Otolaryngology EHR Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: December 05, 2023
Otolaryngology EHR Buyers Guide—Know Your Facts
It’s the oldest form of medical specialty in the US and still Otologists bring relief, hope & solutions to millions of people each year. But is your EHR software package helping you do this optimally, the way modern technology can enable you to?
Below we’ll look at the vital aspects your EHR software must contain. Also familiarize yourself with what the industry standards are for any EHR these days so you know you get value for money. This will set you up to function like never before:
- Using your time optimally and even seeing more patients in a day
- Raising your bottom line because it will improve your billing process
- Delivering better care thanks to access to information and communication with other experts
- Having more happy patients thanks to improved engagement and user friendly processes
This benefits everyone involved, but only if you pick the right package. Let’s help you make the right decision.
Otolaryngology—What You and Your Patients Need
To the world, you’re often known simply as an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist). You know how intricate the work is that you do and that’s why you need appropriate tech on your side.
The right EHR for otologists gets designed with the assistance of experts in this field. That leads to the right features that makes sense to invest in, which includes the following.
Image Support
You know you use a lot of images in your practice, both in diagnosing a condition as well as helping your patients understand the situation better. Your EHR is supposed to help you with this, giving niche relevant diagrams and pictures. It must also be possible to manage them centrally after adding notes or data.
Device Integration
The ENT industry expands continuously, with new devices and equipment coming onto the market often. These aid you in helping patients, but if your EHR can’t integrate with them it will be problematic:
- Difficulty in connecting the two resources wastes time
- If you have to copy data from one to the other manually it can affect workflow and accuracy
- To prevent problems, ask service providers about integration with:
- Laryngoscopes
- Otoscopes
- Audiometers
- Current software and hardware you will continue using
The important thing to discuss with your EHR service provider is about its vision for the future. The vendor must keep up with changes in the market, adding appropriate features when new tools or equipment gets released. Your EHR software must be a long term solution and the quality of your vendor determines this.
Templates Appropriate for this Niche
A template is the backbone of a niche-specific EHR and will determine how much time & effort you’ll save each day. Your templates should make provision for notes relating to conditions you come across each day, such as:
- Ear pain
- Sore throats
- Thyroid problems
- Allergies
- Snoring
- Meniere’s Disease
- Jaw pain
When your templates already relate to these conditions it’s quick to create reports and enjoy a smooth workflow.
But here’s one better: You know you have a unique method of work. If your EHR also allows you to customize your templates according to your unique needs or habits, you’ll save even more time. By adjusting layouts or the information displayed, you’ll get more done than before.
Examples: If you know there’s a specific diagram you always use to explain something to your patients, add it to your dashboard so you don’t have to go looking for it.
Medics EHR & PM By Advanced Data Systems Corporations
Helping You Track Sleep
Here’s a unique feature not all medical professionals deal with, but which you probably use a lot: Sleep studies.
Every part of your functioning should be supported by your EHR, or you’ll waste valuable time and energy doing manual tasks:
- Taking notes on symptoms
- Monitoring a patient’s progression
- Finding historical data to determine the way forward
For an otologist, you must be able to view sleep tracking data on your software so you can easily incorporate the information in diagnosis about snoring or other challenges.
As snoring and sleep apnea are common reasons for visiting an ENT, it doesn’t make sense that your software system won’t have features to monitor these conditions.
Allergy and Medication Management
This niche often relates to allergies and even here your EHR can help. It can map a patient’s journey by providing features to document:
- Testing
- Treatment
- Side effects
- Tracking patients’ adherence to serum regimens
This aspect of ENT work requires you to prescribe medication which obviously has its risks. Luckily modern technology can help you and your patients by preventing an inaccurate prescription:
- Software can give warnings when you erroneously prescribe a very high, dangerous dosage of certain substances.
- It can monitor what you prescribe, making sure what you suggest aligns with the condition or symptoms.
- Mistakes happen, but your EHR can help you prevent a few.
NextGen
Relevant Coding and Billing
Another important aspect of any EHR program relates to coding and billing: It must provide you and your staff with the correct, updated ICD codes. When you can simply add a relevant number it helps in many ways:
- Fewer rejected claims because of human errors made in your office
- Quick paperwork processes that means you and your staff get more done each day
- When claims are dealt with quickly and accurately you get paid sooner
Therefore, if you want to improve your bottom line this is one of the tools to make it a reality. As a bonus you’ll save time while you increase your revenue.
General Features—Make Sure You Get the Full Package
While you need all these features, you also need your Otolaryngology EHR to perform well in these aspects:
- Customer service from the vendor
- Support services
- User-friendliness
- Easy implementation with short learning curve
- Budget-friendly costs
- Scalability
- Patient portals
Online reviews are excellent sources of information on these aspects or discuss them with your vendor.
