BENEFITS OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS

Gary Mellon, DPM

With the advent and adoption of the electronic medical record (EMR) by the physician community, many benefits of EMR are being recognized. Some of these benefits are as follows:

Safer Patient Care – There is mounting evidence that ePrescribing alone has the potential to save thousands of lives in the United States each year through improved clinical contraindication warnings. Furthermore, improvements to patient safety can clearly impact the bottom line through reduced malpractice insurance premiums.

Increased Revenues and Faster A/R Cycle – With today’s falling reimbursements, the ability to manage daily charges is imperative to the survival and profitability of today’s medical offices. By reducing missing charges, denied claims and improper ABN notices, most practices can realize a sizeable increase in earned revenue from patient visits. EMR can reduce the under-and-over-coding through the use of electronic templates that automatically assign the appropriate billing code, based on the level of care that was documented in the progress note.

Reduce Patient Callbacks – Users can easily access comprehensive patient data and send tasks within the system. Practices can potentially eliminate incomplete messages and post-it notes. Staff are much better equipped to accurately and efficiently handle patient calls and other routine (but important) tasks.
Reduce Supply Expenses – Medical offices alone could probably keep Staples in business, since they require a lot of paper and supplies to keep running in the paper world! From encounter forms, prescription pads, folders, and labels to paper, paper and more paper, a traditional office ran on paper. With a comprehensive and integrated (billing, scheduling and charting in a single system on a single database) EMR system, these costs are dramatically reduced.
Eliminate Overhead Administrative Positions and Reallocate Staff – With the increased efficiency of EMR comes the ability to better manage resources. Time gained by more effective and efficient access to patient data means employees work smarter and are more productive. Responsibilities change in a practice equipped with an EMR software system, enabling the efficient reallocation of staff and some attrition with considerable financial savings as an ensuing benefit.
Repurpose Storage Space into Revenue-Producing Areas – Boxes and racks of charts that previously filled several rooms can now be stored in the space of a few computers. By freeing up chart rooms and storage space, many practices repurpose the space for revenue generating activities. Costly on-site storage areas can become additional exam, testing or procedure rooms.
Increase Patient Satisfaction – Clinical staff gain instant access to charts with real time information so they can provide accurate and timely answers to patients on the phone

The above are just a few of the benefits one gains with the adoption of electronic medical records.

With the possibility that healthcare services will be using a different method of reimbursement based on outcome studies, the adoption of EMR will be critical to the viability of medical practices.

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