Technology

In this guest blog, one practice outlines their journey for switching EHRs.

Clinical decision support (CDS) systems have been hailed for their potential to reduce medical errors and increase healthcare quality and efficiency; therefore, it is critical for physicians to consider implementing a CDS system at their practice.

It’s not easy being a doctor in such a transitional period of American healthcare. Practices are pressured with consumer-driven demands from a wider patient-demographic than ever before.

A new system can hurt a practice’s workflow. Here’s how to get back to top form quickly.

Most physicians have incredibly hectic work lives filled with people (the sheer number of patients seen daily), conditions (the vast amount of diagnoses made per week), and stories (the close calls, exciting cases and thrills of practicing medicine), so it seems only natural physicians have a lot to blog about.

As physicians continue to maneuver through the electronic health record (EHR) maze, they'll soon start to see more oversight from Uncle Sam.

Analysis to identify and mitigate risks should follow patient data, according to experts.

Physicians face challenges in preparing systems for the move to value-based reimbursement, including what it will mean for electronic health record systems.

The growth of smartphone usage is giving physicians new ways to stay connected with patients and improve their care, and evidence shows that communication outside of the office setting is acceptable and can help improve outcomes.

Running a physician practice is a lot different-and substantially more challenging-than it used to be.

Today’s physicians are busier than ever tackling high-volume schedules, chasing quality metrics and interpreting scads of data flowing into the electronic health record (EHR) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A new report reveals that 69% of healthcare providers are using patient engagement to get patients more involved in their own care, but its authors suggest that number should be closer to 100%.

With a major hack of an insurance company’s database having made front-page news not long ago, it’s natural that many physicians think first about electronic data when they think about protecting patients’ private health information (PHI).

It’s easy to get lost in the ever-evolving landscape of the telehealth marketplace.

For this year’s Medical Economics EHR Report, we wanted to get right to the heart of the matter regarding what’s working and what’s not with electronic health record systems, so we went to the experts: you, our readers.

Physicians expect more from their electronic health records (EHRs). These systems were supposed to provide efficiency and troves of useful data, enabling doctors to manage patient populations and meet the demands of quality care. But EHRs are lacking in all of these areas.

Independent physicians are concerned about data security, but feel they are limited as to what they can do to protect it.

Despite widespread unhappiness, surprisingly few practices say they plan to change their EHR system. Here’s why.

Federal reimbursement changes are coming, so physicians need to ensure that data collection tools are up to the task.

The healthcare information technology (HIT) marketplace-not Congress-should solve the problems with technology to aid physicians, according to electronic health record (EHR) vendors.

Keeping up with Dr. Google is exhausting.

Exchanging information is vital for quality patient care in an era of technology-based medicine, but progress is lagging.

The troubling reality is that review sites like Yelp and Healthgrades often attract patients who are more likely to air grievances, rather than praise. In other words, it’s a near certainty that every physician and medical practice will encounter a fair share of negative patient reviews.

Finding the right match is critical, so be sure to find the vendor that can offer something that complements your current practice operations.

Post-implementation management strategies can ease the adjustment to a new system.

Security risk assessments are difficult, but necessary.

Treating patients remotely requires the same diligence as face-to-face encounters, experts say.

This is normal...right?

Sometimes we get so focused on the “now” that we forget to look back. It’s a bit like this with electronic health records: The focus tends to be more on the challenges than on the benefits.

A recent American Medical Association (AMA) study shows that physicians spend 37% of their time on electronic health records (EHR) or desk work while meeting with patients.