If you are a doctor, nurse or office manager, these days, if not use a computer on a regular basis, then you are probably several steps behind the curve. There is no questioning the fact that although health care providers' best intentions, the business of patient care has become a world of diagnostic codes and insurance premiums - and in the middle of all this is nothing Unless a flashing icon, or rather, thousands of blinking icons signifying the beginning of a technological revolution known as the
EMR Software implementation.
The discussion of electronic medical records is one that has lasted since the early adapters started to sing the praises of professional efficiency and improved patient satisfaction all rolled into one software package easy to use. Whether you were the first person on your block to score in this madness called the Internet or self-proclaimed technophobe who hears the word "Blackberry" and pictures a box of fruit instead of a handheld electronic device, it is hard to deny EHR that offer some clear benefits for professionals who choose to use. From the perspective of patient care, the use of electronic health records means faster and more focused, less waiting time for patients, and fewer errors. After all, doctors are not exactly known for their handwriting skills stellar, so the use of electronic documents can be really useful to improve patient safety and comfort.
As a physician, with a limited budget to assume that technology-related investments outside the real medical equipment, you may be thinking "What's in it for me?" The first point to consider is that nothing attracts patients to practice as positive reviews and a squeaky clean record - but that's not all. The use of EHRs can actually improve productivity within a practice to open the doors for the expansion of the patients. Imagine trying to increase his patient load by 30 percent without the help of support staff added? With an EHR, it may be possible.
Also note that by implementing an EHR can overcome one of the biggest failures of the still-popular major (though perhaps not for long) the system of paper: Billing. According to Roberta Mullin HiTech response, sales of paper is something that simply has not worked well for years, and the percentage of rejection by insurance companies can sometimes be enough to run a thriving practice in a different way on earth . Through the implementation of its sales through an EHR, however, can avoid turning the wheels to correct errors and discrepancies internal and external, and, most importantly, improve their statistics actually get paid.
So why is not everyone jumps on the chariot of EHR? For many, the resistance to EHRs is derived from a debilitating combination of financial investment and fear. After all, the cost of EHR implementation can be quite significant if one takes into account the initial cost of any software package is considered suitable for practice with the need for adequate training of employees - up to a cost of opportunity itself. And while the U.S. government has financial incentives available under Medicare and Medicaid for those who implement EHR systems from 2011, many are concerned about meeting the eligibility requirements for what is becoming the main source of discontent among health professionals and software designers alike: significant use.
As part of 2009, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, healthcare providers can receive government funds for the adoption of
EHRs in their practices, provided that such programs meet the criteria that constitute significant use - rules which, according to many really should be obvious. Although the guidelines attached to the term "sensible use" seem to be evolving, in short, a qualified system must be certified as capable of keeping records of patients and facilitate effective patient care significantly (ie electronic prescriptions). It must also allow the electronic exchange of health-related information among multiple providers to improve (and, if possible, accelerate) the patient care. Finally, to be eligible for reimbursement, an EHR system must be able to transmit statistical data that can work to improve the health industry as a whole.
What if the EHR system does not meet the criteria for meaningful use? In essence, if the choice program does not stop making the cut, you can kiss those government-issued refund checks goodbye. However, before you get too caught up in the furor over the meaningful use, why not shift the burden to developers of software whose function is to create these programs in the first place?
As a health professional's role in all this is just to look around, observe the direction in which it directs their industry, and get your piece of the action before it is too late. The deadline to implement an EHR system in return for government incentives is scheduled for 2016, and add some juice to the pressure cooker, plans to reduce Medicare reimbursements to non-adopters or late adopters in 2015. To prevent the left in the cold, you can jump aboard this trend of slow growth, but in a thoughtful way.
First, begin to identify the specific needs of its
EHR Software, so that when you meet with suppliers of software, you will know what questions to ask. Secondly - and this is important - get ready, its partners and its employees by the notion of in-depth training time. Learning a new EHR system is not something that happens overnight, and before starting to regret those lost dollars in the form of reduced productivity, recognizing that in the long run, proper training is the use of key EHR success and the promise of operating efficiency - ie, higher overall profits.
In fact, do yourself a favor: Next time you find yourself crunching the numbers and worry about whether your system will qualify for significant use, try to concentrate more on his personal commitment to the formation of EHR, because at the end of day, which is where the ROI is really going to come. And remember, even though the wildfire of EHR is not exactly surrounded the health industry to date, the drive for health technology is slowly but steadily working to improve these statistics. So instead of looking at the cost of implementing the EHR over the next year or two, decide whether you can afford to keep things status quo.
