Memorial Hospital Quarterly Meeting

1
Memorial Hospital Quarterly Meeting What to
look for in an EMR

• Tips used at Dr. John Dormois Practice

2
What matters most in an EMR

• It must improve your efficiency
• Dont become a data entry person!
• You should be able to access your charts from
  anywhere w/o downloading software.
• Outside information from Pharmacies, Labs,
  Hospital and other sources should drop into your
  EMR.
• Communicating patient information in your
  practice and to other providers should be simple
  and fast.
• It should shift the focus of control back to you
  and your patients.

3
Improving Your Efficiency

• Beware of the drop down box!
• If you are required to document your encounter
  with drop down boxes you may be clicking 100
  times per note.
• Look for systems that can
• Import your existing transcribed notes into the
  EMR.
• Build your templates within minutes not weeks.
• Recycle the parts that you want from your
  previous encounter notes.
• Utilize the patient to enter the subjective
  portion of the encounter information.

4
Anytime, Anywhere Access

• Look for a web-based platform
• Caution! Beware of the ASP (Application Service
  Provider). You will want to keep your data
  onsite.
• Avoid systems that require you to download
  software on every remote PC.

5
Outside Information Connectivity

• Standard functions to look for
• Pharmacy Prescription interface
• Major Lab interfaces
• Automated incoming outgoing faxing
• Make sure you can combine any EMR information for
  outgoing faxes some systems can only send
  static chunks of info.
• Scanning to the EMR
• Any external electronic file should be able to be
  viewed from the EMR. (Ex Radiology Images,
  Reports, In-patient Notes)
• NOTE Look for systems that bundle these
  features in the base cost versus add-on costs!

6
Communicating Patient Information

• You should be able to send any document to other
  staff members or to your patients.
• The system should re-assign documents if a
  provider is out of the office.
• More advanced systems allow
• Communication with other practices using the same
  system.
• Method for patient to share record with other
  providers.
• Viewing capability to approved providers (eg.
  Hospital).

7
Reconnect Providers Patients

• Take advantage of systems that are integrated
  with a Patient Portal
• You will be able to
• Get messages in the patients own words.
• Avoid phone tag.
• Send normal labs electronically avoiding phone
  call.
• Reduce calls to the office and staff levels.
• Patients will be able to enter the subjective
  findings which will auto-populate your note
• Note Make sure your note is in prose and not in
  computer language!

8
Billing System Integration

• Make sure the EMR can
• Interface with your billing system,
• Interface with your billing services system, or
• Has its own billing system.

9
Future/Bonus Functions

• Integrated Clinical Decision Making Tools will be
  helpful, especially for P4P.
• Insurance pre-certification when patients
  schedule appointment online.
• Online bill payment for patients.

10
Results at Dormois, LLP

• Over 10,000 existing notes from MSWord imported
  into the EMR operational w/ EMR on day 1.
• Paperless environment w/ rapid access to all
  patient eCharts.
• Gained 1 hour per day while seeing the same
  number of patients .
• Time savings from EMR has resulted in increased
  revenues with the same number of hours worked.