Electronic Medical Records Software | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Stuffing paper patient charts into bulging file folders is no longer the only way to manage medical records. That's right: medical records are going high tech. Thanks to electronic medical records, also called electronic health records, patient charts and other patient info can be computerized to increase efficiency, improve organization and reduce costs. If you are considering making the move to electronic medical records, or EMRs, for your practice, consider the benefits:

An electronic medical records system can improve efficiency by organizing records in one central location.
Electronic health records provide quicker and easier access to patient information.
EMRs can reduce paperwork with computerized patient charts.
An electronic medical records system can potentially improve patient care by utilizing protocols contained within the software.
Voice recognition medical software reduces the need to pay for dictation and transcription services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Basic features to look for in medical records software systems

Two common types of medical software are web-based software and desktop software. With the first type, the software resides on your software vendor's computer system, and with the second, the software is installed directly onto your computer. To narrow, the choices, consider contacting a consultant.

I recommend: EHR Consultant can help you choose which type of medical records software is most appropriate for your practice.

Consider your options before you purchase an electronic medical records product

Experiment with an electronic health records software demo before purchasing a particular system to make sure it meets your needs.

I recommend: GloStream provides a free demo of its gloEMR medical records software product to interested parties through the company's website. Also, check out the Practice Partner Patient Records electronic medical records demo to see how your practice can benefit. Other electronic health record vendors are Allscripts and NextGen.

Look for an individualized electronic health records product

Many software providers can customize an electronic health records product for your practice, no matter how large or small.

I recommend: AdvancedMD sells medical practice management software for small practices that includes a medical records feature that lets you store and view insurance cards, customize fields for patient records and eliminates duplicate patient information. Or consider PracticeStudio.Net from Micro Four, a medical records software program that includes in-depth history and examination forms that can handle a wide array of diagnosis and treatment situations.

Consider compatibility when shopping for medical records software

When purchasing software for electronic health records, make sure it is compatible with any other medical software programs you may already use, such as medical billing software.

I recommend: MediNotes is an electronic medical records software program that is compatible with many of the leading medical billing software programs.

Understand the law's effect on electronic medical records

Whatever system you choose, make sure you know how to comply with federal privacy and security laws that affect electronic health records.

I recommend: Try a consulting firm with expertise in medical records and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, such as FOX Systems, Inc., which can help a practice stay in compliance with federal security and privacy guidelines.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Before you commit to a new medical records system for your practice, consider your budget. You may have to make a significant financial outlay at the start to purchase the necessary equipment and software.
Study up on HIPAA. The federal law's security standards not only apply to electronic medical records but also require many more safeguards of a patient chart in an electronic format than it does for paper files.
Realize that there will probably be some growing pains as your practice makes the transition from paper patient charts to electronic medical records. Training sessions could help everyone become more familiar with the new system.

The official source of Electronic Medical Records Software is
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