A well-implemented, high-functioning EMR should ultimately lead to better patient care, improved practice efficiency and better office management. EMRs should cut down on paperwork, filing and storage. They should also provide access to other clinical information, such as lab and diagnostic imaging reports.
EMRs improve patient care
When you can access patient information, such as lab and diagnostic imaging results, medication history and trends in an instant in a legible record at the point of care, you’re able to provide more effective patient care. An EMR allows you to:
- Deliver chronic disease management and care of complex patients
- Maintain more complete, consistent and legible records for efficient, logical and reliable access
- Access lab results and current medications quickly and easily
- Graph lab results, medications and trends
- Generate decision support and reminders for physicians and staff
- Aggregate reports to better understand patient population
- Improve efficiency of administrative tasks
- Minimize risk of missing/forgetting important details
- Check for drug interactions or contraindications
- Monitor medication lists and current prescriptions
EMRs enhance productivity
When you can bill appropriately and seamlessly for the services you provide, you ultimately reduce the burden of manual labour on you and your office staff. When you can find important patient details using comprehensive search functionality, you ultimately save yourself valuable time – and money. An EMR allows you to:
- Simplify and optimize billing with correct codes
- Reduce manual labour with automated filing and form-filling
- Generate end-of-day reports
- Save time with computerized record searches
- Free up office space no longer needed to store paper charts
EMRs offer flexibility
- Access charts from anywhere at any time
- Streamline interoffice communications
EMRs offer enhanced privacy protection and security
- Allow only authorized users secure log on
- Track and audit user access with automated logs and processes
EMRs improve legibility and continuity of care
- Avoid mistakes caused by illegible handwriting
- Help colleagues access patient information while covering vacations and other absences
- Attract locums or partners to an organized, modern practice
- Supports succession planning and recruitment by increasing the desirability of your practice
(Information adapted from the British Columbia Medical Association’s Physician Information Technology Office.)