Selecting the Right EHR for Your Practice
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Selecting the Right EHR for Your Practice EHR 1 EHR 2 kareo.com TheThe purchasepurchase and implementation ofof anan electronicelectronic healthhealth record record system system (EHR)(EHR) isis nono smallsmall feat—especially forfor smallsmall practices,practices, whowho frequently frequently have have limited resources, staff, and capital to invest. limited resources, staff, and capital to invest. According to a recent study conducted by AmericanEHR, nearly 40 percent of physicians would not recommend their EHR According to a recent study conducted by AmericanEHR, nearly 40 solution to another provider; only slightly fewer said they would percent of physicians would not recommend their EHR solution to not purchase the same software again. another provider; only slightly fewer said they would not purchase the “Digital“Digital technologies technologies that that enable enable same software again. real-timereal-time claims claims management management and Conversely, in a study conducted this year by an EHR vendor, payment,and payment, automate automate dictation and the approximately 60 percent of physicians who are satisfied see Conversely, in a study conducted this year by an EHR vendor, the coding,dictation and and improve coding, physicians’ and improvements to care and workflow. What makes the difference? approximately 60 percent of physicians who are satisfied see communicationimprove physicians’ with each other Those physicians who get the most out of their EHRs carefully improvements to care and workflow. What makes the difference? Those andcommunication with patients withcould each lower other physiciansconsidered who the get products, the most the out vendors, of their EHRs the implementation,carefully considered the the overheadand with costs patients and could enable lower more products,training they’d the vendors, require, the and implementation, how the EHR thewould training be used they’d on require, a efficientoverhead practice.” costs and enable andday-to-day how the basis.EHR would be used on a day-to-day basis. more efficient practice.” —Jeff Goldsmith, Ph.D., Associate Professor Public Health Most small practices can’t afford to pay someone to select their Most small practices can’t afford to pay someone to select their EHR. Sciences, University of Virginia – The Future of Medical EHR. We’ve prepared this guide to help those of you in small —JeffPractice: Goldsmith, Creating Ph.D., Options Associate forProfessor Practicing Public Health Physicians Sciences, to We’ve prepared this guide to help those of you in small practices do it UniversityControl Their of Virginia Professional – The Future Destiny of Medical Practice: Creating Options practices do it yourself. for Practicing Physicians to Control Their Professional Destiny yourself. It’s the first in a series of resources designed to help small practices purchase, implement, and effectively use an EHR. What if I invest time and money... and then don’t see results? Are the financial incentives worthwhile if my job gets harder to do? Selecting the Right EHR for your Practice 2 2 | Selecting the Right EHR for Your Practice Ron Sterling’s Top 14 SelectingSelecting an an EHR EHR RonCritical Sterling’s Features Top 14 And Functions Your EHR choice is one of the most important decisions Critical Features And Functions Your EHR choice is one of the most important decisions that you will make for your practice. It can dramatically that you will make for your practice. It can dramatically impact the way your practice operates, and how you 1. Certified EHR. impact the way your practice operates, and how you interact with patients and other healthcare providers. It If 1. an Certified EHR is not certifiedEHR for Meaningful Use, then its value is limited.Confirm certification for Stage 1 and interact with patients and other healthcare providers. It If an EHR is not certified for Meaningful Use, then its value is limited. can be challenging to learn new technology and adapt to discuss the company’s plan to meet the updated can be challenging to learn new technology and adapt to new workflows—choosing the right solution can help. Confirmrequirements certification for of StageStage 1 2. and discuss the company’s plan to new workflows—choosing the right solution can help. meet the updated requirements of Stage 2. 2. Usability 2. Usability Ease of use—you hear it all the time, but for small practices it Ease of use—you hear it all the time, but for small really ispractices vital. You it don’t really have is vital. the time, You don’tmoney, have or staff the time,to have big drops money,in productivity or staff or to a havesteep biglearning drops curve. in productivity User friendliness or a steep learning curve. User friendliness is in the eye of is in thethe eye beholder—don’t of the beholder—don’t take some take else’ssomeone word else’s for wordit. You for definitely want physicians to see the product in action it. You definitely want physicians to see the product in action and and test it out for themselves. test it out for themselves. 3. Clinical content 3. Clinical Content According to Ron Sterling, an independent EHR According to Ron Sterling, an independent EHR consultant Clinical content comprises the specific checklists, documents, Ease of use—you hear it all the time, but for small consultant and publisher of the popular blog Avoid EHR and publisher of the popular blog Avoid EHR Disasters and toolspractices that support it really your is vital. area ofYou medicine. don’t have The thebest time, way to Disasters (www.Avoid-EHR-Disasters.blogspot.com), the check money,on the applicability or staff to have of the big clinical drops content in productivity is to sign-up or ora (www.Avoid-EHR-Disasters.blogspot.com), the key features steep learning curve. User friendliness is in the eye of key features and functions that small practices need in and functions that small practices need in an EHR are not ask forthe a trial beholder—don’t login and document take some a couple else’s sample word notes for it. you You definitely want physicians to see the product in action an EHR are not necessarily the same ones that larger have for actual patients. necessarily the same ones that larger organizations need. and test it out for themselves. organizations need. Small practices need easy-to-use Small practices need easy-to-use and comprehensive and comprehensive solutions to clinical operation and solutions to clinical operation and patient service 4. Patient summary screen patient service challenges. By focusing primarily on challenges. By focusing primarily on those features that Patient summary screens display key information about a patient’s those features that improve workflow and support both 4. Patient Summary Screen improve workflow and support both staff and doctors, status or situation. Note that requirements can vary per specialty. Patient summary screens display key information staff and doctors, you’ll find the most practical solution For example, pediatricians are interested in immunizations, you’ll find the most practical solution to the needs of your about a patient’s status or situation. Note that to the needs of your small practice. Keep in mind that requirements can vary per specialty. Forexample, small practice. Keep in mind that some of these features surgeons may want a list of prior surgeries. All doctors want a list pediatricians are interested in immunizations, some of these features are critical if you plan to attest to are critical if you plan to attest to Meaningful Use or to of medications,surgeons current may want conditions, a list of and prior outstanding surgeries. care All items.doctors Meaningful Use or to qualify for Patient Centered Medical want a list of medications, current conditions, and qualify for Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). outstanding care items. Home (PCMH). Selecting the Right EHR for your Practice 3 3 | Selecting the Right EHR for Your Practice 5. View options When looking for patient information, it’s best to have different view options built into the EHR. For example, the option to see the patient Don’t get distracted by chart in either chronological or reverse chronological order, or grouped extras you don’t need by type of information (e.g., lab tests, radiology studies, and the like). “There’s a battle being waged 6. Orders in health IT. If you’ve seen the To avoid liability issues, clinical orders typically are recorded and latest feature grids comparing include the status and due date of the plan item for the patient. For medical software, you know example, a treatment order may be pending for a future time, have what I mean—page after been completed, or refused by the patient. To efficiently manage services, you should be able to view all patients with selected types of page after page of product open orders (e.g., A1C) for selected due dates, plus be able to review features. You’d have to have orders on the patient summary screen. Order management is an a photographic memory to important feature to manage quality and patient service, as well as be able to truly compare participate in initiatives like PCMH. products with a list that long because no one can 7. Health maintenance recommendations remember them all. Health maintenance items are care standards that apply to patients What’s worse is that the based on their age, sex, diagnosis, and previous treatments (e.g., majority of these features immunizations for children, colonoscopies for patients over the age simply aren’t relevant to most of 50, and annual checkups on hip replacements). Health maintenance items should automatically and clearly be displayed small practices.” when a patient qualifies for the care standard. —Dan Rodrigues, CEO Kareo 8.