Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are integral to modern healthcare systems, providing patients with a higher level of care than ever before. Moreover, EHRs offer users easy access and data security, which are valuable to medical facilities and patients.

Likewise, how are EHRs impacting healthcare costs and efficiency, considering they have transformed how providers gather, store, and share patient data?

In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of EHRs, specifically their impact on healthcare cost and efficiency.

Why Are Electronic Health Records Important?

EHR systems store, organize, and manage patient health information, including demographics, medical histories, diagnoses, prescriptions, allergies, and laboratory results. In this way, you can make better-informed decisions about a patient’s care, leading to better outcomes.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), EHRs facilitate access to information and streamline clinician work processes. Moreover, an EHR organizes patient data, making it easy to evaluate the patient’s record before and during an appointment. EHR systems benefit you by decreasing the time spent doing paperwork. With this technology, your practice can reduce costs by streamlining routine tasks, reducing errors, and accelerating data entry/access. (Source: SAGE Journal, 2022)

Benefits of EHR Systems

EHR system benefits in healthcare are evident when discussing the importance of electronic health records. As a healthcare provider, the following points below show how EHRs can assist you in providing better healthcare to your patients.

• Facilitate safe and dependable prescribing practices.
• Aid in patient diagnosis, minimize medical errors, and improve safety.
• Offer precise and comprehensive patient health information.
• Allow fast access to patient records for efficient and coordinated care.
• Enhance provider productivity and work-life balance.
• Decrease costs through reduced paperwork, improved safety, fewer duplicated tests, and enhanced health outcomes.
• Ensure the security and privacy of patient data.
• Foster communication and interaction between patients and healthcare providers.

Likewise, you can consider these points to be advantages of electronic health records. Having structured data allows sharing of data across multiple healthcare organizations, which is its main benefit. An EHR data structure will enable you to share patient health information across pharmacies, laboratories, imaging centers, specialists, etc.

Impact of EHRs on Healthcare Costs

The benefits of EHRs include integrating clinical decision support (CDS) at the point of care and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems. With the introduction of decision support systems, EHR systems benefit you by enhancing care quality and reducing healthcare expenditures.

Improves Medication Management 

EHR systems contain safety features that reduce medication errors. With EHR, you can receive alerts regarding allergies which assist you in being aware of the adverse effects of medications when ordering them. This system indeed prevents medical errors and improves patient safety. In addition, EHRs facilitate easier medication management and reduce resource consumption by reducing the number of forms and needless lab orders.

Streamlines Billing and Coding

Billing and coding medical records and insurance information are essential to patient care. Furthermore, a medical biller or coder is responsible for coding patient diagnoses and submitting payment requests to their insurers. But how can they accomplish this quickly and smoothly?

Coders and billers can benefit from EHRs because they reduce the required paperwork. With these systems, your patients and staff will have fewer forms to fill out. It also helps your medical staff focus on providing quality care to other patients. According to a recent study, EHR technology cuts downtime between appointments and pick-ups by speeding up referral and prescription processes.

Saves Physical Storage Space

There is no need for your medical practice to purchase expensive file cabinets, folders, and printer paper and ink. Instead of wasting those funds, you can now improve the quality of care and utilize unused space to buy more medical supplies. Likewise, you can back up all your office’s medical records on a computer hard drive.

The use of EHRs can also reduce transcription costs and reduce malpractice risk by providing better documentation. This system increases formulary compliance and reduces pharmacy callbacks for clarification since prescriptions are easier to read.

Impact of EHRs on Healthcare Efficiency

Your medical staff must no longer sift through paperwork to find patient information. Accessing computerized records with just a few keystrokes is much easier and faster. This time-efficient system benefits both patients and providers.

As a provider, EHRs help you become more efficient by:

• Enhancing collaboration on patient care with other healthcare providers
• Automating billing processes through coding applications
• Maintaining accurate and complete patient records
• Streamlining the retrieval and filing process of charts

A significant benefit of EHRs is that these systems automate and streamline many healthcare processes. For instance, EHR efficiency will allow healthcare providers to schedule appointments, renew prescriptions, and order lab tests more efficiently. The system facilitates access to patient care plans, medical histories, allergy lists, medication records, and notes, thereby reducing errors. 

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

The EHR systems are progressively becoming more prevalent in healthcare organizations since they assist healthcare professionals in providing quality care. EHRs are playing a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare, mainly because of their positive impact on healthcare efficiency and cost. So, EHRs are more than a technological advancement; these systems are a game-changer for the healthcare industry.

Over the years, we have assisted podiatrists with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We can customize EMR/EHR software to meet your office needs. 

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice.

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Healthcare organizations have long embraced electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) for patient records management. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 85.9% of office-based physicians use an EMR/EHR system, with 79.7% using a certified EMR/EHR system. If you’re a provider looking for solutions to secure patient data, an EMR or EHR is a great choice. However, how will you know which of the two systems is better? The difference between EHR and EMR may seem minor, but it is significant.

This article will explain the difference between EMR and EHR, their benefits, and which is best for your practice.

What Is an Electronic Medical Record (EMR)?

Electronic medical record (EMR) data systems enable clinicians and staff within a healthcare organization to create, gather, manage, and consult health-related records on an individual.

It provides healthcare providers with easy access to up-to-date patient information, reducing errors and delays in treatment. The best EMRs offer patient portals that let patients view their health information and communicate with their primary doctors.

What Is an Electronic Health Record (EHR)?

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) offer a complete digital version of a patient’s medical history. EHRs can provide all the benefits of an EMR and more. Moreover, the EHR data may contain medical records, vital signs, notes, diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, allergies, and lab results. 

The purpose of an EHR goes beyond the data it contains and how it can be shared with other providers. Access to health information is available instantly to authorized providers across organizations and practices. According to recent studies, EHR systems help you make evidence-based decisions and streamline your workflows.

EMR vs. EHR: What are their differences?

You may use their terms interchangeably as a provider, but it is easy to know the difference between EHR and EMR when comparing the terms “medical” and “health.” EMRs provide a broader perspective of the patient’s medical background, whereas EHR systems offer a more thorough assessment of the patient’s overall health.

It’s important to understand that EMR helps a single practice to manage digital patient charts. The EHR, on the other hand, allows physicians to share records easily, regardless of their location, with other healthcare providers.

Furthermore, EMR enables you to record patient medical treatment details, including test findings and medication orders. With this software, you can generate recurring prescriptions, schedule patient appointments, and manage billing. Besides e-prescribing, EHR software provides communication tools for better collaboration on patient medical care among healthcare professionals.

What Are the Benefits of an EHR and EMR?

Using an EHR/EMR can lead to a better medical experience for every patient in your practice. Since these systems provide crucial data, they can facilitate care coordination across the healthcare system. 

EMRs and EHRs offer a variety of benefits to all medical practices.

Enhances Patient Engagement

In most EHRs, patients have access to their medical records. Meanwhile, paper records can still be difficult to access with EMRs. Patients can benefit from this access if they need some time at home to consider their medical treatment options.

Keeps a Clear Patient Record History

EMR/EHR systems can organize all data chronologically with just a few clicks. With this function, your staff and practitioners can assess a patient’s condition and provide appropriate treatment faster.

Practice Management Software Inclusion

Many EHRs include practice management software capabilities. Implementing a PMS system can simplify many front-office tasks, including scheduling and registering patients. You can also gain direct access to clinical information, improving patient safety. 

Accurate Speech-To-Text Feature

Both EHR and EMR systems enable speech-to-text features when taking notes during patient visits. It offers numerous benefits, such as more accurate records and efficient billing.

Reliable Digital Records

Medical practices and hospitals are high-volume, emergency-intensive environments with inefficient paper records. EMRs and EHRs provide digital records that solve this problem. Using these systems will reduce paperwork and the likelihood of misplaced medical records.

Secure Data Storage

HIPAA compliance is a top priority for all leading EHR systems. Data security practices for EHR systems comply with federal government requirements. So, you don’t have to worry about breaching a patient’s privacy when you provide comprehensive care.

EMR vs. EHR: Which Is the Best?

Deciding between an EMR and EHR is an important decision that can significantly impact your medical practice’s operations and patient care quality. Despite their similarities, each system has critical differences that make it more suitable for your organization.

EMRs are ideal for smaller practices prioritizing record-keeping and requiring a basic patient information system. Meanwhile, EHRs are best for large healthcare systems that need to integrate patient data across multiple providers, locations, and services.

To help you make an informed decision, here are some frequently asked questions to know if EMR/EHR is the best for your practice:

Can EMR/EHR systems integrate with other software or systems?

EMR/EHR systems can integrate with other software or systems, such as practice management, billing, and third-party applications, using Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Integrating data allows for seamless sharing and reduces duplicate data entry. Thus, it can lead to greater efficiency and accuracy for your practice.

What are the costs associated with implementing EMR/EHR systems?

Implementing EMR/EHR systems varies in cost depending on your organization’s size, software vendor, hardware requirements, and customization requirements. There may be licensing fees, hardware purchases and installations, training, and ongoing support fees.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, EMR and EHR systems offer numerous benefits and can be incredibly useful in managing patient data. However, choosing the two depends on your healthcare organization’s needs. While EMRs primarily focus on clinical data, EHRs offer a more comprehensive view of a patient’s health. 

Evaluating each system’s features and capabilities is crucial to determine which best meets your organization’s goals and requirements. 

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Are you a healthcare provider trying to decide between EMR and EHR systems? There’s no need to worry because we will provide the best!

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We provide customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Documentation is an efficient way of recording and enables healthcare providers in sharing patient information electronically. It provides a comprehensive overview of a patient’s health, including data such as family history, lab results, medications, and clinical notes. Furthermore, it allows healthcare providers to monitor patient health changes over time and make evidence-based medical decisions.

However, physician documentation challenges are inevitable, especially if the EHR system is at fault. As a result, these issues may lead to EHR and physician burnout, which can be very frustrating. 

Let’s take a look at the EHR documentation challenges and their impact on physician workload.

6 EHR Documentation Challenges and Their Impact on Physician Workload

Most physicians are only aware of the challenges of EHR implementation because it is a complex technological process. However, what about the documentation along with it? 

1. Spending too Much Time on Clinical Documentation

In the US, doctors are overwhelmed with the amount of time they should spend on using EHRs. On average, they spend 16 minutes and 14 seconds using EHRs, primarily for chart review (33%), documentation (24%), and ordering (17%). Well, it’s understandable that physicians may need to spend more time on clinical documentation due to various factors, like lack of training, complex EHRs, higher documentation requirements, and disruptions. Nevertheless, if the electronic medical record documentation has a poor user interface and system design, it may not be efficient and prone to errors.

Unsurprisingly, spending too much time on clinical documentation is a significant problem for doctors in the healthcare system. Not only does it limit the number of patients you can see, but it can also cause other issues. For instance, if you’re stuck in paperwork, you won’t be able to give the patient the attention they need and may miss important details that could lead to errors in diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, this extra documentation time can lead to EHR and physician burnout and fatigue, making you less effective in your job. Healthcare systems must find ways to reduce the amount of time doctors spend on clinical documentation to make sure patient care is up to par.

2. Meaningful Use – Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) And Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Documentation Requirements That Dramatically Slow Physicians’ Productivity.

As a physician, you always know that MIPS and MACRA documentation requirements require so much time for paperwork and reporting. Moreover, these documents can be challenging to understand and comply with. There are two reasons why:

1. The language used in the MIPS and MACRA documentation requirements is highly technical and hard to comprehend. As a result, you may need help following the proper regulations.

2. MIPS and MACRA documentation requirements are constantly changing — making it challenging to keep up with the latest changes.

Beyond that, if EHR systems aren’t up to the task, doctors could spend more time on clinical documentation and reporting, leading to extra work and exhaustion. Likewise, the requirements may call for physicians to document the same information multiple times, which could create a duplicate effort and needlessly use up resources. This situation leads to EHR and physician burnout.

3. Documenting Clinical Visits for Longer Hours

Physician burnout may result from documenting clinical visit notes for longer hours, which involves your personal time. You may have to extend your working hours for the following reasons:

• Ensure that the documentation is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. 
• Document patient visits for billing purposes, as well as for legal reasons. 
• Provide additional quality patient care, such as discussing treatment options or providing education about illnesses or other health-related topics. 

While all these reasons contribute to quality patient care, using your personal time for EHR documentation is not recommended. If you allow it, it can lead to physician burnout. It takes away valuable time you could spend on self-care, family time, or other activities that reduce stress and improve well-being. The situation may negatively impact your workload and decrease your satisfaction at work.

4. Inefficient EHR Software That Leads to a Lot of Additional Documentation Time.

An inefficient EHR software can cause you to spend more time on clinical documentation because it requires extra steps to find patient information, enter data, and navigate the system. Also, if the electronic medical record documentation system isn’t user-friendly, it can contribute to EHR burnout and frustration. EHR systems can also lead to inefficiencies and errors, especially if they’re outdated or have slow systems. Consequently, EHR software with inefficient performance can delay documentation because of lag times. In this case, you’ll probably need to outsource some of your clinical tasks.

5. The Decline in Patient Focus Due to Documentation Requirements

With the demands of electronic health record (EHR) documentation continuing to grow, staff may spend less time on direct patient care. This situation can be stressful and overwhelming. Moreover, they may be less inclined to engage in meaningful conversations with patients and their families, resulting in lower patient satisfaction. Suppose the EHR system is not designed correctly or implemented; it can add more to the EHR documentation burden and staff frustration, potentially leading to a decrease in the amount of time staff spend on patient care.

Meanwhile, the risk of copying patient notes forward – also known as ‘cut and paste‘ – can significantly affect the accuracy and integrity of electronic health records (EHR). This practice can lead to mistakes and inconsistencies in a patient’s medical history and keeping irrelevant information. It can also make it harder to spot changes in a patient’s condition, which can mean they don’t get the proper diagnosis or treatment and can put them in danger. And it can also increase the risk of fraud and malpractice, as it can be hard to tell who entered which information and when. To prevent this risk, healthcare organizations should have policies and procedures that help detect copied notes in EHR systems.

6. Lack of Training in Electronic Health Record Software

In the absence of proper EHR training, you may experience a few unfortunate outcomes:

1. Staff not trained to correctly use and document patient information can make medical errors and mistakes.
2. It can delay care when staff cannot use the system efficiently, negatively affecting patient satisfaction.
3. It can reduce the efficiency of the healthcare system when staff takes longer to complete tasks because they need to familiarize themselves with the system design, resulting in longer wait times for patients and decreased healthcare efficiency.

Therefore, audits are necessary. Doctors and senior nurses review the medical record in clinical documentation audits to identify clinically implied diagnoses. Its goal is also to identify and correct any errors or inconsistencies in the patient’s EHR and to ensure that the information is helpful for patient care, billing, and quality improvement.

Overall, clinical documentation audits serve to determine compliance with HIPAA and CMS regulations, which can prevent penalties and legal repercussions.

How to Improve EHR Documentation In Healthcare

Since healthcare technology, codes, and communication between providers and coders continue to change, it is essential to improve healthcare documentation continuously. Staying current requires constant communication among all healthcare personnel. Likewise, here are five ways to improve EHR documentation in healthcare:

• Provide training and support to staff on how to effectively use the EHR system. This process can include training on how to navigate the system, as well as on best practices for documenting patient information. Additionally, practices can provide regular updates and refresher training to ensure staff uses the system correctly and efficiently.
• Implement a streamlined documentation process. You can capture all relevant information by using templates and providing checklists and reminders. 
• Establish a quality control system to ensure the Documentation is accurate and complete. You should include regular audits of patient records to identify errors or omissions and give feedback to staff to help them improve their documentation skills.
• Utilize voice recognition software for your EHR system. It can help streamline the process of documenting patient information and facilitates fast and accurate transcription of patient information into electronic medical records.
• Offer your staff regular breaks and time off since it’s a great way to prevent burnout and keep them energized and fresh.

In conclusion, accurate and timely reimbursement is the main priority for any healthcare institution or clinic, which is why healthcare documentation improvement is so significant. Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) professionals should dedicate to documenting patient records accurately and completely. Therefore, healthcare providers like you can receive on-time payments.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

To ensure quality EHR documentation, selecting an EHR that offers customizable applications with template capabilities is essential. The right software can help reduce the frequency of errors and EHR burnout associated with poor documentation practices.

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Data visualization is a powerful asset in today’s tech-savvy generation run by data! Companies like Amazon and Apple use it to make quick decisions and increase efficiency. Hospitals are also taking advantage of data visualization to present health-related findings and work towards improving costs, effectiveness, and patient satisfaction. Visualizing data helps us make sense of large amounts of information in an easy-to-understand way.

On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted data analytics and visualization tools – it’s pushed us to understand the importance of health tech adaptation, which in turn gives us more digital data to work with. Medical practices are now turning to healthcare data visualization tools to get the most out of the information to make sense of that data.

EHR Visualization Tools That Will Help Your Practice

EHR Visualization Tools are designed to help medical practices leverage the power of their Electronic Health Record data. These tools provide a visual representation of patient records, allowing for easier analysis and reporting of important information. Now get to know these EHR visualization tools that will help your practice!

1. Infographics – Injury and Symptom Imaging

As a healthcare data visualization tool, infographics help provide a clear picture of injuries and symptoms by showing the data in a visual format. Also, these tools can quickly and easily communicate complex information in an easy-to-understand way, such as bars, pie charts, and line graphs.

For example, an infographic can show the number of patients who have reported specific symptoms or injuries over time or the percentage of people with a particular condition in a specific geographic area. With this EHR visualization tool, healthcare professionals can quickly identify trends and patterns in patient data and make informed treatment and intervention decisions.

2. Interactive Software Dashboards

Interactive software dashboards are becoming increasingly popular in visualizing electronic health records (EHRs) to help medical practices. These EHR data visualization tools can help healthcare organizations to gain insight into essential metrics and KPIs quickly. It provides a high-level overview of key values and performance indicators, which can be further explored with analytics tools. Moreover, it can be tailored to show only the most relevant patient data, making it an invaluable asset. As a result, these interactive dashboards reduce human error risk and save time. 

3. Data Collection Forms 

Data collection forms play a crucial role in healthcare data visualization. These forms provide a structured way for providers to collect patients’ data and analyze it to gain meaningful insights. Plus, the information can be turned into visual representations like graphs and charts, making it easier for them to understand complex health information. 

These innovative data visualization tools can help patients better understand their health status and enable providers to make informed decisions about their care. Additionally, by regularly collecting data, providers can track the progress of their patient’s treatment plans over time and make adjustments. Overall, it is possible to integrate these tools into existing software together with data analysis functionality.

The Benefits of Data Visualization in Healthcare

Healthcare data visualization tools make it easier for doctors, patients, and government officials to understand complex data. Below, we’ll define the benefits of data visualization in healthcare.

1. Improved Decision-Making: Data visualization helps healthcare providers quickly identify trends and patterns in patient data, enabling them to make informed decisions about patient care.
2. Increased Efficiency: By presenting complex data in a visually understandable format, data visualization tools can help healthcare providers to understand and interpret data quickly, reducing the time and resources required to make decisions.
3. Better Patient Outcomes: By allowing healthcare providers to track patient health over time, data visualization tools can help identify any changes in a patient’s condition and adjust their treatment plan accordingly, resulting in better patient outcomes.
4. Improved Communication: Data visualization tools can be used to communicate complex data in an easy-to-understand format, facilitating better collaboration between healthcare providers and improving patient engagement.
5. Increased Awareness: By visualizing data in a meaningful way, data visualization tools can help to raise awareness of public health issues and improve the public’s understanding of healthcare data.
6. Better Resource Management: Healthcare providers can make informed resource allocation decisions with data visualization.
7. Improved Outcome Tracking: Data visualization tools can be used to track and monitor clinical outcome metrics, such as readmission rates, patient satisfaction scores, and treatment success rates. 
8. Better Population Health Management: By visualizing data on the spread of diseases and viruses, data visualization tools can help public health officials quickly identify outbreaks and take action to prevent the further spread of the disease, improving population health management.

Examples of Data Visualization in Healthcare

Data visualization in healthcare is seen as a cutting-edge technology by many healthcare organizations. Examples of data visualization in healthcare include:

Patient Health Tracking

A line chart that tracks a patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, over a specific time. This type of healthcare data visualization helps healthcare providers quickly identify any changes in the patient’s health and adjust their treatment plan accordingly.

Clinical Outcome Metrics

A bar graph displays various clinical outcome metrics, such as readmission rates, patient satisfaction scores, and treatment success rates. This visualization allows hospitals to compare their performance against industry benchmarks and make data-driven decisions to improve patient care.

Epidemic Spread

A map that shows the spread of a disease or virus, such as the flu, over a specified region. The map may also show the number of confirmed cases and deaths and other relevant data such as population density, age groups, and healthcare resources.

How Is Data Visualization Transforming the Healthcare System?

Data visualization is a fundamental aspect of many medical practices, providing a comprehensive view of patient records and other relevant data. By leveraging this technology, healthcare professionals can quickly identify trends, relationships, and insights that are critical for their work. In addition, hospitals worldwide have come to rely on data visualization for various tasks, from patient profiling and recordkeeping to satisfaction surveys and complaint registers.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Indeed, EHR Visualization Tools provide healthcare organizations with an easy and effective way to analyze and view patient data. Utilizing these tools will help healthcare organizations maximize efficiency and provide better patient care!

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We provide customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

In every medical practice, an efficient management system is essential. The system ensures that everyone accomplishes their tasks on time —from the doctor’s support to patients receiving quality care, keeping the schedules on track, avoiding lost assignments and information, and collecting payments correctly. In mental health practices, specifically, this is always a struggle.

In that case, you need a software solution that offers all the features of an electronic health record (EHR) while also containing specialty-specific clinical data. Mental health EHR software helps you track and organize patient information specific to the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

For your practice to succeed, you must select or purchase the best behavioral health EHR with the appropriate tools for your practice to succeed.

How to choose the top EHR for mental health?

Make sure your electronic health record (EHR) suits your needs before you choose it. Your organization’s mental health EHR software should be suitable for your operation, so you must select the right software.

For your organization to take advantage of advanced technology, you must consider many features when choosing a mental health EHR or EMR. These features will enable you to transform your EHR from clunky and inefficient into a smoothly functioning system that exceeds your expectations.

Everyone’s needs vary in the mental health field, but the best mental health EHR has a few universal features. Below are some crucial tools that most successful EHRs share:

• Specific EHR Templates
• Practice Management Software
• Integrated Medical Billing
• Appointment Scheduling Software
• Easy-To-Use, Intuitive and Attractive Interface

5 Must-Have Tools for Mental Health EHR Software

You should ensure that your mental health EHR software has these five top features before you purchase and implement it. With these tools, you can handle your practice’s issues and reduce staff stress while maintaining service quality.

1. Specific EHR Templates

The best mental health EMR allows you to build order sets and specific templates based on your needs. Moreover, one of the primary benefits of templates is efficiency. Providers can recoup hours of lost time by using optimized and specific EHR templates to streamline their document workflows. As well as saving time, templates can help standardize data capture and ensure complete care.

2. Mental Health Practice Management Software

A practice management software solution streamlines many of your practice’s essential day-to-day tasks by combining several computerized applications. Practices of all sizes, including specialty practices, can use it. There are also PM systems that provide coding tools for mental health practices containing information like:

• The diagnostic codes for ICD-10-CM are outlined in the current revision of the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification for use in the U.S. (ICD-10-CM).
• CPT-4® and HCPCS codes of Current Procedural Terminology, fourth edition.

With mental health coding tools in your PM software, identifying the right codes in compliance with federal mandates and deadlines will be easier and more efficient. 

Furthermore, most PM software focuses on financial and office operations. This system typically integrates with the practice’s electronic health record system (EHR), enabling patient profiles in the PM system to exchange information. Ultimately, it improves patient care by enhancing practice efficiency.

3. Integrated Medical Billing

According to a recent study, healthcare billing and coding play a crucial role in a healthcare organization’s financial stability. In the same way, medical billing is integral to getting a healthcare provider paid for their services. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the EMR mandate require medical practices to submit medical billing claims electronically. 

That’s why you need a medical billing software in your EHR that eliminates the hassles of paper-based systems and the hassle of managing claims and payments. These software packages may be expensive, but they can also be a wise investment for your mental health practice.

With mental health EHR software that includes an integrated mental health billing software, you can avoid sending out bills with incorrect or missing authorization information and analyze your finances more effectively. 

4. Appointment Scheduling Software

Providers in mental health practices often have hectic schedules because patients often reschedule, cancel, and make appointments at the last minute.

An EHR appointment scheduling software facilitates scheduling for mental health providers, integrating directly with the EHR system for fast access to patient information. It is essential for your mental health practice, as it helps you maintain a full schedule, maximizing your profit.

On the other hand, the software must be user-friendly so that staff can spend less time learning how it works. It also makes it convenient and quick to verify appointment information at any time, thereby preventing scheduling conflicts and reducing unbillable visits.

With this scheduling software in your EHR, staff can copy and paste the appointment for rescheduling.

• Create data entry prompts easily
• Reduce errors and speed up data entry by creating alerts and patient-specific information
• Hand-held device export of schedules

5. Easy-To-Use, Intuitive and Attractive Interface

User-unfriendly EHRs do not appeal to your staff. As a result, they will need help to use the software effectively. That’s why you need a mental health EMR that is easy to use, intuitive, and solution-oriented.

Your mental health EHR software should simplify documenting an entire clinical encounter without reloading a page. As a result, staff members can spend more time with their patients and can save effort and time. A great EMR should allow users to move through the system efficiently and with as little frustration as possible.

Choose the Top EHR Software 

It’s best not to rush into any major decision. Do your research, educate yourself, and analyze the situation with an open mind. Ask to see demonstrations of your EHR and ensure it meets your practice’s needs for these must-have tools before purchasing it. It is a long-term investment, so you must keep the quality of the experience intact.

Over the years, we have been one of the qualified EMR software providers who assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. Fully Integrated Solutions are available for Podiatry Software Services, Sleep Medicine EHR, and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) EMR. We got the best EHR for pain management if you want it.

Furthermore, we specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs. Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Urgent care clinics are a necessity in today’s healthcare landscape. As the primary care doctor shortage continues to grow, more and more people are turning to urgent care clinics for basic medical needs.

Without an efficient EHR system that offers customizable features tailored specifically for a clinic’s unique patient population and workflow, these facilities are at risk of falling behind their peers who have already implemented such systems.

This blog will detail why EHR systems are important in urgent care.

Importance of a Tailored EHR in Urgent Care Portal

In our healthcare system, urgent care allows patients to get treated when they might otherwise be unable to. Urgent care centers offer treatment for minor injuries, illnesses, and other non-life-threatening situations like sprains, broken bones, etc. 

With growing demand, these clinics need a system that can quickly provide patients with diagnosis and treatment options and document their visit history so they can easily access it later if needed. A tailored urgent care EHR best addresses all these needs. 

Authorized users may also access patient records digitally and update patient records in real-time with EHRs. The records contain information regarding:

• patient’s medical history
• allergy information
• imaging results
• laboratory results
• list of medications
• treatment plans
• progress notes 

Furthermore, they provide physicians and healthcare providers with tools to assist them in making informed decisions regarding a patient’s health care.

ACA (Affordable Care Act) has greatly impacted the healthcare landscape. As one of its outcomes, EHR software has become a vital component of healthcare delivery. Since 2016, 95% of hospitals eligible for certified health information systems are using them effectively.

Key Benefits of Having Urgent Care Practice Management Software for Health Records

A tailored EHR will give you convenience while also giving you peace of mind knowing that your clinic’s data will be safe and secure. Here are other reasons why EHR is important in urgent care centers: 

Streamlined Workflow & Increased Efficiency

One importance of EHR technology is that it can help urgent care centers improve their workflow and increase efficiency. With this streamlined workflow, you can spend more time on patient care and less on administrative tasks. 

With an EHR system, you can:

• access your patient’s history easily
• automate tasks, such as scheduling appointments, billing, generating reports, and filling out forms 
• reduce errors, and streamlines communication between doctors and staff members.

Customizable

Because urgent care centers handle many medical issues, they don’t share the same needs as other practices. You can customize an EHR to suit your practice’s specific needs, preferences, and unique workflow. Many types of EHR software features are available for customization, from scheduling, billing, and appointment reminders, to patient engagement and point-of-care documentation.

Better Patient Care

EHR helps you deliver better patient care by improving documentation quality and making reviewing previous notes and orders easier. You can also share information with other medical professionals, allowing them to access all records in real-time. This feature ensures that each team member has the same information to collaborate effectively.

Growth in Revenue

With an EHR system in place, you can eliminate costly mistakes by ensuring that all records are up-to-date and accessible from one secure location. Moreover, EHRs are a great way to increase revenue by increasing billing efficiency with the built in urgent care billing software.

Accuracy 

Adopting EHR software eliminates miscommunication between staff members who may have different information about a patient’s condition or treatment plan. It also eliminates errors that can occur when doctors write prescriptions by hand.

Security

EHR systems protect sensitive patient data by encrypting it and storing it in a secure database. This feature protects patients’ privacy and prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information. As long as the system is properly maintained and updated with the latest HIPAA standards, a tailored EHR can help prevent unauthorized access or theft of private information.

How Does an EHR Improve the Quality of Care?

A national survey of doctors indicates that 94% report that their electronic medical records are easily accessible at the point of care. In addition, 75% report that their EHR system facilitates better patient care.

With the ability to access patient information anywhere, at any time, urgent care providers can streamline their workflow and eliminate paper-based processes. This situation means that doctors can see patients more quickly, which is vital in urgent care settings where time is of the essence. 

Moreover, EHR systems are also helpful for storing patient information that an urgent team can easily retrieve during an emergency. In the event of a medical emergency or disaster, EHR systems allow medical personnel to access critical patient information.

Here are other ways EHR tools improve the quality of care: 

Enhance patient safety

EHRs can improve patient safety. Patients receive a higher level of medical care when healthcare providers access accurate, complete information. Inpatient errors often result from human error or poor communication between providers and patients. These errors are more likely in urgent care because patients come to urgent care with complex medical histories that require careful coordination among providers across multiple specialties and locations. EHRs enable providers to share information more efficiently to avoid these errors. 

Higher Patient Satisfaction

Electronic health records can help you provide a better patient experience by improving communication between your staff and patients. In addition to streamlining your workflow, EHR implementation also helps increase patient satisfaction by providing them with added comfort and convenience during their visit. Patients often feel more comfortable when they don’t have to worry about remembering everything about their illness or injury because their medical histories are available online through their EHR system. 

They also appreciate being able to view lab results and get prescriptions and other medical information from home instead of waiting until they return for another appointment at the office or hospital again. According to Health.IT.gov, around 92% were happy their doctor used e-prescribing.

The EHR also makes it easier for patients to schedule appointments, making it less likely that they’ll show up late or miss an appointment altogether. 

Better Preventative Care

Doctors can provide better preventive care by keeping track of what’s happening with each patient’s health over time. With an EHR system, it’s easy to see when a patient is trending toward certain conditions like diabetes or heart disease so that preventative measures can be taken. 

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software

Tailored urgent care EMR & EHR are critical tools for providing quality care. It allows clinicians to document in real-time and track patient progress over time and will enable clinicians to exchange information remotely.  Urgent care centers have many of the same needs as hospitals and private practices when it comes to EHRs — namely, they need software that will allow them to keep track of patients’ medical histories, prescriptions, and billing information.

When finding the right urgent care software, it’s essential to check on customizable features that meet your needs! 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

The popularity of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is growing globally. Public health organizations and governments are enhancing technology and innovation to deliver better health services.

In addition, EHR systems are critical to improving patient satisfaction in healthcare. Depending on the system and its implementation, patient satisfaction with the EHR can affect patient retention rates positively or negatively. A good user experience allows doctors to focus on patients instead of paperwork.

This article discusses the impact of EHRs on the quality of care and how they affect patient satisfaction and retention.

What is the impact of EHR on the quality of care?

According to a university study, using EHRs improves the quality of patient care. Having patients access their own EHRs will become a mainstream feature of healthcare systems in the near future.

Additionally, EHRs improve healthcare delivery on many levels, such as:

• Facilitate diagnosis and claim submission by improving the accuracy of documentation
• Management of medication in one location and alerts for drug interactions
• Automated alerts that notify potential risks to begin treatments immediately
• Easier and more effective integration of evidence-based clinical guidelines
• Make point-of-care decisions easier by providing more outstanding support
• Easily track and implement preventive care

As a result, EHRs provide more secure storage and analysis of medical records, allowing you to create reports more quickly, explore trends more in-depth, and control inventory more efficiently.

Meanwhile, the federal government has invested over $30 billion in adopting and implementing EHRs for healthcare practices to improve patient care. Thus, it is essential not to underestimate the importance of EHR at this point.

The 5 Tools on How EHRs Affect Patient Satisfaction and Retention

1. Patient Healthcare App 

For patients to receive the best possible care, they must be the priority. However, a limited view of their health plan may discourage them from participating in their healthcare journey.

You must integrate a smartphone and tablet-compatible patient healthcare application if this is the case. The app should enable the storing of patient medical records, data management, treatments, and lab results. Patients can easily view and monitor their health records online without visiting the hospital.

By using the app, healthcare providers can deliver care outside traditional settings. Besides improving patient health and retention, it makes you more productive.

2. Patient Self-Booking Feature 

One of the most common tasks in medical practices is scheduling patients, and it can also affect your success in the long run. However, most patients miss their doctor’s appointments due to busy schedules. Why does this issue occur? Patients can’t attend to their health needs mainly due to work obligations.

According to a survey, almost half of U.S. workers feel stress daily at work, and 60% have felt it more often over the past five years. 

Another concern is that most patients lack transportation, so they rarely go to the doctor—particularly those who live in distant cities and with poor public transit. While elderly patients can ride the subway or bus system, they may have difficulty walking once dropped off.

Therefore, your EHR should have a patient self-scheduling feature to avoid these situations. Optimizing appointment reminder solutions, which detail how long the appointment will last, can help medical facilities better cater to patients’ busy schedules. In addition, people who live long distances can set their schedules anytime and anywhere via the internet.

Generally, online scheduling can increase patient satisfaction and offer greater convenience to practices and providers.

3. Efficient Check-In Process 

Providing a great patient experience begins with the check-in process. If you still use paper for your patients, this may take too much time, resulting in delayed appointments and crowded waiting rooms. Indeed, current patient check-in processes in medical practices are prone to error & inefficiency. 

That’s why you need an EHR with an automated patient check-in system. It is a system that can benefit staff and patients. For example, front office staff handle patient registration, respond to inquiries, and manage queues. So, it is possible to automate many of these processes, such as routine and after-hours inquiries. 

Meanwhile, it’s also essential to maintain a smooth patient flow. Due to the stacking of appointments, any delay in one can affect all the rest. Automating your check-in process can drastically increase your healthcare practice’s patient satisfaction and retention rate.

4. Patient Portal

Adopting an EHR with an integrated patient portal is the right choice for hospitals and healthcare practices. With a patient portal, patients can pay their bills online via smartphones. It also eliminates the need to mail paper statements or make phone calls to patients, allowing you to collect payments faster.

Patient portals that allow patients to pay bills online benefit practices financially and improve patient satisfaction and retention rates.

5. Exchange of Information

The patient portal allows patients to share their EHR patient health information (CCDA File) with specialists or other providers. CCDA stands for Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture. It is a complete architecture that provides a full set of templates and methodologies for creating documents. With its HL7 format, health IT systems and EHRs can process documents while allowing people to access them on mobile devices.

Hospitals, clinics, and regulatory agencies use CCDA. It ensures that any EHR system can read patient records. Thus, providing patients access to their records reduces the time and resources other providers and patients spend searching for documents.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

EHRs provide physicians with opportunities to improve their patient care. These five tools for your EHR can check for issues or allergies when prescribing new medications, uncover potential safety problems, and even identify operational issues through alerts and reminders. Get your EHR today!

Over the years, we are one of the qualified EMR software providers who assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. Fully Integrated Solutions are available for Podiatry Software Services, Sleep Medicine EHR, and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) EMR. If you want to get the best EHR for pain management, we got it for you.

Furthermore, we specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs. Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Over the last decade, the medical industry has undergone numerous changes. Likewise, physicians know that keeping up with the advancements of the electronic era in health care requires sophisticated technology. Among the systems that have steadily improved over time is the Electronic Health Record (EHR). 

An EHR is necessary to effectively run and keep accurate health records to offer comprehensive and timely care when it comes to pain management practices. This improved care involves using and exchanging health data among or within healthcare institutions mandated by the federal government. However, there will always be common EHR systems with challenges, such as the implementation process.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the most common pain medicine EHR struggles of pain management practices that providers encounter as well as solutions to those problems.

5 Most Common EHR Struggles of Pain Management Practices

1. The Cost of Implementation

When purchasing a pain management EHR it is important to do your research and find an EHR provider that will help you along your EHR implementation journey and find the best practice management software for your pain clinic. The last thing you want to do is spend money on an EHR and the additional cost of time trying to figure out how to use it.

A recent study estimated that providers spend a significant amount of money not only on purchasing electronic health records (EHRs) but on additional services and implementation. It is not surprising that electronic health records are expensive, though it is critical to have a team that offers support during this translation and makes the cost justifiable.

On the other hand, the optimization, selection, and implementation of EHRs will consume the most capital budget expenditure.

Practice management software installation for EHRs consists of five steps:

• Hardware setup
• Software purchase
• Implementation support
• Staff training
• Ongoing network fees.
  

However, unexpected costs may occur during implementation In particular, for smaller practices and organizations, financing is one of the significant barriers to installing an EHR.

2. Privacy and Security of Patient Information

Pain management practices are not the only ones concerned about keeping patient data secure in their EHRs. In a 2018 report by HIPAA Journal, data breaches affecting 500 or more healthcare records occurred on average once per day.

Data breaches in healthcare are notorious for inflicting hefty penalties on organizations and individuals who commit them. A security breach might also result in legal action against the company and millions of dollars in compensation. 

Therefore, healthcare providers must educate themselves on how to mitigate cybersecurity risks and protect patient information before integrating an EHR system.

3. Miscommunication

There are now over 99% of practices using certified EHRs for important clinical decisions. In pain management practices, this new technology must support effective communication.

On the other hand, one of the most common EHR practice management software problems is internal miscommunication. For example, clinical communication failures result from clinicians not communicating important information about a patient’s symptoms or condition or failing to document it properly.

Thus, the inability to assess the severity of a patient’s condition can result in incorrect treatment decisions and delays in treatment.

4. Data Interoperability

Efficiently providing care relies on sharing clinical data within the organization and with other providers. However, healthcare providers still struggle to share data despite government incentives and regulations. EHRs are particularly prone to this.

A recent study revealed that close to 32% of patients who visited their doctors in the 12 months prior to the research reported a visible gap in information exchange.

Thus, interoperability issues cause healthcare providers problems with practice management and can negatively impact patient satisfaction.

5. Training

Training employees thoroughly on the new process before deploying the pain management EHR system is essential. Medical staff must devote significant time and effort to learning the new format. Neither staff nor management enjoys this time-consuming and inconvenient process. 

The most common concern among low- and medium-sized businesses during the training stage is losing business. 

Essential EHR Solutions for Pain Management Practices

• Managing Inpatient Discomfort With Pain Assessments.

The use of assessments can help healthcare providers better understand a patient’s pain tolerance. When we document the patient’s pain scale in the pain medicine EHR and learn about effective measures they’ve used to manage pain, it’s easier to teach them when narcotics should be prescribed instead of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The pain management EHR also allows providers to automatically schedule reassessments after administering pain medication to monitor its effectiveness.

• Provide Education to Patients Across All Settings of Care.

Several physician practices are hiring case managers to educate patients about safe pain management options and the dangers of overusing and misusing opioids. Narcotic withdrawal counseling should be provided to all surgical and inpatient patients. In addition, it has been shown that integrating this information in discharge instructions improves outcomes compared with generic, canned answers such as “Take prescribed medication to keep your pain level under control.”

• Determine the Most Effective Methods of Pain Management.

Clinical decision support strategies using pharmacogenomics enable clinicians to provide pain relief tailored to each patient’s unique needs, resulting in a quicker recovery and reduced reliance on narcotics. For instance, DNA mapping can help determine which pain medications are most appropriate for a patient post-surgery. It can also alert providers if a pain medication selected for a patient is deemed ineffective based on their DNA profile.

Get the best EHR for your Pain Management Practice.

Once you implement and use a new electronic health records system, your pain management practice will become more streamlined and efficient. Prepare for possible pitfalls when your employees use your new pain management EHR.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with physical medicine EMR/EHR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR practice management software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

For pain doctors, efficiency and practicality are crucial to patient care. Whether it is pain medicine, anesthesiology, or neurology, pain specialists recognize the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to evaluating and treating patients.

For this reason, pain management practices need to adopt Electronic Health Records (EHRs) equipped with the most effective tools found in pain medicine EHRs. 

In this article, we explore why pain doctors need better pain management EHR tools and the importance of their role.

3 Common Problems of Pain Doctors Inside Their Clinics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 20.4% of U.S. adults suffer chronic pain, while 8.0% suffer from high-impact chronic pain. 

Physicians may find this study helpful in focusing on pain management interventions.

However, some issues can hinder pain doctors’ efforts to manage their patients’ pain.

• Lack of Education.

The education of health care professionals in pain management is still low on the list of priorities despite decades of research identifying unmet global needs. As a result, many providers still lack adequate understanding of the pathophysiology (pain treatment) and the physiologic effects of opioids and nonopioid treatments. The hesitation of staff to trust patients’ perceptions about pain lead patients to seek help elsewhere.

• The Restriction of Opioids.

Some patients with chronic pain may not be able to receive effective pain management due to opioid restrictions and protocols. Pain doctors may also be unable to seek treatment for pain altogether due to mandatory opioid restrictions and protocols for opioid prescribing as well. According to respondents, healthcare providers can become drug gatekeepers if they misuse narcotic medications, which makes them untrustworthy partners in delivering pain management.

Many states across the US  have addressed the issue by legislating pain management and safe opioid prescribing training for providers. EHR access allows physicians to quickly access previous health history and medication use to formulate a new strategy or see a pattern. 

• Physician Burnout

Often, primary care providers who treat chronically ill patients suffer from burnout. It is mainly due to their feelings of incapacity to assist patients suffering from pain.

A pain doctor in a small or solo practice or an independent unit may be more prone to burnout. A financial issue can also accelerate burnout and complicate it in the process. Therefore, it is best to use a holistic approach, consisting of time management and relaxation exercises.

Why is an EHR Important in Pain Management?

Pain management requires a high level of expertise. Many companies now offer EHR solutions. However, most don’t offer specialized types of pain management services.

The purpose of pain management EHRs is to optimize physician performance, reduce risks, and facilitate better decision-making. Patients can also manage their check-in process and communicate with their physicians about their health. For pain doctors, the pain management EHR can streamline clinical workflows and provide accurate records that ensure their patients receive proper and timely treatment.

Why Do Pain Doctors Need Better EHR Tools?

Pain doctors know that not all EHRs are the same, and while generic EHRs lack the documentation tools, it’s difficult for them to diagnose and treat their patients. This is why they must look for a pain medicine EHR that provides the right tools to simplify the management of their patients.

An EHR designed explicitly for the pain management field, such as IMS Pain Management EMR Software, can help provide quality care.

Through this software, pain doctors can improve documentation, access to pain billing software ,patient information access, and effective decision-making for people suffering from pain.

The Best EHR Tools for Pain Management

• Flexible Pain EHR Templates

Customizable, flexible templates in pain management EHRs enable physicians to customize their documentation process to match their workflow or patient. Indeed, pain management providers rely on EHR templates to perform all of their tasks. 

Moreover, templates can significantly reduce the time it takes to document patient visits, findings, referrals, pain billing procedures,  etc. To ensure continuity of care, physicians must use customized templates to chart and enter patient information accurately. They can keep a record of any injections and procedures for future reference. 

• E-Prescription & Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)

According to the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, e-prescribing is a core feature of CPOE systems that enable clinicians to order diagnostic tests, patient care activities, and referrals in addition to medications. E-prescriptions for pain management are widely used and accepted by pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, and practitioners due to the Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) rule passed on June 1st, 2010, by the DEA. This rule allows the use of modern technology for controlled substance prescriptions. Because we live in a tech-savvy generation, e-prescriptions are often the preferred choice submitted by medical professionals and accepted by pharmacies. It is crucial to implement a pain management EHR that allows for E-prescriptions.  

While prescribing pain medications can be challenging, prescription pain medications can help manage patients’ symptoms. The doctor must carefully monitor all pain medications prescribed and check for any signs of addiction.

Our pain management EHR directly integrates provider access to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs); the electronic database that monitors controlled substance prescriptions in each state within the US. The feature allows for timely information helpful for prescribing and evaluating patient behaviors to decrease substance abuse treatment admissions. Providers no longer have to use additional browsers or devices to utilize the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs).

Our pain management EHR is a convenient one-stop shop for servicing the patient. 

• Telemedicine

Integrating telemedicine with practice management software like EHRs has become a necessity for pain management. Patients who suffer from chronic pain frequently travel up to an hour to see a clinic. Telemedicine reduces the need for these trips, resulting in the following benefits:

• Providing pain management with a team of pain experts in a convenient and timely manner.
• Having fewer missed work days.
• Local testing and other services are available.
• Reducing stress and pain from long car trips.
• A comprehensive care approach to medical and non-medical care.
• Providing follow-up information without having to visit in person.

• Billing and Collections

Pain management practice can save time by integrating EHR and medical billing systems with pain billing software. Integrated systems can pull visit coding and documentation directly from their pain management EHR, which reduces copying time. Also, EHRs can remind physicians to code and document during visits. As a result, pain providers and billing staff will have less work after each visit. The medical billing specialist can submit claims timely when the documentation is already in the medical billing system.

• Pain Management Patient Healthcare Portal

Registering as a patient while in the clinic can be problematic for those who experience pain. They can start filing immediately by activating the EHR’s patient portal feature. Patients can access their personal health information (PHI) at any time from anywhere through a quality, secure patient portal. Patients can also make payments, schedule appointments, and cancel them through the patient portal.

• Health Follow-up Reminders

Pain management requires full patient involvement and participation. It is necessary to provide regular treatment to those under specific pain management protocols.

Pain management practices can use follow-up reminders when it comes to Urinary drug testing (UDT). UTDs are frequent in the treatment plan for patients who are prescribed opioid therapy for chronic pain. Pain management EHRs can quickly remind your patient of their next UDT.

Nevertheless, a treatment plan’s effectiveness depends on whether individuals follow instructions, take medications,  obtain external tests, and schedule follow-up appointments. It is also possible that the practice will lose revenue from missed appointments. An EHR should provide automated appointment reminders and confirmations and a Patient Portal to increase patient engagement. The patient’s name is added to a follow-up list whenever a follow-up appointment is not scheduled within the agreed-upon timeframe.

The following EHR tools ensure that pain doctors can consistently provide quality healthcare to their patients. Thus, get an EHR that meets the specific needs of your pain management practice. 

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with physical medicine EMR/EHR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!

Technology continues to develop and emerge in healthcare, bringing new innovations to hospitals and clinics. Electronic medical records (EMR) software has automated the most routine and mundane tasks, replacing paper files and manual operations. Healthcare providers can spend their extra time caring for patients instead.

Let’s focus on a particular practice — pain management. An EMR pain management solution has a range of benefits that make it worth investing in.

Why? Consequently, they are incredibly cost-effective while optimizing hospital and practice operations.

The question is, what makes the pain management EHR worth it?

What EHR Software Can Do for You 

In recent studies, 80% of patients experience pain postoperatively, and 11-20% experience severe pain. EHR pain management software can reduce documenting time and provide powerful information that will enable you to make informed decisions. A cloud-based pain management EHR software requires no server hardware to buy, maintain, upgrade, or manage, and it is more mobile. So, look for intuitive user interfaces when evaluating pain management EHRs so you can spend more time with patients and lesser time on documentation.

Meanwhile, not all EHRs are the same. The right EHR should increase patient satisfaction, patient quality of life, and office efficiency for pain management practices. 

If you want the best pain management EHR, make sure it has these features:

• EHR That Provides Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) 

Pain management EHRs nowadays provide access to prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). Access to PDMPs is especially vital for physicians who prescribe opioids, causing severe family disruptions. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data in November 2021, suggesting 75,673 opioid overdose deaths in the United States in the 12 months ending April 2021. Deaths due to drug overdoses have increased by 28% since pre-pandemic levels. 

PDMP databases should be accessible through your EHR pain platform. You must quickly identify potential drug interactions between patients and controlled substances by searching a patient’s name and demographics. With such data, you can reach out to them, monitor their opioid use, and adjust treatment accordingly. 

Furthermore, the price-transparency feature can show you whether patients qualify for coverage, the extent of their benefits, and their out-of-pocket costs. You can refill or issue prescriptions electronically when the time comes. 

• EHR With Innovative Patient Portal 

Every EHR must have patient portals, but only a few provide the best tools to keep patients engaged. You can provide them with digital intake forms, allowing them to complete the check-in process from the comfort of their own home. Patients will never miss a check-up with scheduling capabilities and reminders that work for them. In addition, a communication hub allows your patients to ask questions whenever they want.

• Integrated Lab Ordering System

With an integrated diagnostic/lab ordering system, you can make better clinical decisions to improve patient outcomes. The right pain management EHR allows providers to order lab tests while charting quickly, and lab results go directly into patient charts without wasting time.  

Pain Management EHR systems with integrated lab ordering capabilities can:

• Inform providers of abnormal lab results.
• Make sure your organization can handle incoming lab results.
• Allow your organization’s providers to identify patients with unusual lab results and target them for follow-up.
• Help your organization order fewer tests since lab results are readily available.
• Make lab tests available electronically, improving care quality.
• EHR adopters say their EHR system has notified them of critical lab conditions in the last 30 days, and 74% can improve patient care with an EHR. With EHRs, you can promote health care quality and properly process and analyze incoming lab results to benefit your patients.
• Meets Meaningful Use requirements by transferring lab orders electronically.

• Specific Templates 

Pain management clinics require specific documentation of patient encounters. Thus, an EHR must include pain management-specific templates.

These tools allow pain management specialists to customize their documenting processes for specific workflows or patients. It is also necessary for annotating pain, procedures, and injection sites. If the template isn’t flexible enough, it can compromise patient data integrity. As a result, treating physicians must be able to chart and record every detail to preserve data integrity and facilitate future decision-making.  

• Mobile-Friendly

Cloud-based technologies facilitate provider mobility while still maintaining patient safety in Pain Management EHRs. With mobile capabilities, your data is more secure and accurate. As the patient’s chart is accessible, providers can make changes during the encounter, resulting in more accurate notes.

Using your Pain Management EHR’s mobile features will also enable your team to communicate with each other in a secure, HIPAA-compliant manner and prescribe to patients as needed.

Do You Have These Features in Your Pain Management EHR Software?

If yes, your EHR has it all to run your practice more efficiently. The IMS Pain Management system is also an excellent choice if your existing EHR isn’t meeting your needs or if you struggle to integrate the above features.

Don’t get left behind! Now is the time to ensure your pain management EHR is worth the investment.

Choose the Top EMR/EHR Software 

Over the years, we have assisted medical practices with EHR/EMR selection, implementation, and software usage. We specialize in providing customized EMR/EHR software to meet your practice’s specific needs.

Schedule a demo or contact us through the contact form for more personalized information. Let’s work together to find the best software for your practice!

Do you have a favorite EHR add-on service? You are free to comment below!