Electronic health records (EHR) play a vital role in patient care and practice efficiency. Meaningful Use of an EHR system is required by law, but the benefits go far beyond legal compliance.  

With an EHR program that provides specialty-specific templates and workflows, you can increase productivity, build your practice, and reduce administrative burdens. You might even end up with some extra free time. But with so many EHR systems to choose from, where do you begin? 

In this blog, we highlight some of the most common EHR pain points and explain what the ideal EHR experience looks like for you and your staff. 

What are some common problems that electronic medical record (EMR) software users experience? 

Many EMR software programs promise to make things easier and more efficient, but there’s a disconnect when it comes to actual implementation. Consider the following pain points: 

1. EHR software is time-consuming. Learning a new software program takes time and energy. One study of 155,000 U.S. physicians found that, on average, doctors spend 16 minutes and 14 seconds using EHR software after each patient visit. That equates to about an hour of note-taking for every four people. Yikes! When half of your day is spent reviewing charts, ordering labs, or accounting, there’s much less time to focus on what matters most — your patients.

2. EHR solutions often use siloed systems. Many EHR solutions categorize patient data in silos. Unfortunately, these silos can make it difficult to access important information, especially if more than one physician is coordinating care. Thankfully, there are various HIPPA Compliant solutions that can help integrate your data.

3. Workflows that aren't customized. No two doctors run their practices exactly alike. If an EHR system forces you to use a generic template or a workflow that you can’t customize to your needs, it can affect your productivity, cause frustration, and result in poorer patient care.

4. Legal and regulatory requirements. Regulatory requirements like MACRA/MIPS and Meaningful Use present unique challenges for EHR users. If you invest in a system that doesn’t take these requirements into account, you could put your practice at risk and leave money on the table.

5. Unnecessary features. When it comes to EHR practice management, one size doesn’t fit all. Just because a program has lots of bells and whistles doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right choice. Before you start researching, take the time to write down a list of features you must have, then refer to that list.  

What does an ideal EHR software experience look like? 

Now that you know about some of the most common EHR pain points let’s look at some features that can make for a more satisfying user experience. 

• Intuitive workflow - Whether you run a single or multi-specialty practice, it’s crucial you’re able to document all aspects of a patient’s visit. An EHR program that makes it easy to create and complete progress notes, see patient alerts, and get clinical decision support can make your life much easier. 

• Multiple types of documentation - Everyone takes notes differently. Look for a program that offers various types of documentation, like point and click, free text, or dictation. That way, you can chart comfortably the way you like and easily interact with your patients.

• Automation - Is your front desk staff overwhelmed with tasks like scheduling, checking patient eligibility, and collecting late payments? While there’s no way to avoid these responsibilities entirely, an automated EHR system can make things significantly easier. It can even free up your team to focus on more pressing matters.
  
  
• Integration with other services - like labs and billing. Why invest in multiple software programs when you can manage your practice with just one? Any EHR platform worth your time will integrate with lab providers and billing to save you time and make your life easier.
  
  
• All digital - Paper intake forms are hard to keep track of, bulky, and bad for the environment. If you’re upgrading to an EHR solution, go all digital. A program that allows patients to check-in via an iPad or smartphone can make the experience that much more enjoyable. Not to mention, digital intake can reduce errors and keep all of your data in one spot.

Final Thoughts 

Choosing the right EHR software for your practice can seem like a daunting task. We hope this discussion of common pain points and things to look for helps make your search a little easier.  

At Practice EHR, we offer a complete EHR solution for medical practices of all sizes. Our software is affordable, user-friendly, and customizable.  

Get started with a free trial, or schedule a demo. We’d love to show you the ropes of our EHR software and improve the quality of care that you provide. 

If you still have questions about EHR software or want to learn more about how our platform can benefit your practice, please get in touch. 

Click here to begin the ideal EHR software experience.