The way health care technology has integrated into people’s lives is simply amazing. It has made the world a more convenient, if not better, place to live. More and more physicians and healthcare providers are becoming more open to the idea of implementing a comprehensive EMR or Electronic Medical Record system to help them with their practice. A large number of practices making their choice through end-user EMR reviews, forums and product updates.
Basically, an EMR system is an automated software or standalone system that helps doctors, medical professionals and healthcare facilities to manage their patients’ health and medical records. It eliminates the need for tedious paperwork, allows easy access to information at a much faster rate, and facilitates interoperability of medical histories and other pertinent records.
Physicians and healthcare providers who would like to adopt an EMR system for their practice can be confused due to a myriad of available software in the market, all claiming to be the best in their respective fields. EMR reviews performed by third-parties can be a reliable guide for the selection process; however, these should not be the sole basis for selection.
There are more than 50 available EMR software packages available in the market, some of which are listed in third-party websites and wiki listings that provide non-biased, comprehensive EMR reviews and other organized information to help physicians and medical institutions in their EMR selection process. These listings can be a stepping board in the selection process to help narrow down the best software available by making preliminary choices from among those that ranked high in the EMR reviews.
In addition to these listing, physicians and medical institutions should also perform their own EMR reviews after making a shortlist from the EMR listings easily available on the web. Physicians know what their needs are and they should do some research to choose a system that can cater to these needs. The following guide can help physicians and medical facilities in their EMR review and selection process:
- Usability – the software interface should be easy to use and all required information should be readily accessible
- Ease of Implementation – a web-based system is usually the best choice as it can easily be installed. Choose a software that can be installed and set-up easily at a short time.
- Easy Integration – the software should be easily integrated into existing systems so it will not incur additional cost. The system should have the ability to utilize existing records and information
- Need for Consultants – the software should be easily utilized without the need for additional consultants as that would add up on cost
- Training and Support – on-line training should be available in addition to on-site trainings provided by the vendor
Setting up a good EMR system is the first step towards a fully integrated electronic system that can help physicians and healthcare providers manage their patient information, giving them more time to focus on the needs of their patients.
I have done a lot of EMR/EHR research and am seriously considering Athena and a smaller start-up called Stimulus. Where is the best place to look for EMR reviews? I feel like there really aren’t that many, and whatever is up is not up-to-date.
I agree, the EMR that is implemented needs to be easy for the Physician and the staff to use. Time spent in orientation to the system is time away from patient care duties. The system must be easy to use and training time needs to be minimal.
Actually, a very high percentage of EHR implementations fail because the office staff and physicians are under trained. Certainly the goal is to be efficient with training, but patient care will suffer in the long run if the team is not proficient with the chosen solution. 35 years of experience shows that the software and hardware install is easy, it is the business change and the internalization of the solution that is difficult. Hard to make that happen without extensive training. Additionally, since stimulus reimbursement will be tied to “meaningful use”, proficiency with the entire functionality will be necessary.