Photo by Johny Georgiadis on Unsplash
You get into a hospital to receive treatment. Along the way, you catch a glimpse of nurses moving around with indexed files picked from storage cabinets. These files are presented to the doctor when you’re about to see them.
But that was the old way of doing things. The paper-based method of record-keeping adopted by medical practitioners is quickly falling out of favor and being replaced by EHR/EMR Software Development.
What is this software, and why has it become so important to the modern healthcare system? We’ll find out in this article.
What is an EHR/EMR Software?
An EHR/EMR software is a computer software system that allows healthcare providers to manage their patient’s medical records efficiently. Specifically, the EHR software enables healthcare providers to keep their patient’s health records electronically, while the EMR software is a software that allows healthcare providers to keep their patient’s medical records. The difference is seen in their respective names- EHR, Electronic Health Records, and EMR, which means Electronic Medical Records.
Two EHR/EMR Software you can check out.
Thinking about getting an EHR/EMR software, here are two widely known software you can check out:
- NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare is a cloud-based EHR/EMR software specially designed for private practices. It is compatible with all browsers on tablets and laptops. In addition, it comes with a sleek patient portal.
The NextGen Office allows both practitioners and patients alike to schedule patient appointments and telehealth visits. It also enables healthcare providers to create clear documentation on the MIPS dashboard and connect with other practitioners through referral exchange.
- SimplePractice
Like NextGen Healthcare, SimplePractice is a cloud-based EHR/EMR software. It is designed for medium-scale practice, and it is primed to focus on the patient’s mental health to improve the patient’s wellness. With SimplePractice, professionals can automate and manage client scheduling processes. They can also handle initial assessments, billing information, and payment processing.
It works perfectly on both Android and iOS devices.
Is there a difference between EHR (Electronic Health Record) and EMR (Electronic Medical Record)?
Naturally, you would argue if there’s a difference between the two as they look so alike. But guess what? There is.
While the EHR keeps a digital record of the patient’s health information, the EMR is only a digital record of the patient’s chart. Furthermore, while the EHR provides access to tools and information that can help practitioners aid the decision-making process, the EMR leans more towards providing diagnostic and treatment support for healthcare providers.
What are the advantages of using the EHR/EMR Software?
Besides the obvious benefits of not having to deal with the bulkiness of paper-based recording techniques, there are also many other advantages of using the EHR/EMR Software. Unfortunately, few of these include the ability to:
- Function as a virtual assistant that completely organizes automates, and digitize a patient’s clinical workflow;
- Attend to patients remotely and prescribe medications to them electrically;
- Sync the patient’s information with billing systems;
- Produce practice efficiency reports that comply with Government regulations;
- Easily maintain a chain of communication with staff and patients.
All in all, the overall advantage of the EHR/EMR is to improve the quality of healthcare that patients receive from healthcare providers.
Benefits of EHR/EMR software in practice
You have seen how using an EHR/EMR software can improve healthcare. Now let’s take a quick look at some of the ways the software can help to improve the bottom line of private practices across the globe.
Time-Saving: The simple technique of automating some naturally tedious processes like prescribing medications and creating charts will save a practitioner a lot of time. With more time on their hands, they can afford to attend to more clients without standing the risk of burnout.
Planning and Scheduling: It can be a great challenge for practitioners to figure out what steps they should take first. With the EHR/EMR software, the practitioner can know and prioritize their important daily activities. Practitioners can also organize their schedules in the most effective ways possible.
Integration with Practice Management Software: The EHR/EMR software does enough to improve healthcare delivery already. The integration of the software with the Practice Management Software takes its efficiency to a whole new level. With this integration, practitioners can easily enhance their productivity by reducing the number of follow-up appointments they miss. They can also speed up the reimbursement process.
Some other key benefits include:
- The protection against data breaches
- Improved HIPAA compliance
- More efficient security measures to improve PHI (protected health information)
- Access to patient records on the go with mobile devices
It is very easy to see that the EHR/EMR software helps a practice to improve the proficiency of its services, efficiency in communication and delivery, and overall security.
Conclusion
While it looks like EHR/EMR software systems have taken healthcare up to a new level, there’s still a long way to go and room for improvements to EHR/EMR software and its application to professional practice.