Large HMOs and hospital organizations have experienced the benefits of electronic medical record system software almost from its fire creation. These ...
Large HMOs and hospital organizations have experienced the benefits of electronic medical record system software almost from its fire creation. These companies were the earliest of early adopters,
with EMR a part of their company structure as far back as the late 80s and early 90s. Managing these assets and patient records has been a boon to these larger organizations, with most EMR systems paying for themselves many times over.
The single doctor and small practice, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found when it came to electronic medical record system adoption. The early phase of EMR software was skipped by a great deal of small practitioners, and this did not differ until 2004. Suddenly, Windows PCs and cheap hardware made EMR systems far more interesting to the single physician, and early adopters began appearing.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 changed so much for the electronic medical record system user base. Suddenly, Medicare and Medicaid incentives made it possible for doctors to adopt new EMR systems and have it paid for by the government! The industry immediately found itself attracting a lot of bandwagon jumpers anxious to access free government funds. The result is more choice, but also less quality controls and more shoddy vendors. Finding the best system is a difficult puzzle for many doctors, but three key points in determining what EMR system to go with include:
1. Keep It Simple - Adopting and using an entire new system that will completely change your office's workflow is not easy. So shouldn't the EMR system itself be easy to use? Avoiding products with gawky or difficult interfaces is the best way to save adoption, training and support costs for every physician. Stated simply, the easier the application is to use on a day to day basis, the more efficient it is, the easier it is to train staff, and the less times a call to support must be made. Keep it simple from the get-go, and you'll save yourself a lot of pain.
2. Keep Hardware Cheap And Replaceable - Is someone offering you an electronic medical record system that runs on UNIX? Run fast and far away from them! The fact is, Windows PCs not only make most EMR interfaces recognizable (and thus, much easier to learn), but also make the systems far cheaper. Why buy a $20,000 system when a $400 one will give you the same benefits? Avoid any developer that suggests "specialized hardware". It's quite likely you are being ripped off.
3. Get CCHIT Certified Systems Only - The recent incentives have basically meant that every developer with a dog and a head for business is now an "experienced EMR developer". Shout "free government cash" in any crowd and see how quick people come running. A similar effect has taken place in the EMR industry. As a result, the original industry players formed an association that provides quality control where there wasn't any (particularly for these dodgy vendors) before. It's called CCHIT. And when your EMR is CCHIT-certified, you can be sure that not only does it qualify for government incentives, but that it has what it needs to be called an "elite product". No CCHIT-certification can mean trouble, for the short AND long term.
The three points above are a great place to start when looking to install or upgrade your EMR software. There are many other considerations, of course, but these are critical to ensuring your electronic medical record system is the best you can get.
