The Complete Know How on EMR API Integration

EMR (Electronic Medical Records) are the backbone of healthcare organizations. They store protected health information (PHI), and aid providers in documentation process. EMR software conveniently offers access to medical records, helps with appointments, and generates billing.

EMR API integration acts as a gamechanger for the electronic medical records software. According to a report, 56% of IT decision-makers view APIs as assets that help organizations build better digital experiences and products.

Furthermore, it acts as a bridge that connects different healthcare systems together. This allows EMR to easily exchange data between multiple systems.

EMR API integration may be the key to achieve better communication between care providers, systems, and offer scalability. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of EMR API integration, along with its key features. We will also dive into the process of EMR API integration in the later part of the article.

Key Benefits of EMR API Integration

1. Improved Patient Satisfaction

Patient well-being and satisfaction is the key objective of any healthcare organization. High patient satisfaction rate is more likely to attract more patients, and also retain the existing ones. Thereby, maintaining a steady revenue cycle in healthcare organization.

With EMR API integration, organizations can streamline billing, appointment booking, and more such processes. Here’s how it is done. An EMR API integration involves linking in-house EMR to third-party services such as insurance management, billing portals, appointment booking platforms and more.

Patients use these external services to fill an intake form online, check for claims, and access medical records. This streamlines healthcare process, making it convenient for patients, thereby enhancing satisfaction rate.

2. Better Communication Between Providers

Since EMR APIs are known to connect different systems together, they can aid in improving communication between healthcare providers. This improves coordination between them, thus leading to better patient care.

An EMR API integration is known to consolidate data from multiple sources under one platform. So, within the same organization, providers from different departments can review and update patient data from the same connected IoMT (Internet of Medical Things).

For instance, if a patient is transferred from OPD to surgery then the data is automatically transferred to the concerned department. This seamless flow of information allows providers to speed up treatment.

3. Interoperability

Interoperability is one of the crucial challenges faced by the healthcare organizations. Many times data exchange seems to be an issue because multiple systems are connected with each other, making it a complex web. Data inconsistency and system incompatibility are a few more reasons for interoperability issues.

With EMR API integration, organizations can hope for better interoperability. Data standards such as FHIR, and integration of RESTful API ensure that data is exchanged securely over the network. HL7 FHIR maintains data consistency across systems, even with third-party vendors.

Pivotal Features of EMR API Integration

1. Compliance

Compliance with healthcare regulations is a must-have feature for EMR API integration. Developers are required to adhere to HIPAA compliance during API integration. This ensures the privacy and security of ePHI.

Here’s what falls under HIPAA:

HIPAA Privacy Rule: The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes guidelines for safeguarding any personally identifiable health information that Covered Entities (CE) or Business Associates (BA) handle. Numerous sensitive pieces of information, including social security numbers, credit card details, and medical histories with medications, surgeries, illnesses, and diagnoses, are included in this protected health information (PHI).

HIPAA Security Rule: Standards for safeguarding electronic PHI (ePHI) created, used, received, or maintained by a covered entity are set forth in the HIPAA Security Rule. It includes three types of safeguards – administrative, technical, and physical.
Breach Notification Rule: When a patient’s protected health information (PHI) is improperly used or exposed, or “breached,” in a way that jeopardizes the security and privacy of the PHI, then as per the Breach Notification rule, CE must notify the patients.

2. Access to Data

With interconnected systems, EMR API ensures that healthcare providers get access to real-time data. Timely access to ePHI is crucial for clinical decision-making, especially during healthcare emergencies. Furthermore, seamless data exchange ensures that the concerned department has access to patient data, making it easier to treat patients.

3. Automation

Artificial intelligence brought with it automated technology, which reduced cumbersome tasks such as documentation, appointment scheduling, medical billing and coding, etc. Moreover, automation reduces charting time, for example smart phrases or custom phrases can be leveraged while charting. Another example could be pre-fill capabilities that pre-populates charts with PHI, which can be edited later by the provider.

4. Integration of Data Standards

Data standards such as different version of HL7 and FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) are used for data exchange. It is a flexible standard that can be used in a variety of healthcare settings. FHIR uses RESTful APIs for seamless data exchange. Plus, SMART on FHIR apps are created to access and exchange data from EHR/EMR software and other sources.

Follow these Steps for Effective EMR API Integration

1. Define the Objective

What’s the core reason for opting for EMR API integration? Having core objectives sets the direction and helps to achieve goals faster. Here are key objectives that can be accomplished with EMR API integration:

• To enhance interoperability with other systems such as telehealth, practice management software, LIMS, data analytics, etc.
• To reduce data entry errors which are crucial for patient documentation.
• To improve access to clinical data via integration, eventually enhancing patient care and experience.
• To streamline admin tasks such as medical billing, appointment scheduling, and paperwork.

These are some goals, there can be many more, depending on the objective of the healthcare organizations. By considering them, healthcare developers can seek out a direction for EMR API integration.

2. Choose the Right Healthcare Tech Partner

Select the right healthcare tech partner who can understand your requirements and execute them meticulously. Some of the aspects to lookout for in a tech partner are:

Experience: Check the company’s history, years of experience, and projects they’ve worked on. Delve into testimonials to gauge the details of the client’s success stories.

Technical Proficiency: Assure that the company uses latest technology stacks that align with your EMR software development requirements. Also, examine scalability options alongside your organization’s growth, assuring that the system is adaptable and robust.

Interoperability Standards: Verify whether the company is adhering to interoperability standards or not. This is a crucial aspect in ensuring smooth integration between varied EMR software and other systems.

Arkenea has 13+ years of experience in developing applications exclusively in the healthcare space. Get in touch for a free consultation and quote on your project.

3. Setup Integration Roadmap

Setting priorities is a crucial part of this process. It entails evaluating the integration requirements in light of how they affect patient care and operational effectiveness. Certain data pieces have the potential to have a major impact on patient outcomes, such as instant access to vital lab findings or medical records.

Others, on the other hand, might mostly have an impact on the administrative facets of healthcare delivery. Healthcare businesses can effectively manage resources by setting clear goals and concentrating on integrations that will result in the greatest improvements in patient outcomes and streamlined operations.

4. Train the Staff

It’s possible that certain employees won’t be open to utilizing new EMR systems. Some people might need more assistance in order to become familiar with the latest custom healthcare software solutions.

These factors make it necessary to include staff support and training in the EMR API integration project. Medical personnel can learn how to use various software in a simulated environment with test patient records, with the use of official EMR training and practice programs.

5. Test, Deploy, and Monitor

When integrating software solutions, deployment and monitoring are essential in the healthcare sector. Deployment is carried out in a regulated and staggered manner to minimize disruptions to regular healthcare operations and ensure a seamless transition. Before a full-scale rollout, this phased method entails meticulous testing in restricted situations, enabling the early detection and proactive resolution of any potential problems.

After deployment, ongoing observation is essential. Security, data integrity, and performance are closely monitored. Strong warning and monitoring systems guarantee the quick identification and resolution of any irregularities or problems that may occur.

Leverage the benefits offers by EMR API integration by incorporating it into your practice today. Arkenea offers EMR/EHR software development services that caters to the needs of a healthcare organization.