An evaluation checklist in EHR

Overview of electronic health records (EHR) in healthcare

Electronic health records have become an important aspect of health information technology. 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 electronic health record (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 solution and improve your business's organization and efficiency. 

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 you work in, implementing EHR with seamless integration is guaranteed to lead to certain advantages and success, including:

Improving 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.  

Enhancing 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. 

Ensuring data accuracy

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. 

Advancing 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.

EHR evaluation checklist

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.

Here's an EHR checklist; before you choose an EHR platform, make sure you consider all these things:

Customer service

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. Seamless integration with other systems improves workflow efficiency and reduces manual data entry errors. It also ensures that all departments have access to up-to-date information, enhancing coordination and patient care.

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 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (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 engagement 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

Implementing an EHR, like any major business change, requires detailed planning. To ensure a smooth transition, analyze your practice's current workflow data, focusing on patient throughput, staff roles, appointment scheduling, and data entry processes to identify potential bottlenecks.

Also, evaluate communication channels, billing, documentation, and current technology usage to uncover improvement opportunities. This comprehensive approach will help your practice manage increased patient volumes more efficiently while supporting ongoing workflow enhancements.

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 provide essential guidance on creating EHR Request for Proposal (RFP) templates, which help healthcare organizations clearly define their needs when evaluating EHR systems. These resources offer valuable insights into the company's primary focus, whether it's improving patient care, streamlining workflows, or enhancing data accuracy.

4. Choose the best-suited EHR 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 improve 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

Successful EHR implementation is vital to improve the finances of your business, telehealth, or private practice. They work to improve efficiency, organization, and communication within healthcare businesses while simultaneously boosting clinical outcomes and securing patient data.

There are many EHR vendors available, but before choosing one, consider factors like the user interface, continuous improvement and development to the system, the data input quality, a reliable data migration plan, data accuracy, and secure data storage.

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. 

One EHR system to replace them all: Try Carepatron for free today!