can drive physicians to frustration. Therefore, the only way to solve this problem is to offer staff EHR training and education so they can efficiently and effectively use EHRs to provide quality patient care.

Learning a new EHR system or health IT module will inevitably slow providers down, reduce clinician productivity, and cause headaches for some as they attempt to adjust to a new way of doing things.

Large health care systems are likely to have their teams of trainers, whereas smaller practices can request training from their EHR vendors.

That’s why investing a few hours a month for staff EHR training by the provider increases efficiency and confidence in using the EHR or EMR. Even while you wait for EHRs to become more user-friendly, you can reduce physician burnout by becoming more comfortable with the software. 

When the clinical staff can use EHR technology in the early days after go-live, it lessens physician burnout and dissatisfaction with EHR usage.

Key Takeaway

The current healthcare market is highly competitive, so these strategies will increase physician ratification and reduce the stress that leads to physician burnout. Additionally, EHRs with properly implemented features produce greater clinical and financial benefits.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Today, interoperability is a crucial determinant of success for healthcare providers. As well as facilitating access to, sharing, and utilizing data, it fosters the goal of optimizing the health of the individual and population.

This article will explain why electronic health record (EHR) interoperability is important.

But what does interoperability actually mean?

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) defines interoperability as the ability to connect information systems, devices, or applications within and across organizational boundaries in a coordinated manner. When focusing on the health care system, the concept of interoperability enables exchanging and sharing of data from various sources such as hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and medical practices.

The use of specific EHR systems varies among health care systems depending on factors such as the size of facilities and state regulations. Meanwhile, health care facilities need to interact with each other to exchange patient information (and the facilities they encounter often use different EHR systems, making it difficult to exchange data).

By having EHR interoperability, sharing of medical data is easy between different EHRs and providers. It will also guarantee information portability and usability.

5 Benefits of EHR Interoperability

1. Open to Organizational Communication

Organizations can improve communication with other medical facilities by implementing EMR/EHR interoperability. For instance, pharmacies can send clinics e-prescription requests and vice versa. Furthermore, healthcare facilities can fill information gaps faster by making their systems more open to data sharing. EMR interoperability lets healthcare organizations access patient health records without involving calls, emails, and faxes.

2. Patient-Centric

The focus is on patient convenience. People want the freedom to move around the country freely while having their medical records readily available at their local hospitals. Waiting for your medical data from another health care facility can be too much of a hassle. An analysis has also found that 55% of hospitals report robust data exchange due to EHR interoperability.

Using this system, people no longer have to provide details of previous treatment or undergo repeat diagnostics with every new appointment. Their healthcare experience will be more proactive, relevant, and accurate.

3. Lower Healthcare Costs

Interoperable EHRs reduce the administrative burden of healthcare by streamlining and reducing the cost of paperwork, tests, and prescription orders. A synchronized system can send and receive data automatically. Therefore, this provides fewer resources and lower costs than non-inoperable systems.

4. Reduced Errors

The connection between informational systems generally leads to better data quality and fewer errors. Regardless, this is a better option than systems that are not connected and have higher chances of containing duplications and outdated data.

5. Improves Patient Safety 

Regarding interoperability, patient privacy and security should be the primary concerns. Despite its complexity, this process can help ensure patient privacy and security by requiring organizations to fully assess where their protected health information (PHI) resides and who should have access to it. If systems cannot communicate, for instance, it becomes difficult for organizations to keep track of all systems interacting with PHI, as  HIPAA security regulations require.

The interoperability of EHRs provides clinicians with the reassurance that the PHI they input is secure. By entering PHI into a secured system, organizations can better understand where their data resides and who has access to it, enhancing patient privacy and helping them secure their patient data..

Three different levels of EHR Interoperability

Foundational Interoperability: The data exchanged between two systems must not require any interpretation from the receiving system.

Structural Interoperability: This type of interoperability is more complex due to structuring and interpreting data at the individual data field level while ensuring data integrity.

Semantic Interoperability: It enables systems to exchange and interpret information. Hence, this level is highly desired as authorized users can access patient information electronically. 

So, why is EHR interoperability important?

If physicians are unable to access patient information quickly, the uses of patient data will be limited regardless of whether all practices adopt an EHR.

Here’s where interoperability comes in. Interoperability between EHRs is vital since it improves patient outcomes and safety through superior communications between healthcare professionals. Additionally, interoperability allows physicians and nurses to access clinical data regardless of location, enabling them to treat patients anywhere and at any time, whether the data originated inside or outside their health system. 

Patients can move between different healthcare facilities and EHR systems electronically, making it easier for doctors to treat their patients and for healthcare organizations to share patient information.

With increased and seamless interoperability between EHRs, data can be globally shareable, improving patient care and providing more efficient referrals and transfers between providers.

Conclusion

Every healthcare professional should recognize the importance of interoperability. Since wired and wireless networks connect so many technology solutions in government and industry, it’s important to stay on top of developments in interoperability. Get the latest updates by subscribing to our blogs!

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Several practices have adopted Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software over the past few years, and they have become highly essential in healthcare today. EMRs give physicians the data and tools to care for patients more efficiently when appropriately used. 

Although it helps thousands of health clinics operate properly and progress, it also causes problems. For example, how an EHR is designed, customized, or configured is harmful to patients.

In this article, we will discuss EMR and EHR problems and how to solve them.

Problem #1: Data Entry

“Hard stops” are a problem regarding data entry in physician workflows. 

During doctor-patient interaction, there are pauses to document a visit using a computer. To write a clinical note on a keyboard, you need to focus on a computer screen for some time, directly proportional to the notes’ length and details. It may also be difficult or impossible for clinicians to enter EHR data appropriately, resulting in a loss of quality in clinical documentation.

Apply these two solutions:

• Reduce Data Redundancy

The regular revision of forms and reviewing of the entire process, including forms, data, information, and documents, reduces data redundancy. Getting rid of redundant data will eliminate errors creeping into the system.

• Upgrade Your Systems

For data management processes to run smoothly, updating the infrastructure and technologies is essential. Technology upgrades and automation will help you stay on top of the competition. Data entry operators must know how to enable tools to enhance technology and tool functionality whenever necessary.

Problem #2: Standardized Patient Identifiers Across HIEs!

The lack of a National Patient Identifier (NPID) is a major barrier to true interoperability in EHRs. This alphanumeric code would uniquely identify patients within a health register or EHR. However, Congress repealed it because of privacy concerns.

When EHRs are the primary repositories and means of accessing patient and health data, their inability to match patient records across and within healthcare provider settings is a big issue. Thus, many problems will arise, including inflation of healthcare costs and suppression of health outcomes. 

You can solve this through:

• Blockchain for NPID

Blockchain for interoperability is becoming more prevalent to provide a single source of truth for PHI. It is a decentralized technology that enables secure information storage and transfer and could be the foundation for creating the NPID because of:

• It uses public-key infrastructure (PKI) for centralized identification.
• A way for digital access rules and immutable logs
• A provenance for and a capability to provide audit trails. This also reduces the risk of data loss in the case of malicious actors.

Problem #3: Training New Staff for EMR and EHR Usage Can Be Difficult

Training your staff to use EHR software correctly can be done in various ways. However, organizing EMR training sessions is difficult due to the amount of work your employees have to do every day. In addition to that, the program may overwhelm them so much that they cease to care about it.

So, what are some possible solutions?

• First, you can hire someone to train everyone in the same way by focusing on standard processes in your practice.
• Secondly, you can divide your staff into groups to train them to use only the features that are relevant to their roles. The leaders in your organization could receive more training in tutorials, seminars, and one-on-one sessions to become “super users” capable of helping and even training others.
• Third, you can choose key employees who can dedicate time and energy to getting to know all about EMR.

Problem #4: EHRs and EMRs Don’t Fit With Clinical Workflow

Despite careful planning and implementation, medical institutions may find that EMR systems do not meet their needs. Think of a scenario in which you have invested a large amount of money in the technology but haven’t been able to utilize it to its fullest potential. However, you can avoid this problem if you plan more thoroughly ahead.  

Try these two resolutions to ensure smooth EMR and EHR workflow:

• Start an EHR Optimization Project.

EHRs rarely work the first time. After using new technology for a while, a practice leader might detect inefficiencies. He could then take action to improve them.

For EHR optimization to be successful, a practice must pull together a technology and workflow experts team. They can devise new technological fixes to meet the workflow objectives and set goals for the project. Therefore, the critical aspect of leveraging technology to enhance clinical workflow is EHR optimization. 

• Proper Demonstration of EMR/EHR Software Vendors

So, consider asking potential vendors to demonstrate EMR in-depth instead of making a hasty decision. You should also let your doctors and staff try out the software and provide feedback before you buy it.

While there are many obstacles regarding EMR and EHR software, you can overcome them with proper planning and strategic execution. So, physicians should be aware of these safety and usability problems when using EMRs and EHRs in their practices.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted podiatrists with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We can customize EMR/EHR software to meet your office’s needs. 

For more personalized information, schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice.

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play an essential role in keeping patients engaged in your healthcare practice. According to a study, EMRs have improved patient care and physicians’ livelihoods. Almost all patients prefer the option of contacting their independent doctors electronically.  

But how can physicians maintain patient engagement with EHR?

Before we go through it in detail, let’s first know the definition of patient engagement and its role.

What Is Patient Engagement?

Healthcare providers promote informed decision-making and behaviors with patient engagement as one key strategy. It has been widely proven that “patient engagement” reduces costs and improves patient outcomes. 

On the other hand, another term for patient engagement is “consumer engagement.” Companies, banks, and other service providers provide information, tips, and other means of communication to their customers to engage them. The goal of marketers over the decades has been to engage customers, provide better experiences, and strengthen brand relationships, all of which lead to better results. There is nothing innovative or revolutionary about this strategy, as most marketing textbooks recommend this approach.

The healthcare industry is finally catching up and realizing that patients need more access, quality, information, and accountability to grow and succeed in a competitive marketplace.

The Patient Portal Will Encourage Your Patients to Engage With Your EHR!

The majority of EHR systems include an online portal so patients can access their medical records anytime. Patient portals allow patients to access not just their medical history but also manage their healthcare in a better way through:

• Setting up appointments
• Paying online for medical bills
• Contacting their physician via email or text message
• Getting health alerts
• Requesting a prescription refill
• Searching for health topics using a keyword search
• Filling out intake forms before an appointment

By making it possible for patients to complete these tasks via a patient portal, patients can achieve two things:

• First, patients can reorder their medicines and make appointments easier. As a result, they can better adhere to their treatment regimen and achieve better health outcomes.
• Second, patients are more likely to use the portal if they can access their tasks and treatment plan online in one place. Instead of awaiting an appointment, patients can easily message their physician.

Having patients accessing the portal provides you with a good opportunity. When their medical documents are already on the screen, patients are more likely to view them. Furthermore, you can post notifications or announcements on their account that encourage them to view their records or recent results.

With the advent of the digital age, the healthcare industry has a high potential for improving patient engagement and empowering patients to take ownership of their care. Watch your patient care improve when you put your EHR software to work.

Getting Patients More Engaged

Access to electronic health information can help patients and providers collaborate on informed decisions. Patient participation is essential when managing and treating chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Here are some ways to engage your patients with electronic health records (EHRs) and how it benefits your organization:

• You can deliver detailed and accurate health information to your patients with the help of EHRs. In addition to providing clinical summaries, you can also provide reminders for follow-up care after a hospital stay or appointment and links to resources for patients for further education.

• EHRs enable you to schedule appointments electronically and send emails. If you can communicate quickly with your patients, your organization will be able to identify symptoms sooner, reach out to patients proactively, and improve healthcare quality.

• Electronic health records will allow your organization to collect and utilize patient data more efficiently. Your organization can identify and proactively engage at-risk patients by using patient lists.

Overall, patient engagement can be encouraged through the use of EHRs.

What Are The Benefits Of Patient Engagement? 

Research shows that patients who take an active role in their health have better health outcomes. Below are the significant benefits of improved patient engagement:

• Using software such as EMR/EHR programs can improve workflow by sharing information. This reduces or eliminates paperwork, ensures accurate information, and gives patients better service. 
• Thanks to technology, physicians and patients can communicate more frequently and keep each other updated about their condition.
• Patients are more confident about their conditions and diagnoses after increasing communication and receiving more information about their health.
• With better health information systems, scientists may be able to identify trends that lead to improved outcomes in public health.

Key Takeaway

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a crucial communication tool to engage patients and improve their health by giving them access to their medical records and educating them. Hence, patients are more involved in their care. Although personal meetings are still effective and essential for healthcare providers, technological options that provide electronic engagement have proved crucial for keeping patients engaged.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted podiatrists with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We can customize EMR/EHR software to meet your office’s needs. 

For more personalized information, schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice.

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is necessary for any specialist’s practice in today’s digital world. Healthcare providers always prefer an EHR that can meet their specific needs. However, finding one can be challenging, especially since there is a wide range of software vendors to choose from.

Fortunately, most EHR companies have developed solutions targeting the needs of both inpatient and ambulatory settings, as well as primary care practices’ workflows. Many physicians are talking about this specialty-specific electronic health records systems.  

The only question is, how can a specialty-specific EHR help a medical practice?

What is a specialty-specific EHR?

A specialty EHR can be the foundation of your practice. It creates customized workflows based on the needs of a specific specialist. Furthermore, it allows you to keep track of your administrative tasks, giving you enough time to care for your patients.
An EHR adds great value to your practice, as it adapts to your specialty and works according to your requirements. You can save time, reduce costs, and avoid unnecessary actions all at once. 

Specialty-specific workflows are crucial to practice productivity, so keep an eye out for an EHR vendor who can meet all your needs. Here are some other great benefits of a specialty-specific software for your practice:

A Solution for Better Time Management

Healthcare providers can undoubtedly benefit from general EHRs, but specialty-specific software makes a valuable resource for saving time. It is common for an EHR system to have an abundance of information and templates since they are designed to be used by many different healthcare specialties and subspecialties. 

Specialty-specific systems are streamlined to fit the demands of each specialty.; this means the physician does not have to modify or customize the software. The software is already tailored to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, practices can now focus on making sure everyone is comfortable with the new system instead of undergoing time-consuming alterations.

Provide Superior Organizational Efficiency

The use of EHRs can also reduce transcription costs and malpractice risks because they offer improved documentation. It reduces pharmacy calls for clarifications and helps pharmacies comply with formularies.

Likewise, EHRs save resources by reducing paper forms, duplicate or unnecessary lab orders, and facilitating convenient medication management.

• Partnering and collaborating with other providers
• Utilizing coding applications to simplify billing
• Reducing time spent pulling and refiling charts

Faster Charting

If your EHR is customized for your specialty, you can eliminate time spent navigating menus that don’t directly relate to your practice. It allows physicians to get patient information with fewer clicks and see it in one place!

While charting, you can save time and:

• Be more attentive to your patients
• Help you avoid frustration
• Get things done more efficiently
• Eliminate the need to retype information

Better Patient Care

Unlike the traditionally poor handwriting of physicians, the digital records from a specialty-specific EHR can easily be read by the viewer. This vital benefit results in fewer errors in critical areas such as diagnosis and medical orders that can have serious health outcomes for patients.

Among its many benefits are:

• Support decision-making at the point of care
• Increase efficiency for preventive care
• Provide automated alerts to note potential risks and begin treatment as soon as possible
• Easy and effective integration of evidence-based clinical guidelines
• Integrate medication tracking and management with drug-drug interaction alerts in one place

A Greater Level of Satisfaction Among Patients/Providers

Both patients and providers benefit from specialty-specific software. Why? Automation and customized workflows enable providers to work more efficiently. As a result, patients receive better care and treatment. 

It’s critical for patients that their doctors have immediate access to their records and can make an informed decision by having their medical history right at their fingertips. This software allows providers to focus on providing quality care, which patients welcome.

Enhanced Billing Processes

It has been a time-consuming task to manage medical billing. That’s why healthcare providers use EHR systems in order to streamline their processes effectively.

Streamlining payment processes helps facilitate faster reimbursement. Early verification of insurance eligibility helps to achieve this. Moreover, insurance eligibility checks simplify appointment scheduling and prevent the practice from losing revenue due to denied claims.

By using the software, medical billing providers can work diligently with patients’ financial records and reports to minimize claim errors. This also allows faster reimbursement, minimizes rejected claims, and delay in payments.

Offers Continuous Training

With a specialty EHR system, countless training opportunities are available. It is important that vendors and providers of specialty-specific EHR systems continue updating and improving their products. Most of these vendors attend conferences and events organized by field-specific organizations, which provide medical practices an opportunity to learn more.

Key Takeaway

The integration of specialty EHR software into your practice aids in streamlining and coordinating quality care. Consider adopting one if you want to give yourself a competitive advantage. If your practice requires functions that general EHR systems cannot provide, now is the time for you to opt for a specialty EHR system to save your practice time, effort, and money.

For more information about medical specialty software, contact us today. 

Podiatrists with solo practices or that do nursing home visits need the best Podiatry EMR and EHR software to have a smooth workflow and provide their patients with the best care possible. Moreover, neither the staff nor physicians have to go through the stress of trying to use software that doesn’t align with their processes and settings.

We present you with the top 5 must-have tools and features for your Podiatry EMR and EHR software before you use and implement it in your practice.

1. Secure Messaging for Patients via Patient Portal

The National Library of Medicine study found that patient portals improved psychological outcomes, medication adherence, and preventive health care use. To encourage patients to take part in their health care, we must understand patient portals’ role as effective interventions.

Look for an EHR system with secure messaging capabilities for your podiatry practice. This patient portal feature has been shown to improve provider and patient workflow. For instance, if a patient does not appear to attend the clinic in person, he can contact you directly through the portal. It helps reduce no-shows and provides excellent interaction between the patient and provider.

Furthermore, the patient portal allows patients to view charts, vaccination records, treatment plans, diagnoses, appointment history, lab results and can refill their prescriptions, 

The importance of patient engagement in healthcare has grown with the advent of value-based care. With an end-to-end EHR system, you can provide your patients with the convenience they want and enhance the security of patient data.

2. Clinical Charting Tool

Keeping track of a patient’s medical history, visit notes, and treatment plan takes time but is essential. That’s why a reliable charting feature is a must in your podiatry EHR software. For example, in a dynamic photo charting tool, you can take pictures, upload them to the chart and add annotations. Meanwhile, a clinical charting tool in your podiatry EHR software can make your job easier and help you ensure patient records are accurate. After setting up the clinical chart to your standards, you should have no trouble navigating it.

Furthermore, you can create macro buttons to automate your notes further. Using these buttons can speed up charting and improve billing and claim accuracy.

3. Integration

For your practice to be successful, your EMR system must be able to integrate with existing systems. Almost all EHRs connect with labs so that healthcare providers can share information with other clinicians involved in the patient’s care. However, the best EHR system won’t help your podiatry practice if it doesn’t integrate with hospitals and large healthcare systems.

Consider these factors when choosing an EHR system for your podiatry practice:

• Is it capable of single-system billing?
• Can you simultaneously use a single log-in to access key performance indicators, outcomes, and patient engagement tools?
• Is it an API-dependent product?
• Are your team members required to undergo additional training? Do you have sufficient technical support to make the process easy?

System integration reduces paperwork, lowers costs, and makes it easier for you and your patients to keep results organized.

4. Built-in Templates

It is better to choose an EMR software for podiatry that offers pre-built podiatry templates for completing CPT codes, reviewing systems, facilitating prescriptions, and accommodating specific problems in podiatry. This podiatry EMR software should provide templates for conditions such as:

• Foot pain
• Ingrown toenails
• Foot Deformities
• Amputation
• Hammer Toe
• Ankle fractures
• Bunions
• Foot Ulcers
• Diabetic Foot Care

Podiatrists should utilize templates that automatically populate the correct information enabling faster, more efficient, and more secure paperwork.

5. Continuous Support and Training

Reviews of all software consistently highlight the importance of support and training. An EHR system with detailed FAQs is a trustworthy system.

Ideally, EHR systems should provide excellent responsive customer support and an easy-to-use interface in a low-cost package. Rather than troubleshooting technical issues, spend your time delivering exceptional service to your patients.

In contrast, outstanding EHR systems contribute to the growth and success of healthcare providers through an efficient onboarding process. Consider negotiating a support contract with your EHR vendor that includes free and unlimited training.

As the EHR market evolves, physicians now possess more “buying power” than ever when selecting the perfect EHR. Health care providers use the best EHR systems to improve patient care, including safety, communication, and timeliness. Moreover, they integrate patient data across multiple systems to make better clinical decisions.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted podiatrists with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. The podiatry business is our expertise, and we can customize EMR/EHR software to meet your office needs. 

For more personalized information, schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form. Let’s work together to find the best software for your podiatry office.

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Practitioners always go for the best EMR and EHR systems for their practice. Whether you’re shopping for your first EHR or looking to switch from one to another, there are several features you should consider to get the most out of your experience.

If you are still uncertain, we suggest you read this article to know and figure out the best features you need for your EMR & EHR. 

Billing and Coding Software

It’s often a complex process to bill for medical services, so you need an EHR with efficient billing tools. With this billing software, clean claims will increase and reduce areas of human errors.

With an integrated billing dashboard, providers should be able to view billing reports and analytics without ever leaving their EHR. Utilize concise financial information and graphs to make real-time adjustments.

If you choose to outsource billing, you will benefit from working with your EHR vendor’s revenue cycle management department. Outsourcing billing services to a third party can help you eliminate time-consuming billing mistakes.

Meet Meaningful Use

Using a certified EHR system to demonstrate meaningful use can avoid penalties and save money.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Promoting Interoperability Programs (PIPs) require hospitals to demonstrate meaningful use by 2021 in four categories:

• Electronic Prescribing
• Health Information Exchange (HIE)
• Provider to Patient Exchange
• Public Health and Clinical Data Exchange

With that in mind, choosing an EHR system certified by the ONC-ATCB ensures that your EHR software supports meaningful use requirements. 

Simple and Easy-to-Use

Did you know that the best feature is the most simple? Doctors spend more than a third of their time using EHRs, so the design should be intuitive and easy. You can navigate the system through drag-and-drop functionality and a minimal screen with a few mouse clicks.

Such an EHR tracks the entire clinical encounter on a single screen, so it saves time and effort without reloading any pages.

Online Reporting & 24/7 Access

If you want to use an electronic medical record system, make sure you can access it anywhere and anytime – that means it’s web-based (cloud hosting) to use it from any internet-connected device (web, mobile, tablet). Also, ensure that your EHR is accessible on both a Mac and a PC. Doctors must have access to patient records, regardless of the type of digital device or the location.

On the other hand, EMRs that let you customize reports are the best. It should be able to generate reports automatically based on the data it collects, such as patient history, documents, test results, financial information, and other information.

Your EMR system should provide charts and downloadable reports about the delivery, analysis, results, and accuracy of lab tests for lab-dependent practices. Therefore, you should understand how your EMR solution’s reporting system can be customized for your needs.

Enhanced Security

Of course, you have every right to worry about safeguarding sensitive and personal information about your patients. Due to the issue of identity theft, losing privacy could be devastating for a person’s emotional health and financial security. In paper-based systems, filing cabinets and storage devices generally require locks and keys for access and are usually located in more secure locations. This involves much work, and it does little to protect patients’ records compared to using an EMR. Using an EMR, you can establish role-based access that only authorized personnel can access. 

Better Communication System

Communication with sources outside the practice is a vital characteristic of an EHR. 

With patient portals, patients can freely access their information on their medications, lab test results, appointment schedules, and education resources. Using an in-system portal or third-party software integration such as Google Health can achieve this.

Patients can use their EHR’s secure direct messaging system to communicate directly with their doctors instead of commuting. However, physicians may request an in-person visit if their patient has serious changes in their health or with medications.

EHRs offer enough scheduling functionality that many practices can get by without a separate scheduling system.

• Patient Portal
• Appointment Scheduling Tool
• Secure Direct Messaging (SDM)
• E/M Coding
• Telehealth

The EHRs Functions

Data management with EHR software improves clinical operations and consumer experience. Yet, how do EHR systems work?

Below are the steps on how to use EHR software:

1. First, the patient visits the medical facility. The check-in form asks visitors about their previous treatment, surgeries, and allergies. When patients log into their online medical accounts, they can see their visits, appointments, and prescriptions.
2. With a scheduling tool, the receptionist makes an appointment with the healthcare provider. It automatically selects the next appointment time according to the doctor’s schedule.
3. Doctors review patient specifics on an electronic chart when they receive an appointment notification. Once a visit is complete, the doctor enters the diagnosis, action plan, and prescriptions into the digital record.
4. The system sends the prescriptions to the pharmacy. Once the order has been put together, the patient will receive it.
5. The EHR platform generates the bill, which the financial department passes to the patient.
6. The system submits the insurance claim, ensuring that the format matches the insurer’s requirements.
7. The medical laboratory might also be permitted to access the EHR if a patient needs to submit lab tests. If the doctor requests, he/she can review the results.

Conclusion

By knowing this information, you’ll be better positioned to choose the best software for your practice and provide excellent care to your patients! Do you have any additional EMR/EHR guidelines to add to this list? Leave a comment!

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software

Efficiently streamline your healthcare operations with our advanced EHR and EMR solutions, tailored to meet the specific needs of your practice.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR AND EMR software add-on? Feel free to comment below!

Chronic pain and pain management are common concerns for most Americans. According to a study, 20% of adult adults suffer from pain worldwide, and 10% are newly diagnosed with chronic pain every year. That’s why your clinic must properly handle pain, regardless of how simple or how complex it is. 

If your patients suffer from either neck pain, back pain, or even chronic pain, make sure they have access to the best Pain Management EHR.

Before we go any further, let’s have a quick look first at why medical providers need EHRs.

To provide comprehensive, timely health management, Electronic Health Records, also known as EHRs, are an essential component to running an effective pain management practice. The federal government mandates that health institutions use and share data among or within themselves. Most EHR systems require radical changes in clinical notes and can be customized to reflect current hospital records.

Moreover, an EHR streamlines the clinician’s workflow by automating access to information.  Through various interfaces, the EHR can also support other forms of care-related activity, such as evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.

With timely, accessible data, providers make better decisions and provide better care. Hence, the advent of EHRs is a step towards more effective communication between patients and their clinicians. 

What is EHR for pain specialists?

It is fundamental for pain management specialists to make sure the patients are getting safe, accurate, and quality care. Nonetheless, without the proper tools and resources, specialists are at greater risk for substance abuse and other dangers. That’s why they must have a quality EHR to assist them in their important and difficult tasks. 

Pain Management Specialists Should Consider the Features of the Best Pain Management EHR

• Patient Scheduling 

Pain management EHRs should provide a simple view of patient data and visit history and an attractive, user-friendly interface with numerous features and the ability to make predefined requirements. You can gain insight into your patient before they visit with patient scheduling tools in your pain management EHR, while the patient also gains access to essential reminders that keep them on track.  

• Easy-to-use

Many pain providers have difficulty finding information, ordering labs, analyzing results, or graphing patient vitals on multiple screens in the practice technology. An EHR for pain management should allow a physician to do each of these things on one screen. All patient vitals, labs orders, and more should be available in one place for providers.

• Patient Portal

Even though patient portals have been around for a while, you should have one in your EHR for pain management. A quality patient portal allows patients to access their personal health information (PHI) anywhere and anytime. Additionally, patients will be able to make payments, schedule appointments, and fill out their intakes online.

• Customized Templates

Pain management EHRs must have customizable templates. They are essential because they allow PM specialists to tailor their documenting process to specific workflows or patients. If a template cannot accommodate this flexibility, patient data integrity is compromised. Therefore, a treating physician must be able to chart and record every detail in a way that protects data integrity and provides information for future decisions.

 

So, what is the best Pain Management EHR System in the market? 

It’s the Pain Management EHR from 1st Providers Choice!

We provide pain specialists with EMR software packed with features such as those mentioned above that improve health care delivery and practice profitability. 

1st Providers Choice EHR/EMR can handle the following common tasks with voice recognition:

• Patient consent via electronic means
• Automated transcription
• Imagery integrated with digital technology

Furthermore, 1PCs EHR makes it easy to select, define, and select from various pain sites. Patients can also record and store their medical history with 1PCs technology. Our EHR has software to record the following patient information:

• History of medical problems (past and present)
• Medications in use
• Background information about the Family
• History of social life

A must-have EMR software with DICOM features and PACS integration as well as specialty-specific features

Getting it is worth the shot; it can:

• Save time and money with the ability to place Orders directly within our EHR Software
• Integrates DICOM and PACS directly within our software
• Automatically receive finalized reports and outcomes directly right back into your software.
• View Images and Clinical Documentation Simultaneously
• X-Rays can also be viewed with a link directly within our software
• Interface with EKG and Spirometry
• No limitations on users, workstations, modalities, or facilities
• Both cloud-based and on-premises options are available

In addition, 1st Providers Choice proudly offers the top five EHR systems in the market for 2022.

1. Pain Management EHR
2. Podiatry EHR
3. Ambulatory Surgery Center EHR
4. Sleep Medicine EHR
5. Substance Abuse EHR

1st Providers Choice Is the Industry’s Most Trusted Name in Pain Management Software

Choosing an EHR for your pain management practice is never easy. Therefore, we have compiled the list of features in the best Pain Management EHR. To learn more about EHRs and our services, call us today at 480-782-1116 or visit our website at https://1stproviderschoice.com/contact-us.php. We are here to assist your needs!

The electronic health record (EHR) system is integral to the modern medicine revolution. Similarly, EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) can help you stay on top of patient care and streamline your daily tasks. One study found that primary care clinics recovered their EHR investments within ten months after implementing them. Most likely, this is why providers took advantage of electronic processes. 

So, if your facility is converting to these EMR/EHR systems, how can you ensure the implementation process? In this blog post, we’ll provide five tips and strategies to implement EMR and EHR successfully in your medical practice.

1. Assemble an Implementation Team

It will be essential to identify the people who will lead the implementation process. Moreover, your team should have three key players:

• Lead physician: The lead physician guides the use of the system and collaborates with technical and administrative staff. Thus, consider using a tech-savvy lead physician who can embrace new processes.

• Project manager: The project manager keeps stakeholders on schedule, tracks the progress of projects, and manages day-to-day activities in conjunction with the vendor and all other staff in practice.

• Lead super user: The lead super user will function as the EHR expert. In addition, he must be able to design templates and smart workflows while also responding to problems rapidly. 

2. Set Up the Software, Hardware, and Network

As you implement your EHR, ensure security measures meet HIPPA requirements. Ensure the software you use is compliant by working with your IT vendor. In contrast, your EMR/EHR must also be compatible with your facility’s IT and computer hardware to handle increased workloads. This will ensure the system is as up-to-date and efficient as possible.

3. Transferring of Data

Next, you need to transfer data once the hardware, network, and software are in place. It is also vital to migrating your old EHR records to the new EHR.

There are three ways to do this step:

• First, assign existing or new staff to upload information into the new EHR. Hiring a temporary or additional staff member might also be helpful to upload demographics and past medical, social, family, and medication histories.
• Second, prepare a checklist of things to enter into the EHR. In this way, no critical information will be missing.
• Calculate the average patient’s timeframe for transferring information. As a result, the staff can set realistic completion dates and assign workloads appropriately.

So, better to follow these steps to ensure a smooth EMR/EHR implementation.

4. Get Rid of Adoption Barriers

It is often the psychological barriers that hold clinicians back from switching to computers. Encouraging dialogue and interaction inspire staff to form new ideas for adapting to the new system. Next, it is necessary to determine if the hardware is sufficient to support software and traffic needs.

5. Set a Budget for EHR Implementation and Forecast Your Costs

Your team and your to-do list are in place; now you can ask—How much will it cost to implement an EHR?

Even so, having a well-defined budget that includes the following factors should prevent any unexpected costs from emerging:

• The upgrading of hardware and networks
• Implementing overtime for staff and temporary employees
• Reducing productivity (some estimates as high as a 50% drop in patient throughput)
• Customizing the consultation with the EHR vendor
• Training fees for vendors
• Consultation fees
• Backing up and storing data (often included with cloud EHR costs)

Most practices can expect to spend around $6,200 per user on their software, so keep this in mind and the other factors mentioned. 

Now let’s know EMR and EHR implementation in more detail.

What is EMR/EHR Implementation?

Many healthcare organizations use an electronic health record implementation plan to prepare for and implement an EHR system. However, if a health care personnel only has experience with paper or an older EMR/EHR, adapting to a new EMR/EHR can be challenging. Security and privacy, along with thorough training, are crucial for early implementation and easy adaptation. Moreover, a thoughtful EMR/EHR implementation can benefit all patients, staff, and physicians.

How long does EMR/EHR implementation take?

It depends on the vendor you speak with and the situation. Due to the many variables that can affect the time needed for an EHR implementation, the typical time required varies by setting and product. The EMR/EHR implementation does not follow a standard timeframe. However, when implementing a new EHR, there is no uncertainty about timing. You can get solid estimates from the experts involved in the process. 

What are some of the Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Best Practices?

Here are some of the Electronic Health Records best practices for hospitals and medical groups:

• Make your EHR compatible with staff workflows.

The key is to determine which aspects work best for an individual and apply them to everyone. It’s crucial to gather the opinions, recommendations, and cooperation from the staff to make the EHR a success.  

• Train employees only on the features they will use.  

All employees in your practice do not need to know the features of the EHR. Moreover, the “superusers” are the only ones who need to know them all. It’s more efficient to train each person or group on the specific features necessary for them to use.

• Identify potential failure modes of the EHR to prevent future issues.

Stakeholders should help you identify the failure points of the EHR and determine what it will take for it to succeed. “Don’t forget that you will be storing a large amount of data. Prepare enough storage and fast computers to access information quickly.

• Implement EHRs with the help of experts

Hire a specialist with experience in implementing EHR systems. A skilled EHR user can make the difference in success or failure since he is knowledgeable in that field.

What are some of the Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) Best Practices?

Below are a few of the Electronic Medical Records best practices for hospitals and medical groups:

• Automate Processes

It’s complex to maintain compliance with state and federal laws, and human error is a rare option. The automation of time-consuming processes makes centralized medical records management safer and more accurate.

• Enhance data security

Patient records must remain secure. Also, electronic records must have audit trails, while paper records should be stored in a safe room. Stored files at offsite locations should be in climate-controlled premises. After their life cycle, e-records and paper should be destroyed securely using NAID-certified methods.

• Provide a broad employee training

Cyber breaches arise mostly from sophisticated hacks, but others result from untrained employees mismanaging sensitive health records. Under HIPAA guidelines, companies must train all employees who handle health records at any point in the data lifecycle. 

Providing you with the Best

1st Providers Choice is a leading provider of the best EMR and EHR software solutions for medical facilities. We offer various EHR features. Choose only the best for your healthcare practice!

We also understand the need and expectations of our clients for a higher level of performance for billing software and EMR software. That’s why we only offer the top tailored medical billing system and best EHR features that will allow your practice to operate at its optimum potential, save time, and double your revenue. 

You can call us at (480) 782-1116 for immediate assistance, or you can schedule a free demo with our experts TODAY.