7 Key Features you want to make sure your EMR system has
7 Key Features you want to make sure your EMR
System has
Published article: https://www.dr-bill.ca/blog/practice-management/7-key-features-you-want-to-make-sure-your-emr-has/
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are software programs that are digital versions of the
traditional paper-based medical records, that are normally found in a paper chart. They
store your patient’s medical history, medications, immunization dates, doctors notes, etc.
They are amazing platforms that really help centralize patient records, and in this day
and age, they are essential in any modern-day practice.
Using an EMR system is one of the best ways to streamline your daily tasks and keep
track of patient care. Depending on where you’re working, let’s say at a hospital or
outpatient care, most likely there’s already an EMR system in place. If you’re starting
your own practice though, you’ll need to decide which one to implement.
In this article we outline:
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How to learn EMR systems
How to use EMR systems
7 Key Features you want to make sure your EMR System has
Popular EMR Systems in Canada
How to Learn EMR Systems
More often than not, if you’re working in a hospital or doing locum work, you won’t be
able to choose the exact EMR system you’re going to use. So, exactly how to learn EMR
systems? The best way is to get familiar with what general features EMR systems have
(for example, our list below) and then always try to ask what system is being used
before your first day. Trying to find out a bit more about the system before you use it is
a great example of how to best use EMR systems.
Some Good questions to ask beforehand:
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What EMR is used?
Who is the “go-to” person for questions about the EMR in the clinic / in the
community?
Is there a user-group for the EMR in the community?
Are there built-in forms in the EMR? If so, which ones?
Are there templates/macros? (for physicals etc.).
How to Use EMR Systems
Once you know what EMR you’re going to be using make sure you:
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Set-up your login credentials.
Walk through the EMR yourself and identify which areas you’ll likely use on a
daily basis (you won’t need to learn every feature of an EMR).
Follow along with a free demo/tutorial (usually offered on the companies direct
website or by typing in the company’s name on YouTube).
If you are already familiar with the system and features, then go deeper into how to use
EMR systems by identifying which features it has that can help you be more productive.
For example, a lot of the doctors we’ve surveyed said setting up your own EMR
templates are a great way to stay more organized and make your workflow more
productive by grouping together day to day medical conditions or common scenarios.
7 Key Features you want to make sure your EMR System has
Whether you’re looking for a new EMR system to set up or you just want to know what
popular features you can expect from an EMR solution, first make sure you understand
what the company offers in terms of security and privacy. While these two features are
basic, they are extremely important when it comes to any system that handles patient
data.
Second, make sure they have a webinar or on-line training that will help you get used to
using it. Generally, EMR systems are not always easy to navigate so having help right
away will ease the learning curve.
Besides security, privacy, and support, the right electronic medical record system should
be saving you time while helping you improve patient care. Below is a look at the top 7
key features that every EMR system must have.
1. Customizable EMR Templates
One of the best features in electronic medical record systems is the ability to create
templates. Expect a good EMR to have easy-to-use templates where you can fill in the
information quickly.
Templates will speed up the charting process so that you get it done in only a few taps,
while also creating easy to view patient data for quick referencing.
You should also make sure you have the ability to create your own templates – as no
two practices are exactly the same. That way, you can save your own frequently used
information so that when you see patients with similar diagnoses you can speed up the
entire workflow process.
Here’s an example of the various templates you could create on your EMR system:
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Day to day medical conditions/common patient encounters
Intakes and response letters
Quick-links to frequently used medications and diagnostic codes
New Consult Assessments
Other examples; newborn-4 yo checks, paps, IUD insertions.
You should never use an EMR that doesn’t have charting and customizable EMR
templates.
TIP: If you work as a locum, or in more than one place, and find yourself working with
several EMR systems, try creating your own templates and storing them in evernote so
that you can easily copy and paste them whenever you need.
2. Reporting & 24/7 Access
You’ll want to make sure the electronic medical record system is available 24/7 from
anywhere – this means it’s built on a web-based platform (cloud hosting) so that you can
access it on any device (web, mobile or tablet) from anywhere you have an internet
connection. This means you’ll get access to your patients records whether you’re in the
clinic, at the hospital or on the go!
The best electronic medical records will let you set up customizable reports and let you
generate them on a regular basis that works for you (weekly, monthly, quartley,
etc.). Reports should be generated automatically based on all the information that your
EMR collects, like patient history, documents, test results, financial data, and overall just
any information that gets recorded.
For example, if you’re working in a lab-dependent practice then your EMR system should
electronically monitor the delivery, analysis, results, and certainty of any lab tests and
provide charts and downloadable reports.
It’s best to make sure you ask your potential EMR solution how exactly their reporting
system works and how you can best customize it to suit your practice.
3. Provider-to-provider Communications
Along with being able to access EMR systems from anywhere, you should also be able
to share information between physicians. Being able to quickly receive or send patient
records to someone else, say a referring physician, helps speed up your patient’s
treatment time by making sure that every physician has an updated and accurate
account of the patient’s history.
Aside from sending patient information, your EMR should have a
centralized communication system so you can chat directly with another doctor or leave
them messages. This centralizes patient-related communication and makes it easier to
record and view up-to-date patient data.
4. Scheduling Features
Scheduling should be done inside EMR systems so that you can easily keep track of
appointments. But what’s the difference between having scheduling features within
your electronic medical record software system versus. just having an electronic
appointment software?
Well, if your scheduling system is kept inside your EMR then anytime you schedule an
appointment or a follow-up or reminder, you’ll have the ability to notify your patients
immediately. This really helps save time in the office (for example, no one will need to
make a reminder call), as well decrease the amount of missed appointments.
Having a scheduling feature is a very powerful tool since you can usually customize it to
meet a specific need. For example, scheduling reminders for test results.
Overall scheduling features should improve your productivity by centralizing a lot of
your admin processes and organizing your calendar and notification system.
5. E-Prescriptions
The ability to quickly send prescriptions and authorize refills is a great feature to look for
in EMR systems. This feature will not only make it easier for your patients to get their
medications (no more poorly written prescriptions), but you’ll be able to communicate
directly with pharmacies. For example, you can forward the prescription directly to your
patients preferred pharmacy.
Besides two-way communication with pharmacies, your EMR should also track
medications that have been prescribed to your patients and have the ability to notify
you if any of their medications might interact with other medications they’re taking, or
with any allergies they may have.
This helps make sure you’re always prescribing safely. A great additional feature to this
is when an interaction or potential harmful effect is detected then an alternative
solution is suggested.
6. Patient Portals
Patient portals are a great way to help educate patients and give them a platform to
exchange information with their doctors and speed up their recovery time. Good
electronic medical record systems will provide a secure login for patients where they can
easily access:
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Educational materials (like care-instructions).
Forms to sign or download.
Lab results.
Information from their last visit.
A list of their allergies, immunizations, and medications.
Recent doctor visits & discharge summaries.
Appointment scheduling.
Prescription refill request.
Contact Information.
Patient portals are a great way to encourage patients to book appointments online,
which reduces phone calls and admin tasks. Additionally, it gives them a centralized place
where all their medical health information is kept and updated. Some EMR systems let
you customize the portal so you can share newsletters, preventative care recalls and
targeted health promotions.
7. Lab Integration
If you want to use your EMR to streamline your practice and boost your efficiency then
you need to make sure it integrates well with a laboratory, whether the lab is on or off
site.
This will make it easy to monitor the delivery of test samples and track results. The
results will automatically be added into the patient’s chart, which saves you time by not
having to manually enter each lab/image result. If your patients results come back and
are abnormal in any way then it’s typical that you’d be notified immediately on the EMR
screen, or some type of banner would pop up alerting you.
If you’ve chosen an EMR that also has a patient portal then your patient will also be able
to access their lab results as soon as they’re ready.
A good lab integration will not only make communication between you and lab easier, it
should display the results in an easy-to-read format so that they are easy to understand
for both you and your patient.
What’s the #1 EMR Feature?
While everything mentioned above helps improve efficiency, the number 1 feature to
look for when choosing any EMR system is flexibility.
The ability to customize your EMR system and make it work for you however you want
to use it, whether in a clinic or office setting, is extremely valuable. Being able to adjust
templates, dashboards and report functionalities so that they make sense to you will help
make the EMR system easier to use on a daily basis.
Popular EMR Systems in Canada
If you’ve landed here looking for specific solutions to check out, here’s a list of popular
EMR systems used across Canada:
TELUS EMR SOLUTION
Telus offers many ≈ for many Canadian physicians as they have a variety of digital
healthcare tools. Their EMR solutions focus on optimizing your practice and facilitating
continuity of care. If you’re looking for variety, it’s worth the time to check out their
different options. For example, there’s Med Access EMR, a web-based EMR that adapts
to your clinic, user and workflow needs, as well as Wolf EMR (a popular option) which is
a cloud-based EMR that can be customized. They also have PS Suite EMR that was
developed by physicians for physicians.
INPUTHEALTH
As the leading patient engagement platform, InputHealth streamlines workflows so you
can focus on what matters most: your patients and their outcomes.
Their platform includes modules for patient booking, documentation, virtual care,
questionnaires and more. InputHealth also leverages Dr. Bill’s platform to offer pain-free
medical billing to the physicians that use their system.
CHS: Canadian Health System
CHS is another popular EMR system that claims it can decrease your charting time by
20% and office overhead by 15-25%. Like many EMR systems you can use it on a
desktop, tablet or on your smartphone. An interesting feature they offer is the ability to
take photos and add them directly into your notes.
MOIS EMR
MOIS EMR is a robust and standards-based EMR system designed to improve overall
patient care and enhance provider efficiency. Look into this EMR solution if you’re really
looking to customize something specific for your practice.
ARYA EHR
Arya was designed by doctors, for doctors. Arya gets to the heart of the work flows that
physicians face everyday. It eliminates tedious steps, clicks and fields that slow down
work speed. It has a clean interface that works on multiple devices and is cloud based so
it can be accessed from home, office or hospital.
Arya Ehr isn’t just a solution for Medical Clinics (EMRs), it’s also a solution for various
other health related facilities such as Assisted Living Homes to Physiotherapy Offices.
Arya connects directly with Dr. Bill’s platform so you can also integrate your billing into
the EMR system.
OSCAR PRO
Oscar Pro is the 3rd largest EMR system in Canada and streamlines your clinic workflow,
plugging you into a larger digital health system and giving you easy access to proven
clinical tools. The pro version offers more support and features otherwise it’s similar
to the original.
IntraHealth PROFILE EMR
Another popular EMR system is Profile, an integrated practice management and EMR
package designed for operation by clinicians, practitioners, and administrative staff. It’s
designed to be used on Windows and has mobile device compatibility for booking or
cancelling appointments, checking test results, and communications between you and
your patient.
CERNER
Cerner’s EMR system is made for teams, making it easy to share across different care
teams and venues. Teams can document and access critical patient data and streamline
workflows. They offer a variety of integrations to help keep your clinical, financial and
operational data all working together.
ALLSCRIPTS SUNRISE
Lastly, Allscripts is a Popular EMR System recognized for easy implementation and
ongoing support. Consider this solution if you’re looking for top notch clinical insight.
They offer different solutions based on the type of care your practice offers and allow
you to tweak/modify the system as you go, depending on the feedback you get from
your team.
Conclusion
As technology advances electronic medical record systems are getting better and better
as more features are being catered to doctors individual needs. Having all this
technology helps speed up admin processes, improve patient-care and overall save you
time.
Make sure you look for an EMR that includes all 7 features above, along with privacy,
security and ease-of-use.