Many medical practices around America are still struggling paper documents and records. These are difficult to work with, can be destroyed easily in accidents, and are hard to keep track of. As a result, many practices have gone digital and switched to electronic systems, which is one of the key foundations in running a successful medical practice.
Paper Records Are Limited
We’ve all heard the jokes about how a doctor’s handwriting is impossible to read. That’s just one of the problems when using handwritten records, but it’s among the dozens of problems that paper records encounter on a daily basis. It’s expensive to buy and copy and print if you count all the costs for ink and maintenance for your copy machine. It also has to be scanned before it can be sent unless your practice still relies on snail mail.
With digital records, there is no problem with reading the handwriting. There also isn’t a problem with copying and sending, because it can be done digitally without external hardware and most people in the United States prefer to have their records and documents sent instantly via the internet. Almost every big business in America dropped paper records ages ago and it’s an archaic system that we should do our best to move on from. One of the most popular options is to use emr software, short for Electronic Medical Record software.
Easily Browse A Patient’s Records
Another issue with paper records is the need to search through archives that have to be stored away properly. It takes up a lot of space, and a dedicated professional has to be manning the archives because they need to know where everything is. If this person isn’t at work, then it can take an extremely long amount of time for a doctor or nurse to pull out a patient’s records, which could lead to devastating consequences.
With EMR software, a patient’s records are just a few mouse clicks away. It saves a lot of money because there’s no need to hire an extra person to look after the records, and there’s no need to dedicate extra space to a storage room for all these papers. There’s also the added safety that the records cannot easily be destroyed by an accident.
Efficient and Productive
The goal of EMR software is to have information available at all times to anyone in the practice. Since it’s so easy to access, minimal training is required for someone to use the system. Without an electronic system, more training is required so that the relevant people know how and where to access the information they need such as prescriptions and patient details.
By eliminating the long process required to deal with some of these issues, it makes your entire practice run smoothly and fast. There’s no waiting around and results are instant, which is important in the fast-paced environment of a medical practice. Patients don’t like to wait around past their scheduled appointment time, and their satisfaction means that your practice is doing its job correctly.
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