Top 10 benefits of a modern Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Australia's healthcare industry is continuously changing. It is becoming increasingly important to use every tool at your disposal to ensure best patient care and enable your staff to succeed. Gone are the days when health services are using paper records, but health service staff also want to minimise the number of software applications they are using.

Enter, EMR, or Electronic Medical Records. This article will dive into the top 10 benefits of a Modern EMR in your health service.

1. Improved Productivity for Medical, Nursing, Allied Health, and Admin Teams

Medical, nursing, allied health, and other medical personnel no longer have to waste time sifting through volumes of paperwork to obtain the information they need about a patient. On the other hand, computerized records can be retrieved significantly more quickly and efficiently with only a few keystrokes. This function, in turn, has numerous advantages for both doctors and patients.

Clinicians are now also looking to use a single software application, rather than open multiple systems to access the information they need to provide care.

Furthermore, because notes are no longer written but typed or selected from a menu of options in a predefined system, EMR software eliminates the legibility issue.

Ultimately, time-saving strategies that decrease staff duties and lower operational costs while improving patient services can benefit any organization.

2. Work Anywhere, Anytime with a Single Patient View

Medical staff often work in multiple locations, they get a call to provide a consultation for a patient on ward or update a medication order, this can now be performed from anywhere. If they are in another building they can access the patient file and complete the medication order, or review clinical notes to prioritise their work.

3. Reduced Inpatient Length of Stay

When properly implemented, EMR systems allow patients to leave the hospital sooner, limiting their exposure to germs and the probability of needing to return. According to the findings of one study, substantial technological integration is likely to free up clinicians and other vital resources.

As more individuals seek medical services, this method can make extra investments in infrastructure or recruit additional workers.

4. Reduced Duplicate and Unnecessary Diagnostic Tests

Accessible clinical information in one single patient view means doctors can see what has already been ordered for a patient. This can reduce duplicate tests being ordered.

Electronic ordering systems can limit the types of tests being ordered in a particular clinical setting, to ensure only the most appropriate tests are ordered by junior staff.

As a result, hospitals and healthcare organizations are increasingly implementing the NUTS, or No Unnecessary Tests program, particularly pathology and imaging.

If testing does not clinically get recommended, there is no evidence of benefit to the patient. It is better to defer to a different context, such as an outpatient clinic deemed "unnecessary."

Hospitals reduce patient inconvenience, discomfort, and potential injury by ensuring patients get evidence-based diagnostic tests, valuable to clinical decision-making and acceptable for the hospital setting.

5. Improved Consumer Experience and Outcomes

Patient portals offer more than just a way to notify patients about scheduled appointments, while that is a big plus because automated alerts minimize staff workload and phone calls.

Patients can interact with their medical providers, obtain test results, and check their electronic medical records for the correctness or missing information through the portal, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

6. The Reduced Time Associated with Discharge Planning

The hospital's responsibility for patients does not end when discharged. Hospitals must uphold and embrace their responsibilities to ensure that patients stay on the treatment route that professionals determined was appropriate for them to continue and complete. An effective EMR system can be instrumental to that.

Patients may get harmed by incomplete discharge protocols, which are a vital moment for transferring to post-hospital care. However, with an EMR system, discharge summaries can start as early as admission.

Ultimately, the discharge process gets designed to provide patients with the knowledge and services they need to enhance or maintain their health when they leave the hospital and avoid adverse outcomes and unnecessary rehospitalization.

7. Improved Accuracy of Private and Compensable Patients for Billing

The health component of patient services gets addressed by modern EMR software. A best-fit, web-based electronic health records solution, rather than a stand-alone platform, allows health service administrators  to complete billing and reporting requirements in the same system.

Ultimately, EMR customization is critical to developing a fully integrated system that helps you optimize revenue potential while lowering operating expenses and improving billing accuracy for private and compensable patients.

8. Reduction in Clinical Coding Time

By updating system data, EMR systems can keep up with the ever-changing world of billing and coding by keeping up with the changes from the government and insurance companies. Correct coding ensure accurate  data, and maximises revenue.

9. Improved Statutory Reporting and Compliance

Patients obtain better medical care when health care providers have access to complete and accurate information. EMR systems can help doctors diagnose diseases more quickly and minimize, if not eliminate, medical errors, resulting in better patient outcomes.

EMRs can help save money on transcription and reduce malpractice risk by providing better documentation. They improve statutory reporting and compliance while reducing the need for pharmacy calls for clarification by making prescriptions easy to read.

10. Better Analytics

Analytics allows for improved efficiency and care coordination, as well as a reduction in administrative burdens on your personnel.

Data from diverse sources is combined into an interface with an EMR data analytics integration, allowing for meaningful use of EMR data and ensuring effective business operations through reports and dashboards.

Ultimately, the right tools are essential for effective and relevant data analytics. The correct technologies enable the analysis of data and patient records and the discovery of insights that aid in providing better care and streamlining the business process.

Conclusion

There are numerous advantages to implementing an EMR system. The improved workflow and reimbursement ensure that the initial investment gets rapidly recouped and the health service functions smoothly.

Ultimately, when deciding which EMR system is suited for you, keep in mind that once widely embraced and meaningfully used, EMR systems may greatly benefit patients, providers, and society as a whole.

If you would like to know more information, please get in touch.