Overview of electronic health records (EHR) in healthcare

Electronic health records have become an intrinsic aspect of the healthcare industry. Essentially, they refer to the digitized copies of patient records stored online, which can be accessed and shared with authorized users.

With the surge in healthcare businesses using EHR software, practitioners must make specific considerations, including understanding healthcare insurance terminologies and insurance telehealth coverage. When it comes time to find the right electronic patient records system for your practice, there are several things to look for.

This guide will outline some of these different components, equipping you with the knowledge to find and implement the perfect EHR system and improve your business's organization and efficiency.

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Benefits of maintaining EHR systems for a medical practice

Many benefits and challenges are associated with maintaining EHR in medical practices. Regardless of the size of your business or the specific field of healthcare that you work in, implementing EHR is guaranteed to lead to certain advantages and success, including:

Reporting: An EHR stores a healthcare practice's data and allows authorized users to access it in real-time. This data collection allows for improved reporting across systems, leading to better clinical and administrative decisions. The technology can also generate reports highlighting areas that work successfully or require improvement.
Communication: Because EHRs update in real-time, all relevant information is always available to practitioners. This means that different departments and facilities can communicate more effectively, which has the additional benefit of improving patient clinical outcomes.
Accurate data: Creating documentation is an inherent part of working in the healthcare industry that is highly time-consuming and tedious, which sometimes contributes to errors in recorded data. With EHR, data has been proven to be significantly more accurate, leading to reduced billing errors (and, thus, better reimbursement rates) and informed clinical decisions.
Research: As we mentioned, EHR technology can generate data-driven reports that inform practice's awareness of how their processes are working. This type of reporting provides information that can guide research in the healthcare industry, paving the way to better and more informed care methods.

Evaluation checklist for an EHR platform

When it’s time to decide what EHR platform will best suit your business, there are certain key features here that you should look out for. Additionally, understanding the importance of an EHR implementation roadmap is crucial as it provides a structured plan for the entire EHR implementation process, guiding everyone involved.

Customer service provided

Implementing new technology within your healthcare practice can be daunting, especially if you have staff not entirely comfortable navigating different systems. This is why the EHR platform you decide on must have customer service that can help you overcome any struggles or barriers you may encounter.

Functionality

Functionality refers to the specific features integrated into the EHR. These may include charting, scheduling, patient portals, documentation, and billing features. An EHR platform's functionality facilitates business growth and resource organization, allowing it to improve patient safety and operations further.

Integrations with other systems

Healthcare providers and businesses can't operate with just an EHR. They also need billing assistance and online scheduling features, all of which need to be integrated with the EHR.

Pricing

Unsurprisingly, pricing is a significant factor in finding a new business system. While an EHR is essential for managing your practice, it is also important that any purchase fits within your budget. Fortunately, many platforms are available at differing pricing points, allowing you to find the best fit.

Interoperability

It is likely that your business already has specific systems reporting processes in place, which is why it is so essential for the EHR platform you select to be interoperable. This will guarantee a seamless implementation process and ensure your data can be transferred between systems.

Appointment scheduling and reminder capabilities

The best EHR platforms also integrate features like appointment scheduling and automated reminders. These allow your business to streamline administrative processes, generate efficient schedules, create appointment checklists for patients, and significantly reduce no-shows.

Compliance with healthcare regulations

All EHR platforms need to uphold HIPAA regulations so that your business can ensure compliance. This means high-quality encryption, security measures, and authorization controls. Before you decide on an EHR vendor for your business, you should ensure they fulfill the requirements of a HIPAA compliance checklist for medical practices.

Patient care and self-management

Patient care and self-management have never been more critical as the healthcare industry moves to a value-based care model. With the right EHR system, increased access to medical records can improve patient involvement, patient safety, and transparency.

Clinical documentation

Documentation is one of the most important aspects of working as a healthcare practitioner, and it can be streamlined with an EHR. EHR systems are often integrated with clinical note templates, transcription software, and other tools designed to simplify the process of using data quality and creating documentation.

Steps in an EHR implementation lifecycle

Now that you know what to look for in an EHR platform, it’s time to review the implementation process. An essential part of this process involves real-time monitoring and evaluation of system performance to ensure the EHR system meets specific performance objectives, such as response times, timely report generation, and stress testing for peak loads.

1. Determine your need for a sound EHR system

Evaluate your practice's need for an EHR system and the steps you must take in preparation. This includes understanding your IT infrastructure, security systems, staff readiness, budget limits, and proposed system testing and implementation timeline.

2. Present and future workflow analysis

Just like any new business change, implementing an EHR requires extensive planning. To ensure a successful transition, you should analyze your practice's existing data present workflow and plan for future changes.

3. Create a roadmap for the electronic health record implementation

Once you have completed initial planning, it’s time to create a roadmap. This means identifying the tasks that must be finished before implementation in a well-presented and easy-to-follow format. Consulting resources like the National Learning Consortium can offer guidance on EHR RFP templates, providing valuable information on the company's primary focus and top EHR/EMR evaluation criteria.

4. Choose the best-suited EHR evaluation checklist platform

Next, it's time to find your EHR platform! You should spend a lot of time on this task and conduct lots of research. Talk to colleagues and other healthcare businesses to determine what EHR platforms work best for them, and don't be afraid to try a few free trial runs to find the perfect fit.

5. Develop a training program for staff

After deciding what EHR platform is best for your healthcare business, you need to develop a training program for staff. Some staff will likely be uncomfortable using a new system, so all clinical and administrative staff must participate in a training program.

6. Constantly improvize after new EHR system implementation

Even after implementation, the transition process isn't over. You must ask for regular patient and clinician feedback, keep running training programs, and evaluate your KPIs and relevant growth.

Take home message

Implementing EHR systems is one of the best methods to improve the finances of your telehealth practice. They work to improve efficiency, organization, and communication within healthcare businesses while simultaneously boosting clinical outcomes.

When creating a budget for your private practice, it is crucial to consider technological purchases, including EHR software and other systems. Hopefully, this guide has equipped you with enough knowledge to feel confident about researching and finding the best EHR system for your business.

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