Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have been implemented in the healthcare industry for some time now. They not only offer many benefits to the service provider but also the patient. If you have not already got this system in place at your medical practice, here are all the reasons why you should give the idea some serious thought.
What is an electronic health record?
If you run a medical practice, it is unlikely that you have never heard of EHRs before, but in case you haven’t, we will explain what it is. Put simply, electronic health records are used in place of paper medical documents. Data that was traditionally stored using manual processes such as paper files are converted to digital documents. They are instantly updated and can be accessed by authorised persons from anywhere and at any time. Some common aspects EHRs cover include medical history, results, medications, allergies, treatment plans and more. As all information can be found in the one location and quickly, this allows physicians to formulate more accurate and efficient methods of care for their patients.
Store patients data securely
Those in the medical field are held to extremely high standards, and the processes used to gather and store patient data is no exception. If you use paper as a form of recording and updating patient data, it is at risk of preventable damage such as fire, water or even theft. Even if your paperwork escapes this type of damage, over time it can rip, tear and often writing becomes illegible. Having all your patient’s data in the cloud prevents all these things from occurring. Its safely stored with enterprise-grade encryption algorithms, an extensive permission system and user tracking activity. All information is backed up, so you never have to worry about losing it. This kind of protection is simply unmatched by manual data collection and storage.
You can automate many aspects of running a practice
Rather than having to hand-write referrals, scripts, other necessary documents, you can automate these repetitive tasks. This allows you to spend more time talking with your patients, and by doing this, you can gather detailed insight into the patient’s overall health and wellbeing.
Saves time
For any health care provider, having to scour through paperwork to obtain key information about a patients history, current medications or health conditions can be time-consuming and tedious. This takes time away from the patient, and it often sees appointments run over schedule or worse, loss of patients due to lack of rapport. When the provider has electronic health records, they can easily access all client information in the one location. They are clear, easy to read and can drastically reduce the instances of errors. Patients receive more accurate care and treatments which in turn leads to better health outcomes. Other benefits of using electronic health records are that it has medical billing integrated into the system, and this can reduce the administrative tasks relating to this. All appointments can be accessed with ease, and you can track, set reminders and send patient alerts with the touch of a button.
Saves money
EHR offers unparalleled efficiency, and the time saved from manually having to log data can be better spent elsewhere. This extra time allows staff to be more productive in their working day and allocate resources more effectively. Less office stock such as filing cabinets, pens, paper, and administrative supplies are needed for the everyday running of the health care facility. This can boost the overall profits of the practice by putting a stop to unnecessary expenditures and wastage. Electronic health records not only save you money, but they are better for the environment too.
Better care for your patients
As we’ve touched on in this post, electronic health records can promote better patient care. Medical records can be shared with other providers instantly to give the patient the most comprehensive level of care. As data is updated automatically, the provider can obtain accurate information regarding their patient’s current health status. All health care providers involved in the patient’s care are in sync with one another, and this enables you to make decisions with confidence. With artificial intelligence technology, clinicians can recognise early signs of disease before it has a chance to progress to later stages.
It is convenient
With many aspects streamlined and simplified, running your practice becomes much more convenient with electronic health records. This can free up more time to spend on other areas of the business.
Medical software programs such as electronic health records and practice management software are undeniably the way of the future. They improve patient care, boost profits, reduce errors, and so much more. We have mentioned only a snippet of the benefits that EHRs can offer.
If you have been thinking of implementing a medical software program at your practice, why not try us here at Nookal? We’ve created a practice management software program that allows you to control virtually every aspect of your clinic from your computer or tablet. We offer a free 30-day trial and if you don’t think it has the potential to improve the way you do business, simply cancel at no cost. There is no better time than now to get started! For further information, head to our website.
