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Make more money with EMRs

It’s the new thing in healthcare. Everyone has it or is on their way to […]

It’s the new thing in healthcare. Everyone has it or is on their way to get it. Let’s find out how you can earn more with your new EMR.

1. More patients in less time

EMRs automate processes that were once performed manually at your practice. Patient registration for example, no longer requires filling in forms and manual data entry. With patient portals a patient can either provide this information himself or your staff can retrieve it through scanning driving licenses and insurance cards.

At the clinical end, there is no need for nurses to sit in front of computers entering patient’s vitals, as device integration allows reliable and quick transmission of information into the patient’s chart.

On the financial side, you need not create super-bills manually. The system does this on its own and guides you to the next patient. Thus, EMRs enable you to utilize your time more effectively. Saving time is a luxury for most in the care delivery profession.

2. Less paper, less cost

A significant decrease in the use of paper does not only save trees but considerable cost to your practice. Your hard earned money is not spent on items that add little value, such as office stationary, paper storage cost, courier service for communication and staff for maintaining and upgrading patient records.

EMRs do all that and much more with a simple click of a button. Communication and collaboration with patients and other care providers or organizations is done through emails, electronic faxing and SMS transmission, so you can dedicate your staff to enhance the patient experience, a small change that does wonders for patient satisfaction and ultimately your practice ratings!

3. Disease specific Templates

These templates help you in two ways. They reduce your workload by identifying and automatically populating disease specific information in a patient’s chart. Furthermore, they increase the chances that you will be paid fairly for your services.

Consider for example that there’s a flu going around, so every patient walking in is complaining of the same problem. A template driven EMR can help you document faster with more efficiency, because half your work is already done. All you need to do is to make patient-specific changes in the template and end up with a well documented visit note for the patient. Not only does this reduce your workload but also increases your chances of getting a higher return. More detailed diagnoses lead to a higher E&M code with complete supporting documentation reducing chances of rejections.

4.  Bonuses are good

Can you imagine being paid for buying a product? With EMRs you do.

Government and non-governmental organizations offer monetary incentives to that can cover a substantial chunk of your EMR investment. The Meaningful Use program gives physicians up to $ 44,000 in reimbursement over five years for Medicare and $ 64,000 under Medicaid. More importantly, you get an initial payment of $ 21,500 under Medicaid for just signing up with a certified EMR vendor.  As electronic medical records reduce risk of medical errors, malpractice insurers have also started to provide incentives for medical practices to transition to EMR.

5. Reduced “No Shows”

Patients who fail to show up for appointments are the bane of any practice. No-shows reduce revenues, waste staff time and create artificial access problems. With integrated EMR and Practice Management software: automatic email, SMS and telephone alerts notify patients of upcoming appointments, thereby reducing the chances of a no show. In cases where patients want to reschedule, a simple drag and drop allows the user to change the appointment date and time without.

6. Satisfied Patients. Better reviews!

A satisfied patient is the best form of marketing for your practice. With the right EMR, your patients have access to their medical records at all times. Patient portals not only allow for patients to request appointments, refills or access their health clinical records, patients can also receive disease specific alerts. Built-in patient education material helps better understanding and management of their clinical condition. Staff is more actively engaged with patients rather than file work making patients feel important.

In conclusion, as more practices experience the benefits of EMRs they find that the initial investment is affordable and the longer-term return increasingly compelling.


Frank Quinn

The writer is a leading Health IT analyst contributing regularly on some of the most pressing topics like Electronic Health Records, Practice Management, eRx, Patient Portal, Billing Services, Compliance and Privacy and Security.

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