By: Michael Young

The medical industry has changed significantly over the past decade. One of the major changes is that many medical offices are moving from paper to electronic medical records. There are also a number of practice management software packages available to medical practitioners. This makes their lives easier, but what does it mean for patients? To understand the answer to that question, it is first important to understand what an electronic medical records system is.

Generally EMRs, electronic medical records, and EHRs, electronic health records, are synonymous. These systems keep track of medical information. These systems keep medical records stored in a central location so that they can be made available to pharmacies, specialists and other providers. What this means for the patient is that medical care is becoming more portable.

President Bush created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in 2004. This office was headed by David Brailer in the beginning. Brailer addressed interoperability issues and established a National Health Information Network (NHIN). Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) have been established under the ONC in many states for the purpose of promoting the sharing of health information. Currently, Congress continues to create legislation to increase funding for these programs and programs like them.

Moving from paper systems to EMRs is a process that is still in the beginning stages within the medical community. It is a work in progress. Many concerns exist, and privacy is one of those concerns. While a moving to an EMR would potentially give many providers, pharmacists and other medical professionals access to a patient’s records, these records are kept very secure. The adoption of electronic medical records systems is clearly what the future holds, from a technology as well as legislative standpoint. In the end, the patient benefits because it is easier to fill prescriptions, transfer records and receive consistent care than with paper systems.

As medical records systems continue to move from paper to electronic, look for the ability of systems to communicate with each other to also become important. As the patient, you will benefit because of the portability of electronic health records and you will no doubt benefit from the increased continuity-of-care that they can offer.

Above article publish on http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/general-health-articles/electronic-medical-records-more-prevalent-now-2926.html

Keeping patient health records as electronic medical records helps the hospitals in providing timely and quality patient care as well as aids in proper health payment systems. EMR replaces paper documentation and assist in creating paperless office where the administration works will not take huge amount of time and effort.

The hospitals, facility centers, clinics, group practitioners and individual practitioners can save the expenditures they incur due to tedious administrative task where it requires patient records to be filled manually. The advent of EMR facilitates proper centralization of medical record keeping where it provides anytime anywhere access.

Electronic medical records help to reduce errors as well as risks faced by hospitals, clinics, patient care centers and insurance companies. The chances of making errors while entering the details into paper documents and transcription workflow process are high in manual patient health record maintenance. But this case is entirely different while using electronic medical records.

Feeding the patient data into paper records has to be done manually and most carefully by administrative staff or nurses, even a single careless mistake done by them will cause huge loses to hospitals and clinics. EMR helps in reducing errors through manual input or manual handling of patient data.

Missing patient reports leads to chaos in hospital atmosphere, disputes between patient and doctor, legal accusations, claims and loss of patients’ medical treatment payments to hospitals and insurance companies. If a physician relocates his facility or dies there is a huge chance that the patient records get misplaced or lost. EMR helps physicians in avoiding missing patient medical report problems and aids in reducing risks and errors.

Above article publish on http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/electronic-medical-records-help-to-reduce-errors-and-risks-1392875.html

By Valerie Mellema

You may have heard of electronic medical record software reducing overhead costs and minimizing wasteful expenses. Is it really true though that you can actually increase your revenue using EHR software? Yes, because the same measures that allow you to streamline your operation also help facilitate new patients and new business, not to mention retain your patient base. How is this possible?

Electronic health records software improves charge capture for one. When regular paper charts are used many services can be easily lost. If they are never billed, you lose out on that money. Erroneous data can also be entered into the system that will cost you some much needed income. An EMR solution increases revenue because it is capable of capturing charges for all services. This is thanks to highly advanced computer equipment that can track every individual service and payment. Automated charge capture is one of the most important features for guaranteeing income.

An EMR system can also maximize billing. When you use a paper chart system, it’s customary for physicians to down code (use a lower billing code) just to ensure they stay within legal limits. They do this instead of using the appropriate level of code, which gives them more money. You can easily use E&M billing codes which are programmed to stay within legal limits. (And this feature is constantly updated, since your system connects to the Internet) You can make more money and not have to worry about the threat of a lawsuit, an audit or rejected claims.

Medical software can help you to improve office productivity, since it saves physicians literally several minutes a day that they would spend dictating and reviewing transcripts. With this specialized EMR software, you can automatically generate progress notes and save several minutes a day for each session. In the end, such effective time management can let you schedule in another patient.

Web-based EMR software can help you with health maintenance reminders so you can better keep track of patients due for annual check up. This software can also provide computerized checks so that you can minimize bank charges. Lastly, the software can increase your sources of income as it allows you integration with higher quality payers and organizations.

There are many EMR incentives to look into. Even if you can’t justify the expense of a program for time management sake, don’t overlook the potential for increased profit. Certified EMR software may give you that competitive edge you need to excel in business.

Above article publish on http://ezinearticles.com/?Increase-Your-Revenues-by-Implementing-EMR-Software!&id=2794653

Without the help of technology, keep any kind of records can be a nightmare. Over time, the mountain of records just keep building and building, until the entire system becomes unmanageable. Records get lost or buried, and they become impossible to find. This happens to many businesses that require record keeping like medical practices or financial companies. Aware of the benefits presented by technology, many medical practices are starting to adopt Electronic Medical Records systems. Such systems allow medical records to be filed away electronically so that they can be retrieved quickly and efficiently by anyone who needs access to the information. In general, there are 3 types of EMR software solutions that a medical practice can choose to adopt. 1) Web based software solutions. 2) Custom built solutions 3) Off the shelf, standalone solutions. Web based software solutions. Web based software is easy to adopt. There is usually minimal installation and integration issues, and all you need is an Internet connection and you will be able to access the information you want to. The problem with web based software solutions is that since it is on a public network, there is always the concern of security. Medical records are private and sensitive information. So they should be kept as securely as possible. And the Internet hardly appears to be the ideal place. Custom built solutions. Custom built software solutions give you exactly what you want. You have full control over how the software works. Since you have the best understanding of how your business works, designing your custom built software seems to make sense. However, custom built software solutions often cost a lot more than other types of software solutions. That’s because the solution is developed solely for you. Also, there is the development time frame to think about. A custom built software can take months or sometimes years to perfect. Off the shelf, standalone solutions. Given the drawbacks of the first two software options, off the shelf standalone solution seems to be the logical choice. The pricing is definitely much more affordable, and you get to use the software immediately. Standalone EMR software may be developed by a programming language such as Java. They work on multiple operating systems like Windows, Mac, and even Linux. There are no additional components required, and all you have to do is to install the software in the computers. Established EMR software often has a more comprehensive feature list. That means there is no need for you to define your own feature list. You just install and use. Some features that you should look out for include Automated data backup, E&M code suggestor, Intra-office instant messaging (great for communications), Patient scheduler, Patient tracker, Problem list and more. When choosing EMR software, you can always evaluate the software by requesting for a trial period and access to any demo materials available. That way, you can make better decisions down the road.

Above article publish on http://mehealthcareer.com/article/2010/01/18/emr-software-helps-physicians-be-more-productive/

By, Molly Merrill

CHICAGO – HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model is gaining interest internationally, according to Dave Garets, the company’s CEO and president.

HIMSS Analytics, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, collects IT data on every non-federal hospital in the country and some hospitals in Canada through an annual study that tracks the implementation and adoption of electronic medical record applications.

Garets said the HIMSS Analytics EMR Model, which rates hospitals on a scale from 0 to 7, is garnering interest in some European and Middle Eastern countries and Australia. With slight modifications, he said, the model has the ability to work on an international level.

“The model has gotten international acceptance because it is a standard way of doing it,” he said. “It makes sense to most everybody.”

When data indicates a hospital has reached Stage 6, HIMSS Analytics contacts the CIO to make an independent validation. Garets said half of those phone calls lead to a determination that the hospital isn’t at Stage 6 yet.

“What’s striking about Stage 6 hospitals is the amount of different vendors that are represented. It’s a very nice thing because it shows it’s not the software, it’s what you do with it,” said Garets.

When a hospital’s data suggests it has reached Stage 7 – the highest level of the model – HIMSS Analytics performs an on-site visit. Garets said nothing is off limits during this visit, and HIMSS Analytics officials have the freedom to look at the hospital’s IT systems in action.

Garets said only one hospital has not met the Stage 7 requirements after a site visit.

“As more healthcare organizations move toward EMR implementation, the Stage 7 hospitals offer valuable best practices focused on using EMR applications to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient care delivery efficiency,” said Mike Davis, HIMSS Analytics’ executive vice president.

Above article publish on http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/himss-analytics-looking-go-international-its-emr-adoption-model

By Peter Polack

A good electronic medical records system must be able to demonstrate a process for maintaining the legal integrity of its records. Here we cover some of the top considerations when moving your practice from paper to digital.

As a practice makes the transition from paper to electronic medical records, they may encounter a variety of legal concerns. Some important decisions must be made to ensure the legal integrity of digital records. Additionally, there will be some surprises in store regarding compliance, privacy, and security. In matters of electronic medical records, the best offense is a good defense. Here are some issues to consider:

When you write a medical exam on a piece of paper and sign it, you’ve created a legal document. By now you are probably well aware of the importance of documentation, and the dangers which alterations to medical records invite. A paper chart’s integrity is usually rather simple to determine. However, an electronic chart is often more complicated. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, an electronic record must be stored in a legally correct manner - otherwise it may be considered hearsay, challenged as legally invalid.

So, why is this important? Well, if your electronic medical records don’t meet the Federal or State requirements for a medical record, payors can deny a claim. Or, even worse, you may subject your practice to an increased risk of an adverse outcome in litigation. It’s not only important to be sure your electronic medical records are not altered, but you also need the ability to demonstrate the procedures which prove this fact.

How do you make sure an electronic record cannot be altered? The ideal system must balance the user’s desires, including ability to correct mistakes and make changes, with the legal integrity of the record itself.

- Does your EMR system “time stamp” each entry to produce an audit trail? This could include an unalterable record of every entry and event in order to prove the validity of the record.

- Does it restrict access to certain templates or features? You wouldn’t want a front desk employee changing patients’ intraocular pressures, for example.

- Does the system keep track of which person documented what? You wouldn’t want your name associated with another user’s entry.

- Does it have a strict but not too time-consuming security protocol? Some solutions include alphanumeric passwords that are changed periodically, biometric access, and automatic logout after a period of inactivity.

- Does it have a secure yet practical “lock-out” feature? A typical one might allow the doctor to make changes at the end of the day, but after 24 hours the record locks. This may seem a bit harsh, but it could actually serve to protect you by preventing unauthorized changes.

Above article publish on http://www.buzzle.com/articles/some-of-the-legal-issues-with-electronic-medical-records.html

One of the growing trends for healthcare practices in 2010 is the adoption of electronic medical records (“EMR”). By managing the selection and adoption of EMR correctly, practices will save money in the long-term.

Well-researched and efficient management of the selection and adoption process will help a healthcare practice cut costs and reduce frustration. The following are five key strategies to follow:

• Make sure you have a full understanding of what an EMR can really be expected to do before you buy a product.
• Obtain input from all of areas of the practice, including administrative and clinical support staff, regarding what is needed in terms of EMR.
• Use the opportunity to change workflow rather than try to make the tool work just like the practice.
• Do not worry about accommodating every single person’s ideas regarding how the software should look and work – focus on the overall picture.
• Do not try to save money by skimping on training – proper use of EMR is essential for efficiency and cutting costs.

An EMR can be a great tool that improves a healthcare practice’s efficiency, reduces costs, and increases revenue. By taking the time to make a careful EMR selection and following the above strategies, the practice will greatly benefit from the product.

Above article publish on: http://pvwlaw.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/how-to-control-the-costs-of-adopting-electronic-medical-records/

The price of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software is quite high, but the benefits of adopting EMR software can save you a lot of money in the long run. If you are a physician running your own private practice, then you should be weighing the pros and cons of adopting an EMR system. Those days are long over when practices had to keep a pile of files to properly archive the information related to the multitude of patients who walked into their medical facilities.

Our dependence on paper is gradually decreasing and tools like EMR software can easily hold all the important medical data in hard disks, which occupy less space compared to the traditional sources. Proper archiving and categorization of data becomes easier if practices decide to replace their old filing methods with modern technology. Automation of data collection and retrieval can dramatically increase the productivity and efficiency of practices.

The price of an EMR system can range from a thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars, and sometimes they cost even more. The sky is the limit for these products and EMR costs increase as the system becomes more feature-rich. If you own a very small medical facility where you are the sole practitioner, then a light version of good EMR software worth five thousand dollars will serve the purpose. Huge facilities can buy complete EMR systems that cost around forty thousand dollars.

How to get the best deal

EMR software offers a number of benefits but practices should perform a cost-benefit analysis before adopting this new technology. This will help them know if the system will serve their purpose. EMR costs can be prohibitive and a huge amount of money is at stake if you choose a system that does not meet the needs of your practice. Therefore, it is important to be completely sure of the product before you make the purchase decision. You devote time to find the product that meets all your requirements and can be scaled in future. There are some points to consider when you conduct the cost - benefit analysis for the EMR system that you intend to purchase.

Analyze what you need to get done:

First of all, practices need to take note of their current and future requirements. They should be able to collect relevant information such as the number of physicians in the medical facility, the staff to physician ratio, the patient capacity of the center and the average number of phone calls help desk attends every workday.

Training:

If you are purchasing a low cost, entry level EMR software, you will have to pay a certain amount of money to train your staff. Most of the expensive EMR software packages come with free training of staff members, so that they can get used to the interface and handle the workload from day one. There might be some initial hiccups while operating the new software. It is therefore important that the EMR vendor agree to offer on-site training to the staff for the first few months.

Implementation:

The software provider will also charge for the implementation expenses involved in installing and configuring the hardware according to customers’ preferences. An increase in working staff members usually means an increase in the implementation costs. So, it can become a substantial amount for a large practice. Once the EMR software is installed, practices also need to digitalize all the information they had in the files to make the system completely functional.

Hardware:

As soon as practices adopt the EMR system, they discover the need to buy a lot of new hardware to provide proper support o their infrastructure. The prices of computers, printers and server stations should also be considered while you do cost and benefit analysis to gain a clearer picture of the EMR costs. If you want to utilize the EMR product to its full potential, then you need hardware that perfectly complements the software. Make sure that you buy the computer hardware after much deliberation so that it does not go obsolete in a few months. Computer hardware with the newest configuration should always be bought from a reputed dealer so that you are assured of support and maintenance whenever anything goes wrong.

Support and maintenance:

After installing the EMR software, practices need to make provision for annual maintenance costs that become necessary for both the newly acquired software and hardware. The power consumption of a medical facility will increase significantly once you have installed a number of computers and other related hardware to run the new system. Practices may also need to rewire the entire electrical architecture so that the system can take the load of the various machines that will need to be connected.

Hiring:

EMR costs can rise drastically if practices don’t hire a networking professional to monitor and maintain the network in their facilities. A networking expert will ensure that the workstations remain connected to each other and seamlessly exchange data. If you want to keep your system up and running at all times, then you will also need to hire a few hardware maintenance experts to keep a watch on the entire system.

Update:

Your work is not finished once the purchasing and installation have been completed, as the EMR software will need to be updated from time to time. This means a certain amount of expenditure has to be made every year. In order to keep your system up-to-date, you will need to sign certain agreements with the vendor so that you can get access to all the updates as they are released.

Replacing your traditional systems with modern technology may costs quite a lot but it is definitely one of the smartest decisions a practice can ever take. The benefits far outweigh the costs incurred in investing in an EMR system.

It may seem that the initial investment or the EMR costs are a bit high, but you will save a lot of time and money that you would have otherwise spent on papers, filing, and storage space. The cost of filing all of your patients’ medical records and billing information can surmount over the years. Even if you have the best file management system in the world, your will still have to spend a fortune every year to keep the paper documents intact.

Look for government assistance to help finance your EMR software. There are various federal grants that could subsidize EMR costs to your health care facility. With all of this information considered, one has to be very patient while looking for the EMR software for your health facility. Consultation with an EMR expert will definitely increase the chances of procuring a system that is cost-effective for you.

Above article publish on http://www.emrconsultant.com/education/emr-costs

Jumping in head first is not a good idea when implementing electronic medical record (EMR) software in your practice. If you do not properly prepare, you may not select the best EMR for your practice. As a result, you may select a great EMR, but just the wrong EMR, and this can be catastrophic to your business.

Purchasing the best EMR takes time. You need plan accordingly. We’ve provided you with 7 tips that will enable you to purchase and implement an EMR successfully.

Research. Become familiar with the industry and learn what people have to say about EMRs. Unfortunately when you speak to sales reps from the EMR Companies they will be biased about their product. Look for unbiased information. There are EMR Consultants out there that will help you find the right fit for your practice. In addition, there are several EMR, EHR and HIT blogs that provide unbiased information about the EHR Industry.

Rational Planning. You are not going to be able to reduce your medical costs after five minutes of using your EMR system. Therefore, make sure to set EMR goals that are reasonable to attain. Write out an EMR implementation plan that will include milestones that you want to reach as well as what you are looking to gain from an EMR.

Attitude. Make sure that your entire medical practice has a positive attitude about using an EMR solution. Keep your staff involved in the EMR selection process so they have a better understanding about what will happen. Making sure everyone is on the same page is critical for EMR success.

ROI. Determine what type of Return on Investment can be expected when implementing an EMR system. EMR software can be extremely costly depending on what type of EMR features you are looking to implement. Therefore, it is important to have an idea of what your EMR budget will be, as well as the cost savings expected from a proper EMR implementation.

Technical Competency. Discuss with your staff how tech-savvy they are at using computers. Making sure your staff feels comfortable using new technology will help prepare everyone for this transition to an EMR.

Hardware. Selecting the correct hardware will save you thousands of dollars when purchasing an EMR solution. Not only will it save you money, it will also improve the functionality within the EMR. There are several hardware companies that have partnered with EMR vendors, so be sure to ask them what hardware will work best with the EMR product. Ask the EMR vendor if they offer bundled solutions. Another alternative is to speak with an IT consulting company at the beginning to enable a smooth EMR implementation. Of course there are dozens of additional considerations when selecting and implementing an EMR, and the above may be considered a very basic overview. To learn more about EMRs, please fill in the brief form below.

Above article publish on http://www.emrconsultant.com/education/sevenfactors

By Shrinivas Kanade

Do you think 24 hour accessibility to your patients’ data is one of the advantages of electronic medical records? Yes! To know more about the advantages of electronic medical records,

Read on…

One of the main advantages of electronic medical records is that it helps in centralizing the data of your patient. Not long in the past, a receptionist working in a clinical practice could leave for the day, only after finding and arranging the records, that are committed to the papers of the patients on the next day’s appointments’ list. If she failed to do so, or if she failed to turn up on time due to some kind of emergency, then what would rule the medical practice. Confusion! She is the one who knew, precisely, which stack of records contains the bunch of papers that represents so and so patient. The use of electronic medical records gets over this problem. Let’s go over the other electronic medical records benefits.

What are the Advantages of Electronic Medical Records?

In its digital form, the electronic medical records offer you an opportunity to run a clean and paperless clinic. If you decide to go digital, you may find that there are two options available to you.

Standalone Software

The first option is to ask a computer programmer to develop a standalone software for you, which you could install in the computer in your office. In this case, your patients’ data, in its electronic form, will be stored on the computer system in your office. You will have to take care of the data. The data safety, proper backing of the data to protect it from getting lost and virus problems will be the responsibility of your clinic, since the data is present at your end.

Online Software

Else, you could use an online EMR software. If you choose this option, your patients’ data will be stored on the Internet. It will be stored in the computers maintained by the IT company which is providing their online software to you, naturally for a monthly fee. This IT company and the computer experts employed by it, will take care of the data and deal with your problems while using it.

Electronic Medical Records

Electronic medical records, which are also referred to as EMR, contains private and medical data related to your patients. It may also contain information, such as their past medical history, substances or drugs they are allergic to, the treatments or medical procedures they underwent in the past. The data may also inform you which medications the patient is currently on and the transcription notes etc. Comprehensiveness in the patients’ data is one of the advantages of electronic medical records.

Speed of Retrieval of Electronic Medical Records

You can retrieve your patient’s records within a few seconds. All you have to do, is to type his or her name in the form that the EMR software has presented to you. Bingo! the records are right in front of you within no time. And the most important thing is that you are not struggling to decipher someone else’s handwriting, in order to read what kind of therapy or treatment your patient underwent in the past. The availability of your patient’s medical records in one place, which can be viewed in detail, is also one of the advantages of electronic medical records.

If you decide to go for online EMR software, you will find that you can access your patient’s data not only by sitting at your office but from anywhere in the world through the Internet. Of course, you must provide it with proper passwords and identify yourself. You can download electronic medical records to your PDA or palmtop and can refer to it as and when it suits you.

Safety

Your patient’s data is important and you have every right to worry about it. Will it be safe in its digital format? Yes, it will be. You must have heard about the computer system crashes and the computer viruses causing damage to the data. These may have made you suspicious about the reliability and safety of the electronic medical records. With proper backup systems and latest anti-virus, you can overcome this obstacle.

Data Format

When you use papers to commit your patients records on it, you do so in the fixed format. The format that is printed on the paper. It is not the case with the electronic medical records. You can key in data in one format and can retrieve it in another, in a form more suitable to you.

Integration and EMR Software

You can digital form of your patients data to the reference information which can be stored on your computer or on the Internet. The EMR software can help you by providing additional information about a drug, such as dosages for children and adults. Which drugs are contraindicated in which conditions and so on. The EMR software can not only help you out with your patient’s data but it can also provide information on the ICD.9, HIPAA, HCFA 1500, and the latest CPT code books. It may also help you in studying a condition by producing a 3-D images for you, by taking input of 2-D images that are already present in your patient’s data. The software also handles the medical transcription notes, as well as SOAP notes, which you can use to your own advantage. The customer support to medical billing services can also be made available to you and your patient by the EMR software. This may result in the speedy settlement of medical billing and claims for you because of the proper co-ordination with the insurance companies over medical insurance. In short, the ability of EMR software helps you centralize your resources can be counted as one of the advantages of electronic medical records.

Electronic Data and EMR Software

Electronic data generated by the systems monitoring your patient, is processed and analyzed for errors by the the EMR software. This software can sound or raise an alert, if it comes across an event needing immediate medical intervention. It can transmit the relevant data in the form of an email or warn you by sending a message to your pager or mobile. It can also accept data from the laboratory analyzer in a electronic form directly and thus, avoiding the chance of erroneous data being fed to it by a computer operator. In case of online EMR software, which you will use the database to store your patients’ data in, and support to it will be provided by the IT company.

Primarily, it is you who is going to benefit by converting to electronic medical records. It will help your staff to be more efficient by saving their time. Your patients’ data in its digital form will always be at your fingertips and not be dependent on the mindless activity of searching for it every day. It seems that the benefits of an electronic medical record (EMR) are nothing but a bag of goodies. But, are they real for you? The decision is yours. With the world going digital, it is up to you to decide, whether to take heed of the advantages of electronic medical records.

Above article published on http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-electronic-medical-records.html