The EMR/EHR Show is about getting the most out of your health records software, regardless of its maker or your medical specialty.
EMR’s are inherently complex — much more so than your typical word processor — and it’s natural to hit snags going from paper to EMR, or from 20 patients a day to 10 while you get used to a new system. Are you frustrated by transitions you hoped would be minor, that are grinding you to an apoplectic halt? That’s what The EMR/EHR Show was designed to address.
DISCLOSURE: I’m a full-time, community based family physician, and have been using our particular EMR from NextGen, since 2002. I currently advise our local IPA and hospital on using it, and orient new potential users to that system, in addition to performing my clinical and medical director duties.
But the topics for this blog are not unique to NextGen or any other EMR, or your hardware. All EMR users face the same issues at some point as clinicians, management staff, or tech support:
- Why did our implementation fail?
- How can we re-design our approach to smooth out the transitional first few months?
- Why can’t I customize the system as easily as my home computer’s word processor? (hint: Because it’s 10 times more complex, and interconnected with thousands of patients worth of database info, medication and formulary databases, electronic faxing, scanning, and email duties.)
- How can I get back up to speed like pre-EMR, or better yet, become more efficient?
- Can I use it to see more patients than before, more quickly, with better documentation, and with better patient safety and medico-legal protection? (Yes).
- How?