EHR Usability Factors

There are approximately 500,000 total providers and 5,100 hospitals throughout the United States eligible for "incentives" on implementing EHR for their practice. However, only a handful of them have implemented the system so far. With such a low market penetration, the data suggests that the U.S. healthcare system still has a long way to go in achieving one hundred percent adoption of EHR technology.

Currently, there are several factors that negatively impact EHR adoption, but dissatisfaction with usability is surfacing with greater frequency. EHR usability is typically associated with user satisfaction, but usability is actually more aligned with physician and patient workflow integration.

Here are five elements every physician and practice administrator should consider when evaluating EHR usability:

1. Physician and Patient Workflow Support

2. Degree of Difficulty

3. Flexibility

4. Efficiency

5. Effectiveness

When it comes to determining EHR platform usability, it's a process that's ultimately driven by the medical professional and their patient. As with any business, the customer is always right, and EHR technology is no different.

EMR - HIPAA Guidelines As Regards Data Security

Implementing an EMR system for the practice could be of great help and benefit for both doctors as well as patients, however, patient data security is a very important issue that can not be ignored. HIPAA has set certain guidelines as regards patient data security when using an EMR system.

Usually there are four areas to examine when it comes to EMR data security:

-Physical Security – can your computers with patient data be stolen?
Put your computer server in a secure room, locked

-User Security - can anybody log on to the patient database?
Use an EMR with user management and permissions

-System Security – what happens on a hard drive crash?
Make regular back-ups and store them in a secure place

-Network Security – can unauthorized persons outside your facility access patient data?
Employ a computer specialist.

There are HIPAA penalities in case when there are violations when using EMR system as regards patient data security. The penalities can go up to $250,000 and five years in jail depending upon the seriousness of violation of security norms.

Meaningful Use and Certified EMR

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is the new buzz word in the healthcare industrty. The implementation of the EMR software across different practices is facing numerous problems including the initial cost of the software license. In order to give relief to practioners and hospitals providing services under medicare and medicad plans, the US government has announced special incentive program. However, it can not be availed unless n until the providers meet certain meaningful use criteria.

The meaningful use criteria is nothing but a set of meanignful use objectives: Use Computer Provider Order Entry (CPOE), Implement drug/allergy checks, Maintain an up-to-date problem list of current and active diagnoses based on ICD-9-CM or SNOMED CT®, E-prescribing (EP only), Maintain active medication/allergy list and so on.

The EMR software must be capable of performing the above tasks. The software must have the provision for automated checking, reporting and management features. There are numerous vendors offering different versions of EMR softwars, however, a certified EMR guarantees the availability of above mentioned features plus other standard features as required by the practice or hospital for smooth functioning.

In order to avail meaningful use benefits (financial as well as improved patient quality), adoption of certifed EMR is a must have!

How Do I Start Implementing a Meaningful Use Project?

How Do I Start Implementing a Meaningful Use Project?

A relatively newer technological called Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is all set to transform the healthcare industry. The technology promises to make life easier for both - doctors as well as patients. Looking into the unmatched advantages that the newer technology can deliver, practices have started to think about the implementation of the "meaningful use" project. However, the biggest question in front of most of them being - how do I start implementing a meaningful use project?

Here are the necessary guidelines as regards starting with a new meaningful use project:

- Adopting a certified electronic medical record system (certified emr system)

- Develop A Meaningful Use Process Specifically For Your Practice

- Tracking Data For Attestation

Last but not least, the change can be painful, however, the practice needs to be determined to make this transitional process (from manual to automation) implementing a meaningful use project a grand success!

Meaningful Use

Is Meaningful Use Beneficial To Patients?

"Meaningful use" refers to practices that should be used by doctors and hospitals using electronic medical records. Physicians and hospitals have been directed as to what tasks they should be using their EHR, what constitutes certified EHR technology, and how the government measures this criteria. To qualify for specific incentives, hospitals and physicians must use "certified EHR technology" in a meaningful manner during the Stage 1 (2011) EHR adoption period.

But there is much more to it than that; 'meaningful use' of electronic medical record keeping is designed to benefit both the patient and their caregiver. Meaningful use refers to doctors, hospitals and clinics that have been able to significantly improve the quality of patient care through the use of electronic records.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), "meaningful use" is defined as using an EHR for the following objectives:

• Improving quality, safety, efficiency, care coordination, population and public health;
• Reducing health disparities;
• Engaging patients and their families; and,
• Ensuring adequate privacy and security protections for personal health information

Combining EMR and Billing Systems

Typically, EMR and billing systems have remained separate in physician clinics, each with their own collection of problems. Why not have two systems in one? By integrating physical therapy billing solutions and EMR documentation into one comprehensive software program, overall benefits can be gained in a Physician clinic.

Physical therapy billing management combined with a reputable EMR program can improve efficiency at the front desk and lessen the possibilities of coding and financial errors. Here are a few great reasons PT clinics should consider an integrated billing and EMR documentation system.

       Reduction in Errors

       Increased Efficiency

       Easy Accessibility of Resources

      Quick Reimbursement

      Better ROI For The Practice

EMR Development and Its Standardization

The trend of EMR implementation is catching up owing to the unmatched advantages it can deliver for the practice as well as patients. Implementing EMR system can help save time and money, making clerical work and physical therapy practices better for both PTs and patients. However, the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) industry has to understand that better usability yields more adoption. According to industry experts usability can be improved to a great extent with the standardization in EMR development.

There are different vendors offering different versions of EMR. Each vendor providing different layout, features and so on. With hundreds of different specialties requiring different types of tests and workflows, at times, it becomes very difficult for the practice to decide upon a right EMR for their clinic.

Certification of EMR to some extent ensures availability of standard features, however, more efforts are required as regards standardization of layout, features and other functionality in EMR.

EMR System Implementation - Best Practices

 

Electronic version of patient medical records is called EMR. It helps easy management, retrieval, processing and analysis. The success of EMR implementation depends on many factors. However, the process starts with the selection of right EMR for the practice. In order to select a right EMR one must have knowledge as regards the standard features a system must possess.

Standard EMR systems in the market are typically equipped with the following functions:

    Patient Demographics
    Visit/encounter notes
    Patient medications/prescriptions
    Presenting complaint
    Physical exam/review of symptoms
    Past medical history
    Problem lists
    Procedure/operative notes
    Laboratory results
    Drug interaction warnings
    Radiology/imaging results
    Consult/reports from specialists
    Referrals to specialists
    Drug reference information
    Immunization tracking
    Drug formularies
    Clinical guidelines and protocols
    Integration with practice billing system
    Claims Processing

At first, a physician practice... planning to implement an EMR system must evaluate the requriements of the practice, so that a right EMR can be implemented.