Electronic medical records (EMR) offer a great many benefits to the medical practice, including greater efficiency, more accurate billing, easier patient communication and improved quality of care. But to take advantage of these benefits, practices require superior EMR software that can help manage EMR efficiently and effectively. With the right EMR software, physicians should be able to have patient data in their hands whenever they need it, and especially at the point of decision, allowing them to make more informed choices and diagnoses. Quality EMR software provides patients with access to their own records and engages them more actively in their own care by linking them to research, offering health alerts and reminders, and allowing them to take a more active role in their healthcare. And EMR software can help increase patient safety, reduce error, and coordinate care with other providers.
For these reasons and more, the federal government has provided financial incentives for medical practices that can demonstrate Meaningful Use of EMR technology.
Learn more about EMR software and financial incentives.
When selecting EMR software to manage the transition to electronic records, smaller medical practices may be at a bit of a disadvantage, especially when it comes to software solutions that are certified by the government as having the ability to help demonstrate "meaningful use." Many of the current solutions involve a large outlay of capital to purchase and install complex software and hardware, as well as an IT budget and staff for maintenance and upgrades. For independent clinicians and practices of less than 10 physicians, these costs often prohibitive.
One viable alternative for smaller practices is Web based electronic medical records software. Rather than purchasing a software product, medical practices pay a monthly subscription fee for a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, using any Web browser to access EMR software that is hosted by a provider in a secure offsite location.
GE Healthcare has developed Centricity Advance specifically for the needs of the smaller practice. Centricity Advance includes not only an electronic medical record system but healthcare practice management software and patient portal technology as well. As a Web based EMR, Centricity Advance can be implemented quickly – usually within four weeks – and with easy-to-use features and medical records management interfaces, physicians and administrators can quickly be using Centricity Advance to:
Learn more now about GE Healthcare, an electronic medical record vendor, and how Centricity Advance, can help your practice take advantage of physician electronic medical record technology.
