EMR & EHR Blog for Physicians

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Physicians across the United States have spoken.  While electronic medical records software provides a laundry list of features and benefits, data compiled over the course of 2011 by Capterra shows us that clinical staff is demanding more efficiency in the form of practice management software as opposed to focused features around treatment templates.

The 5 Most Requested Features in Electronic Medical Records

Billing System Integration is at the top of the list, and for many physicians and administrators, it's a "god-send" type feature.  With various billing requirements depending on insurance, copays, patient data, eligibility among patients, remittance and tracking it can be a never-ending chore to keep the books straight for a small practice.

With practices that are months behind in collecting on insurance, a streamlined system is nothing short of a lifesaver.

Practice management software and electronic medical records that incorporate billing functionality provide numerous benefits including more accurate record keeping, elevated patient security to ensure HIPPA compliance, a more efficient collections process to reduce labor costs, more efficient book-keeping among administrative staff and - above all else - faster payment turnaround from payers.

Automatic Reminders - Depending on the branch of medicine you practice, a missed appointment for a patient can be detrimental to their health.  Some appointments are critical and must be kept.  Sometimes patients neglect to save the date, in some cases your administrative staff are so backed up that patient rescheduling is missed.

Electronic medical records complete with practice management software make it easy for the physician to plug in the date of next visit.  Once appointments are set in the system, automatic reminded are delivered at set intervals to a patient through a variety of chosen channels.  Staff is also notified of pending appointments as well as missed appointments.

e-Prescribing - Electronic prescribing of medications is all about accuracy, effectively improving patient care by reducing the risk of errors in reading or writing a prescription.  In addition to the accuracy aspect, e-Prescription integration in systems and practice management software allow for duplicate therapy checks, drug interactions and contraindications, proper dosing, allergy and adverse reaction checks all bundled together with simple electronic transmission to the pharmacy of choice for the patient.

The benefits are clear, but for those seeking the incentive on integrating electronic medical records, this is also one of the criteria necessary to qualify for the Medicare Rebate.  Last but not least, you'll greatly appreciate the amount of time saved from having to sit on the phone with the pharmacy as they try to interpret prescriptions - any physician can appreciate that.

Document Scanning - Not surprising that document scanning made it into the top 5.  One of the challenges of integrating electronic medical records into a practice is trying to decide what to do with old patient records.  Some imaging software doesn't integrate with electronic medical records, and other patients may bring you medical records with images that need to be archived.

Having the ability to scan documents into the electronic health records of your patients, as well as adding in records from existing files, ensures the continuity of care across all patients.

Medication Tracking - Tracking medications and reconciliation at the patient, medication and reaction level improves patient care as well as any case studies you may be facilitating or participating in.  With the right med tracking system in place with your practice management software, you can more easily manage inventory and usage, leading to automation of medication purchases as needed.  Lastly, medication reactions and toxicity monitoring using standard adverse reaction terminology is invaluable for tracking, reporting and the follow-up phase.

The question is:  Can you get all 5 of these features in your electronic medical records solution - whether it is server based EMR system or a web based EMR system?  The answer is a stout yes.  Not only are electronic medical records customizable depending on your needs but there are also a number of systems such as those sought after above, preloaded into top level EMR software systems.  This provides you and your practice with an off-the-shelf solution, and access to every one of the top-demanded features in EMR software.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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Electronic medical records are proving to be beneficial above and beyond the offered incentives for Meaningful Use and improved efficiency as practice management software.  According to a recent study from Stanford University School of Medicine, electronic medical records are providing insight into patient behaviors, and it appears that women report more intense pain virtually every disease and disorder category.

The base information was compiled using data mining of electronic medical records with the intent to establish the broad gender difference based on true recorded data.  The study was published online in the Journal of Pain, and the compilation of the data shows that there is a great deal of value behind EMR data mining for research purposes.

That research can be used in a variety of ways, with raw statistics giving physicians a first time insight into trending across a huge database of patients.  The University utilized a database designed specifically for research with more than 160,000 pain scores from real patients, with more than 72,000 of those patients being adults. 

From those cases and the recorded data, researchers were able to specific disease-associated pain by gender and look at recorded pain scales within system templates.

“None of these data were initially collected for research, but this study shows that we can use it in that capacity,” said Atul Butte, MD, PhD, the study’s senior author.

While this marks the front of a tremendous opportunity with electronic medical records, the systems are still relatively new. EMR systems have been setup and installed in a variety of health care offices and hospitals throughout the U.S., with more clinics and hospitals integrating these systems each month thanks to incentive programs from the government.  Unfortunately, only 1-2% of hospitals currently utilize electronic health records and medical records, and a very small portion of clinics are utilizing web based EMR systems and practice management software.

The lack of integrated systems means far less data available for research, but with a tiered incentive plan rolling out over the next several years, the federal government aims to make sure that 100% of health care providers - regardless of size - utilize EMR software.

By 2018 we can likely expect large-scale research using clinically collected data - and some significant breakthroughs in patient treatment methods, response to medications, trending symptoms based on flu virus strains and other epidemics, etc.

There's a caveat in this research that is a bit controversial; whether or not women actually feel more pain than men.   

“It’s still not clear if women actually feel more pain than men do,” said Butte. “But they’re certainly reporting more pain than men do. We don’t know why. But it’s not just a few diseases here and there, it’s a bunch of them – in fact, it may well turn out to be all of them. No matter what the disease, women appear to report more-intense levels of pain than men do.”

The hope is that through continued roll out of electronic medical records, Butte and his team will be able to find a biomarker for pain - some form of objective measurement - that might aid in understanding and treating pain in both genders.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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As a neurologist, the work you do is largely visual, using electronic imaging such as CAT scans, MRI's, EEG's and sleep studies to monitor the activity of the brain, central and peripheral nervous system.  It makes sense to pair your electronic imaging with electronic medical records.  The data and imaging systems you use have grown to become highly accurate, and are the foundation of delivering quality care to your patients.

But leveraging modern imaging technology with ancient practice management and record keeping undermines the performance of your staff and directly impacts patient care.  To get the most out of the arsenal at your disposal, you need to utilize electronic medical records specifically designed for use in Neurology.

Choosing the Best Neurology EMR

There's the rub; making the choice on which neurology electronic medical records to use is the primary (and often the only) barrier that holds doctors at bay.  Even for a tech-savvy physician, all the aspects of on-site and web based EMR can be overwhelming.  That's why custom systems were designed, specific to the practice or branch of medicine, to help physicians choose the best electronic medical records and practice management software as it related specifically to their branch of medicine.

When you only have to review EMR software designed exclusively for your office and workflow, it's not only easier to see how you can benefit from electronic medical records - but also how much easier it can be to implement that system.

For example:  If you see patients in different rooms based on physical exams, imaging and record viewing then you can benefit from a neurology EMR system that stores data in a single location, easily accessible from any workstation or connected mobile device/tablet.  Instead of accessing different segments of patient records from different systems (like imaging and patient history), everything is easily accessible from a single software system.

Verifying Compatibility of Neurology EMR Software with Current Technology

One of the larger headaches in a neurology office is dealing with patient imaging results in non-compatible formats.  Sending a patient out for a CT or MRI usually results in receiving a CD format based on software that's different from what you may have in the office.  With the right Neurology EMR software, you'll have compatibility between varieties of machines - whether local hospitals and consulting offices use GE, Siemens or other forms of imaging equipment.

Neurology EMR Makes Work Simple

Electronic medical records are about more than compatibility and centrally stored, easily accessible records.  The software is designed to make running your practice easier as well.  It may seem like you need to make profound changes in order to implement electronic medical records, but in truth it's the other way around.  EMR systems are customized to adapt to your practice, and the way you operate.

If one of your patients winds up in emergency care and their latest potassium result is 7.4, a combination of audible and visual notifications should be triggered. You should have a system in place that you can trust will alert you to critical developments.

If you're constantly running your office on a packed schedule, you want an EMR system that provides practice management to integrate patient appointments, reminders and schedule details.  Because of the critical nature of many appoints, it helps to have neurology EHR software that integrates automatic emails and triggers telephone notifications prior to appointments to help patients keep appoints, ultimately improving practice efficiency.

Curbing human error is what we often strive for in a practice.  Human error can have dire consequences for patients but it can also jam up the administrative side of your neurology clinic - right down to the billing.  From ordering medications and setting up prescriptions to tracking the access and logins of your staff, repetitive tasks can be easily automated and charting tracked in order to reduce error and improve the measurable outcomes (and effectively the bottom line) of your practice.

RevenueXL provides best value EMR for Neurology. Schedule a demo of the most affordable EMR for Neurologists by clicking below:

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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Larger practices and organizations in the health care industry are readily switching over to electronic medical records and reaping the rewards, but small to mid-sized practices are much slower to adopt and make the transition due to a number of barriers - with particular concern to how it will slow down treatment times and affect the bottom line during implementation. 

That's why less than 12% of small practices utilize even the easier-to-implement web based EMR.  While it's important to spend time determining the best EMR for a small practice, there are a number of things you can do on your end to make your switch to electronic medical records a smooth one.

1. Ask Your Staff about Their Needs with Electronic Medical Records Software

The biggest push back with a switch to electronic medical records software is often among a group of physicians who don't necessarily agree or are happy with the EMR software once it's in place.  The key to a successful transition is to get everyone involved in the transition.

Discuss with the team of physicians and support staff what functions or features would be most beneficial to their clinical work as well as administrative functions.  If you query for insight from the staff and other physicians, it lays a foundation for a positive transition.

It also lets those among the staff know that they are valued for their input and ultimately, for the individual or team responsible for choosing the best EMR for a small practice, it helps them narrow down which options are most important, and choosing which EMR system is best.

2. Get Customized Electronic Medical Records

It stands to reason that the better your certified electronic health records and practice management software fit your practice, the smoother the transition will be.  Customized templates and electronic medical records software catering to your specialty or branch of medicine not only help you run your practice more efficiently, but it improves support and care provided to your patients.

The best EMR for small practice is one that comes pre-loaded with custom templates and administrative systems, saving clinical staff (and you) from the painstaking process of modifying an entire database of treatment and disorder related templates.

3. Help Your Staff Get Comfortable With Technology

When you make the switch to electronic medical records, the use of technology is inevitable.  You're dealing with software over paper charting, so those who make contact with the patient (especially physicians) in your clinic will need to know how to work a computer - and some doctors and support staff just aren't tech-savvy.

Before you can expect anyone to make the switch, ensure that everyone on your team is capable of performing simple tasks on a computer.  If you're planning to roll out electronic medical records within the next 6 months or fiscal cycle, try to provide your staff with access to the same computers you'll be using with your EMR software and electronic health records.

This can give them insight into how to access files, organize data, access wireless networks, utilize associate hardware, print, send files over the network, email, etc.  If your staff is comfortable with simple tasks, they'll be able to focus more on learning the functions of the new EMR software instead of fumbling with the hardware.

4. Define Who is Accountable for EMR Related Decisions

This is important for small to mid-size practices with multiple practicing physicians or partners.  While getting input from everyone on staff is important, there needs to be a single individual responsible for making the final say on any matter.  Without this, you could find yourself in a lot of heated debates and hair-splitting over the implementation of certain features, medical transcription services, hardware, access, etc.

With a leader to make the decisions, everyone on staff - administrative and support staff included - recognize that the final decision goes to someone else - effectively neutralizing any time-consuming power struggles.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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With pushes from the government as well as insurance companies, dermatologists are continuing to come on board with adopting customized dermatology EHR software for managing their practice and the electronic medical records of patients.  While it’s mainly been larger organizations within medicine that have been quick to adapt and evolve with on-site and web based EMR and EHR solutions, a number of small practices and solo clinics are beginning to invest in electronic medical records - and they’re seeing the benefits.

One of the major benefits of a scaled down dermatology EHR software suite in your practice is the cost of implementation.

While larger organizations like hospitals and multi-partner practice networks utilizing multiple labs and locations have higher implementation costs, dermatologists have begun to realize that for a smaller practice like yours, the cost can be far less.

For a small practice, you would typically be guided toward a web-based EMR software system due to scalability and cost.  Even for those clinics that opt to install servers and operate on-site systems, the cost is still considerably less than larger-scale implementation.

Customized Templates for Dermatology EHR

Another benefit that makes tracking, charting and patient reporting much easier on a dermatologist is the use of templates.  A graphic template in a dermatology environment allows you and your clinical staff to quickly click through common signs and symptoms, choose common regions of the face and body, etc. 

If you add macro-building in, where the system stores and learns common notes and entries, you can speed up input time within each template.  A few keystrokes or clicks can input frequently- used terms or phrases.

Through treatment, the document and image management makes it easy to generate before and after reports to chart trending and progress in patient treatment.  Most importantly, the information can be provided in a user-friendly way.

Cost Offsets Equal Monetary Gain

Consider the expenses you currently have without dermatology EMR; how much do you pay for transcription in your practice?  Whether it’s in-house or outsourced, some clinics can pay upwards of $1000.00 a month or more depending on how much medical transcription is outsourced. 

With dermatology EHR software, you’re typing and clicking through templates and reports, all stored in a central location that can be easily printed off or sent digitally as needed.  This eliminates handwriting and human error from interpretation of that handwriting.  Reducing dependency on transcription alone can pay for a web-based EMR system which, for a small practice, can start at a mere $300.00/month.

More Face Time Leads to Improved Diagnoses

Patients frequently complain about limited talk time with their dermatologists, mainly because of the patient volume of the practice coupled with administrative duties - you’re likely rushed just like any other practicing physician.  With dermatology EHR software, you don’t necessarily see more patients.  You can see the same number of patients in your practice, but because you’re not committing as much time to charting and writing out prescriptions, you can spend more time with the patient.

The result is that patients feel like they get a quality encounter, you can spend more time focused on the individual and you’re likely to improve your diagnostic process.

With dermatology electronic health records, the advantages only continue.

1. Rapid patient data transfers among departments; this is important when skin conditions arise as a result of an underlying medical issue.  Quickly transferring patient data to a specialty practice or to a larger medical facility reduces the wait time for continued treatment of your patients.

2. Customizable and scalable electronic medical records can grow with any practice, so you’re not locked into the templates and software design you start with.

3. e-Prescribing dramatically reduces errors in prescription fills for patients and can eliminate hold times where handwritten prescriptions have to be confirmed before they’re filled.

4. Cleaner billing, with more complete records and error reporting.  With dermatology EHR software, you improve your bottom line with a more efficient patient billing process that guarantees a higher payout on Medicare and other insurance claims.

Dermatology electronic medical records and EHR software bring together all the various aspects of your practice, from clinical to administrative, and combine them into one customizable software suite that ultimately helps you run a more efficient practice.  Patients benefit from closer, more personalized care and you benefit by reducing overhead costs with more accurate records and billing.  For everyone involved, adopting dermatology EHR software offers premium gains for a small investment.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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There's a vast array of technology available to help move a clinic into the future with electronic medical records software.  While some is optional based on cutting edge technology, there are certain technologies that are required in order for these integrated systems to operate efficiently.

For a new practice edging into an upgrade, understanding how the systems work and the cost potential can help smooth the overall integration.  Ultimately you can make a more educated decision on the best course of action for your practice.

Technology Expectations with Electronic Medical Records Vendors

Every vendor has a different approach to the technology because different EMR solutions can be customized to work in a variety of environments.  There's no one shot solution or single path when it comes to choosing your hardware and systems.  Here's a rundown of the different technology you can expect to come into play depending on the electronic medical records software and system setup you choose.

Tablet and Pad Integration for Electronic Medical Record Software

Current tablet PC's offer the highest level of mobility in your office.  Utilizing electronic medical records software on a device like this makes it easy to interface with patients and record data as if you were using a traditional charting method. 

This doesn't necessarily mean they're the best choice for on-site hardware; you have to consider things like initial cost investment, learning curves and training time, battery life, durability and system security for a mobile PC.

On the upside, Apple and Android, along with other brands, are continuing to refine and produce cheaper models that are designed to compete with standard PC's.  While these smaller models are far more portable, they may not suit your needs in a clinical environment.

 If you're investing in electronic medical records software, check with your vendor first as the pad or tablet PC you want to use/purchase will need to meet some specific application requirements.

Server Integration for Electronic Medical Records Software

There's two ways to approach electronic medical records software:  On site (client-based or client-side) or web based EMR software.  No choice is necessarily more reliable than the other because it's based on similar technology but there are bonuses to a web based electronic medical records systems.

The cost to you for a monthly web based EMR is much lower (as low as $300/mo) than the standard upkeep of a client-side system.  In addition, your dependence on the operation of the server is quite high.  Choosing a client-side setup for electronic medical records means a sizable upfront investment in the technology, security and firewall systems.  You also have to consider the cost of technical support or an IT team to address regular maintenance issues as well as network/software emergencies.

Workstations or Desktop PC's for Electronic Medical Records Software

A common workstation is often one of the best choices for an office because they are relatively inexpensive.  Even with a web based EMR system you may want to consider upgrading your hardware for smooth operation of the software.

For any clinic or practice with a large number of partners or practicing physicians, but a relatively low number of treatment rooms, workstations can keep costs down - as opposed to equipping each individual practitioner with their own tablet PC. 

If mobility is still a concern, workstations can be mounted to a powered mobile cart to allow for more mobility in the office.

Scanning and Printing when Upgrading to Electronic Medical Records

A common concern for many small practices when upgrading to electronic medical records software is how they will handle existing records.  Imaging devices such as all-in-one printers and scanners can help with the transition between paper charting and electronic medical records software.  During the initial implementation, a high speed scanner can simplify the task of updating the records of existing patients for a much smoother integration.

Lastly, consider the common medical devices you use.  Any medical device capable of connecting to EMR technology is going to greatly reduce the number of transcription errors.  A lot of current medical equipment can feed data into an EMR system including ECG machines, Holter recorders and electronic vital sign monitors.

The costs associated with upgrading to a system relying on electronic medical record software are negligible in the end.  Between stimulus offerings for small to mid-sized practices as well as the cost-savings resulting from more efficient EMR operations, many practices have found that they save money and improve their bottom line once the system is fully in place.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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Finding and implementing the best EMR for small practice poses a lot of unique challenges when you have fewer than 5 physicians practicing together.  When you're trying to decide on the best EMR for a small practice, you are dealing with so many moving parts that it becomes a nightmare to put all of them together in a cost-effective manner which also does not hinder your productivity.  That's one of the barriers many physicians have to implementing electronic medical records. It's also why less than 12% of small practices utilize EMR technology.

The Best EMR for a Small Practice – Option to Implement Web Based EMR or Server Based Electronic Medical Records

Web based EMR software is a great option for many practices because the setup time is drastically reduced. With a server based set up, there's a great deal involved in setting up the infrastructure.  For a large practice with a large IT support staff, the down time and cost is manageable for implementing a server-based EMR, but it's enough to cripple a small practice. 

A web based electronic medical records system is readily customized, and because the entire system is off-site on secured servers, there's very little to implement on your part aside from training staff and moving your systems to a digital environment. 

A web based electronic medical records system is far more affordable; running as low as $300/month.  That fee includes the implementation, customization and monthly maintenance associated with storing and maintaining records along with regular IT support for your practice.

Implementation can be reduced to as little as a few weeks for web based electronic medical records.  Top EMR Systems provide you with an option to implement either web based or server-based EMR Systems. It is ultimately a personal choice of the Physician involved.

The Best EMR for a Small Practice – All Necessary Interfaces Included Upfront – No more nickel and diming by EMR Vendors

Some EMR vendors tend to nickel and dime small clinics by quoting a small initial fee and then adding on a number of charges for components that will be required to meaningfully use the EMR. Best EMRs meant for small practices package all the required components and interfaces into a single upfront fee and these occasionally include ePrescription, Lab Interface, Patient Portal, etc.

The Best EMR for a Small Practice – Certified EMR Fully Customized for Small Practices

Small practices need to implement fully Certified EMR Software that has been customized for the use of all the physicians working there. This means customization of templates as well as the workflow that promotes efficiencies in the Practice. Further small practices need support in ensuring that there registration and attestation process associated with obtaining the EHR Incentives is facilitated by the EMR vendor.

Electronic Medical Records - Adapting to the New Technology

Where the best EMR for a small practice is concerned, the American Medical Association knows that physicians need help in implementation.  In May of 2011, the AMA launched a program that specifically targets small practices like yours who lack EHR technology and may be wary of implementing new systems due to cost barriers or understanding the technology.

According to Steve Stack, the board secretary of the AMA "We created the series as a primer for physicians and practice staff to understand the key stages of health IT adoption and the implications of the current regulatory environment," said Stack. "Even though the adoption of health IT is growing, there is still a very large constituency--particularly those in small practices--that is not using health IT today, and most of us access the healthcare system through the small practice."

The program aims to provide physicians with an efficient approach to finding the best EMR for a small practice.  Through a series of videos, the AMA presents overviews of Health IT, how to choose the best web based EMR for a small practice, how to prepare staff, efficiently implement the EMR system, and more. This can greatly reduce setup time within your clinic.

There are a lot of benefits of an EMR system, and the stimulus reimbursement can offset your setup costs.

So, don’t procrastinate. Schedule a free EMR Demo from a EMR vendor that specializes in serving small practices and jump start the process of digitizing your practice.

 

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

To receive the EHR incentives, medicare eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals needed to demonstrate meaningful use of EHR deployed through CMS' web-based Registration and Attestation System.

In the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System, providers had to fill in numerators and denominators for the meaningful use objectives and clinical quality measures, indicate if they qualify for exclusions to specific objectives, and legally attest that they have successfully demonstrated meaningful use.

CMS has made available MU attestation data on its website in the form of a data set which merges information about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs attestations with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Certified Health IT Products List. This new dataset enables systematic analysis of the distribution of certified EHR vendors and products among those providers that have attested to meaningful use within the CMS EHR Incentive Programs.

Here are some interesting facts from attestation data submitted by Eligible Professionals:

a. Top 15 Specialties that successfully attested (in descending order)


b. Attestion by Grography - Top 10 States

c. Top 10 EHR Gorillas

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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A physician researching electronic health records systems in order to improve the efficiency of their practice will typically find they have one of two options; the first choice is to implement a server based electronic health records system.  The other is a web based EMR system.  While the two offer very similar functionality and features, there are some inherent benefits that come with utilizing the best web based EMR software available.

(As a matter of fact, when people refer to web based EMR or EHR, they sometimes do not understand the difference between an ASP based EMR and SaaS based EMR. This will be the topic of a discussion in the near future.)

Web Based EMR Software - Security of Patient Information and Practice Data

There's often a barrier in adopting electronic medical records software, especially for a small practice.  Apprehension typically revolves around concerns over the privacy of the patient information.  Often, a physician may believe that storing patient data offsite is not as secure as on site file storage. 

Web based EMR systems are actually more secure that the common clinical environment for a number of reasons.

1. Web based EMR software is certified to meet the requirements of HIPAA while transferring, storing and backing up patient data.  One of the ways these requirements are met is through data encryption.

2. Networks are typically far more secure on dedicated servers with an agency providing web based medical software.  Your clinic is more likely to have open access points in a firewall or internal network that make it easy for outside access.  This type of unauthorized access is extremely difficult on a guarded and secured network hosted by an EMR provider.

Web Based EMR Software - Handling Data Loss

If you're concerned about having data lost with no onsite backups in your practice, or being locked out of a system in the event that web based electronic medical records software crashes, rest assured.  Providers of web based practice management software and medical records run frequent redundant backups on additional servers. 

When a server crashes, the data is still accessible with no loss of connectivity to the data.  Others are able to immediately restore from a crash without a practice noticing the glitch.  For a clinic, a crash could shut down operations until IT teams arrive to resolve the issue if it can't be handle remotely.

Web Based EMR Software - Maintenance Reduction

If you operate EMR software within your practice, you'll need to factor in recurring costs to your network.  This includes the depreciation and replacement of servers, switches, cables, desktop systems and routine IT fees for outages, server maintenance, upgrades and more.

With web based billing software and medical records, you can run your practice without dealing with all the hassle of maintenance.  The agency providing your EMR system handles all server maintenance because the systems are off-site.  The additional bonus in this regard is that you don't have to fork out the expense of network upgrades, servers and additional staff (even remodeling) in order to make room for a custom network to handle your electronic medical records and practice management software.

If there is an issue on the server side with your web based EHR provider, they'll handle the problem directly.  If you're considering which is better, ask yourself how you would cope with trying to upgrade or maintain a network after hours if you can't locate an IT specialist.

Having your own internal system within your clinic is certainly not an inferior choice, but for those physicians considering all options to adopting electronic medical records software, a web based system that is remotely hosted and accessed via the web is a viable option.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.

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Why are more and more number of Chiropractors embracing technology and implementing Chiropractic EMR Software?

Alternatives to traditional medicine are becoming ever more popular as people - particular those who don't favor prescription treatments - seek out ways to improve their health, distress and get their mind and body back to center.  That means a lot of attention is turning toward Chiropractic care, but not just because of the benefits of this specialized branch of holistic medicine.  It's because more and more chiropractors are pairing up with specialists to provide a range of services to their customers.

That includes things like:

• Massage therapy
• Access to Dietitians & Nutritional support
• Physiotherapy
• Percussive therapy
• Laser therapy

And a great deal more - but with all those services there's a problem; more clients, more bookings, more staff and more things to create a bottle neck.  In a busy chiropractic office, even the smallest administrative tasks can slow you down.

What's worse is that you or your staff may let smaller duties slip aside through the cracks into order to take care of "what's important".  Something as simple as a patient scheduling another appointment can have a major impact if the front desk misses it.  What if a bill is incorrect?  What if a patient misses a critical appointment and no one notices it?

Chances are your practice has been operating for a while.  Think back to the time when everything was on paper.  The madness of it can be overwhelming.  We think life (and business) without the basic technology we have now would be a challenge.  If you were to utilize top Chiropractic EHR, you would be looking back wondering how you've managed to get by amidst the chaos.

That's because chiropractic electronic medical records offer ways to streamline your practice that most don't even realize to be an issue.  But just because something is a non-issue, because you're used to it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be addressed.  Waiting for it to break, and putting out fires, is what causes the most disruption in a clinical environment.

The Leading Benefits of Chiropractic Electronic Medical Records

Here are some of the primary benefits of making a change to chiropractic EHR systems:

1. Simple Interface - most offices have patient data in various locations, with supporting documentation stored electronically for print on demand.  This leads to a lot of gathering for patients, scheduling appointments, retrieving data, etc.  Chiropractic electronic health records provide a customizable interface that's user friendly.  Not only is it easy to get your staff to adapt to its use, but the EMR software can bring the operation of your entire office into a single interface.

2. Complete tracking and reporting - With a custom EMR solution for your practice, you can actually go paperless.  Charting, orders, appointments, referrals, imaging - everything can be stored in a secure, digital environment with secure backups.  This can save any practice a great deal of money on supplies and paper costs alone, while also freeing space so your front desk staff doesn't feel cramped like sardines in a can.

3. Accurate billing - Paper billing by hand offers a lot of opportunity for human error, especially when you have a high client volume with multiple front desk people handling patients.  Chiropractic electronic medical records are designed with customizable billing solutions, along with reporting, to reconcile accounts and check forms for complete and accurate data.  That means you can protect your practice from costly billing mistakes.

4. Simple scheduling - The integrated solutions provided with chiropractic electronic medical records allow for painless organization to match the homeopathic services that chiropractors offer.  If only everything could be this easy.  Most electronic health record systems for this type of practice allow for detailed scheduling with accurate data and reminders; especially on missed appointments.  This helps you keep your patients on track, ultimately improving recovery time and overall care.

With training and support to help get these systems implemented, along with the healthcare stimulus offered to reimbursement qualifying chiropractors, it quite literally pays to invest in best Chiropractic EHR for your own practice.  At the very least your patients will appreciate the reduction in wait times when they come in for adjustments and other treatments.

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RevenueXL Inc. provides best value comprehensive solutions to medical practices. Our solutions include affordable Electronic Medical Records Software (a.k.a. EMR or EHR Software), Patient Portal, and Practice Management or Medical Billing software and revenue cycle services including medical billing, medical coding, coding audits and account receivables management services. RevenueXL offers a free consultation session to review your current challenges and answer open questions revolving around EMR and revenue cycle.