| EMR software, or Electronic Medical Records | | | | Staff may then schedule other patients to come |
| software, is becoming more and more widely | | | | for appointments during the empty time slots. |
| accepted in the medical industry. Technology | | | | 2) Less room for error. |
| always has an important role to play in the | | | | Almost every growing medical practice |
| medical care. In the aspect of record keeping, | | | | encounters some kind of filing errors. That is |
| EMR software is becoming more of an essential | | | | understandable, considering the amount of |
| need than a luxury. There are several reasons | | | | administrative work involved when dealing with |
| why a medical clinic should deploy EMR software. | | | | patients. Such work includes billing issues, keeping |
| First, there is the issue of compliance. By 2016, all | | | | medical charts and records, etc. Sometimes, |
| medical clinics are required to have EMR software | | | | misfiling occurs and information gets lost. When |
| as part of their operations. Otherwise, they may | | | | such information are filed electronically, there is |
| be penalized financially by MedicareMedicaid. The | | | | almost zero chance for misfiling to occur. It is also |
| authorities have good reasons for enforcing this | | | | easier to track overdue payments via electronic |
| rule. Deploying EMR software boosts the quality | | | | software. |
| of medical care, and that benefits the general | | | | 3) Storing lab records and creating graphs. |
| public greatly. | | | | Graphical representations of lab records are very |
| Even without mandatory rules, medical practices | | | | useful to the doctors. They can use such graphs |
| are setting up EMR software to help manage their | | | | to help them communicate treatment plans to |
| operations voluntarily. That is because the practice | | | | their patients, or they can use the graphs to help |
| owners can see the economic benefits that come | | | | interpret the lab results more accurately. Graphs |
| with using EMR software. Here are some benefits: | | | | can also help physicians spot trends. For instance, |
| 1) Allows physicians to see more patients. | | | | a doctor can instantly retrieve records of |
| Having EMR software in place allows the doctors | | | | previous prescriptions, and find out the frequency |
| to see more patients. The documentation and | | | | of the prescriptions from the graphs. |
| appointments are kept in such well organized | | | | 4) Renewing prescriptions easily. |
| fashion that more time is freed up. In other | | | | If a prescription has been observed to be working |
| words, the operations become more streamlined. | | | | great, the same prescription can be renewed |
| Having streamlined operations mean that staff | | | | easily. The software helps doctors to avoid |
| can stay on top of the operations. For example, | | | | severe prescription mistakes by giving out |
| reminders can be sent to patients to remind them | | | | warning prompts when there is an allergy violation. |
| of upcoming appointments. Usually, when patients | | | | Drug allergies and intolerance are stored in the |
| receive these reminders, they will respond (i.e. | | | | EMR software and highlighted in red so as to |
| cancel the appointments) if they can't make it. | | | | capture the attention of the doctor. |