Medical Records Software

Electronic medical records (EMR) are fast becoming the data standard in hospitals and medical practices, as a majority of physicians now report that they use some form of EMRⁱ.The right medical records software can help physicians enhance the quality of care and better coordinate care between multiple providers, while minimizing the data management burden on administrative staff and improving productivity throughout the practice.

Recognizing the many benefits that EMR can have on cutting costs and enhancing quality in the healthcare industry, the federal government has offered financial incentives for medical practices that adopt medical records software certified as having the ability to help them demonstrate Meaningful Use of EMR technology.

Learn more about medical records software and meaningful use.

Web based medical records software allows the smaller practice to deploy EMR.

While the benefits of electronic health records are clear, not all practices have been able to adopt the technology that is needed to make EMR work. Smaller practices in particular may find it difficult to justify the expense of purchasing, installing and maintaining an expensive software/hardware system. For these practices, a web based electronic medical records program may be the answer. A web based EMR system provides access to software online – there is no hardware or software to purchase or install, and no costly maintenance. Rather, practices pay an affordable monthly subscription fee and can access the software from any computer with Internet access at any location – the office, the hospital or even from home. Practice and patient data is housed at a data center with security measures that are typically far more robust than what the average practice can deliver.

Centricity Advance: software for electronic records and medical practice management.

For the smaller practice seeking a web based EMR software solution, GE Healthcare has developed Centricity Advance. This innovative service delivers EMR software, healthcare practice management software and a patient self-service portal in a single solution. With Centricity Advance medical records software, practices can:

• Capture patient data quickly with simple forms, templates, Symptom Bar technology and more.
• Access patient records anywhere at any time and enable physicians to make more informed point-of-care decisions
• Improve preventive care by searching patient records and being more proactive in outreach and education efforts
• Demonstrate Meaningful Use to potentially qualify for financial incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Reduce cost and administrative burden. With innovative practice management software tools,
• Give patients access to their healthcare information. Centricity Advance's patient portal allows patients to go online to view their medical records, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions and more

Learn more about Centricity Advance, a small practice EMR solution.

ⁱU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): "Electronic Medical Record/Electronic Health Record Use by Office-based Physicians: United States, 2008 and Preliminary 2009" http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/emr_ehr/emr_ehr.htm