Today’s cardiologists rely heavily on electronic data. From echocardiogram and stress test machines to catheterization suites, the accuracy and reliability of these data systems are paramount for delivering high quality cardiology care. The sophisticated technology is undermined, however, if each piece of the cardiologist’s arsenal isn’t integrated into a comprehensive Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system.

CARDIOLOGY-SPECIFIC EMR’S

The EMR System you choose needs to be able to integrate into your office setting. For example, if you do physical exams, echocardiograms and stress testing 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. 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 cardiologists send their patients for tests that use different machines and software than they own in their office. Choosing an EMR based on the myriad of consultant’s equipment is difficult at best.

BUILDING TRUST IN YOUR EMR SYSTEM

Besides equipment compatibility, the right EMR for your office should make your life easier, not harder. The daily operations of your cardiology practice should not have to adapt to accommodate an antiquated EMR. It should be the other way around. For example, if a patient is in your Philips Integris Cath Lab suite and their latest potassium result is 7.4, a combination of audible and visual notifications should be triggered. You shouldn’t have to wait in the Emergency Department to receive all of your laboratory results before taking the patient to the cath lab; rather you should have a system in place that you can trust will alert you to critical developments.

EASILY TRACK STAFF AND PATIENTS’ ACTIVITIES

The last thing your sophisticated cardiology suite and EMR System should do is be a burden to those that use it the most – your office personnel. Verify that your EMR will seamlessly integrate patient appointments, reminders, and other scheduling details. Special tests such as fasting lipid profiles often 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. From ordering special materials prior to nuclear studies, to tracking who logs into the EMR, a lot of repetitive tasks can be integrated into an office system that curbs 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 will view color video of echocardiograms, roentgenograms, and graphical data, the EMR System you choose will likely need to meet this standard.

Specifically, DICOM covers handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. To ensure that all of the equipment and software you use can be accessed and viewed within your EMR interface, it will be important to navigate the technical areas of licensing fees versus free viewers and custom integration programming.

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