Concierge Medicine EMR Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: June 07, 2023
With the advent of technology and evolution in almost every sector of life, doctors and medical health professionals are demanding a change in the existing healthcare system. It's evident that this system is not only suffocating for the workers but a significant hindrance towards effective patient care. Concierge medicine - also known as Boutique Medicine - arrived as a modern-day answer to this very problem.
For those who don’t know, Concierge Medicine is a form of membership between patients and physicians in which the patient pays monthly and annual fees in exchange for personal medical attention and enhanced access. This allows medical professionals to establish a more patient-centered approach towards healthcare, rather than a system-centered one. This includes 24/7 access through phone or text, same-day appointments, and unlimited visits. This also allows doctors and physicians to increase their pay, board more patients, and provide the best medical care.
Do I need EHR Software for my Concierge Medicine Practice?
EHR software for Concierge Medicine can help you manage your practice in such a way that you:
- Spend less time chasing down patient information - everything you need will be safe and sound in one convenient location.
- Improve the efficiency of your practice by focusing more on patient care.
- Can increase revenue and profitability through medical billing services.
- Have faster communication between you and your patients.
- Can Schedule or change patient appointments without any hassle or worry.
- Help you save management and stationary costs.
It is the time of the need for modern healthcare practices to convert their physical practice to an EHR system. Since the HITECH Act introduced Meaningful Use, the Healthcare industry has rapidly shifted its managerial duties to EMR/EHR systems.
What to Look for in a Potential Concierge Medicine EMR Software?
In order to find the best EMR software for your Concierge Medicine Practice, you need to consider the following factors:
Cloud-Based System
Small office practices benefit the most for a Cloud-based system since it doesn’t require any upfront or maintenance costs. Other than this, you can access the software from anywhere around the world at any device. It is compatible with smartphones, iPads, laptops, and desktop computers. It allows you to maintain flexibility in your practice, so you never have to compromise on your patient’s care.
Mac EMR Software
If you are a MAC user, make sure your EMR software supports the Mac operating system. Unfortunately, all EMR software vendors support Mac devices. Therefore, finding one is necessary to ensure that the software runs smoothly on your existing hardware and you don't have to invest in a new computer system.
ONC-ATCB Certified EMR Software Vendors
One of the most basic requirements before purchasing an EMR software for your Concierge Medicine Practice is to make sure it complies with the guidelines and standards set by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The software needs to go through rigorous testing and meet a benchmark level by the federal body. The testing exercise checks all the areas of the EMR software system such as Patient Portal, communication of the software with other programs, etc.
Integrated Practice Management Software
Majority of the EHR software providers integrate a Practice Management solution to outclass competitors and speciality-specific EMR solutions. For your Concierge Medicine Practice, you need to make sure your EHR software comes with integrated practice management as well. This will enable you to monitor your practice’s performance and manage administrative tasks better.
Integrated Medical Billing Software
For your practice, you need a medical billing software integrated with your EMR software to communicate with insurance companies and change for your services. EMR software with integrated medical billing helps to streamline financial operations and administrative tasks to make sure everyone in the process is on the same page.
It also eliminates chances for human errors as everything is being carried about electronically, rather than manually. It allows you to produce patient statements, generate claims, and confirm patient eligibility.
Pricing and Hidden Cost
Before making your final decision to purchase an EHR software for your Concierge Medicine Practice, make sure you are well aware of the pricing and hidden costs. At the end of the day, your budget will have a considerable impact on the decision you make.
For a small office practice, like Concierge Medicine, the budget is usually pretty low. So, you might want to choose an affordable payment plan for your EHR software.
Ease of Use and Training
Although we have a lot of tech-savvy doctors and healthcare professionals, however, they are not IT professionals. Before making your final decision, make sure the EHR software you like has a user-friendly interface that's easy to understand. At times, you might also need to train apprentices or junior doctors working under you. In this case, it is imperative that your software is easy to understand for senior and junior doctors equally.
To ensure this, you can ask your vendor for a demo of your EHR software for your Concierge Medicine practice. This will allow you to test the software interface for yourself and analyze whether it's easy to understand or not.
Security
Patient records and medical files are confidential data and should only be shared between the patient and the doctor. EMR software needs to ensure privacy and HIPAA compliance for patient/doctor communication. EMR software vendors should understand the importance of patient records security in every area of the software. For this purpose, they can use advanced data encryption tools to enhance the safety of the software.
Quality of Customer Support
Last but not least, you need to make sure the EMR software you are purchasing has good quality customer support. EMR software is a relatively new concept in the healthcare industry. In the beginning, you might face issues such as comfortability, performance, or in the general working of the software. To resolve this, you need to make sure the EMR software vendor gives the option of customer support. In some cases, this option might be paid, so you need to confirm this before making any decisions.
