Electronic health records (EHR) have been a topic of discussion in the medical world ever since the HIPAA laws made EHRs mandatory.
Initially, both medical practices and patients were leery of the new electronic records system because they simply did not trust that information being out on the Internet. But ever since secure cloud-based EHR solutions have been introduced, everyone is starting to see the benefits of digital records storage.
Records Are Easier To Access And Read
Doctors and nurses are notorious for their bad penmanship and, while this may seem like the premise of a fun joke, it was actually a significant problem for many years. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, electronic records can allow for quick access to everything a doctor would ever need to know about a patient’s medical history and all of those records are legible. That means that a doctor and his physician’s assistant can accurately read each other’s notes, access all of the necessary information, and deliver quality care.
Cloud-Based EHR Costs Less
Nearly $1 trillion per year is spent on medical administrative costs in the United States and many of those costs are duplicates. With EHRs, doctors can get test results from labs and imaging facilities instantly and there are no more duplicates. In the past, technicians and lab personnel have performed duplicate tests because of inefficiencies in the system. Duplicate tests mean duplicate charges to the insurance company and patients. Utilizing EHRs eliminates these duplicates and lowers the cost of healthcare in the United States.
Eliminates Paper Files
From the patient’s perspective, paper files can be lost and that can affect the quality of care that the patient gets. From the medical professional’s perspective, paper files take up room and that room costs money. Paper files are also extremely delicate and, over time, the information on paper files can fade and make delivering quality care even more difficult. By utilizing EHRs, the medical professional and patient both benefit from the elimination of paper files.
EHRs Are Easier To Use
According to HealthIT.gov, cloud-based EHR systems can be accessed by any medical professional no matter where that professional is located. For example, if you are injured while you are on vacation, the doctor you see can have instant access to your medical records, thanks to the digital revolution.
Every medical practice has to start utilizing digital records, but that does not mean that your medical practice has to settle for a low quality solution. The Practice Suite cloud-based solution will satisfy your digital records storage requirements and also allow you to run your practice more efficiently. You will have the benefits of being able to access your medical records anywhere you practice medicine, you will be able to engage in more efficient medical billing, and you will also benefit from the practice management tools that will help you control the costs of doing business in the medical world.
0 thoughts on “Advantages of Electronic Health Records – Making EHR Work in Your Medical Office”
It\’s great to know that one benefit of using the HIPAA software is that it helps eliminate the use of paper files and save on space and money. One problem mentioned by my friend who is working at a hospital is the patient files that they have to keep. I\’ll mention to them that this can be a solution to their problem and that they should consider getting in touch with an expert for this.