Navigating cancer treatment is a delicate balancing act, with oncologists juggling chemotherapy cycles, radiation therapy, and detailed imaging results—all while maintaining precision and accuracy.

As a healthcare provider committed to delivering the best possible care, generic electronic health record (EHR) systems can hinder your efforts with inefficiencies. These systems often fall short in oncology, struggling with specialized terminology, intricate treatment plans, and the need for seamless collaboration among specialists.

Specialty-specific EHRs, however, are designed to meet these unique demands. They offer tailored features that streamline workflows and improve accuracy. With advanced tools for data analysis, compliance, and integration, these EHRs enable you to provide exceptional care more efficiently.

Let’s take a closer look at why specialty EHRs are a game changer for oncologists like you.

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Challenges in Oncology Documentation

Documenting oncology electronic medical records (EMR) is like working on a complex puzzle, where every piece needs careful attention and understanding from healthcare providers.

As oncologists, you face numerous complexities, including:

Chemotherapy Cycles

From recording the specific drugs administered to tracking dosages and any adjustments based on how patients respond—this meticulous documentation ensures treatment lcontinuity, patient safety, and risk management.

Radiation Treatments

Documenting radiation therapy involves capturing exact details like treatment areas, delivered doses, and techniques (e.g., IMRT, brachytherapy). This meticulous record-keeping facilitates accurate treatment planning and enables ongoing assessment of patient responses and treatment efficacy.

Imaging Results

Clear and detailed documentation is crucial for imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, and PET scans. It guides the formulation of optimal treatment strategies and facilitates effective disease monitoring over time.

Patient Consultations

Recording patient consultations entails summarizing discussions on treatment options, risks, benefits, and patient preferences. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining informed consent and providing continuous support to patients and their families throughout their healthcare journey. 

Why Generic EHRs Fall Short

Although versatile, generic EHR systems often encounter challenges when handling detailed oncology data. These limitations can lead to inefficiencies, inaccuracies in patient records, and hindered coordination of care, ultimately impacting the quality of cancer treatment and patient outcomes.

Let’s delve into the challenges your fellow oncologists encounter when managing oncology electronic health records.

Comprehensive Data Capture

Oncologists document a wide range of information—from specifics about tumors like size and location to genetic test results and how patients respond to treatment. Accurately recording this information is crucial for making well-informed decisions about patient care.

Treatment Complexity

Cancer treatment often involves multimodal therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. Coordinating and documenting these treatments accurately is vital to avoid medication errors and ensure patient safety.

Longitudinal Care Coordination

Patient management can extend over months or even years and involves multiple specialists and healthcare settings. Maintaining clear and consistent records ensures that all healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care have access to the information they need, promoting seamless care transitions.

Regulatory Compliance

Oncology practices must adhere to stringent regulatory requirements, such as those outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). Specialty EHRs designed for oncology can help automate compliance tasks and ensure documentation meets regulatory standards.

Clinical Research and Trials

Many cancer care facilities participate in clinical research and trials. Oncology EMR systems that support structured data capture and integration with research databases are essential for facilitating participation, tracking outcomes, and ensuring compliance with study protocols.

As an oncologist, you know it’s more than just paperwork—it’s about having precise and efficient documentation that enhances patient care and drives advancements in cancer treatment. A specialty EHR can streamline your workflow, boost data accuracy, and improve patient outcomes.

Benefits of Specialty-Specific EHRs

Oncology EHR software provides tailored solutions to address the unique challenges oncologists face. These systems come equipped with oncology-specific templates, terminology libraries, and workflows that facilitate accurate documentation of treatment details. 

Here are some key advantages of top oncology EHRs:

Structured Data Templates

Specialty EHRs include customizable templates specifically designed for oncology workflows. These templates standardize data capture and ensure comprehensive documentation of all relevant information.

Integrated Decision Support

Oncology EHRs often include clinical decision support tools that provide evidence-based treatment recommendations, drug interaction alerts, and reminders for follow-up care. These features enhance patient safety and support oncologists in making informed clinical decisions.

Interoperability

Effective communication and data exchange between different healthcare providers and systems are crucial in oncology care. Specialty EHRs support interoperability standards, enabling seamless sharing of patient information across care settings while maintaining data security and privacy.

Efficiency and Productivity

By automating routine tasks, such as documentation and coding, specialty EHRs reduce administrative burdens and allow oncologists like you to spend more time on direct patient care. Streamlined workflows contribute to improved practice efficiency and staff satisfaction.

Analytics and Reporting

Oncology EHRs offer robust reporting and analytics capabilities that enable practices to analyze clinical outcomes, monitor performance metrics, and participate in quality improvement initiatives. These insights support evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement.

Reshaping Oncology Care with Specialty EHRs

Choosing the right electronic health record system is crucial for oncology practices striving to provide high-quality care. Specialty EHR systems designed for oncology streamline data capture, ensure compliance with regulatory standards, and support clinical research efforts. These systems also support vital clinical research efforts, facilitating data integration and analysis crucial for advancing treatment protocols.

By investing in these tailored systems, your practice can enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and advance the field of cancer care through comprehensive, well-documented records and informed decision-making.

Tap Into Our Expertise

Are you curious how specialized oncology EHR software can take your practice to the next level? Explore our oncology IMS, designed to streamline patient data management with customizable templates and intuitive interfaces. Our specialty EHR integrates scheduling, billing, and administrative tasks into one platform, freeing up more time for patient care.

Elevate your practice with over 400 customizable reports that help you make smarter decisions and enhance patient outcomes. Our EHR software is custom-built for oncology, perfectly aligning with your practice’s unique needs.

Experience the benefits IMS offers by calling (480) 782-1116 or filling out this form. See how our high-quality, specialty-specific EHR system can enhance your practice’s efficiency and performance.

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High retention rates are a testament to patient satisfaction, trust, and a positive healthcare experience. For single and multispecialty clinics, improving patient retention and keeping them engaged with ongoing care ensures a steady revenue stream.

Yet sustaining effective communication with patients poses a significant challenge, especially given the growing healthcare demands and changing expectations. Clinics also recognize that disengaged patients can severely impact their practices.

Adopting patient electronic health records (EHR) and providing patients access to a care portal, app, and other engagement tools can transform their care experience positively. These healthcare technologies streamline administrative tasks, minimize wait times, and greatly enhance patient satisfaction.

Start Retaining More Patients Today

Choose the EMR-EHR Advantage

Start with Efficient Scheduling

Imagine a world where scheduling appointments is a breeze. Booking appointments with an electronic patient record makes this a reality. Here’s how it works:

• Efficient Scheduling: The integrated system allows patients to book appointments online at their convenience, with no more back-and-forth phone calls or long hold times.

• Reduced Wait Times: The system adeptly manages appointment slots with real-time updates and smart scheduling, resulting in shorter patient wait times.

• Appointment Reminders: Automated reminders via text or email reduce no-shows and keep patients informed about their upcoming visits.

This streamlined approach not only saves time for your staff but also makes the whole process hassle-free for patients. Advanced solutions also cater to urgent or emergency appointments through handheld integration, voice response capabilities, and point-and-click scheduling functionalities.  

Boost Your Communication Game

Today’s patients are increasingly tech-savvy and value convenience in their care interactions. This growing preference necessitates clinics to provide them with sophisticated tools like:

• Patient Mobile App: Integrated with the provider’s app and EHR, this app allows patients to access their medical records, schedule appointments, receive reminders, and communicate securely with their healthcare team—all from their mobile devices.

• Patient Portal or Care Portal: Clinics can bridge communication gaps by combining the EHR and patient care portal. With a seamless user interface across different devices, patient portals enable patients to view lab test results, request prescription refills, and send messages to their providers from their phones or laptops.

• Telehealth Services: Integrated into the portal and mobile app, telehealth enables patients to have virtual visits with their providers. This option is particularly valuable for remote consultations, follow-up appointments, and managing chronic conditions without the need for in-person visits.

At the front desk, staff can actively advocate for using these engagement tools among patients by emphasizing practical benefits, such as accessing health information and completing specialty-specific questionnaires before appointments. 

Make Care Coordination a Breeze

When primary care physicians and specialists don’t communicate effectively, it can create bottlenecks in patient care. Studies find that specialists lack critical patient information in 68% of instances, causing unnecessary delays and potentially jeopardizing patient health.

Integrated EHR systems play an important role by facilitating seamless exchange of patient data—from medical history to diagnostics. EHR solutions are designed to be interoperable, meaning they can communicate and exchange data with other systems. This feature ensures specialists are well-informed to deliver prompt and optimal care.

Optimize Retention through Precision Care

To ensure patients return consistently, it is important to deliver exceptional care every time. Integrating clinical guidelines and protocols allows providers instant access to best practices and evidence-based approaches for each patient. 

This integration also enables timely alerts for screenings and personalized treatment plans. For instance, a 40-year-old patient visits their family medicine clinic for a routine check-up. The clinic’s EHR system is equipped with integrated preventive care guidelines.

During the visit, the EHR alerts the provider that the patient is due for a colorectal cancer screening (an alert that the system flags based on the patient’s age and family history). The provider discusses the importance of the screening with the patient, schedules the procedure, and sends a reminder through the patient portal. This proactive approach ensures adherence to preventive care guidelines and fosters patient trust, increasing the likelihood of continued care with the clinic.

Unlock Personalization with Data

When boosting patient retention in healthcare settings, consider this view: every patient is unique, and so is their EHR data. Clinicians who recognize this point turn to EHR data when tailoring treatment plans. 

With an EHR-integrated patient portal, providers can also personalize care by sending educational materials relevant to each patient’s health status. These resources may include nutrition guides, exercise plans, stress management techniques, and mindfulness practices.  

For example, a patient with diabetes might receive tips on managing their condition, reminders for regular check-ups, and updates on new treatments. This custom approach instills trust in providers and the prescribed therapies.

Predictive Analytics for Proactive Care

For advanced solutions, clinics should consider implementing predictive analytics models within the EHR. Providers can use this tool to identify patients at risk of non-compliance and initiate early interventions, personalized outreach campaigns, or preventive care measures.

Takeaway

High patient retention rates are not just a metric of success but a reflection of patient satisfaction and positive healthcare experiences. For clinics, maintaining patient engagement and providing ongoing care is crucial for fostering long-term relationships while meeting the bottom line.

Clinics can revolutionize the patient care journey by adopting EHR systems, providing telehealth services, and offering access to patient care portals and apps. These engagement solutions streamline scheduling, care coordination, precision care, and personalized communication.   

Tap Into Our Expertise 

Want to keep your patients coming back? 1st Providers Choice is here to help with our top-notch EHR and practice management solutions tailored just for you. We offer reliable, integrated tools to make patient care a breeze, including:

• Patient Appointment Software: Easily manage your schedule and reduce no-shows.

• Patient Healthcare Portal: Give your patients quick access to their health information and boost their engagement.

• Mobile App for Providers and Patients: Keep communication smooth and coordinated with our handy mobile app.

Our easy implementation roadmap covers everything from data conversion to training and onsite support nationwide. See how our EHR system can boost patient retention in your practice. Call (480) 782-1116 for a demo today!

Keep Your Patients Coming Back

Explore Retention-Focused EHR Solutions 

Our Electronic Health Record software is one of the most trusted, well-designed specialty healthcare products in the market today. Not only is it a secure, full-featured electronic medical records system, but it is also fully integrated with a multitude of useful medical management office modules that improve the workflow of your practice. See how our Electronic Health Record software can help your practice improve care quality for patients, reduce risk, cut costs, and increase revenue.

Click here to watch a video about our fully certified EHR software. Call 480-782 -1116 or contact us online to learn more.

For behavioral health organizations the advantages of switching to a mental health EHR are many. Yet, few EHR vendors have produced a tried-and-true software solution suitable for behavioral health providers. With 1st Providers Choice, psychiatrists, psychologists, professional counselors and other mental health providers have finally found an end-to-end EHR solution that meets their extensive charting needs.

Senior PsychCare (SPC) recently implemented our mental health EHR and billing modules across its various Texas locations and has achieved improved results in billing and patient care. Their more than 60 mental health providers have benefitted from simplified workflows, more efficient documentation, customized reports, and more. Following are some of the features that SPC’s behavioral health specialists have benefitted from:

Specialized content and customization: EHR systems designed with mental health providers in mind include features that are most relevant to behavioral health specialists. The systems also allow for a high level of customization in order to meet the specific needs of providers practicing within the mental health field. For SPC, this has included specialty-specific diagnoses and treatment plans, preventative care resources and psychiatric management tools, among others.

Real-time data: With mental health-specific EHR software, providers can create reports to conduct analyses of patient progress. All it takes is a few quick mouse clicks to export the data from the EHR.

Alerts and reminders: EHR software for mental health facilities allows providers to set up daily, weekly or monthly alerts. This can be useful for following up with suicidal patients or with those taking antipsychotics with potentially harmful side effects. This has been beneficial, in SPC’s case, for treating patients at Long Term Care facilities, as they need continuous monitoring and follow-up care.

Continuity of care: SPC maintains active contact with other physicians regarding changes in their patients’ mental status, diagnostic services, psychological treatments, and medications – and EHR software allows for thorough documentation of these changes. With mental health EHR software, behavioral health specialists at SPC are also able to share visit notes with other providers responsible for their patients’ care.

Learn more about our mental health-specific EHR features. Contact us today to speak with one of our expert EHR consultants or to schedule a free demo.

About Senior PsychCare: Senior PsychCare was founded by physician and specialized psychiatrist Dr. Leo Borrell, a leader in innovative care for stress and age-related problems. SPC is affiliated with Medipsych and Senior Psychological Care of Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, and employs more than 60 mental health providers in facilities throughout these major Texas cities. SPC provides independent evaluations, psychiatric management and mental health services. They also work in collaboration with mental health programs and medical providers who lack the resources of a comprehensive team of medical health specialists.

The annual PPS/APTA Conference & Exhibition is kicking off today at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Physical therapists in attendance will be able to interact with other physicians in their specialty, peruse the booths of exhibitors such as physical therapy EHR vendors, and even earn continuing education credits. Organized by the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, the event ends Saturday, October 27.

Physical therapists, their assistants, and even practice administrators who arrived in Vegas early were able to benefit from two pre-conference workshops. Held on Wednesday, the workshops focused on accountable care organizations and shared savings environments, as well as the claims process, which includes coding, appeals, and audits.

Over the next three days, there will be lectures, discussions and seminars for physical therapists to attend and participate in. Aside from covering medical topics of interest to practicing physicians, there will also be a great focus on health IT-related topics. A few sessions to note include:

• Health Information Exchange and Its Impact to the PTPP
• Green Means Go:  Using Dashboards to Improve Financial Performance
• Moving Your Practice into the “Cloud” (for physicians considering a cloud-based EHR)

After attending the cloud-themed session, physical therapists who want to learn more about electronic health record technology can stop by Booth 517 to view a live demonstration of 1st Providers Choice’s physical therapy EHR and practice management software. Physical therapists will find that cloud-based EHRs are efficient, cost effective solutions for electronic charting.

Many Allscripts users were shocked earlier this month when the company made public that it would no longer be selling the MyWay product and that further development on the software would be coming to a stop. The fact that the MyWay system will not meet requirements for meaningful use stage 2 (nor will it be able to process ICD-10 codes) has led many users to consider other electronic charting alternatives. One of these options is 1st Providers Choice – a fully certified EMR system with custom solutions for more than 30 medical specialties.

While Allscripts has offered to upgrade MyWay users to their Professional Suite system at no cost, Professional Suite isn’t likely to meet the needs of all physicians – specifically those in smaller practices. Another important thing to note is that, because MyWay and Professional Suite are starkly different system, making the transition from one product to the other will require a data conversion, implementation and training. Knowing this, physicians may choose to take on a new EMR implementation with a software system that best meets their needs – and that might not necessarily be Allscripts Professional Suite. Plus, amid rumors of an Allscripts buyout, healthcare professionals may feel more at ease with a stable, more customer-oriented vendor.

With countless Allscripts data conversions completed, 1st Providers Choice remains committed to providing a quality EMR solution for healthcare professionals across a wide range of medical fields. Our EMR software is both meaningful use and ICD-10 compliant and physicians find that learning to use our EMR has never been easier.

Are you dissatisfied with Allscripts MyWay or Allscripts Enterprise? Thinking about transitioning to a new, fully certified EMR? Contact us today at 480-782-1116 for more information about converting your Allscripts data to 1st Providers Choice.

The American Academy of Pain Management (the Academy) is holding its 23rd Annual Clinical Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona from September 20 to 23. This will be the fourth year that the conference is held in partnership with the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, which is part of the University of Arizona network.

More than 1,500 medical professionals are expected to attend the conference, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, physical therapists, and nurse anesthetists, among others. During the meeting, physicians will participate in lectures and discussions about pain management care. Exhibitors will also showcase some of the services, trends and products new to the pain management field – including pain management EMR software.

1st Providers Choice will be exhibiting their pain management EMR, giving physicians a chance to learn about the exciting features that are making charting more efficient for pain management caregivers. Our software was designed with pain management specialists in mind. By using it physicians are able to provide better patient care, improve workflows and increase revenue.

To learn more about IMS’ fully certified pain management EMR software and to view a free demo showcasing the EMR’s pain management-specific features, visit Booth 301 at the meeting.

The American Academy of Pain Management is a nonprofit organization that represents physicians who treat patients suffering from pain. The Academy offers opportunities for continuing education, credentialing for pain management caregivers, pain management publications, and advocacy for people with pain. It is the largest pain management organization in the United States.

Having an EHR system that fits the needs of your medical practice is important if you want to improve productivity and provide the best care possible for your patients.

Sports medicine doctors and orthopedic specialists, who are finally looking to make the switch to electronic health records, should consider the benefits of using an orthopedic sports medicine EHR. Not only are these specialty-specific systems designed to meet your unique needs, but they adapt to your workflows and make documenting patient encounters a breeze.

Unlike generic EHRs, sports medicine-specific software doesn’t require extensive customization. Why? Because EHR systems designed with orthopedic doctors in mind already feature the things that specialists need in order to practice medicine. This means you won’t have to spend hours of valuable training time setting the system up the way you need it.

Since you are already familiar with the specialty-specific forms, templates and terminology contained in the EHR, all you have to worry about is learning how to find your way around the different screens. Plus, if you want to add an extra diagram or template, doing so is simple with or without the help of your EHR trainer.

Orthopedic specialists need to be able to access their patient records from different locations. Whether you are performing an operation at a hospital or surgery center or visiting a rehab facility to treat a sports medicine patient, having access to your patients’ medical history is key. By using a web-based orthopedic EHR, you can log in and manage patients’ charts from any computer, tablet or device with Internet access. This allows you to provide patients with the best care possible.

Learn more about how EHR software for orthopedic sports medicine doctors can benefit your practice. Contact us to view a free demo.

Though physicians in various medical fields may have starkly different workflows, charting methods and EMR necessities, providers practicing in the same field have many things in common and can benefit from customizable, specialty-specific EMR software. Specialists contemplating making the change from paper charts to EMR (or from a general EMR system to one geared toward specialists) should consider the following benefits of a specialty-specific software solution.

EMRs designed for specialists require less training time.

General EMRs might be capable of meeting specialists’ requirements, but customizing the software takes time – something most doctors don’t have. Rather than embarking on a time-consuming set up process followed by lengthy training sessions, consider settling on a specialty-specific EMR. That way, you can put less effort into the initial set up and spend more time getting comfortable with a system that is ready to use out of the box.

Chart and work the way you know best.

With specialty-specific EMR software, which includes the forms and templates you use most, as well as decision support capabilities to help you make quicker, more accurate diagnoses, charting has never been easier. Global templates, for example, automatically bring in different variables once a diagnosis is selected, so that you don’t have to select each variable manually. Plus, using a system that knows your workflows and charting needs allows you to document your patient encounter in real time, while the patient is in the exam room – meaning you will have less chart notes to finish at the end of the day when all your patients are gone.

Take advantage of opportunities for continuing education.

Many specialty EMR vendors offer opportunities for additional training and continuing EMR education. These vendors also take part in conferences and events hosted by organizations in your specialty. This is because they understand the importance of keeping open lines of communication with specialty-specific medical associations that can help them improve their EMR software.

Interested in converting your existing EMR data to IMS? Click here to find out how.