Telemedicine services support the patient-centered medical home model by allowing physicians to provide long-distance care to patients. This can be accomplished through the use of videoconferencing software, mobile health applications, and other technologies with video and audio capabilities. Through the use of multi-specialty EHR software and other EHR solutions, physicians can easily document data that is learned during the teleconsult, ensuring that patient records are accurate and complete.

Telemedicine contributes to more collaborative, comprehensive care in the following ways:

Patient well-being: Through the use of teleconferencing equipment, healthcare professionals can maintain contact with patients who require follow-up consults but do not necessarily need to make the trip to the doctor’s office or hospital. It also allows physicians to monitor factors that could indicate a worsening condition. Most importantly, it makes it possible for patients who might not be able to make it to their doctor’s office to receive the care they need. Patients with transportation difficulties are less likely to make follow-up appointments and to follow through with their indicated treatment regimens.

Physician collaboration: Telehealth services allow physicians to share data and to work with other caregivers in distant locations. This benefits patients in rural settings with limited access to certain specialists. Instead of traveling long distances for a specialist consult, for example, their physician could set up a teleconsult. With EMR software, the physicians would also be able to share data, making it possible for the specialist to reach an accurate diagnosis.

Who benefits from telemedicine services?

Telemedicine eliminates certain barriers that impede physicians from providing continuous, comprehensive care to patients who need it most. This includes:

• Patients in rural areas with limited access to healthcare facilities
• Patients in communities that are underserved by certain medical specialists
• Patients who no longer require hospitalization but need critical follow-up care
• Critically ill patients who cannot be transported easily
• Patients without access to transportation

Is your healthcare organization considering using telemedicine services? To learn more about how telemedicine EMR features can benefit your practice, contact us to today.

Podiatry EMR software has made it possible for physicians to effortlessly transition from paper charts to electronic medical records and to attest to Meaningful Use. In fact, among the providers eligible for incentive payments through the EHR Incentive Program, podiatry is one the specialties that has seen the most EMR converts. In May 2011 when the first Meaningful Use checks were sent out, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid reported that podiatrists accounted for 12 percent of incentive payment recipients. The fact is, podiatrists seem to be satisfied with their fully certified EMRs, and here are a few reasons why.

Custom forms and templates make charting more efficient. Podiatrists using generic EMRs often find that the software requires extensive customization in order to fully meet the needs of their specialty. With podiatry-specific EMR software, however, the system’s screens, terminology and documentation are already suited to the needs of podiatry specialists. This means that the EMR software is ready to use out of the box and requires little modification.

Some of the documents available to podiatrists include patient instructions and educational resources, as well as exam templates for issues such as ankle fracture, routine foot exam, ingrown toenail, diabetic foot ulcer and more. The software also comes equipped with graphics and diagrams of the foot, ankle and lower extremities, on which physicians can draw or write notes on.

The podiatry-specific medical billing manager makes billing more accurate. For example, the EMR automatically suggests certain billing codes based on the procedures and diagnoses that the physician selected during the visit. Features such as this help ensure that podiatrists get paid for all of the work that they do and that certain codes are not forgotten or accidentally left out.

Built-in reporting modules make it easier for podiatrists to attest to Meaningful Use and qualify for incentive payments.  By using the Meaningful Use dashboard and module features, physicians can see the percentage of progress they have made in attesting to Meaningful Use, as well as what progress is still left to be made.

Are you a podiatrist interested in transitioning to a podiatry-specific EMR for the first time? Or are you looking to convert your data to IMS from a different EMR? Learn how our fully certified podiatry EMR and practice management software solutions can benefit your practice.

Though healthcare providers might have had their doubts once about web-based software solutions, cloud computing is gaining traction and more and more caregivers are taking advantage of web-based services. If you are medical professional debating the benefits of a certified, web-based EMR versus a client/server model, here are a few reasons why you should consider web-based software:

Lower Initial Investment: EMRs that run solely on client/server systems can be quite expensive. Healthcare professional not only have to worry about costly licensing fees, but about purchasing a server that meets the software’s specifications, as well as computers with adequate hardware specifications in order to achieve optimal performance. Web-based EMR systems, on the other hand, require lower, monthly payments, making them a perfect solution for providers with tighter budgets.

Leave Maintenance to IT Experts: The fees for web-based EMR software typically include hosting and maintenance, as databases are stored remotely on servers owned by the EMR vendor. Experienced IT technicians working for the vendor will generally handle updates and upgrades, as well as network and database security. With IT specialists taking care of the technical side, all you have to worry about is practicing medicine.

Increased Security: Providers are right to worry about the security of their patient’s protected health information, and web-based EMR systems offer the best security against potential breaches. In fact, EMR vendors offering web-based services are HIPAA compliant. You won’t even have to worry about running backups or losing patient data were something to happen to your database server.

Convenient Access to Patient Records: Have you ever needed to work on or access a patient’s record while outside your practice? With fully certified web-based EMR software, you can view and edit your patient database from anywhere as long as you have access to the Internet. This is great news for providers who see patients at different facilities, or for those who simply like to get work done at home.

Learn more about fully certified, web-based EMR software, such as how it can benefit your hospital or independent practice.