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!