Certified medical software can help doctors increase profit and improve patient care. But how do you know if software is “certified”, and why does it matter?? For one thing, if medical records are going to go digital, it’s essential for state and federal governments to develop sensible, well-defined regulations.

The idea is ostensibly to encourage the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) software systems that provide highly reliable, efficient recordkeeping, and which also protect patient safety and privacy – all the while eliminating sub-standard systems that could compromise the integrity of healthcare facilities by violating a patient’s right to privacy.

Certified EMR adoption is encouraged in part by provisions in the stimulus law that call for Medicaid penalties – that is, cuts in reimbursements for healthcare facilities that choose not to adopt a certified EMR software system. A recent report from the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute predicts that these Medicaid penalties could ultimately do more to encourage physicians to adopt certified EMRs than other incentives, including cash for purchasing and implementation.

Medicare and Medicaid are also offering maximum bonuses of $44,000 and $63,750, respectively, to help individual healthcare facilities adopt certified EMRs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for choosing the criteria that will separate qualified EMR software systems from those that will not be eligible to receive incentives, and they have already announced that there will be multiple certification bodies, but each one will be required to certify EMRs using criteria specified by the HHS.

Although the development of the exact criteria is still part of an ongoing process, the Health IT Advisory Committee – a group responsible for advising the HHS – has announced that they will ‘grandfather in’ vendors that obtained certification for software systems in 2008 from the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). Ultimately, it seems that physicians will be able to move ahead with confidence to implement new digital recordkeeping systems – as long as they take the time to ask the tough questions and understand all of the rules before jumping into the game.

Above Article publish on http://www.medicalsoftware.com/blog/medical-software-general-information/pid-226/certified-medical-software-why-does-it-matter/

Many of today’s modern anesthesiologists have relied heavily on electronic patient records for quite some time. From medical histories during pre-op, to intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring, the accuracy and reliability of these data systems are paramount for delivering high quality anesthesiology care. The sophisticated technology is undermined, however, if the pieces of the anesthesiologist’s record systems aren’t integrated into a comprehensive Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system.

ANESTHESIOLOGY-SPECIFIC EMR’S

Unless you’re in a private anesthesiology group, you may not have much choice in the EMR System you use, but consider this. An EMR system designed by anesthesiologists will be more relevant to your daily workflow with much less after market modification than other systems. It would be ideal if you could find an EMR that would let you have a complete compliment of anesthesiology-specific content and integrate its data with the existing EMR software that you use in the hospitals where you hold privileges.

The EMR System that you choose needs to be able to allow for the particular way your practice operates and your daily workflow. For example, if you take preoperative patient histories using on hospital-based EMR system, but the anesthesiology-specific EMR suite that you want is different, you need your EMR to automatically migrate all of the patient’s data so that it is instantly accessible from your office, the operating room, or any other computer workstation. The days of manually scanning, uploading, and transferring patient data are over. Therefore, we will begin here with the assumption that all patient records will be easily accessible from one user interface, not multiple software programs for different types of records.

VERIFY EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY

Many surgeons send their patients for tests that use different machines and software than they the hospital has access to. Choosing an EMR based on the myriad of consultant’s equipment is difficult at best. For example, if cardiologists cleared a C.A.B.G. patient using the Welch Allyn Propaq Stress Testing System and you want to see the EKG tracings yourself, you need to make sure that the EMR you choose will let you grow your practice in all of these circumstances.

BUILDING TRUST IN YOUR EMR SYSTEM

In addition to software compatibility between all of the records systems that you access, the right EMR for your practice should make your life easier, not harder. The daily operations of your anesthesiology practice should not have to adapt to accommodate an antiquated EMR; it should be the other way around. For example, if a patient’s most recent intraoperative hematocrit drops by eight points, a combination of audible and visual notifications should be triggered. You shouldn’t have to manually check everything and lose precious time before replenishing blood products; rather you should have a system in place, which acts as an adjunct to your traditional methods of ensuring patient safety. Over time, you will build trust that your new EMR will alert you to critical developments.

EASILY TRACK STAFF AND PATIENTS’ ACTIVITIES

Don’t waste time learning complicated software systems that seem to drain more energy than you expect. Your new EMR should be convenient, easy to use, and save you time. If you have other personnel, such as secretaries or nurses that access your EMR, it should make their life easier too, not increase their burden. Verify that your EMR will seamlessly integrate patient appointments, reminders, and other scheduling details.

From ordering special materials and gases for inventory, to tracking who logs into the EMR, a lot of repetitive tasks can be integrated into your anesthesiology practice’s unique system. This will help curb human error and improve your practice’s measurable outcomes.

DICOM COMPATIBILITY

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a standard construct used increasingly by Health Information Systems, but it is not universal. Because you will view color video of Doppler ultrasounds, plain radiographs and graphical data, the EMR System you choose will likely need to meet this standard.

Above article publish on http://www.emrconsultant.com/education/anesthesiologists-guide

Today’s allergy specialists have relied heavily on electronic records for quite some time. From complete sets of medical records to advanced spirometry machines, the accuracy and reliability of these data systems are paramount for delivering high quality patient care. The sophisticated technology is undermined, however, if some pieces of the allergist’s arsenal aren’t integrated into a comprehensive Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system

THE ALLERGISTS EMR’S

The EMR needs of allergists may vary widely. To choose the extent to which you want all of your data incorporated into one system will depend on how the EMR System will integrate into your office setting. For example, if you do physical exams, spirometry and observation all in different rooms, you need your EMR to be able to automatically migrate all of the patient’s data so that it is accessible from any computer station. While it may at first appear simple to choose an EMR that will work in your particular practice, there are several considerations for the growth plan for your practice and overall strategy of workplace efficiency. Therefore, we will begin here with the assumption that all patient records will be easily accessible from one user interface, not multiple software programs for different types of records.

VERIFY EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY

You likely care for patients that have had outside tests performed, such as spirometry, and have felt the frustration of having results that you can’t view yourself because of software or equipment incompatibility. It isn’t enough to read a colleagues opinion about the test interpretation. The test results will either be devalued or the entire test will be repeated. you need to make sure that the EMR you choose to grow your practice will be compatible.

BUILDING TRUST IN YOUR EMR SYSTEM

The daily operations of your practice should not have to adapt to accommodate an antiquated EMR. It should be the other way around. For example, critical blood gas results should trigger a combination of audible and visual notifications ensuring that you and your staff are kept updated on a moment-to-moment basis when giving breathing treatments. The ideal goal is to have a system in place that you can trust will alert you to important events and results that affect your patients and your practice as a whole.

EASILY TRACK STAFF AND PATIENTS’ ACTIVITIES

Once you’ve fully implemented your new EMR, your office life should be easier, not harder. The last thing your sophisticated allergist’s suite and EMR System should be is a burden to you and your office personnel. Verify that the EMR you’re considering will seamlessly integrate patient appointments, reminders, and other scheduling details.

Special tests such as periodic RAST assays may require that your staff spend time sending out reminders and tracking down results prior to their appointment with you. An EMR System that could integrate automatic emails or phone calls one week prior to an appointment would improve efficiency and decrease the workload of personnel in your growing practice.

The options you have available to you for EMR’s are vast. In addition, you can have them optimized and programmed especially for your practice. From ordering special materials prior to food allergy testing to checking who logged into the EMR, a lot of repetitive tasks can be integrated into an office system and monitored. This will mitigate human error and improves your practice’s measurable outcomes.

DICOM COMPATIBILITY

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a standard construct used increasingly by Health Information Systems, but it is not universal. Because you frequently view plain radiographs, and may want to view high resolution CT images along side graphical data, the EMR System you choose will likely need to meet this standard.

Above Article publish on http://www.emrconsultant.com/education/allergy-specialists-guide

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