Ready for a new EHR?

Transcription

1 Ready for a new EHR?

2 5 questions to help you determine if you should make the switch Many practices are struggling to maintain profitability and patient volume due to increasing regulatory requirements and decreasing reimbursements. To combat these issues, some practices have turned to electronic health records (EHRs). And while that technology is designed to enhance patient care and provider productivity, more than two-thirds of physicians report dissatisfaction with their particular EHR. Meanwhile, other practices have resisted EHR technology in favor of manual documentation techniques and now face the decision of keeping their paper charts and paying Medicare penalties beginning next year or transitioning to an EHR. But here s the good news: Deciding whether to add or replace an EHR isn t a lose-lose situation. It s actually an opportunity to prepare your practice for ICD-10, value-based payment models and restored productivity and profitability. The trick is to find the EHR that s right for you.

3 5 questions to ask yourself Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether a new EHR can help your practice prepare for the future, grow profitably and spend more time doing what you do best caring for patients. 1 Do you currently have a plan to prepare for ICD-10? Well-equipped EHR and practice management technology can dramatically improve the ICD-10 transition process. Though no tools can replace staff training, clinical documentation tools with features such as cross-mapping between ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes will help you transition smoothly. Early preparation is often cited as a major predictor of ICD-10 success. To make the transition without disruption, be sure your practice and your paper chart or EHR vendor are ready well before the Oct. 1, 2015 deadline.

4 2 Is your documentation method meeting expectations? Recall the factors that led to the selection of your current method of clinical documentation. Now consider if that chosen process has accomplished what you hoped. For example, if an essential factor in your selection was that you wanted a user-friendly tool, yet staff complain about inability to document with ease, consider whether the fault is insufficient training or the system itself. Additional staff instruction can easily be provided, but an inherent problem with your clinical documentation method is likely only remedied with an alternate solution. 3 Do you have access to the tools that are most important to your practice? Determine the documentation features that are important to you this might include easily sharing data with statewide immunization registries, speechto-text dictation solutions or customizable templates then assess if those features are available in your paper charts or current EHR. Remember to consider if your solution can accommodate the increased specificity required by ICD-10. Keep this list; it can help you determine which features to look for if you decide to adopt a new EHR.

5 4 Are you equipped to meet future needs? Using an EHR is one way to prepare your practice for participation in programs such as PCMH, ACOs, PQRS and meaningful use. However, those initiatives also require tools such as reporting systems and patient portals, so adding an EHR with those integrated add-on solutions could help you achieve those goals. Don t plan to participate in incentive programs? Consider your practice s unique goals for the future and research whether your current tools can help you achieve them. 5 Is the company that provides your documentation solution a true practice partner or just a vendor? Partnering with companies that have the flexibility to change with your organization and the evolving healthcare industry is vital to your practice s ability to continue practicing medicine effectively. If you have an EHR already, remember that your EHR solution vendor should work for your organization not the other way around. An innovative EHR partner is receptive to customer feedback and product enhancement requests and has a responsive support structure to assist before, during and after implementation.

6 Learn more If answers to these questions reflected poorly on your current system, it s time to consider adding or replacing your EHR. With hundreds of options on the market, selecting the right EHR is not simple. But with careful research and the insights shared above, you can select and implement the right EHR for your practice. To learn about Greenway s solutions designed to help you improve clinical, financial and administrative outcomes in your practice, visit greenwayhealth.com or call