Choosing the right EMR system

Posted on Thursday September 12, 2019

Medical professionals should always strive to give the utmost care to their patients, not only through proper diagnosis and treatment but with the best ancillary healthcare services as well. These are improved by the use of electronic medical records (EMRs). EMRs eliminate paper charts by digitally storing patients' medical history and treatment. EMR systems lead to major health care savings and reduce medical errors. To get your healthcare practice ready for an EMR system, here are considerations to take note of.

Determine your requirements

EMR software offers a vast selection of functions - and you don't want to pay for one that is irrelevant to your practice. Avoid this by making a list of all requirements from the ground up. Be process-oriented and begin from patient admission, then move on to patient scheduling, medication lists, visual reports, and so on. Prioritize the features that would bring the most value to your practice.

Get the appropriate EMR for your specialty

EMR systems with broad functions may not offer the specific features that you need. On the other hand, the right EMR system can be customized to suit your specialties and provide a familiar workflow. For instance, doctors who specialize in midwifery will need a unique EMR platform designed for logging in a newborn's medical details.

Simple usability

EMRs should help healthcare professionals manage their patients. Usability issues can hinder this, so how will you know if your EMR solution is easy to use? Try out the demo version and test a few common functions that will assist you in your everyday routine. You should be able to figure out how to use it more or less right away. You'll also need your staff to be able to catch up quickly, so simplicity helps a lot when implementing a new system.

Support and upgrades

Reputable sellers usually provide 24/7 support, which is beneficial as most likely you'll come across technical problems at some point. You never know when you might need someone ready to answer questions late at night. And when it comes to software, support often includes upgrades with new features and bug fixes. Find out more about your potential vendor's track record in giving quality care and consistent software updates.

Vendor viability

Take into account your vendor's plans for the future before buying their EMR product. You're not just buying from your vendor, but you're also creating a long-term relationship with them. Remember that technology is always changing, as are medical regulatory standards. Make sure that your vendor has good customer relations and that they have the ability to invest in future development. After all, EMR implementation can be costly and you don't want to be making major changes to your EMR system every few months.