Electronic Medical Records

More physicians and medical practices are converting to electronic medical records (EMR) in recent years, with the benefits and financial incentives of EMR finally outweighing the familiarity of paper records. Offering a comprehensive and easy-to-search collection of patient data, electronic medical records allow physicians to easily access information, including: a patient's demographics, medical history, lab reports, immunization records, medications and much more. By putting more information at the physician's fingertips, electronic medical records enable medical practitioners to make more informed decisions, to practice more preventative care and to increase the quality of care overall. Electronic records may also help simplify administrative and billing tasks, cutting the cost of overhead and making the practice more productive and profitable.

Learn how to take advantage of the benefits of electronic medical records.

Medical practices can receive financial incentives for implementing electronic medical records.

Believing that electronic medical records can help reduce costs, minimize errors and improve the health care system, the U.S. government now offers financial incentives to healthcare providers who can document Meaningful Use of EMR, helping to defray the cost of electronic medical record programs and making the transition from paper to electronic medical records more practical than ever. Eligible professionals must meet a specific number of meaningful-use criteria, including the ability to:

• Keep active lists of diagnoses and current medications
• Capture specific patient demographics
• Chart specific patient vital signs
• Implement checks for drug interaction and allergies
• Order medications and generate prescriptions electronically

To qualify for incentives, healthcare providers must use EMR solutions that are certified by the federal government.

Centricity Advance: an electronic health records solution for the small medical practice.

Of the many electronic medical records solutions on the market today, few are both designed for the small practice and certified as a Complete EHR by the U.S. government. GE Healthcare's Centricity Advance is one such solution. As a Web based medical records program, Centricity Advance provides an affordable and easy-to-use solution that combines EMR software with practice management software and a patient portal – all in an online solution that can be implemented quickly. Centricity Advance offers:

• Electronic records functionality that enables you to quickly document information and check medical history during visits, check drug interaction information, prescribe medications electronically, code more accurately, embed clinical content in patient records and export patient information for immunization programs and pay-for-performance reporting.
• Physician practice management tools that may help you improve revenue cycle efficiencies, save money by streamlining administrative tasks, and get more done with fewer full-time staff.
• A patient portal, enabling patients to communicate securely with their physician, view lab results, make appointments, access their medical records and more.

Learn more now about Centricity Advance and electronic medical records.