Electronic Health Records (EHR) software is a vital part of healthcare today. These robust technology solutions help to streamline clinical, administrative, and financial workflows through automation. Many EMR solutions have AI technology which further improves how these systems operate. However, this is not the case with all systems as they may not deliver value, and providers are found to spend more time on the software rather than on their patients.
Improved Practice Management with Optimized EHR
To enhance the usability of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software to support practice management healthcare organizations must engage in EHR optimization. When practices take full advantage of the software solution it can boost efficiency levels, streamline administrative tasks, and support clinicians to deliver high-quality care.
What is EMR software optimization?
EHR optimization is a process in which pain points are identified and solutions are applied to combat issues with the platform and make way for efficiencies. The National Academy of Medicine defines it as “a tailored strategy that includes the organization’s identified pain points, clinical informatics and technology resources, and clinician and leadership buy-in.”
When practices don’t optimize their software, issues can grow and lead to adverse circumstances, leading to clinician dissatisfaction and inefficient workflows.
Common EHR challenges
The common EHR challenges that practices can face include the following,
- Workflow disruption – Workflow disruptions in adding and retrieving data from EMR software, may impact many clinical tasks.
- Workflow inconsistency – A study was conducted that used screen-capture software to record EHR interactions that happened across a hospital. The findings showed that workflow, time, and error rates vary. This study reveals the gap in training and understanding.
- EHR usability and clinician burnout – An EMR Software that has many issues can cause physician burnout. This can be a clunky interface or features that don’t benefit the clinician. A study from the Mayo Clinic found that there is a strong association between EHR usability and physician burnout.
Electronic health records optimization is the best strategy to ensure that these challenges are kept at bay and maximize the benefits of the technology.
How to optimize the EMR Software?
- Gaps need to be identified in the existing software and workflows that result in greater time allocation, poor patient experience, financial issues, and other workflow challenges.
- Ask users about the EHR software. The feedback provided is essential to track bottlenecks and then find the right solution.
- Technical problems need to be evaluated related to software usability.
- Training sessions and resources should be reviewed to assess their effectiveness.
- Optimization is a journey and not a one-time activity. Continue to optimize to improve practice management.
