EMR reviews – What’s the catch? CureMD 09:15

There is yin and yang, black and white. Two sides to a coin, two interpretations, two or more point of views to everything. Heck, there are batman haters out there!

When talking about reviews there are good ones and bad ones right? May it be movies, restaurants or softwares. But when it comes to EMR’s, I wonder if there is another side to the story?

Every website you go to will paint a very pretty picture of the software, as if it’s your wonder drug. It would make all the pain go away. They would talk about how the software is “absolute best and has made their lives easier”. “There are absolutely no issues” or “Surpassed my expectations”. Such reviews really make me ask myself, can I trust these EMR Reviews?

The excessively optimistic tone, choice of words with industry specific jargons and outright admiration for the software really pose a question to its validity and reliability as if they are either paid reviews or written by the vendor’s marketing team itself. There are hardly any balanced reviews. What other possible explanation there could be that every other software has such high ratings with absolutely no problems or bug issues. Something which even huge IT giants like apple aren’t deprived off.

Are customers really writing them? It’s easy For a Practice to be disillusioned by these companies, that’s how marketing and sales functions work; it’s all hunky dory until your money is gone out of the pocket.

I don’t mean to be a cynic but websites like Software advice charge money from EMR Vendors to write referrals.  I believe there should be neutral third party reviews to these softwares for us to make the right decision. I personally rely more on word of mouth and physician referrals rather than these websites. I realize it’s necessary for the vendors to establish a brand image online, but they should always know where to draw the line.

What are your thoughts?

Choosing an EMR Vendor from CureMD

Vascular Surgery EHR CureMD 07:50

Vascular Surgery EHR is designed specifically for the needs of vascular surgeons as they help physician’s improve clinical outcome, documentation, increase cash flow and saves time.

Improve clinical workflow

Vascular Surgery EHR helps reduce paperwork and offer post procedure instructions. It stores electronic patient signatures on practice policies, including HIPAA, Medicare and financial agreements.

Enhance quality of care

Using the Vascular Surgery templates physicians can improve the documentation and accessibility of patient data. It offers complete review of systems that gives confidence to practices to code at correct level. It helps collect patient responses and communicate it to a patient report that can be printed electronically.

Meaningful Use certified

Vascular Surgery EHR helps meet specific goals of meaningful use. By collecting patient information at each visit, the Vascular Surgery EHR helps maintain a medication allergy list, records smoking status, demographics and maintain and up to date problems of diagnosis.

Increase cash flow

Vascular Surgery EHR check copay for every patient automatically and offers flexible payment options if a balance is large.  It saves time by automatically collecting and verifying the patients’ insurance information in real time.

Looking for an EHR is same as buying a car CureMD 11:00

Looking for an EHR is same as buying a car

In the same way as cars and cereals, there are hundreds of EHR systems out there. Buying an EHR Software can be a complex process. But you don’t need to worry about, after you have narrowed down your search the only thing you should be worried about is which EHR you will end up taking home. 

Objective

First of all you need to ask yourself why you need an EHR Software in the first place. You need to have an objective to guide you on how to select the right EHR. The more precise and assessable your objectives are, the better they will be able to help you.

Limitations

Everyone had their limitations when buying a car or a house. So practices know their limitations when they are buying EHR software. Whether it is the practice size or the number of patients it helps the practices make decision regarding EHRs. You need to talk with everyone especially with your biller who might have different constraints that you may never have considered. After knowing all the objectives and limitations, you must convert them into the requirements of your EHR.

Specific requirements regarding EHR Software

Some of the requirements that practices and physicians should know when buying an EHR software.

• Meaningful Use attested
• Automated claim submission
• Connectivity with labs and hospitals
• Ability to customize the lists of medications, diagnoses etc.
• Able to create reminders for chronic diseases
• Advice on coding
• Able to verify eligibility in real time
• Able to allow multiple users to access charts simultaneously
• Money back guarantee if not satisfied
• Ability to access records anytime from anywhere
• Ability to support dictation
  
  

Colleagues 

To know the names of different EHRs the best way is to ask your colleagues. Find out what other kinds of EHRs, physicians and practices are using and ask them for the information regarding those EHRs.

Regional Extension Centers (RECs)

These are located in every region of the country and funded by the government for the purpose of providing assistant in EHR implementation and health IT needs. Any practice and physician is able to get list of EHRs selected by RECs. For primary care physicians free consultation is also provided at these centers. 

Signs that indicate when EHR replacement is due CureMD 07:40

Considerable amount of effort and investment is needed when implementing a new EHR Software. With the technology and rules changing rapidly around us, many users of EHR will know if their EHR needs replacement or not. As we move forward to meeting Meaningful Use stage 2 and ICD-10 requirements, having an old EHR that is unable to meet these requirements will not work out definitely.

Analyze your current system for flaws

Practices need to analyze their current system regarding any issues that they are facing with it. Evaluating the system will help the practice make a decision that if the new system is necessary or not. Make sure if your current system is meeting your practice requirements? Does the new hired staff have any problem with training?

Sometimes replacing the entire system does not entirely work out for the practices. Discuss with your vendor if you can receive an upgrade of your current system.

Signs of EHR Replacement

Old interfaces that doesn’t work

There are many kinds of different interface areas both software and hardware in which practices operate. If a certain interface is not working or is giving unexpected results or takes longer than usual than its time to get a new system. The new system will help the practices streamline their workflows and provide them with friendly and consistent interfaces.

Unable to incorporate with Health Information Exchange

Networking is the future of the medical industry. Having an EHR system practices must be able to integrate with other systems to provide a coordinated care. Medical records in one health practice should be accessible by a specialist in another practice. This type of integration will help enhance the medical care.

Not being able to meet Meaningful Use 2

Previous EHR systems were created to meet the Meaningful Use Stage 1 and are unable to meet the Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements. The current EHR system should be flexible enough to allow the physicians meet the Meaningful Use stage 2 requirements and address the payment incentives. If your existing EHR system is unable to meet all these requirements than it is time that you replace your EHR software.

Issues transferring to ICD-10 codes

If your current EHR software is unable to shift from ICD-9 to ICD-10, which is significant to the healthcare industry than you should look into buying EHR software that is compatible with ICD-10 codes.

Inadequate technical support

If your current vendor fails to provide you with better customer services and technical support that is essential to every practice then it is time for a change. 

Tips to enhance the use of EHRs CureMD 13:20

EHRs can be difficult to use efficiently if you are steering your way between digital and paper based systems. Here are some tips on how to solve these issues regarding the use of EHRs.

Call forwarding

Most of EHRs include call forwarding option that converts your faxes into a digital image that is uploaded onto the EHR Software. Practices need to check with their phone service provider to know if the call forwarding feature is available on their fax line.

Use fax machine as a scanner

Practices don’t need to buy a new scanner for their office. They can use the fax integration option to convert their documents into black and white digital image of the document that can be accessed through the EHR.

Incorporate patient data into EHR

You can ask your EHR vendor to help you export the patient demographics from the current billing system. Practices can also ask their EHR vendors upload the existing patient contacts into the EHR system.

Write e-script

Instead of faxing the pharmacy you can use e-script option to reply to a refill request. Doing so will update the patient record so the pharmacy will know when the original script for refill was received and then will send an automatic request for an electronic refill.

Check office internet speed

For better experience you should have a minimum target for internet speed. Ask your internet service provider to check your internet speed. Downloading internet speed must be 5 Mb/s as it affects how fast you can open different web pages. The uploading speed should be 2 Mb/s and this will affect how fast you can upload data to your EHR.

Use your phone in case of internet failure

If you are using a cloud based system then in case of the internet failure you must have a backup option of internet. Contact your phone service provider to get internet access on your cell phone so that you can have an uninterrupted access to your EHR software.

Cost effective ICD-10 implementation CureMD 10:41

In a new study by American Medical Association (AMA), ICD-10 implementation will cost the providers three times more than previously estimated. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner have made it clear that there will be no more delays regarding the ICD-10. So what practices need to do in order to make the ICD-10 transformation more cost effective?

Practice ICD-10 codes

There is a large volume of ICD-10 codes but your practice doesn’t need to remember all the codes. Practices have to only use those codes that are specific to their specialty. There are many tools out there providing free ICD-10 conversion. Many EHR vendors are providing both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes to their clients so that they can become familiar with ICD-10 codes before the deadline.

Make a training plan

Make a training plan for your practice so your practice can start practicing the ICD-10 codes at the earliest. Set goals and training timelines. Consistently test your staff regarding the ICD-10 codes and encourage them to get themselves acquainted with these codes before the October deadline. ICD-10 will affect every member of the practice so everyone needs to have a sufficient preparation to make the difference. Starting the ICD-10 training as soon as possible will benefit the practices in the long run as it will save them money.

Keep your EHR software ready

According to the AMA study, software upgrades makes up larger percentage of total costs associated with the ICD-10 implementation. The costs associated with software upgrades ranges from $60,000 for a smaller practice to $2,000,000 for a larger practice. Making a right decision about choosing the EHR software helps practice to allocate more resources towards the training and can help them save costs if their vendor upgrades their EHR software for free.