What is an EMR Software?
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are software applications that are digitized equivalents of traditional paper-based medical records, such as those seen in a paper chart. They keep track of your patient’s medical history, prescriptions, vaccine dates, doctor’s notes, and so on. They are fantastic systems that help to centralize patient records, and they are crucial in any contemporary day practice.
Using EMR software is one of the finest methods to streamline your everyday duties and keep track of patient care. Depending on where you work, such as in a hospital or outpatient care, Free EMR software is most likely already in place. If you’re starting your own practice, you’ll need to determine which one to use.
Key features to look for in your EMR software
Whether you’re looking for new EMR software to install or simply want to know what popular features you can anticipate from an EMR solution, you should first grasp what the company offers in terms of security and privacy. While these two characteristics are simple, they are critical for any system that manages patient data.
Second, make sure they offer a webinar or online training to assist you to get used to using it. In general, EMR software is not always straightforward to use, so getting support right away will shorten the learning curve.
Aside from security, privacy, and support, the ideal electronic medical record system should save you time while also assisting you in improving patient care. The top critical features that every EMR Software must have are list below.
EMR Templates with Customizability
The capacity to generate templates is one of the best advantages of electronic medical record systems. A decent EMR software should offer simple templates where you can rapidly fill in the information.
Templates will speed up the charting process, allowing you to complete it in just a few taps while also producing easy-to-view patient data for quick referencing.
You should also ensure that you have the flexibility to build your own templates, as no two practices are the same. You can save your own often-used information in this manner so that when you see patients with similar diagnoses, you can speed up the entire workflow process.
Here’s an example of a template you could use on your EMR system:
Common medical conditions and patient encounters
Letters of inquiry and responses
Links to commonly used drugs and diagnostic codes
New Consult Evaluations
Other examples include newborn-4-year-old checkups, paps, and IUD insertions.
Never use an EMR that does not have charting and customized EMR software templates.
24/7 Access and Reporting
You should ensure that the electronic medical record system is accessible 24/7 from anywhere. This implies that it is constructed on a web-based platform (cloud hosting) so that you may access it from any device (web, mobile, or tablet) with an internet connection. This means you’ll be able to view your patients’ records whether you’re at the clinic, the hospital, or on the road!
The greatest electronic medical records will allow you to create customized reports and run them on a schedule that works for you (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.). Reports should be generated automatically based on all of the information collected by your EMR software, such as patient history, documents, test results, financial data, and any other information that is captured.
If you work in a lab-dependent practice, for example, your EMR software should electronically monitor the delivery, analysis, results, and certainty of any lab tests, as well as provide charts and downloadable reports.
It’s vital to question your prospective EMR software solution how their reporting system works and how you can best tailor it to fit your clinic.
Communication between providers
You should be able to communicate information among physicians as well as view EMR software from anywhere. Being able to swiftly receive or communicate patient records to someone else, such as a referring physician, helps speed up your patient’s treatment time by ensuring that every physician has an up-to-date and accurate summary of the patient’s history.
Aside from delivering patient information, your EMR software should offer a centralized communication system that allows you to communicate with another doctor or leave messages for them. This centralizes patient communication and makes it easy to record and view up-to-date patient data.
Scheduling Functions
Scheduling should be done within EMR software so that you can simply keep track of appointments. But what’s the difference between having scheduling tools within your electronic medical record software system and just having electronic appointment software?
If your scheduling system is integrate with your EMR software. You will be able to tell your patients promptly whenever you schedule an appointment, follow-up, or reminder. This saves time in the office (for example, no one needs to make a reminder call), as well as reduces the number of missed appointments.
A scheduling function is a very effective tool since it can generally be tailored to fulfill a specific purpose. For example, you may set up reminders for test results.
Overall, scheduling features should boost your productivity by centralizing many administrative tasks and streamlining your calendar and notification system.
E-Prescriptions
The ability to swiftly deliver prescriptions and authorize refills is an excellent feature to look for in EMR software. This feature will not only make it easier for your patients to receive their meds (no more poorly written prescriptions), but you will also be able to connect directly with pharmacies. For example, you can send the prescription directly to your patient’s favorite pharmacy.
Aside from two-way communication with pharmacies. Your EMR software should track prescriptions prescribed to your patients and be able to inform you. If any of their medications may conflict with other medications they’re taking or with any allergies they may have.
This ensures that you are always prescribing safely. Another useful aspect is that when an interaction or potentially negative consequence is recognized, an alternative approach is given.
Patient Portals
Patient portals are an excellent approach to educating patients while also providing a forum for them to exchange information with their doctors and speed up their recovery time. A good electronic medical record system will provide patients with a secure login via which they can readily access:
Materials for education (like care instructions).
Sign or download forms.
Test results
Data from their most recent visit
Their allergies, vaccines, and prescriptions are all listed.
Recent doctor appointments and discharge summaries
Scheduling appointments
Request for a prescription refill.
Contact Details
Patient portals are an excellent approach to encourage patients to arrange appointments online, reducing phone calls and administrative duties. Furthermore, it provides customers with a centralized location where all of their medical health information is save and update. Some EMR systems allow you to personalize the portal so that you can distribute newsletters, preventative care reminders, and targeted health promotions.
Integration of Laboratory
If you want to use your EMR software to streamline your practice and increase productivity. You must ensure that it connects properly with a laboratory, whether on or off-site.
This will make it easier to follow test sample delivery and findings. The results will be automatically enter into the patient’s chart. It also saves you time by eliminating the need to manually enter each lab/image result. If your patient’s test results are aberrant in any way. You should be told instantly on the EMR software screen, or a banner should appear notifying you.
If you’ve picked an EMR software that also has a patient portal, your patient will be able to view their lab results as soon as they’re available.
A solid lab integration will not only make communication between you and the lab easier. It will also display the results in an easy-to-read style that both you and your patient can understand.
