Electronic health records (EHR) and modern healthcare practices go hand-in-hand now. Today’s platforms are able to streamline operational efficiencies, improve patient outcomes, and drive higher revenues, enhanced by a bevvy of high-tech features. Apart from the definite things that an EMR feature includes, here are some additional features that are always good to have:
E/M Coding
Choosing an EHR system that can help you comply with management and evaluation documentation standards is always a good idea. This means having the ability to record information, such as:
- Full, legible medical records.
- Physical examination findings.
- Relevant history and reason for encounter.
- Prior diagnostic test results.
- Clinical impression, assessment, and/or diagnosis.
- Medical care plan.
- Relevant health risk factors.
- Treatment and diagnosis codes.
While recording any revision of diagnosis, the system should also be able to track a patient’s overall progress and response to treatments.
Lab Integration
You’ll want to consider a system that lets you electronically monitor the delivery, analysis, results, and certainty of sample, depending on how lab-dependent your practice is. Two-way communication with labs, seamless access to explanatory information, and good integration of lab information and charts will be critical when it comes to must-have EMR features.
Centralized Communication
Practices are looking for ways to streamline patient-doctor communications as they realize that improved consumer experience can enhance care delivery. You can easily and efficiently manage patient-related communication all in one place if your EHR platform has a centralized messaging system.
Choosing a particular EMR software will have a substantial effect on the day-to-day operations. Hence it’s always a good idea to explore a number of available options while asking direct questions about how a particular platform will serve the needs of your practice.
