EMR (electronic medical records) center of the federal government’s initiative to enhance patient care and decrease redundant costs inherent with paper based records. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act incentivized EMR adoption provided that patient care effectively improved and benefits were demonstrated. Physicians would become entitled to monetary remuneration provided they met with the guidelines set by regulatory bodies. Practice Management is one criterion which is now included in the basic requirements for achieving those incentives and can be a true asset to any practice.
Whilst EMR software takes care of the clinical care aspects of a provider, a practice management system (PMS) makes the overall workflow efficient and seamless. An accurately augmented practice management system allows for patients to register an appointment and fill out all relevant demographic information electronically. This gives multiple members of staff within a doctor’s office the freedom to handle other tasks which improves efficiency. A practice management system gives a practice an integrated workflow ensuing in diminished redundancy of mundane tasks (like double data entry etc.). Furthermore, the vast space required to house a sea of patient records is eliminated as well.
Communication and workflow processes are made highly efficient in comparison to manual data entry with the application of EMR and practice management software. With the help of this technology clinicians can get a head start on the billing processes leading towards an increase in revenues as a result of reduced claim rejection.
Vendors in the market offer innovative features such as the ability to run reports on EMR tools which gives providers an edge towards operating a more thriving practice. Clinicians who want to make the transition from paper to going paperless should go for making a full switch. Modifying just a single component of your practice rather than making the move to being entirely automated can result in being counterproductive. It is more sensible to be completely computerized instead of having both manual and electronic operations which is even more complicated than only manual labor.