Radiology/Imaging EMR Software Buyers Guide
Last updated: June 01, 2023
Radiology/Imaging EMR Software - A Complete Guide to Help You Make the Right Choice
Radiology/Imaging EHRs are perhaps the oldest in the industry and have been around since the 1980s. Radiology EHR or also known as Radiology Information Healthcare System (RIS) is designed to cater to the specific needs of a radiology lab. This is to help them overcome their barriers and streamline their clinical operations. The services it uses to streamline clinical workflows include:
- Scheduling Patient Appointments
- Collecting Patient Profile Information
- Reporting Analytics
- Managing Exam Performance
- Managing Medical Billing
- Keeping a Track of Images
You can integrate a Radiology Information system with your existing EHR solution to provide you with seamless laboratory operations. On the other hand, you can also implement an EHR solution with RIS included as a service. They are usually referred to as Radiology Information System EMR.
Important Features in an EMR Software
Before deciding on any EMR solution, it’s important that you should be able to identify and differentiate the good ones from the bad ones.
User-Friendly Navigation and Experience: A user-friendly interface can help you simplify tasks and actions for your staff and help them in increasing their productivity.
Integration: You should easily be able to integrate the EMR solution you select with your existing system, irrespective of the device you are working on.
Ease of Access: You should also be able to access patient information, write e-prescriptions, check patient charts, etc. 24/7 from anywhere in the world. One of the most significant benefits of having a cloud-based EHR system is not to be restricted to your server for patient information.
Always Available for Support: When you are implementing a new digital solution, it is completely normal to run into problems. However, if you have strong support from your EMR software provider, you can easily overcome any problem you encounter during this process and afterward as well.
Before making any final decisions, it is always better to ask your provider for a Radiology InformationSystem EHR Software Demo. This will allow you to make sure if the software you’re choosing is the right one for your practice or not.
Features of Radiology InformationSystem EMR Software
Now it’s time to talk about the Radiology Information System EMR in healthcare. Before making any final decisions, make sure your Radiology Information System EMR contains the following features:
Dictation Support: RIS should have an in-app voice recognition software or have the option to integrate with 3rd party apps like Google. This enables physicians to use speech to give commands.
HIPAA Compliance: A Radiology Information System EMR must also ensure the security and safety of patient records while guaranteeing privacy and HIPAA compliance for patient/doctor communication. The majority of the providers ensure the safety of the patient records by using advanced tools such as data encryption technologies.
E-Faxing and Emails: RIS physicians also require e-faxing and emailing facilities as well. The modem-based faxing services can be used to send and receive files.
Billing: A Radiology Information System electronic medical record helps simplify your medical billing procedures by automation and providing timely verification of insurance coverage.
HL7 Interface: The HL7 interface ensures that integration between EMR, PACS, and HIS remains tightly coded to ensure seamless data transfer.
E-Prescribing: Radiology Information System EHR also provides e-prescribing to create, prescribe, change, and renew prescriptions with ease.
Patient Appointment Scheduling: The Radiology Information System EHR allows patients to schedule and change their appointments without any hassle. It also gives the option of enabling daily reminders and electronic booking.
Determining Your Needs
Before deciding which EHR solution to implement, it’s important to understand what your practice’s needs are. When it comes to EHR solutions, one size doesn’t fit all. Understanding your needs will not only help you decide the best solution for your practice but also help you use your EHR solution to the fullest. Radiology Information System EMR software is in today’s world essential for practitioners because it helps save time and money.
How to Select a Radiology Information System EHR Vendor?
Now that you know what kind of features you need to look for, it’s time to discuss what type of Radiology InformationSystem EHR software vendor you should select for your medical practice.
Vendor and Practice Size – Firstly, you need to understand which size of companies your vendor typically aims for. After that, you need to analyze the scope of your practice as well. If you have a large facility, you wouldn’t want to select an EHR vendor that only deals with small practices. Typically, the vendors that cater to more extensive facilities have a high-cost Radiology Information System EMR.
Vendor Certification – This is probably the most important aspect before selecting an EMR vendor for your practice. You need to make sure your vendor is ONC-authorized testing and certification body (ONC-ATCB). Selecting a non-certified vendor will only bring you trouble and a nuisance to your practice.
System Design – This will probably depend on whether you want to install a Radiology Information System EMR software on-site in your server, or use a cloud-based one. Although you’ll get more advantages with a cloud-based solution, it probably boils down to your personal preference. Whatever you choose, you’ll need to find an EMR vendor that provides the service you are looking for.
Even after making a final decision, you should use a Radiology Information System EHR/EMR demo or check out their guides to make sure it is exactly what you’re expecting. In addition, you can also look at the reviews about a Radiology Information System EHR with various practitioners.
What’s the Final Step?
Before making your decision, it is essential to understand how every vendor and practice workflow is unique. For this reason, a vendor that may work for one practice 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.
After understanding the features and deciding upon a few potential vendors, you can also compare the pricing of the Radiology Information System EMR software. After you reach a vendor with all the services, features, support, and cost plans you are looking for, you can finally make the last step and move towards its implementation.
