Appointment Reminder EMR Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: September 26, 2023
What is an Appointment Reminder EMR Software?
There is nothing more depressing than struggling through a horrible sick period and missing your doctor’s appointment. Although rescheduling is an option, it's not an easy one and definitely not a cheap one. To save you from this trouble, Appointment Reminder EMR Software automatically sends your reminders via phone calls, texts or emails before your appointment. This saves you from the hassle of keeping track of your doctor appointments and makes sure you show up!
Main features of an Appointment Reminder EMR Software
An Appointment Reminder EMR Software features;
Custom Appointments – An appointment message builder allows the user to create custom appointment reminders that can automatically fill in relevant details for each patient.
Appointment Reminder – It should be able to automatically send reminder messages via text, emails, and calls at predetermined times before an appointment.
Self-service portal – The patient should be able to directly communicate with the doctors so that they can reply to messages and ask questions to confirm or reschedule appointments.
Scheduling– The software should automatically update the schedule in case of any inconvenience or changes.
Reporting – It should be able to generate reports showing trends in the response rates, missed appointments, etc.
What You Need To Know About Appointment Reminder EMR Software
Electronic Medical Records Software (EMR) allows patients, doctors, physicians, and medical professionals to set appointments and reschedule them without any difficulty through an electronic platform.
EHR Software by Specialty
Considering the diversity of professions and specialties in the medical profession, EMR Software or EHR Software needs to accommodate their documentation requirements and unique style. For example, Pain Management or Dermatology specialists require the ability to annotate on images or store before/after photos. Similarly, other medical providers need their unique set of specialty-specific features as well.
Meaningful-Use
The introduction of HITECH Act in Healthcare IT has resulted in a massive transition from a Meaningful Use Program to MACRA (Medicare EHR Incentive Program). Today, the Meaningful Use Program is a part of the four components in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which is a fundamental part of MACRA.
In medicine, the transition of records from a paper-based system to EMR software is not an easy one. However, witnessing the obvious benefits of utilizing ONC Certified EMR Software in terms of effort, resources, and time, the majority of the practices have transformed their clinical and administrative operations to EMR Software.
EMR Software Benefits
Apart from tangible financial incentives and economic profits, EMR software present the following benefits;
- Improved efficiency
- Improved profitability and revenue cycle (Medical Billing Services)
- Patient Engagement
- Decreased stationary costs
- Better Care Coordination
- Enhanced Security and Safety (Cloud Storage & Back-ups) – Cloud-based EMR Software
- Connectivity between doctors & hospitals across the country – Health Information Exchange (EMRs with HIE connectivity)
How to Select Your EMR Software Vendor?
Selecting a EMR software for your medical practice requires an extensive research on the available options and specialty-specific features. Majority of the buyers in the market present the following concerns during their selection;
- Do not know what they are looking for
- Know exactly what they want but don’t know where to start or find it
- Relying on advice from colleagues using EMR software already
Before making your decision, it is important to understand how every provider and practice workflow is unique. For this reason, a provider that may work for one may not exactly suit the other. Therefore, software experts and industry specialists are an ideal source of information, advice and ultimately ensuring that the right decision is made.
What to Look For in a Potential EMR Software?
Here is the list of factors that you need to Look for in a potential EMR software for your specific medical practice;
A Cloud-based EMR software allows you to access the software from any location at any device such as Smartphones (Android & iOS), iPhones, iPads, laptops, and desktop computers. This is particularly beneficial in small offices as it saves management costs and additional hassles.
Mac EMR Software
Not all the EMR software works on Mac devices, so before making your decision, look for a provider with native support for your existing hardware. This will save you more additional investment in computer systems at your practice.
ONC-ATCB Certified EMR Software Vendors
The software must comply with the standards and guidelines set by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). Online repository details all software vendors and details related to their respective compliance with the measures set by the ONC.
Appointment Reminder EHR software
Electronic health records software should feature specialty-specific features for your medical practice for an efficient clinical workflow e.g. rescheduling.
Integrated Practice Management Software
EMR software companies that feature Integrated Practice Management Software provide extensive reports tracking clinical performance and management strategies.
Integrated Medical Billing Software
EHR Softwares with Integrated Medical Billing Softwares allows medical professionals and financial managers to generate claims, patient statements, verify patient eligibility, and more. Furthermore, it allows practices to handle billing in-house with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Security
An EMR Software must ensure the security and safety of patient records while ensuring privacy and HIPAA compliance for patient/doctor communication. The majority of the providers (Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, AdvancedMD, PrognoCIS, Modernizing Medicine, eClincalWorks, etc.) ensure safety of the patient records by using advanced tools such as data encryption technologies.
Ease of Use and Training
Ease of use is essential to make the transition from paper to electronic smooth, as well as day to day practice to go along without a hitch. If the software is too complicated and hard to understand, it’s a waste of precious time and needlessly aggravating. In addition, the software should be programmed as such that it can easily be learned through Appointment Reminder EHR Tutorials.
Specialty Specific
With a diversity of specialties in the field of medicine, EHR software needs to incorporate specialty-specific features to meet the requirements of each practice.
Appointment Reminder EHR Pricing
Certain EHR software providers have hidden costs for services, such as training or support. Before making your final decision, make sure to uncover these hidden price tags and adjust your budget accordingly. Furthermore, Appointment Reminder EHR cost is an important factor that you need to consider before making your final decision. You might need to check the pricing guide for EHR software for this purpose.
Mobility
Doctors mostly use iPads or Tablets in the examination room to take down patient symptoms, check the history and note down the prescription. For this reason, it’s imperative that the software has a mobile application that is synced with all the mobile devices being used in the practice.
Appointment Reminder EHR Demo
Lastly, make sure you have the option of Appointment Reminder EMR demo to make yourself familiar with the features and specifications before you make your final purchase.
