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.

EHR Implementation - Important Tips 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.

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.

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?

Difference Between EMR and EHR

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

It is easy get confused by the inconsistent way these terms are bandied about in the industry.

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 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.

If you are out there trying to take on the daunting task of researching and finding an Electronic Medical Records Software solution (EMR) all on your own, the prognosis is bleak, the toll is high, and you will have a very bumpy road to travel. There is good news though, and all you have to do is take the Easy Street exit, just ahead. That's where you will find the right professional help to guide you through your EMR Selection Process, and save you a lot of time, money, and frustration. Good EMR Consulting Companies are hard to find, simply because there aren't many.