Why EMR?
... If you're practice is looking to attract new patients, you may want to
seriously consider buying an electronic medical record (EMR) system. Most
consumers said EMR technology plays a role in their selection of a physician
(according to a survey of 600 consumers and 100 physicians by Accenture, a
consulting company).
With government incentives to standardize EMR, taking advantage of
technological advances is one of the best business and clinical investments
a practice can make. Major
benefits include but are not limited to:
Cost Reduction:
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Reduced transcription costs
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Labor costs
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Reduced internal/external copying expenses
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Malpractice insurance costs
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Pharmacy costs
Revenue Enhancement:
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Completeness of documentation
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Accuracy of coding
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Increase the number of services offered
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Increase the number of visits per day
Improved
Administrative Efficiency:
No more
searching through the multitudes of patient charts and notes.
With EMR, an organized and real time updated summary of the patient’s health
information is available at a glance. Spend quality time with the patient,
not the chart.
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Efficient access to the chart (by more than one person at a time)
and less time spent searching for lost charts
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Fewer time spent pulling and filing
charts
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Improved internal and external office communication
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Reduction in making/receiving phone calls
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Fewer pharmacy call-backs
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Improved compliance with chart requests and chart audits
Enhanced Clinical Efficiency and Patient Care:
Easily track pending orders for lab tests and diagnostic imaging with your EMR
system. Keep track of those that are long overdue with messages that signal lost
reports or patient noncompliance.
You can use your EMR system as an effective troubleshooting tool for your
practice, targeting potential problems before they arise.
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Improved quality of charting and documentation legible, organized, and
complete
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Built-in protocols and reminders including health maintenance
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Increase the number of services offered
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Enhanced protection and security in signing charts
Ease of Prescribing:
Nearly every EMR software system
incorporates an e-prescription function. E-prescribing means less time talking
to pharmacists and answering questions about what you've written. Use the extra
time however you please - spend more time with your patients, or more time with
your family.
The e-prescription function allows for quick and efficient prescribing. Less
time is spent on the phone talking to pharmacists, allocating more time for what
matters most.
Additional Benefits:
Numerous companies offer incentives
for the implementation of an EMR system. One example of many, Midwest Medical
Insurance Company (MMIC) announced it will offer 2% to 5% a premium credit to
any solo physician or physician group policyholder who implements and uses
electronic medical records software with credit beginning
January 1, 2008.
As an emerging
movement in health insurance, “Pay
for Performance” rewards providers for
quality of healthcare services.
Qualify for "Pay for Performance" bonuses by tracking the care you provide and
the outcomes you achieve for various groups of patients.