EMR and Its Meaningful Use

EMR (electronic medical record) refers to the medical records in a digital format. It is a gift of advanced information technology to do away with the "paper" format. The records are maintained on computers in digital format with the help of integrated EMR systems based on healthcare industry requirements and HIPAA guidelines. The system provides with the ready base for entering, grouping and analyzing data that facilititates in the process of diagnosis and treatment.  

EMR systems deliver unmatched advantages as compared to age old manual process of creating  medical records. Due to readily available detailed data entry forms, the patient data can be stored in detail, the system provides with various checks and validations, thus minizing the possibility of committing errors to a great extent. The biggest advantage it serves is the centralization of data, so that the patient data can be accessed from any where, which could be of great help at times of emergency.

The EMR system helps to speed up the overall process, saves time, helps to cut down the cost, brings about increase in the revenue and much more.  However, its ultimate benefits would come if and only if there is "meaningful use" of emr. Meaningful use is nothing but a sense of responsibility towards patients and the healthcare industry on the part of the practitioners (& hospitals) using it.

Online Prescription - The Many Benefits

Its been never easy getting the illness treated - fixing an appointment with the doctor, getting a prescription and then visiting the corner side drug store. Information technology has found its place in each and every facet of our life and healthcare industry can not be an exception to the rule. Healthcare management solutions like online prescriptions (eprescribing) is gaining momentum across healthcare professionals, online pharmacies and of course with the patients. 

The online prescription solutions helps both healthcare professionals as well as patients. For sure the healthcare professionals are able to cater to the needs of a large no. of patients irrespective of their location. It saves a lot of time for them as well and also record keeping becomes easy as compared to the conventional system of consultation. Patients are able to get timely medication as there is no need for them to wait day for the appointment. They can get the prescription right from their home or any place and from any proven healthcare professional.

Online prescription (or eprescribing) is considered to be gaining tremendous response from physicians, online pharmacies as well as patients. The trend is catching up... for the many benefits it delivers... !

Practice Management System For Improved Productivity

A physicians clinic is not only confined to treating patients but it starts with the initial process of appointment scheduling, patient registration and recording detailed illness history. The process is very tedious and time consuming... for physicians who maintain the records on their own it consumes the major protion of their time resources.

An efficient practice management system can make life easy for physicians. A fully functional system is capable of delivering a host of benefits to the user. At first, it provides with the necessary appointment scheduling module that makes it very easy to maintain patient appointments. The interoperability feature allows the system to function effectively with the emr system so that the patient record management tasks can be digitized. 

In short, a fully functional practice management system is capable of delivering a large no. of advantages that can help the practice to streamline the overall back end processes with an improvement in the productivity of the practice.

Preparing To Implement An EMR

Preparing to imeplement an EMR ?

If yes... need a pre-planning for successful implementation. Digitization of patient records could be of great help and support to the physicians. It could save great amount of time and cost that which is spent in managing the records. Above all the ultimate benefits are improved patient safety and care. The digitization helps to record the information in detail, accurate and timely availability.

Though EMR systems are considered to be a boon for the healthcare industry, the successful implementation by an large depends on pre-planning. There are a large number of EMR's available in the market today, however, not all EMRs at par with industry requriements. The physician desirous to implement needs to make a checklist as to the requirements of the practice as well as the availability of features with various emr systems. 

The EMR system has to be simple, complete (fully functional) and hipaa compliant. The vendor must also provide with the necessary training and after sales support. Once assured... the system can be implemented for better productivity and quality of service.

Electronic Medical Records: Unleash The Power Of Digital Technology

Patient records play a very important role in the process of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. The age old practice of manually recording the patient details now seems to be creating a lot of difficulties for the physicians / hospitals. The rising pressure on the healthcare industry is one of the main reasons, however, introduction of advanced digital technology is giving a new lease of life to the healthcare industry in the form of healthcare management systems like electronic medical records. 

The digitization of patient records with the help of electronic medical records system is coupled with numerous advantages as against the convention method of patient record management. The system ensures detailed patient information, accuracy and centralization of data that would ultimately benefit the practice with more time resources in hand, cost advantage and above all detailed - error free records available at any point of time from any where.

Healthcare Management Solutions: A Revolution In The Healthcare Industry

US health care system is one of the best health care systems in the world, however, there is tremendous pressure on the system basically because of rising population, stress and fast paced day - day life. Till date, the industry used to depend entirely on the skills of health care professionals and was reluctant in implementing information technology solutions. Of course, we can not deny the importance of skilled health care professionals, however, the rising pressure has started affecting the quality of patient service and ultimately ROI.

It is the time now to implement healthcare management solutions to replace the age old methods of managing the practice. There is always a yes / no to anything that which is introduced in the market and healthcare industry is not an exception to the rule. Healthcare management solutions can benefit both physicians (hospitals) as well as patients to a great extent. Physicians would be able to save time and money in managing the pracitce and the end result would benefit the patients with better quality of service.

Healthcare IT Solutions – Streamline Your Workflow

The healthcare industry is composed of several sectors that are dedicated towards the well being of the patients. The industry in itself is very complex to handle. The management of the healthcare industry is a very tedious task involving a number of back end and support functions. The volume of the back-end operations is so large that it consumes a majority of the time of support staff and healthcare professionals. There seems to be an answer to all this by way of healthcare it solutions. 

Information technology has become a part of our day to day life; a large no. of manual tasks has been replaced with automated processes. Practically each and every field has been experiencing the benefits of information technology. Till date, healthcare industry was doubtful as regards the implementation of information technology for the very simple reason that it relies more on the talent of the healthcare professionals. However, the industry has realized the importance of healthcare it solutions.

A no. of sectors laid the very basic foundation of the healthcare industry namely: clinical research & documentation, pharmacy, healthcare facilities, diagnostics, patient information and so on. Each function has its own importance and its own complexities. Manual processes are time consuming and often result into errors. Introduction of healthcare it solutions are believed to be transforming the healthcare industry.

The world is changing and so is the healthcare industry; it wouldn’t be wrong to say that healthcare it solutions is all set to streamline the healthcare work flow.

Healthcare IT Solutions Market USA: Insights and Opportunities

Information technology has found its applications in each and every industry and US healthcare industry is not an exception to the rule. Till date, the investments in the healthcare IT solutions was very low, for the very reason that the healthcare industry was of the opinion that it has nothing to do with information technology. The industry believed that the qualification, knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals are the only requirements, however, the industry has realized that healthcare IT solutions can extend an helping hand in achieving reduction in costs, saving time, improving productivity and most importantly, improving patient care.

Healthcare IT solutions include a number of software, hardware and networking solutions for individual providers, managed healthcare, hospitals, medical billing companies and health insurance providers. The main concern among providers is that the system should be in a position to streamline the whole process of practice/patient management. It should also bring about the reduction in costs and time spent with improved patient care. Much attention in the healthcare IT market has focused on opportunities to expand the use of electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Healthcare IT solutions like EMR/EHR systems come in different versions and capabilities. There are instances when the requirements for a particular practice may differ from the requirements of another practice. According to a recent research report from CompTIA, 34 percent of healthcare providers report using a comprehensive EMR system, while 16 percent says they’re using a partial system. The remaining 29 percent are either evaluating their options or 20 percent have not yet started the process of implementation of EMR. However, in case of implementation of EMR the satisfaction rate is higher among doctors as compared to any other healthcare systems.

Among the developed nations, US has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. At approximately 17% of GDP, the U.S. healthcare market represents one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy. The healthcare administration is a tedious task, and thus showing an urgent need from the healthcare IT solutions industry for IT systems that can streamline the whole process of healthcare industry. According to certain research studies, almost half of the US healthcare professionals are poised to double their IT investments in the next 12 months. This provides with a tremendous opportunity for healthcare IT companies to bring about IT products and solutions in the market that best suits the industry. 

Tags: Healthcare Management | EMR | Practice Management

EMR - A Paperless Clinic, Improved Patient Care & Increased Revenue

Electronic Medical Records (EMR); its all about automation, taking advantage of information technology, converting a physicians clinic into a paperless facility,  bringing about improvement in patient care, integration of patient history, test results, diagnosis, treatment, eligibility verification, submission of claims, smooth patient management and last but not least “increased revenue”.

The world is changing and why not a physicians clinic? People are taking advantage of information technology in each and every field may be service industry, manufacturing industry, educational field and so on. Till date, healthcare industry had minimum investment on information technology; however, the situation is changing with systems like electronic medical records (EMR) being introduced in the market.

The healthcare industry or a physician’s clinic can not be an exception to the rule. The healthcare industry has understood the importance of the role of information technology. The healthcare industry is getting transformed through IT (information technology).  A no. of clinical tests, medical and surgical procedures have become possible due to the use of IT systems. A physician’s clinic or a hospital has also understood the advantages that they can fetch through the implementation of IT system like electronic medical records (EMR).

The healthcare IT systems like electronic medical records (EMR), practice management system (PMS) and more are changing the way of life of medical professionals as well as patients. For healthcare professionals it is the ease of patient & practice management, improved revenues where as patients are getting better care and safety. The health IT systems are capable of managing the patient information in a better way thus reducing the chances of errors. Physicians are getting more time to spend on diagnosis and treatment ensuring better care and safety.

It wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that healthcare IT systems like electronic medical records (EMR) is a win – win situation for both physicians as well as patients.

Evaluating Existing Practice Management System (PMS)

A practice management system has become a must have for today’s physician’s office. A good system helps to speed up the overall process of practice management. The tasks can be managed with minimum efforts and a large no. of man hours can be saved. The practice management system not only helps in saving time and money but it also helps the healthcare professionals to concentrate on their core line of service, thereby resulting into improved quality of service and overall patient satisfaction.

Not all practice management systems are alike. They differ on various parameters – technical issues, functionality, legal requirements & security issues. Hence, not all systems can deliver desired results. The system also needs to be updated from time – time by the vendor taking into consideration the laws & policies passed by the government. New & improved technology is often introduced in the market; the system needs to be updated with the advanced technology so that the system is in a position to compete in the market.

A practice might have already implemented a particular practice management system; however, it would be advisable to evaluate the existing system on various parameters. If the system does not meet the desired level of competency it should be upgraded or a newer system must be implemented. It is true the migration to a newer system is not an easy task as it involves cost as well as time resources, however, an incompetent system would result into wastage of resources rather than achieving optimum use.

In order to evaluate an existing practice management system it is advisable:

-    to assess areas of operations essential to your office efficiency
-    to use your distinct assessment to evaluate potential practice management systems
-    to manually score and summarize evaluation results
-    to compare the performance of individual practice management systems
-    to use overall results to select a practice management system

One may also make use of a no. of online evaluation tools that provide with the different categories and sub options to choose from. A person has to review each feature (sub-option) by choosing from the available options like essential, useful and not necessary to rank each feature. The final score chart can be used to decide as to level of competency of the practice management system. 

Tags: Healthcare Management | EMR | Practice Management