Did you know that the US EHR market was valued at $36 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.89% through 2035?

EHRs were widely adopted across the United States after the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009. So far, cloud-based EHRs, like Practice EHR software, have shown promising patient-physician interaction, better communication, and streamlined workflow.

If you’re searching for the best EHR software that can help reduce your administrative workload and speed up operations, there are certain features to look for. Read on as we explain the key features and considerations to keep in mind when looking for the best EHR software for your practice!

What Should You Consider Before Choosing the Best EHR Software for Your Practice?

To maximize the benefits of using an EHR for small practices, it is imperative to choose one based on several factors. For instance, a robust and best EHR software must ensure data security, interoperability, and cost-effectiveness.

The features are pivotal in optimizing clinical workflows, ensuring patient care, and EHR practice management.

• • Data security

    Before choosing the best EHR software, make sure your EHR system complies with HIPAA policies. For example, Practice EHR software adheres to HIPAA guidelines. The three pillars of securing protected health information outlined by HIPAA are administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards.

• • Interoperability

    To maintain a streamlined EHR practice management, a suitable EHR for small practices must integrate with existing billing systems, pharmacies, and laboratories. If, in any case, the system is poorly integrated, this can lead to miscommunication, loss of data, and other technical errors.

• • Cost and Resource Management
    One must explore the cost and resource management of the desired best EHR software because an effective EHR practice management is only possible if the organization can allocate the resources effectively. Improper planning and extra expenses can backfire and lead to cash flow problems.

Key Features for Smart Practice

A cloud-based EHR with features like medical charting, e-prescribing, and AI solutions can be the best practice management tool. These features are essential to the best EHR for small practices. Here are the key features for effective EHR practice management!

1. Medical Charting

Medical charting integrated with robust EHR features streamlines the documentation process of a patient's clinical information, which includes medical history, diagnosis, and treatment plans.

A specialty-specific EHR for small practices, like Practice EHR software, also streamlines this process by providing pre-designed templates, point-and-click options, and free text entry.

Medical charting is also designed to maintain clinical decision support systems. For instance, CDS will answer your queries and provide alerts and reminders if you need assistance regarding person-specific information.

Additionally, CDSSs, like the Practice EHR software, encompass Computer-Aided Diagnostic (CAD) systems for specific diagnostic support actions to optimize individual treatment. In this way, medical charting can address specialty-specific concerns.

2. E-Prescribing

As per the reports, medication errors cost the healthcare system a lot, with some experts estimating adverse events cost over $20 billion annually. Contrary to such concerning numbers, e-prescribing is expected to enhance the prescription process by generating and sending accurate prescriptions through a robust EHR such as Practice EHR software.

Integration of E-prescribing ensures a smart practice. It is a way to manage the best EHR software meaningfully because the technology is designed to enhance patient care. It allows you and your physicians to access patient histories, medication information, and diagnoses, eventually increasing patient safety by reducing medication errors.

There are multiple benefits of e-prescribing integrated into EHR for small practices. Enhancing prescription accuracy is a key benefit of electronic prescribing in modern healthcare. With traditional methods, prescription inaccuracies can lead to significant health risks and complications.

Automated allergy and interaction checks, real-time access to medication records, and standardized prescription formats have made e-prescribing features worthwhile.

3. AI-Solutions

EHRs can process massive amounts of patient data by leveraging AI tools, leading to effective healthcare management. AI EHRs can streamline workflow, provide treatment recommendations, and enhance physician-patient interaction.

An interesting fact is that, according to the Medscape Physician Compensation 2023 report, doctors spend an average of 15.5 hours per week on administrative tasks.

AI-driven tools in Practice EHR software work to reduce the burden of administrative tasks that hinder their daily operations and complicate workflows.

For instance, AI scanners tend to be time savers! AI scanning improves the pace of work and reduces the chances of errors associated with manually entering data. It helps reduce the pressure of handling tasks such as working on insurance claims, checking in new patients, filing patient records, and more.

4. Cloud-based EHR

Who would not like to save their money? Cloud-based EHR software allows you to save money on IT costs and reinvest that money in your practice management. Cloud-based EHRs usually require lower upfront costs than traditional on-premise systems. There are many other benefits of using cloud-based EHR systems, like the Practice EHR software.

The mobility feature of cloud-based EHR improves patient care by providing you and your provider with real-time access to all patient data. Cloud-based EHR systems, such as Practice EHR software, allow providers to access patient records, including patient history, medical records, and prescriptions, from any location and device, ensuring a smooth EHR practice management.

Imagine you are about to book your appointment with your physician and learn that your EHR portal has crashed due to a hardware failure or simply a system crash. You will get worried about your data loss. That shouldn’t be the case because your data can be completely backed up with a cloud-based EHR, such as PracticeEHR.

Cloud-based EHRs' robust disaster recovery feature makes them perfect solutions if you are concerned about a potential system failure in your healthcare system.

5. EHR Practice Management

If you want to avoid administrative and operational hurdles in your healthcare delivery, practice management (PM) features in your EHR would do so. EHR systems integrate the PM features to streamline workflow, enhance patient care, and improve clinical efficiency.

EHR practice management automates the billing tasks, easing the manual data entry, which can also lead to errors and, eventually, claims denials. Advanced PM software reports potential errors before the claims are submitted, allowing for smooth revenue cycle management.

The best thing about EHR software with integrated practice management features is its ability to create a customized schedule for multiple providers and locations. The software also automatically sends an email, call, or text message to remind patients about upcoming appointments. 

Practice EHR - The ONE and Only EHR For Small Practices!

Choosing the best EHR software for your small practice could help you spend less time on administrative tasks and better manage your practice. In this regard, Practice EHR takes the lead and brings innovation to the healthcare sector by offering the best features: medical charting, e-prescribing, AI solutions, cloud-based EHR, and integrated practice management.

If you want to learn how to leverage the discussed EHR features to optimize efficiency in your small practice, request a free demo, and our team will get back to you right away!

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