Electronic Medical Records

Transition smoothly to electronic medical records

Electronic Medical Records

Written by Steve Thompson

As a medical professional, you may be feeling significant pressure to adopt electronic medical records (EMR) to replace your paper files. It’s a growing trend in the health care industry, and one that is likely to remain in place as information technology becomes more accessible to medical practices. There is also something to be said for making the switch early, when many physicians are still using non-electronic means of record keeping.

Overview of electronic medical records

Think of all the things a medical office needs to put on paper every day: prescriptions, patient evaluations, billing, coding, form information, etc. The purpose of electronic records is to streamline this process so that once information is recorded in one department, it doesn’t need to be manually duplicated in another.

It works similar to any other software with a custom interface that allows medical professionals and office personnel to input and retrieve information related to the practice. It can also automate certain processes such as submitting bills to insurance agencies and clearinghouses, or transferring patient records from one office to another.

Important features

When you’re looking for an electronic medical records program, you’ll first need to evaluate several different products so you can understand the differences between them. A product that works for one physician may not be appropriate for another, especially those with different specialties.

Does the program allow you to create custom “SOAP” and “PE” templates? (If you don't know what either of these terms mean, be sure to add them to your list of items to research.) Does it provide targeted coding assistance with regard to your specialty? Is it compatible with other software such as practice management applications that you use in the office already?

An intuitive program is essential for busy medical professionals, so look at how the system is organized. Can you easily find the panels you need, when you need them? Are sections specifically labeled with details on how to use them? Is there a manual or training guide to assist you with the integration process?

EMR benefits

You’ll be amazed by the potential benefits of an electronic medical records program. Not only will you be able to code without worrying about mistakes, but also you’ll save valuable office space that used to be consumed by paper records. You can communicate with other providers, create patient reports, submit billing inquiries, and lots more with the click of a button.

You'll be able to use the electronic medical records system to streamline the collection and generation of imaging data, patient visit reports, electronic prescriptions, faxing, maintenance reminders, and patient scheduling. This often means more efficiency not only for physicians, but also for support staff.

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