Electronic Medical Records Software
If you and your colleagues are getting lost under heaps of paper files it may be time to get some electronic medical records software installed in your practice. This is a great way to make the running of your practice more cost effective and productive.
In fact the government has pushed for more and more practices to implement electronic records. As part of the economic stimulus package in early 2009, this intent and desire from the government was backed by sizable funding being granted towards health information technology.
It is in the best interests for medical practices to embrace technology and have a system that can reduce the flow of paper. Not only will it save money in the long run, but electronic medical records software will also reduce the chances of mistakes happening or important patient files being lost.
Most of the leading industry software is straight forward to use and can provide an interface that looks like many other Windows productivity applications. If you have used similar applications before or even a word processor, you can learn quickly and benefit from electronic medical records software.
Before setting up customized software it is important to map out workflow processes for your practice. This is because your practice won’t benefit fully from the software it is not designed to your specific requirements. The thing with this type of software is that it is not just a straight forward case of installing a system on your PCs.
Vendors know what their systems deliver and what their capabilities are. However, it is important for the practice managers and other members of staff to work with the vendors to create the best software solutions for the practice. This is a good time to streamline processes and establish best practice.
This vendor/practice cooperation should continue throughout the development stage too. At least one member of staff should be made available to test the electronic medical records software before it goes live. This way that staff member is learning how to use the system whilst at the same time offering ideas to improve the package and iron out any issues.
Testing a customized software package is critically important and should be undertaken by a reliable and to some extent, system savvy person. This doesn’t mean they have to be a computer whiz kid or a relative of Bill Gates. However, they should probably have some experience of Windows applications as well as a clear understanding of the practice’s workflow processes.
Once the testing is complete, there should be sign off from the testing member of staff, the vendors and the practice manager. This will confirm that all are agreed that the new system is working completely to the satisfaction of the customer i.e. the medical practice.
Most electronic medical records software packages will be segmented into different modules. These might include electronic charts, prescriptions, transcription, scanning documents and laboratory results amongst other things. Bear this in mind when it comes to staff training on the system as it may be easier to teach them one module at a time.
The benefits of the new electronic medical records software can be realized once training has been completed and the practice manager or doctor feels happy to start using in a live environment. The efficiency savings gained by the software package will make the jobs easier for the staff.
In addition to this, patients benefit from the improved efficiency. Electronic medical records systems also have a large library of charts and diagrams that can help doctors and nurses show patients details of their diagnosis. This reduces the need for complicated explanations making it easier for patients to understand their diagnosis.
Removing the paper flow will create savings in space too, whilst reducing the risk of confidential records going missing. It’s a win win situation for the practice and its patients.