Take a look at what an EHR can do for you!

At MedicSupplier our software options were developed by physician entrepreneurs and IT technicians. We are confident that you will find a reliable, complete, reasonably priced software option for your practice today!

Knowing what your practice needs will help you find the right EHR at the right price. Many expensive, luxury software models have tons of options but overlook the basic needs of a medical office. Here are some of the basic features that we feel are essential to a good EHR program.

Interface functionality and appearance

Take a good look at the basic interface! Look for a simple, well laid-out screen. Pop-ups and excessive screen switching can be confusing, time consuming, and add undue complexity to an EHR.

Notes

A note creation section is at the forefront of many physicians minds because of the overwhelming ease and convenience of this feature. Look for features such as quick text expanders, dialog boxes, customizable templates and macros. Many physicians have found that these features make the note taking process much smoother and enjoy the convenience of paperless notes.

Scanning

Being able to scan paper documents into a patient's electronic file bring offices one step closer to creating a paperless office. Scanning consultant's notes, older paper medical records, lab reports, x-rays, etc. create the convenience of having everything in one central, electronic location.

Practice Management and Billing Software Integration

These features are standard with almost all EHR software packages.

Database Structure

Take the time to research the limitations and abilities of the underlying database and look into the upper limits on the number of users of such records.

Prescribing

EHRs offer the same core functions: printing prescriptions, e-prescribing, prescription renewal, printing multiple prescriptions at one time, tracking expired prescriptions and compiling favorite prescription lists. Some other options to look at or consider would be allergy alerts, drug interactions, and prescription plan cross-checking.

Communication and Reminders

EHRs facilitate easy communication between staff and physicians as well as generate care reminders, track studies from start to finish and even attach relevant chart information.

Health Maintenance

EHRs that offer health maintenance sections should have the ability to incorporate guidelines and have the flexibility to set your own guidelines.

Problems List

Look for EHRs that are able to link ICD-9 codes, enter free text, differentiate between active and inactive problems and link to the assessment plan/encounter note for easy billing.

It takes time to determine which features your office needs in an EHR. Once you have determined these factors, take time to research and implement an EHR. It is most important that the EHR functions efficiently for your office and that it helps you provide better patient care by meeting your expectations, saving you time and money, charting in real-time and eliminating paper records.

Consider the following: Consolidated health records in one central location, lab results at the touch of a button, electronic prescribing, a higher level of efficiency, and increased quality of patient care. At MedicSupplier all of this is possible. We offer two EHR choices: Soren Technology and Spring Charts. Depending on your office's budget and size you may choose either EHR to meet your practice's needs.

Web-based vs Client Server

When purchasing an EHR system, which is better? Web-based or Client Server? To answer this question, it's important for you to decide which will best suit your practice needs and make an educated decision. Let's take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of both solutions.

Web-based (ASP) is a remotely hosted software system that is accessed through an internet browser. The server is secure and HIPAA compliant. Professional IT technicians manage all of the technical aspects of the server. There are minimal computer software requirements so the system works with most existing office computers. The information can be accessed at anytime, anywhere by an authorized user via internet access. Web-based systems are relatively inexpensive to start up but the fees can add up over time. In most cases, you pay a monthly or annual service fee to use this service. Because the host server is accessible to a large number of users, it may lose some customizable features. Depending on your internet service, it may take time for data to transfer over the internet.

Client Server systems are capable of delivering the best of both worlds; speed and remote access. They allow for quick response times as the data is transferred from the server to the client. The practice has control over their patient data, however, with this control comes added responsibility and practices are more open to the threat of theft, fire, hard-drive failure and data corruption. Client Server systems can be expensive to start up depending on your practice's existing computer software and hardware systems. Many IT technicians consider web-based (ASP) systems the wave of the future. They are convenient for practices with multiple office locations and can be accessed from any internet location. Some doctors are hesitant to put their data in the hands of another company and still prefer the more popular Client Server based systems.

Speak with a MedicSupplier consultant today and let us help you make an educated decision as to which EHR system makes the most sense for your practice!