Do you know where resources such as time and money are being used best in your medical practice and where they might be wasted? Chances are, even the most organized and efficient office isn't following every best practice when it comes to medical billing or electronic health records implementation. Learning from the mistakes of others, keeping up with trends in the industry, and understanding how regulatory compliance plays a role in every task can mean the difference between a profitable practice and one that struggles with cash flow.

EHR Implementation - Real Life Case Studies for Success

Implementing electronic health records, or making upgrades to existing systems, presents challenges for any type or sized medical practice. Luckily, a number of organizations have made the switch to electronic medical records in the past decade, which means your office can build upon lessons learned by others.

Whether you are looking at updating a current electronic health records (EHR) system or instating EHR for the very first time, you will need to take the potential EHR implementation costs into account. Although most medical professionals view EHR as worth its weight in gold (due to the increased efficiency and organizational capabilities it provides) struggling establishments may worry about having the "gold" to pay for the transition in the first place. Ultimately, the cost of EHR implementation will have to be weighed against the potential savings. Detailed below are a few factors you should keep in mind as you attempt to decipher EMR implementation costs:

Choosing to integrate an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system into your practice signifies a major change in the way you manage patient records and workflow. Comprehensive systems are designed to improve efficiency and accuracy, which leads to improved patient care. Next to selecting a system and nearly as important as choice of EMR system is the how the system is implemented. From understanding government standards and staff training, EMR implementation initiatives should be well planned for optimum outcome.

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. 

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.

EMR Training

Here's a multiple-choice quiz with an answer that may surprise you:

What's the most expensive cost element when you implement new Electronic Medical Records?

a. EMR Software
b. Workstations and monitors
c. Training and Change Management
d. Customizing templates

If you answered "EMR software" - sorry, no cigar. While EMR / EHR software isn't cheap, it's a one-time expense.

If you chose "Workstations and monitors" you're still on the wrong track. Workstations and monitors with more than enough power for EMR cost under $1000.

If you answered "Training and Change Management," you may select the kewpie doll of your choice - you're absolutely right. This cost component is perennial and has no end!

You probably spent several months in EMR vendor selection process. Right? Did you realize that you need to spend at least as much time in planning your EMR implementation, if you want to ensure a successful Electronic Medical Records implementation.