EMR-EHRS Blog

Ophthalmology is a unique branch of medicine that differs greatly from other specialties. It requires the use of electronic medical record software with ultra-specific capabilities that generic, multi-specialty systems simply cannot provide. Ophthalmology EHR vendors are better positioned to meet the needs of physicians in this field, as they often employ specialty-specific teams with a better understanding of ophthalmology practice requirements and workflow.

At 1st Providers Choice, we work closely with specialty-specific professionals, such as ophthalmic assistants, to gain insight into the documentation needs of providers in this field. We also maintain regular involvement with ophthalmic and optometric organizations to keep abreast of constant changes and advancements.

Aside from providing key, specialty-specific EHR features and templates, our ophthalmology EHR software focuses on three important characteristics:

1. The ability to handle large image files efficiently.

Ophthalmologists frequently work with high-resolution images of patients’ eyes, and they need to be able to store and access these images without any system lag. Web-based EHR software easily makes this possible, as heavy files are not clogging up one single server. Ophthalmologists can quickly import eye images to their patients’ health records or open existing images for review. Physicians with physical servers may choose to purchase a separate server for their image files in order to prevent system lag.

2. The ability to easily record drawings of the eye.

Ophthalmologists often need to record aspects of their patients’ eye examinations with color drawings – and new technology facilitates the inclusion of these drawings in electronic medical record software. Most programs allow physicians to draw a picture, often with the use of a drawing pad, which can then be annotated by drawing arrows that point to corresponding text. Visual findings can be documented with minimal effort and inserted into the appropriate patient’s chart.

3. The ability to connect seamlessly to medical and ophthalmology devices.

Seamless integration with medical equipment, such as cameras and visual field units, can save ophthalmologists a great deal of time by ensuring that data gets to where it needs to go – in the corresponding patient’s health record – without creating extra work for the physician. We have set up interfaces with most major medical devices and have also worked with ophthalmologists to establish custom interfaces with lesser-known equipment.

Interested in learning more about our ophthalmology EHR features? Contact us today at 480-782-1116.

Though electronic health record software is relatively new to health care, voice recognition software has been around for quite some time. In the past, healthcare professionals used the software to dictate notes when charting on paper, and the notes eventually made it into patients’ charts with the help of medical transcriptionists. With EHR software, however, things have changed.

Most EHR systems, for example, now include a voice recognition feature – and its capabilities are much more advanced than they were even a few short years ago. In the past, when the software produced a block of text, it had to read carefully and edited for spelling and grammatical errors and other inconsistencies. Today’s voice recognition software, however, is much more complete. It includes medical vocabularies for multiple specialties, and it can learn speech patterns, voices and inflections.

Doctors are able to use speech recognition software to document patient data in real time, eliminating the middle man and saving time. Instead of dictating notes for a transcriptionist, for example, physicians can simply talk into a mic and see their notes in front of them on the screen, already in the patient’s chart. This helps ensure that EHR software records are kept up to date and that the most accurate information is being saved in each patient’s chart at the time of the encounter.

Aside from allowing doctors to add free text into patients’ charts, voice recognition software also allows healthcare professionals to perform other tasks. This includes selecting items from drop down menus within the EHR and navigating through other options within visit templates and EHR menus and screens. This not only makes documenting patient visit easier, but adds to the ease of use of electronic health record software.

Are you considering switching to an EHR and looking for a software system with voice recognition capabilities? Learn about the cost and time-saving benefits of medical speech recognition software by contacting us online today.

Adopting EHR software can modify provider workflow and charting processes. This means that healthcare professionals must strategically implement the new technology in order to provide high quality care without affecting productivity. What providers often fail to take into account, however, is that patients must also get used to the EHR’s presence in the exam room. Therefore, providers must implement the software in a way that does not affect patient satisfaction.

Here are a few ways that physicians can use their EHR software to improve the doctor-patient relationship.

Use the Chart View screen to review the patient’s medical history. Doing so before entering the exam room will allow you to interact with the patient straightaway without having to go straight to the computer. 1st Providers Choice’s Chart View menu provides physicians with important patient information, such as:

• Problem list
• Chronic conditions
• Past and current medications
• Patient allergies
• Family and social histories

Engage the patient in the visit by explaining how the EHR software is being used. Though most patients aren’t wary of what their doctor is doing, too much time spent typing can make the visit feel impersonal and the patient feel neglected. Instead of having the patient wait while you send out a prescription electronically or transmit a lab order through the EHR, involve them in the process and show them what you are doing. After you type visit notes into the EHR, let the patient know that they can view their visit summaries through your practice’s online patient healthcare portal.

Make sure your computer is positioned in a way that is easy for the patient to view. This is critical if you plan to show the patient test results in the EHR or demonstrate how an e-prescription is sent. It is also important in order to prevent the computer from becoming an obstacle that hinders free-flowing communication. Instead of positioning your EHR-enabled computer on a desk between you and the patient, put it somewhere that the patient can easily see.

To learn more about our EHR software solutions and how they can benefit your practice, call 480-782-1116 or contact us online.

Doctors of internal medicine often take on the role of primary care providers for adults who are at risk for developing diseases, as well as for patients already suffering from a particular ailment. Seeing as internists must help patients manage their diseases and take steps to prevent others from occurring, it is important for these doctors to have useful tools at their disposal, such as internal medicine EHR.

Two major facets of internal medicine include disease prevention and disease management, each playing an equally important role in patients’ health outcomes. Practicing preventive care is particularly important for patients who are susceptible to diseases that can be spotted early on and even prevented from occurring.

Take diabetes, for example. Using screening tools and questionnaires included in their EMR, physicians can examine certain factors to determine whether a patient is more likely to develop the disease than the average person. These factors can include:

• Race
• Weight
• Blood sugar level
• Dietary habits
• Family history of diabetes

If the internist determines that a patient is at risk for developing diabetes, the patient can be counseled regarding appropriate preventive care measures and pointed in the direct of the physician’s online patient portal for educational resources. The physician can also set reminders in the EMR to ensure that the patient is showing up for routine appointments.

For cases where prevention efforts were unsuccessful – or where a disease was not caught early on – internal medicine EHR software also helps. For example, internists can use decision support tools to help determine a plan of action for how to proceed with treating and managing the patient’s disease.

Interested in learning more about the EHR features available to doctors of internal medicine? Contact us online or call 480-782-1116 to speak with one of our representatives.

Pain management EHR software is used by anesthesiologists, physiotherapists, and other physicians to provide comprehensive treatment plans and improve the quality of life of patients experiencing chronic pain. However, the software can also be used by emergency room doctors – specifically to manage pain in young patients. Here are a few of the ways that pain management EHR systems are making that possible:

Tools for pediatric pain assessments

According to a report released this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), providing pain relief to child patients in the ER requires taking a systematic approach to medicine. This includes establishing pain management protocols and educating staff about the best ways to provide comfort to children. One way to provide more effective pain management care to children is by using tools included in the pain management EHR, such as the Faces Pain Scale and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale. These evaluation tools are necessary considering that not all children can tolerate pain the same way or accurately describe it.

Guidelines for safe sedation

While it is common for an ER physician to sedate a patient before a procedure, according to the AAP’s report, in order to provide safe sedation for children physicians should abide by certain guidelines, such as performing a structured risk stratification, which includes examining the patient’s airway. The information should all be documented in the patient’s electronic health record. Additionally, a personal My Tasks list can help doctors make sure that all areas of concern are monitored both pre- and post-sedation.

Rules for medication administration

Keeping in line with the systematic approach to pediatric pain management recommended by the AAP, it is important for hospitals to have policies in place for how medications should be administered to children, as well as what steps hospitals caregivers can take to ensure that procedures are performed with minimal discomfort to the patient. One of the things the AAP suggests, for example, is applying topical anesthetics before placing sutures or an IV. By creating custom templates and checklists in the EHR, providers can ensure that the proper steps are taken when treating young patients whose pain thresholds differ greatly from adults.

Physicians interested in learning more about our pain management EHR’s features and benefits can contact us at 480-782-1116.

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.

Providers cannot begin attesting to meaningful use stage 2 until 2014 – and even then, they can only do so after having successfully attested to stage 1 for two full years. Still, a growing number of healthcare professionals are preparing for the second phase of the federal incentive program and leaving no stone unturned in their quest for meaningful use incentives. Are you wondering how you can start preparing? Begin by familiarizing yourself with the final guidelines, including how stage 2 requirements differ from the ones you are working on now.

Building Blocks

If you understand stage 1 and have successfully attested to meaningful use, you won’t have much to worry about. Stage 2 essentially builds on the core and menu objectives outlined in stage 1. One difference, however, is that hospitals and physicians must meet a greater number of objectives. In addition, percentages have been increased, meaning that providers will need to step up their game. For example, instead of documenting demographic information for more than 50 percent of patients (stage 1), physicians will be required to record specific demographic data for more than 80 percent of patients (stage 2).

Core and Menu Objectives & Clinical Quality Measures (CQM)

For stage 2 of meaningful use, eligible hospitals and providers will be required to meet a different number of objectives using their fully certified EMR. Additionally, although CQMs are no longer listed as a core objective, healthcare professionals participating in the meaningful use program will need to report on CQMs in order to attest to meaningful use. Following are the separate requirements for hospitals and providers:

• Hospitals must meet 16 of 19 core objectives and 3 of 6 menu objectives. They will also be required to report on 16 of 29 CQMs.
• Providers must meet 17 of 20 core objectives and 3 of 6 menu objectives. They will also be required to report on 9 of 64 CQMs.

Patient Engagement

There are a couple of new core objectives in meaningful use stage 2 that aim to increase patient engagement. One objective requires the use of secure electronic messaging to communicate with at least 5 percent of patients. (Physicians in limited broadband areas are exempt from this.) Another objective calls for physicians to provide at least 5 percent of their patients “the ability to view online, download and transmit their health information” within four business days of the information being available to the provider.

Data Exchange

A new core objective that focuses on data exchange requires physicians to provide a summary of care record for more than 50 percent of patients that are referred to a another care setting or provider. Additionally, more than 10 percent of these care records will need to be sent electronically. Provider will also need to send at least one summary of care record to a physician with a different EMR or to a CMS-designated test EMR.

Other Notable Differences in Stage 2

• 2014 is the only year that there will be a three-month reporting period for all healthcare professionals regardless of whether they are reporting for stage 1 or stage 2. To find out when your reporting window is, visit CMS’ website.
• With stage 2, healthcare groups will be able to submit attestation information for different providers all at once. Currently, each provider must submit attestation data separately.

If you are looking for a fully certified EMR than can help you meet meaningful use, check out one of our specialty-specific EMR systems. Our software solutions feature interactive reporting modules and integrate with billing and practice management software.

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.

The Heartland Podiatry Conference will be held in Des Moines, Iowa next week from October 3 to 6. The annual meeting is being hosted by the Iowa Podiatric Medical Society (IPMS) in conjunction with the Heartland Scientific Committee and the Nebraska Podiatric Medical Society. In addition to the many podiatrists attending the event, there will be nurses, assistants, podiatry EHR vendors, and other vendors and exhibitors relevant to the podiatry field.

Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska-based physicians who attend the conference can receive up to 25 CME credit hours depending on which of the workshops and lectures they attend. The same goes for nurses who wish to qualify for their own continue education credits (CEU). To view the list of approved courses and their corresponding credits, view the Doctor’s and Assistant’s agendas on IPMS’ website.

Some of the topics of the courses offered for podiatric nurses and assistants include: responding to hostile behavior in the workplace; coding updates and ICD-10; and how new technologies are modifying practice workflows and creating new risks. Podiatrists will be able to attend a series of lectures and mini workshops about new procedures and technologies and overall podiatric care. On the last day of the conference the Heartland Scientific Committee will give a lecture titled “My Most Interesting Care.”

In addition to the many lectures and discussions scheduled throughout the four-day seminar, the Heartland Podiatry Conference is also hosting an exhibitor reception on Thursday, October 54. All those in attendance will have the chance to talk to exhibitors, view podiatry EHR software demos first-hand, and mingle with other guests.