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EHR: An important key to patient safety

The usage of electronic health record (EHR) systems has been one of the most significant breakthroughs in healthcare technology over the last few decades.

EHR: An important key to patient safety

Over 95% of hospitals have an EHR for Health Information Technology — and with good cause. EHRs offer a host of advantages, including better record administration, centralized record storage, faster record updates, and simpler record transfers, to name a few.

However, there is another advantage to having an EHR system in your clinic. Electronic health records (EHRs) are beneficial to healthcare organizations. Doctors identified the following benefits of EHR systems in a national physician survey:

• EHRs make patient health records available at the moment of service, according to 94% of clinicians. • EHRs generate clinical benefits for the practice, according to 88% of respondents. • 75% believe that having an EHR assists them to provide better patient care.

Clinics gain from EHRs in terms of managing patient data, but how do those benefits relate to your EHR and patient safety? Let’s have a look at some examples.

I. Effective communication When electronic health record (EHR) systems first became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, physicians immediately discovered the benefits of digitised health records over paper records, such as the fact that:

• Digital health records can be accessed from any device. • It’s easier to update electronic information than updating the details manually on paper. • Electronic records are easier to transmit between clinics because they don’t require mailing or faxing. • By providing a digital way to evaluate information regardless of geographic location, electronic records increase communication efficiency across the board.

Any healthcare provider can swiftly acquire a thorough view of patient’s situation with digitised health records by:

• Viewing a patient’s previous medical appointments and pulling up his/her record • During the intake process, patients are assessed • Receiving real-time data that assists clinicians in providing better evidence-based care

If a patient is to be referred to a specialist for a more serious problem, the primary care practitioner can easily send the required documents to the specialist securely and safely.

II. Enable decision support

Transitioning to an EHR opens up new opportunities for patient safety enhancements, most notably Clinical Decision Support Tools (CDSS).

These EHR safety tools take data from electronic records and use it to assist a clinician’s treatment plan. While CDSS alerts can be used for a variety of purposes in healthcare, they are most commonly used to assist providers with decision-making at the point of care. The following are some of the things that clinical decision support systems can aid with:

• Setting alarms based on patient histories to check for known risk factors • Biomarker screening reminders that are automated (e.g. cholesterol or blood pressure) • Make a list of specific questions to ask during appointments and set reminders for them • Providing information about the patient’s medical compliance • Making healthy lifestyle adjustments to improve a patient’s quality of life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have certified CDSS solutions as an effective strategy to enhance patient outcomes. However, because the CDSS is only as good as the patient data it has access to, it must be developed on a solid and up-to-date EHR platform.

III. Errors in Diagnosis Detection

EHRs can assist prevent medical errors and misdiagnoses, which is related to the above examples.

Physicians, despite the education and training, are still human and susceptible to human mistakes. Even the best doctors sometimes make mistakes when diagnosing complex problems. To avoid mistakes, EHR patient safety tools have progressed to the point that misdiagnoses can be caught and corrected before serious harm is done.

When used at scale, EHRs can be effective risk management tools, providing the following advantages:

• Patient data gathering and analysis could be improved • In one place, collect patient histories, lab findings, and related reports • Create built-in protections against drugs that have contraindications • Provide thorough record histories for doctors to use in making judgments

These technologies help to ensure patient safety by giving data and information that is critical to each physician’s diagnosis. The more prepared each clinician is, the higher the patient’s chances of a favourable outcome.

IV. Management of population health

In terms of EHR and patient safety in general, EHRs play a critical role in large-scale population health through meaningful use and electronic Clinical Quality Metrics (eCQMs).

In a nutshell, meaningful use refers to the goals that healthcare professionals must meet to participate in EHR Incentive Programs and demonstrate their commitment to healthcare quality. Clinical EHR systems are used to track and provide data for these programmes.

These indicators pertain to the overall quality of health-care services provided and how well a clinic offers safe, equitable, and timely care, whilst ensuring :

• Engagement of patients and their families • Patient safety is paramount • Coordination of care • Public health and population • Optimal utilization of healthcare resources

Clinics must report eCQMs and other EHR patient portal requirements on a regular basis if they wish to participate in certain government programmes (such as the Medicare and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Programs).

The benefits to public health come from the insights researchers gain from the data. National researchers (such as those at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) can get insight into population’s health trends, care efficacy, and patient satisfaction by using EHR-based eCQM indicators reported by clinics across the country.

Healthcare professionals can use this information to better understand where they’re falling short and build new evidence-based methods to enhance patient outcomes.

V. Reduce the cost of healthcare administration Hospitals with more resources are more likely to be able to give care to individuals in need. As a result, the administrative budget of a hospital can have a significant impact on patient safety risks and service quality. EHRs provide a solution by increasing employee productivity and lowering healthcare administration expenditures.

While EHR implementations are costly upfront, they result in demonstrable cost reductions over time. According to research published in The American Journal of Managed Care, hospitals with advanced EHRs could reduce treatment costs per patient by 9.6% on average compared to hospitals without sophisticated EHRs.

When you consider the following cost-cutting benefits of EHR deployment for clinics, it’s easy to see why :

• Time spent seeking records and data is cut in half with digital search tools. • Redundancies in results or records are eliminated with centralized health information centres. • Patient portal support and education tools provide answers to patients and may eliminate the need for in-person consultations.

Conclusion How does your EHR help patients stay safe? By providing clinicians with the information technology tools they require to improve patient care quality and safety.

Of course, electronic health records (EHRs) aren’t a new strategy in healthcare, but their use is rapidly increasing. The debate these days isn’t whether clinics should use an EHR, but rather how they should use it.

Many practices struggle with this since healthcare platforms are difficult to incorporate without the assistance of experts.

Outsourcing your EHR project to an experienced integration partner is the best approach to ensure that it runs smoothly and produces the ROI that your practice requires.

Ready to see how EHR protects patient privacy and increases patient safety at your practise? To get started with your EHR transformation, contact Drucare now

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Ways EHR can help improve the practice efficiency

As medical practitioners deal with a bewildering array of new laws and demands from third-party payers, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) is accelerating. Some healthcare providers have been hesitant to use EHRs due to concerns about poorer productivity, which they believe will result in a reduction in patient load and revenue.

EHRs, on the other hand, should contribute to higher efficiency when correctly installed and used by well-trained employees on defined and optimized workflows. The correct EHR solutions give practitioners continuous visibility into their efficiency, making it easier to spot bottleneck issues and alter operations as needed. One practice was able to establish workflows that increased the pace of documentation by about 17%.

Here are 4 ways EHR can help improve the practice efficiency.

1. Begin with adequate EHR training.

Consider training as part of the EHR implementation expense, and don’t scrimp on it. You must take advantage of any training resources provided by your EHR vendor. Simply putting an EHR in place will not teach your employees what they need to know to experience efficiency advantages. Training takes time and will temporarily reduce efficiency, but efficiency will eventually recover and surpass what it was previously.

Having your EHR training take place on-site can help your employees succeed in the long run. With onsite training, a trainer can assess current procedures, job roles, and responsibilities to discover where the EHR can minimize redundant or time-consuming chores. Your provider may provide relevant training and effective recommendations after they understand how you use your system and how each employee will use it.

2. Streamline and define the processes

In a busy medical practice, administrative activities take up a hefty chunk of time, but streamlining processes can help. Staff should be cross-trained so that people can handle diverse record and document handling duties. Companies don’t want a large slowdown because one of the employees is unwell, and cross-training can help to avoid that slowdown. Determining which duties can be completed without the involvement of a physician and allocating them to non-physician personnel is a time-saver.

When selecting an EHR software, always be certain that you will be able to use it for internal communication and work assignments. This functionality will assist your practice in effectively channeling communications and expediting the entire process, thus saving time.

3. Become familiar with EHR templates, triggers, and shortcuts.

Many practices use standardised treatment plans to ensure that specific duties are completed consistently. When a practice chooses, say, the top five situations it sees and treats the most, it can utilise its EHR software to create templates to swiftly document these encounters. Using an EHR software to create “triggers” can also help physicians become more productive. A finding that a patient has fully recovered, for example, could trigger a default set of remarks that can be automatically placed into notes. Triggers can save a lot of time, but they shouldn’t be utilised excessively because many third-party payers will reject claims if there are too many “cloned notes” in the paperwork.

4. Make Back Office Processes More Efficient Using EHRs

Billing and claims submission accuracy can be improved with the correct EHR system, resulting in faster billing and fewer rejected claims. Providers can generate a list of billing codes, removing the requirement for handwritten notes to be translated into billable services. Another option to simplify billing is to use your EHR system to integrate diagnostic codes with current procedural technology (CPT) codes.

EHR systems should help you keep better track of patient co-payments and other payments by allowing you to submit, track, and manage claims electronically rather than on paper. You may also use your EHR system to rapidly detect which patients are behind on payments by searching your patient database.

Conclusion

While EHR implementation may temporarily decrease productivity, the end outcome should be increased practice efficiency. With the correct EHR solution, both medical and non-medical workers should see increased efficiency. These are 4 ways EHR can help improve the practice efficiency.

However, practices will not benefit from these enhancements unless all staff members receive EHR training and understand the use of all their EHR capabilities. To get the most out of an EHR system and maximize their return on investment, medical facilities must spend on training.

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Patient Management Software: A key for better patient management

Patient Management Software, also known as healthcare customer relationship management (CRM), improves and nurtures patient engagement by optimizing and supporting the entire patient care journey, enabling the effective flow of information within healthcare systems.

PRM, in general, is a healthcare version of customer journey analytics software that orchestrates and manages the patient experience from referral to advocate. Patient-centric care is enabled through PRM software, which allows access and enhances communication, resulting in better patient outcomes, provider-patient interactions, and increased staff productivity.

The data and functionality of electronic health records (EHRs) software and patient engagement software are enhanced and centralized by PRM software. The aggregation of all medical records, as well as the focus on active patient participation in their health, are significant advantages of PRM software. Health systems and organizations can better enforce value-based care, performance, and reimbursement efforts by utilizing PRM software, without jeopardizing their ability to provide high-quality care.

A product must meet the following criteria to be considered for inclusion in the Patient Relationship Management (PRM) category:

Capture, update, consolidate, share, and offer access to patient health data from a range of patient information systems.

Facilitate the management, synchronization, and flow of patient information throughout a healthcare system.

Enable meaningful patient-provider interactions, such as the collection of patient feedback and sentiment about care delivery.

Clinical documentation, records management, and case updates help you keep track of your patient’s journey.

Extend a healthcare organization’s core offerings to help patients in between care events.

What is the role of patient management technology in assisting providers?

Managing the healthcare of a single individual is a challenging job with a limited/no margin for error. The process becomes complicated as additional patients are added to the mix, especially when 83% of patients believe that physicians must know them personally outside of their medical records. The correct technology can assist providers in accomplishing the following tasks:

Improve record-keeping

Empowering patient participation, which includes record-keeping, is an important part of developing a one-on-one health journey. When coupled with existing electronic health records (EHRs), patient management software bridges the gap and allows doctors and patients to have easy, direct access to patient data.

Collect data of patients in real-time

Patient management software can also acquire important data from medical devices via IoT connectivity to effectively analyze real-time patient data quickly and precisely.

Progress towards interoperability

Patient management software can assist in resolving the long-standing issue of healthcare interoperability. Only about a third of American hospitals communicate with other medical systems to discover patient records, send them electronically and securely to other medical institutions, receive new patient data, and integrate it into the patient’s electronic health record (EHR). Through standardization and compliance with EHRs, it provides richer communication.

Make smart decision

Further technological advancements are on the verge of altering patient-provider interaction. Predictive capabilities provided by artificial intelligence (AI) assist physicians in anticipating patient demands and deliver personalized treatment at scale. AI is viewed as an appealing prospect in healthcare by consumers, with 84% believing it will assist in health-related reminders such as care plan duties and health goals.

Conclusion

Today, patients are well-informed, engaged, and knowledgeable about emerging technologies. They are seeking a healthcare ecosystem that is up to date whilst looking for healthcare experts who are willing to collaborate with them.

Drucare has used its CRM expertise to produce a patient management system that transforms the way providers and insurers manage data by providing a single, unified view of every healthcare consumer.

At Drucare, we connect systems, platforms, and devices so that data may be securely shared, moved, and viewed by any authorized person anytime, anywhere in the world.

See how to put doctors and patients — as well as insurers and members — closer together than ever before.

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How does a Clinic Management System work? Features and Modules.

Patients who prefer to be on the go and consult more than one doctor prefer hospitals. For a patient who wants to see a specialist without having to wait for a prolonged period of time, having a Clinic Management System is the best option. Clinics play an important role in providing healthcare in remote areas where hospital facilities are not readily accessible.

Every clinic has doctors and nurses, as well as a constant stream of patients. It could prove challenging to keep track of a patient’s medical history and give the best care for a prolonged period. In this instance, a clinic management system comes into play, making it simple for clinic employees to use CMS/HMS modules and features that give transparency to both doctors and patients.

Clinic Management System is built to meet strict security, technical, and functionality requirements. These systems are up to date and maintain electronic medical records.

Clinics and doctors use these systems to keep track of patient records, appointments, the doctor’s schedule and prescriptions, pharmacy inventory, billing, etc. Data can be accessed from anywhere in the world as it is digital.

Why is the clinic management system important?

Both patients and health practitioners benefit from the Clinic Management System. It’s a great chance to increase the quality of medical aid. As a result, it should be mandated in everyday clinical practice. Clinic management system has several advantages;

The information about the patients can be simply backed up. Even if the patient has misplaced his/her medical records, he/she can retrieve the information from the database anytime from anywhere.

Access control protects patient information from tampering.

All information is secure and private.

Provides a well-organized schedule.

Clinic management facilitates clinical duties such as panel billing, inventory management, and accounting.

As a clinic’s productivity and efficiency improve, it reaps the rewards.

Clinic management benefits not only the doctor but also the clerk, the nurse, the administrator, and the clinic owner.

Doctors and clinic assistants can use it to handle patient data, medicine stock, appointments, as well as generate reports.

Features of Clinic Management SystemElectronic Medical Record

Manage patients’ medical histories with adjustable multi-speciality support in the EMR. Through role-based access constraints, the EMR makes it simple to retrieve patient summaries while guaranteeing high confidentiality of patient records. Document pertinent medical history by scanning and uploading papers from other clinic visits to EMR.

Appointment Scheduling

Appointment registration through a mobile app or phone is possible. Doctors’ availability is displayed in the form of time slots, which allows patients to schedule appointments at times that are convenient for them. Appointments can be made in three ways: over the phone, online, or in person. Patients can receive appointment reminders by push notifications, SMS, WhatsApp, and/or email. Appointment cancellation, rescheduling, and switching are all supported by the system. Colour-coded calendar entries make it simple to schedule doctors, employees, equipment, resources, and rooms. Drag-and-drop scheduling, configurable calendar views, and multi-practice clinics are all supported.

Dedicated App- Appointment Booking via App

Patients can use the mobile app to schedule appointments and view doctor/clinic hours. Patients can also access reports, billing information, discount codes, and reminder notifications.

Go to Management

With easy access to important medical history, the patient can easily manage continuing care, observations, prescriptions, and follow-ups. Patient mobility between reception, insurance desk, consultation, and examination rooms can be controlled using a configurable workflow. To better collaborate with external doctors and clinics, keep track of referrals.

Insurance

Create numerous schemes/policies for insurance providers, as well as scheme-based pricing for services. There is a provision for patients to get pre-approval. Claims should be grouped for each insurer/policy to make processing easier. Claims raised, reimbursed, and ageing reports are all kept up to date.

Operational Modules

Accounting: Maintain control over assets, costs, and accounts through accounting and asset management. Automated AP/AR entries are connected with the accounting module via the procurement/sales process. Depreciation should be calculated for each capital asset. For effective financial and expense management, comprehensive reports are required.

Pharmacy & Inventory: Complete inventory management suite for multi-location clinics/pharmacies, barcode-based medicine dispensation & sales, stock modifications, expirations, consumables management, and material distribution to departments. Create and manage purchase orders, GRNs, invoicing, and payment requirements. Insights into consumption/sale patterns can be gained using advanced inventory reports.

Human Resource Management: Manage all personnel information, payroll (connected with accounting module), leave policy, departmental hierarchy, position assignment, and time-sheet management from a single location.

Location Management: Using a role-based access system, users such as front desk staff and doctors can control clinics at multiple locations from anywhere.

Conclusion

The demand for economical and easy-to-use technology in the healthcare industry is growing to improve patient-centric services and build effective communications among all parties involved in hospital activities. Drucare‘s Clinic Management System (CMS) is a powerful web-based solution for providing better healthcare. It reduces nurses’ and doctors’ workloads while also improving the business process between doctors, nurses, and patients. It is projected to develop sooner since manual tasks are increasingly being digitized.

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What should I look for in Home Healthcare Software? Choose the right healthcare software partner

As one becomes older or comes across any chronic disease, a lot of things become seemingly impossible. Every now and then, a helping hand is required. Choosing Home Healthcare Software is the greatest option for this aim. The task is to assist with daily activities or the many home care nursing services that you pay them for. However, because there are so many possibilities, customers are frequently faced with the decision of which company to choose. So, let’s look at all of the qualities that make a home care organization trustworthy and dependable.

Home health care software makes it easier to handle home health care agencies, patients, and therapeutic and rehabilitative services. While the terms “home health care” and “home care” are often used interchangeably, home health care services are a form of home care service.

In the comfort of their own homes, home health care businesses and service providers provide both skilled and unskilled (or non-medical) care, as well as short-term and long-term care to patients.

Home health care software can help registered nurses, rehabilitative therapists, home aides, medical social workers, and caseworkers integrate business operations, centralize processes and workflows, optimize scheduling and caregiving responsibilities, and streamline claims and insurance invoicing.

A product must meet the following criteria to be classified as Home Health Care:

Be designed specifically for the home health care business.

Organize the services of aides, nurses, and other healthcare workers to meet the needs of the patients.

Scheduling, communication, paperwork, and/or patient record management can all be improved.

Streamline the process of providing care to children who are unable to leave their homes.

Improve the patient experience with these featuresVideo conferencing

This allows for two-way, face-to-face conversations using high-quality video and audio on a computer or mobile device. Over a secure wired or wireless internet connection, doctors and patients can communicate in real-time.

Third parties (such as carers or interpreters) can also engage in a virtual consultation via screen sharing and multi-way video.

Instant Chat or Chatbot

This tool allows patients to communicate with doctors via text messages in real-time, either before, during, or after a visit. To guarantee that patient data complies with all requirements, all messages are secure and HIPAA compliant.

E-prescription

Consult and receive prescriptions for routine checks or medication refills, which is relatively straightforward. All the prescriptions are in digital format and can be used in any pharmacy across the globe.

Clinical documentation

Home healthcare software frequently includes features that make it simple to document crucial clinical data such as clinical tests, trials, and medical treatments. Fill out vital information about patient symptoms during medical exams to help the doctor come up with the best treatment strategy for the patient.

Instead of utilizing pen and paper or a separate document, by using the secure clinical documentation capabilities, patient data confidentiality and data cleanliness are ensured. In turn, significantly reducing any margin for error and keeping the data away from potential breaches.

Integration with other medical software

It’s critical to ensure home healthcare software works with other medical software to save sanity and money in the long run. Choosing a home healthcare software that doesn’t completely integrate with billing or EHR systems will result in a lot of unnecessary and time-consuming processes and workarounds for the duration of the contract.

Encryption and data protocols

Encryption and other data security measures allow us to keep sensitive patient data safe and confidential during online consultations. To comply with government rules, home healthcare software must be HIPAA compliant.

Conclusion  

Patients prefer home-based treatment in the face of escalating COVID-19 worries. Drucare app can track your health progress and provide high-quality home care using the best home healthcare software.

Disclaimer: The content is submitted to Drucare by Pranav Kuchimanchi

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