Primary Care EHR Software Guide
-
by
Mark Fauver
- Last Updated: November 30, 2022
Primary Care EHR Software Buyers Guide 2023
Every specific specialty needs an EMR software that is built for its unique needs.
Primary care EMR software is a subset of medical software, containing features useful for doctors’ medical work and daily management of their office as a business.
Primary Care EMR software solution will add value to your infrastructure by simplifying your clinical and business tasks such as patient entries, diagnosis, imaging, lab tests, accounting, billing, human resources, check insurance updates, follow-up treatments, etc.
When it comes to EMRs, there are a million choices on the market. Finding quality-care software is a daunting task. While many practices use a paper-based healthcare system, they are time-consuming and prone to errors.
Implementing EHR software will make your life a hundred times easier. And to get you started, this guide will help you begin your process of searching for EMR systems for your practice by providing you with information on features and tips to consider.
Get the hang of all the ins and outs of EMR software with our detailed guide!
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Features of Primary Care EMR Software:
Choosing an EMR will help you improve patient care. It makes the entire administrative, clinical, and billing process seamless. Before choosing, you should check if the software has the following prospective characteristics:
Hands-Free Charting:
On a day-to-day level, a general practitioner has to conduct a lot of physical exams. Cloud-based EMR provides hands-free charting on mobile and other devices by using voice dictation.
ICD-10/CPT Codes:
Catering to a specific specialty does not require additional clutter of codes. ICD/CPT codes are designed explicitly for primary care, making billing processes accurate and fast. An EMR software solution should have built-in CPT and ICD-10 codes to assure a seamless, efficient billing process. Better evaluation and management standards ensure that healthcare payers have all the clients’ information at checkout.
Have a look at the latest E&M coding changes released.
Templates:
Primary care-specific EMR software has templates that save time, increases accuracy, and helps determine a treatment plan. Templates should also be customizable so providers can add and remove items as they see fit. This technique or feature makes it easier for the practitioner to review patient history and diagnosis for future reference. Templates for order sets are also timesaving and provide seamless workflow.
Patient History & Data Documentation:
Primary care physicians must be able to maintain a detailed, accurate history of their interactions with patients in the database to provide personalized level of medical care.
Patient Correspondence Forms:
This EHR feature provides access to various forms of correspondence including, excuse letters, checkup reminders, automated health maintenance/checkup reminders etc.
Lab Interface & Integration:
EMR systems should be able to integrate with medical devices. To enable ease of monitoring, storage, and management, patient documents should also be saved in their respective medical files. Integration with labs, pharmacies, and diagnostic devices automatically imports patients’ files and stores them in their folder.
Primary Care Dashboard:
Top EMR software features a real-time dashboard that will help practitioners to view patient charts, profiles, billing processes, scheduling, etc., all in one place. During bill creation, the tool will auto-fill an account with services from charts, or it will let you view the bill and chart alongside.
Patient Portal:
The electronic medical record has patient-user workflows and patient engagement (recent doctor visits, lab results, educational materials, etc.) A comprehensive EMR platform should have an appointment-setting feature that allows team members to quickly register patients, schedule them, and choose a purpose for their visit. It sends automatic appointment reminders to the patients as well to decrease no-shows.
Top Benefits of Primary Care EHR Software
Workflow Management:
Working in any specialty-specific practice comes with dealing with heaps of data. Hence you should make sure your EHR facilitates care and support rather than interfering in direct patient interaction. One visit may call for a symptom-based approach, while another may call for a condition-based approach.
EMR software workflow will give you the comfort of electronic patient charting, diagnosis and surgery, mapping, interpretation, and managing/maintaining the documentation to how you, as a physician, practice medicine. It eases the process of data entry by allowing users to input information into patient records electronically. Some EMRs also offer speech-to-text functionality (voice command). This helps doctors better understand patients’ conditions and help them make the right decisions at the right times.
Billing Assistance:
Since many medical practitioners hesitate to accept insurance and Medicaid payments, some vendors have started facilitating billing operations and documentations. Some also partner with third-party billing services. This changes the whole ordeal and simplifies the process and tracking system even more for small to midsize practices.
Please read our article on the top medical billing companies.
Health Information Exchange:
EMRs with HIE connectivity allow doctors and hospitals to stay connected across the US.
User Interface:
Not all doctors are not tech-savvy; it would not be right to expect them to be experts in using EMR software. Effortless and straightforward software should be a top priority as it will also be easy for the customers to switch to electronic service. Good software also has in-built recording systems for specialty practices. Some vendors offer free training too.
E&M Coding:
Coding integrated with the EMR presents better evaluation and management standards, ensuring that healthcare payers have all the clients’ information to payout.
User-Friendly Interface:
This feature provides quick access to commands and standard features. It is the most critical factor in facilitating interactions between the customer and doctor through its easy-to-use navigation and customization.
Quick Tip: Get precise guidance by looking at the top EMR platforms for practice management.
Tips for choosing an EMR vendor
When selecting an EMR, providers should consider features deemed necessary to improve efficiency and care at your clinic or solo practice. For example, some EMRs will allow you to create and store custom, reusable notes in a database for quick retrieval during a patient encounter. Besides, many clinics benefit from administrative features, such as a calendar application or patient scheduling for clinical appointments.
Also, keep an eye out for vendors who will also give you a free EMR demo. Keep reading our guide for an insight on useful facts to consider before purchasing:
Size:
Depending on your practice’s size, whether it is a solo or small practice having a limited number of staff, choose a vendor that either employs free EMR software or works on a low monthly fee structure. Software is always designed keeping in mind the number of users, budget constraints, scalability, and support. For small scale size, opt for cloud hosting storage; it will offer ample storage and backup with improved efficiency, security, and safety.
Cloud-based EMR software:
Cloud-based EMR systems offer to maintain and managing patient health files in the cloud (off-site) than on internal servers located at a medical facility or practice. Due to its multiple advantages, Cloud EMR has grown increasingly popular. It can support various devices and can be accessed anywhere, anytime with internet access. Some cloud-based vendors include ChartPerfect, CareCloud, CureMD, and ChartLogic, etc.
Medium-sized practice:
The requirements for medium-sized practice are stringent. Still, the EMR software also necessitates unique features such as interoperability (for smooth workflows and quality care), dedicated customer support, multi-device support, and extensive reporting functionality to keep an eye on the practice’s overall performance.
Large practices:
Consist of 15-20 medical providers; therefore, a scalable EMR solution is needed to accommodate users and doctors from multiple locations. Comprising fifteen to twenty medical providers, these practices often require support for multiple users to access the systems simultaneously.
Hospitals and Enterprise Organizations:
Hospitals and Organizations need a list of requirements to be fulfilled by EMR software. EMR vendors for hospitals and enterprise organizations are best suited for ACOs, PCMH, IPAs, CINs (Clinically Integrated Networks), Public Health Departments, etc.
Features such as inventory management modules, interface with local labs (LIS), EMAR (electronic medication administration records), machines, and diagnostic equipment, along with drug dispensing, are of utmost importance. It should also integrate easily with other software and medical devices.
Customer Support Quality:
Having an efficient and quick customer support service available all around the clock is essential when your software faces a technical glitch. Most of the EHR software vendors provide customer support as part of the plan without any additional cost.
Mobility:
Since smartphones rule the world and are easy to carry around, to keep up with a fast-paced world of technology, a vendor must have a mobile application service for its software solution. Having an application 24/7 on the go will make it convenient for the doctor to take notes of symptoms, patient history and electronically prescribe medication.
Beware of the hidden costs that vendors try to sell.
System Architecture:
Site computer servers or cloud-based software should be available anywhere through the internet. Selecting a design depends solely on your comfort level and choice. Some medical practitioners prefer a computer server as it covers the HIPAA requirements, while others want database access.
Certification:
This goes without saying that whatever software you decide to opt for in the end should have a certification. For any specialty-specific software, look out for the ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB). They will make sure that your vendor meets applicable objectives and, most importantly, is HIPAA compliant. Security of patient data and medical records is a principal concern for clinicians, medical providers, and your patients. Top EMR Software Vendors from today like AdvancedMD EMR, PrognoCIS EMR, Modernizing Medicine, Chirotouch Kareo, etc., use data encryption technologies and other advanced tools in every section of the EMR Software to make sure they safeguard patient records.
24/7 Access:
Verifying that your EMR is accessible on both PC and Mac is required. You never know what computer you will be accessing the software or which device your patient will be using.
Conclusion
Choose wisely and find the best EHR service provider for your practice with our vast resources. With the right technology—make your work life easier and your healthcare dynamic. Find the suitable EMR with SoftwareFinder.
With over 600 EMR Software Companies, it is not easy to find the right one.
