EMR Software Blog (EHR Software)

Medical Charting Software Is Affordable for small practice doctors.  Part of the Obama economic stimulus plan includes both incentive payments for adoption of medical charting software and eventually penalties for NOT adopting and implementing the software in a doctors office.

What are the benefits of EMR software?

1- Time savings of having a centalized, computerized chart.  No more time spent wasted pulling or looking for files.

2- Reduced number of pharmacy and drug refill requests.  Teach your patients to call the pharmacy for refills and have the pharmacy send you an electronic prescription refill request.  Then check your messages periodically thru the day and reply

3- Ability to enter SOAP notes any way you wish, by: A- Traditional Transcription method which is then uploaded and placed into the appropriate chart; B- Voice Dictation method or C- Template driven method of mouse and keyboard.

4- Ability to accept Lab results automatically into your EMR software.

5- Increase quality of patient care as a result of reduced medication errors and the benefit of having all information at your fingertips.

6- Benefits of a paperless office with Fax servers and document scanning.

EMR Software being pushed by Walmarts Sam’c Club, Dell and eClinicalWorks sounds like all heavy hitters, but here is the achilles heel of the whole deal.  The achilles heel is the lack of knowledgeable sales force and more importantly “implementers\consultants” to help the doctor make the transition from paper based medical charting to electronic medical records.  Right now you have too many “chiefs” in the mix, and not enough implementers to follow thru and make it work in the dodtors office.  And this is the lifelong problem of buying software from a “store” versus a “dealer” or consultant.

A “Store” usually just “pushes” the product out the door, but the poor customer does not have anyone to help them implement the program, customize for their business, and show them the “ropes”. And as a result, the software package gets relegated to “shelfware” , you know, that “shelf” most small businesses have of software with “good intenetions”, but never got implemented because no one knew how it worked or wanted to take the time to learn it and implement it.  Who’s going to be there when the doctors office comes to a screeching STOP becuse the workstation is not communicating with the server?  Or what happens when Suzzy at the front desk is not answering phone calls for new appointments because shes staring blankly at a screen she knows nothing about, and is in tears because no one knows how anything works?  Or what happens when the physician office is still bombarded with faxes and emails and no one showed them how to automate those tasks? Or what happens when a doctor has a waiting room full of angry patients because the doctor is struggling to figure out how to click on 12 different screens JUST to make a silly progress note?  Or what happens when the waiting room is full of angry patients because the doctor is trying to figure out how to make a new template and there is no one to help him?

And so, this is how I see the walmart EMR software deal going… lots of lookers, some will be takers and buy, but then what?  Who is there to hold the doctors hand? To install the server and get everything talking and syncing?  Who’s going to teach how to perform daily, weekly, and monthly and yearly backups?  Who’s going to show the doctor’s office how to integrate the software with their own unique workflow needs?   Who’s going to be there to assure the doctor that there is light at the end of the tunnel?   No, whats sadly lacking here is a “person” to guide the doctor, coach the doctor, and provide answers and solutions.  Whats the solution? To sell thru a dealer network, dealers who are trained in the product, hardware, integration, who know the worflow of a medical office and can be a local presence that the doctor can call and can shepherd the many pieces of the puzzle into a coherent solution.   Do doctors buy automobiles online and work on the automobile themselves at home in their garage? No, silly notion.  They buy from established dealers who provide local, customized support - the same model applies to EMR software, and even more so as EMR software is concerned with the workflow, and hence financial aspects of the doctors practice.  The ideal model is following the lead of Medisoft Clinical, where for approx the same price as the walmart, dell deal, a doctor is dealing with a local person, trained, and who can provide ongoing support and training.  See www.medicalcharting.com

Medicare will use both carrot and stick approach to reward EMR\EHR adoption, and to penalize non-adoption.

Incentives include up to $64,000 + for early adopters of EHR Software.  Penalties estimate up to 3-5% of medicare billings.

Four critical aspects of the bill include:
1- Elegibile Professional; (under medicare provisions of the bill, an elegibile professional is a doctor of medicine or ostepoathy; dentists; podiatrists; optometrists; chiropractors).
2- Not be hospital based;
3- Demonstrate “Meaningful Use” of an EHR software.  To be left up to discretion of HHS Secretary, but expected to include e-prescribing, interoperability, clinical reporting,
4- Certified EHR program. - yet to be determined by HHS Secretary, but exptected to include CCHIT certification.

Incentives will be allowed thru two provisions:
1-Medicare incentives
2-Medicaid incentives
But NOT BOTH.  No incentives after 2016.  Up to 10% additional reimbursements for physicians in “physician shortage areas”.

Physicians who demonstrate “meaningful use” in first two years receive a $3,000 bonus.

To learn more about Medisoft Clinical EHR Software Click Here.

Legal Disclaimer - this post represents our own interpretation and should verified with your legal and accounting staff or consultants.