There IS an online resource that I troll regularly, http://www.emrupdate.com/ — but it’s a bit like the wild, wild west. Flaming threads are not uncommon, and you are getting the undistilled comments of fellow EMR users, frustrations and all.

That said, I believe it’s always valuable to study “raw data.” But I’ve seen more than one post that focused on just one aspect of an issue, so I’d recommend being patient and balanced following the threads.

My own experience parallels yours, with a caveat: it’s valuable to see how others have successfully integrated your system into their offices, but your own office may not quite be ready for that, yet.

If you’re at the “We’re not quite decided on this particular vendor” stage, you should absolutely be talking to other folks using it live. But if you’ve taken the plunge to go with it, there may be other things your office needs to focus on first, like repetitious simulations of sample cases, scanning and abstracting protocols, etc.

Sometimes, looking over at what “advanced” users are doing is analogous to a white belt in a karate class looking at what the 2nd degree black belts are doing, and wondering why the instructor is “holding back” by not teaching those fancy jumping reverse spin kicks.

Some of the most oft-described tactics to improve physician efficiency using EMR, involve shunting tasks to staff. That’s a problematic recommendation, if the staff is running at full speed already, and there aren’t 4 other MA’s and 5 other front desk staff to share the shunting.

Luckily, comprehensive EMR’s (involving scheduling, billing, and intra-office messaging – EPM’s) also work their magic by improving the office’s efficiency overall. This is where staff can get the breathing room they need.

Prices coming down for smaller offices is definitely an idea whose time has come, given the large number of small group practices out there. That market is too big – and too important – to ignore, like Target or Walmart ignoring families with just 1 or 2 children.