Although electronic health records (EHR) have gained traction over the last few years due to Meaningful Use incentives, more rapid adoption will occur only when physicians see the value in using this technology to improve care. The EHR’s usability is a critical part of this. Physicians must be able to use the EHR to support clinical decision-making in such a way that can be easily updated and modified to meet clinical goals. Vendors and providers must work together to achieve the goal of Meaningful Use stage 3—that is, to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare.

This article addresses the challenges that physicians face with EHR adoption and provides several ways in which the technology can be improved to enhance positive outcomes.

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.

A successful EHR implementation is foundational to the success of your EHR system. For most practices who have dealt with problems with their EHR, those problems stem back to difficulty with their implementation. In order to be successful in using EHR, the very first step is to assess your practice readiness. It's important not to skip this step, as you'll find that it will provide you with the guidance you need to make the most out of your EHR. 

Even though EMR is becoming commonplace in the healthcare industry, statistics show that the number of practitioners who are experiencing EMR dissatisfaction is on the rise. Most of these practitioners have been using EMR for a few years, yet they're still experiencing difficulties that are resulting in EMR dissatisfaction. Perhaps you can relate, and you're also not happy with the system you're using in your practice.

Through the studies that have been done in order to help us understand the satisfaction levels of physicians using EMR, there are a few reasons why the experts believe these EMR users aren't enjoying their EMR as much as they should be. By correcting these problems, satisfaction levels should increase, resulting in more profitable practices, happier patients, and content physicians and medical staff.

Lack of Vendor Support

Vendor support is a key component to ensuring EMR satisfaction. However, it is not only limited to the implementation stage, even though that stage is vital to the success of the system. The most recent Family Practice Management survey tested the satisfaction levels of practitioners using various EMR systems. While there were some that were happy with the support they received from their vendor, most of the physicians surveyed responded negatively. They felt that adequate support was not given during the training process, and they also felt that as time went on, their vendor was not responsive to their needs.

In this day and age, when providers are switching EMRs right and left, we all know that they went wrong in one crucial part of their EMR purchase: vendor selection. While there are many different methods of EMR vendor selection used by medical practices, many of them have been left wishing they had used a different method, or chosen a different vendor. EMR vendor selection is very important for many reasons. In addition to poor selection being problematic for physicians who wish to attest to the stages of meaningful use, choosing the wrong vendor can also result in implementation and utilization issues. A great deal of research is required prior to choosing your vendor. Research is the only way to ensure that you've made an excellent choice, and that you'll be able to enjoy all of the benefits of your EMR system.

As you begin to look at EMR vendors, here are a few key areas you'll want to pay attention to that will help you make an excellent decision that you won't regret a few months or years down the road.

Reputation

Reputation might be the most important factor you should consider when you're shopping for an EMR vendor. How many customers do they currently have? Have any of those customers been able to attest to meaningful use at stage one? Your colleagues are a great resource for you when you're researching EMR. Ask them questions and find out their opinions of companies they've worked with. It's also a good idea to request that the vendor provide you with references. Be sure to follow up with the references you're given. If there is any reluctance at all in giving you the names of a few practices the vendor has worked with, it should be an immediate red flag.

Consider Your Needs

All too often physicians make the leap into EMR vendor selection without really taking into account what their needs and goals are for implementing it. They're very eager to get started with EMR, and they look at it as just another item to check off their to-do list. 

What are the goals you have for your EMR system? If you're hoping to take advantage of reimbursement for meaningful use, you'll want to choose a vendor who holds that as a high priority. If you're interested in a system that's going to provide you with mobile accessibility, it's important to eliminate those that do not provide that feature. Regardless of what your individual practice needs and goals are, stick to them, and don't settle for less than what you need to make your EMR vendor selection a good one.

Request Proposals

There are many practical factors you'll want to take into consideration in your search for your EMR vendor. One you've done some research, request proposals from the ones you feel the most comfortable working with. You might even request demonstrations, if the vendor offers them. At the very least, the proposals you get should include installation costs, training costs and any fees associated with upgrading the system in the future. Be wary of making your decision based on cost alone, as cheaper doesn't indicate better. Instead, focus on what the vendor offers in terms of IT support and training to help you make a decision that will provide you with everything you need. 

Above all, planning ahead is vital. Each stage of meaningful use will be more difficult to attest to, and you'll want to be working with a vendor who is prepared for any changes that need to be made in the future. An excellent EMR vendor selection will expertly guide you through implementation, giving you excellent support.

Whether you need advice on which vendor to select, or you'd like to see a demo from RevenueXL, we're standing by to help! 

Now that the HHS has issued two sets of long-awaited and much-anticipated federal regulations on list of "meaningful use" criteria that healthcare providers must meet to qualify for federal IT subsidies and the standards and certification criteria that those EHRs must meet for their users to receive the EMR incentives, one is left wondering what is the real value of CCHIT certification and do those EMR vendors who went in for CCHIT certification and spent over $40000 each for the certification without waiting for the meaningful use get any headstart?

EMR vs. EHR

What is the difference between an EMR and EHR? Aren't they essentially the same?

Times are tough economically and it may seem like a bad idea to spend money on implementing an Electronic Medical Records solution in your practice. However, a large number of physicians continue to be amazed at the increase in efficiency of their operations after successfully implementing the ‘right-fit' EMR in their Clinics.

When you take on the onerous task of selecting the right EMR Software (aka EHR Software) for your clinic yourself, you may unknowingly do many little things that will surely lead to selection of EMR Software that is not right for you. They will result in costly and frustrating mistakes that can come as a surprise and hit you hard when you least expect them.

I was reading an interview with the CEO of a company which offers EMR Software on SaaS (Software as Service) basis. The CEO of that EMR vendor company mentioned that theirs was the only real SaaS EMR, others who claim to be SaaS are really only ASP EMRs. I have seen this term used interchangeably in the past and therefore thought that it would probably help to clear the air a little bit.