EMR – Electronic Medical Records Going Mobile

Doctors are going mobile – Electronic Medical Records software service – Are you ready?

Information technology has taken society by storm. In this age of instant digital media, we are continuously updated on the status of the world around us. Now this same technology is being used to open the channels of communication between physicians, hospitals, and other medical personnel through the use of electronic records.

Electronic Medical Records or EMRs are actively replacing paper records that can be easily misplaced and incomplete. The EMR has produced a more efficient means of record retrieval and storage.

An increased number of physicians have started to tap into the mobile market by using smartphones and iPads to access EMRs wirelessly on the go. This eliminates delays in critical communications to specialists and other medical staff.

Many physicians — about 72 percent and rising, according to Manhattan Research — are already using their smartphones and iPads to access clinical information and perform quick tasks. In coming years, more physicians are expected to use their smartphones for patient care, such as messaging though the EHR to staff or other doctors, or receiving clinical data directly from patients. -Physicians Practice.com

Communication between providers is one area that has not been updated in most software systems.

Referrals are the key to bringing in a steady stream of new patients to the practice. However, linking patients with specialists is often a delayed process due to forwarding of paper records and other required forms.  With the use of EMRs, electronic patient referrals linked directly to the patient’s record are transmitted within seconds to the receiving office. This also eliminates the need for the referred specialist to interview the patient about their medical history since all of the information is directly transferred over in the EMR.

An additional benefit to EMRs is the ability to transmit prescriptions to participating pharmacies. This eliminates the easy to lose paper slip prescriptions and ensures that the correct prescription is sent to the pharmacy in a timely manner. The medication prescribed becomes a permanent part of the EMR as well, ensuring that the patient’s medication list is up to date.

When a physician relocates or retires, often times, the patient’s paper records become lost in the shuffle or stored offsite. Since the EMR can also be accessed by the patient, they will always have it in their possession

The challenge facing the use of EMRs is preventing the patient’s personal information from being accessed by unauthorized parties through security breaches. However, measures can be taken to decrease the chances of such intrusions such as using a private data cloud and/or data encryption.

What ideas do you have about your current EMR / EHR to improve your office productivity – What would you change and why?

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Contact us at Referral MD for information on how we can set up a secure electronic referral network for your office.