Key Takeaway:
- Increased efficiency and productivity, including automated billing and coding.
- Compliance with regulatory requirements, including privacy and security regulations such as HIPAA.
- Support for clinical research and quality improvement initiatives, including data analytics and reporting capabilities.
- Centralized storage of patient health records, including medical history, diagnoses, medications, and lab results.
- Streamlined patient management, including appointment scheduling, prescription ordering, and communication with patients.
- Facilitation of clinical decision-making, including alerts for potential drug interactions and reminders for preventative care.
The healthcare sector has been compelled to improve technologically at an accelerated rate in recent decades due to the growth of the internet, the increase of the middle class, and the aging American population. The implementation of electronic health records (EHR) has resulted in a considerable change in IT infrastructure, making it crucial for nursing care staff to understand electronic health records best practices.
Electronic health record (EHR) software adoption has grown significantly worldwide, particularly in the US. Around 93% of American hospitals are equipped with some type of EHR in their organization, according to American Hospital Association data released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Long-term care facilities are now better and are able to manage resident care plans and increase compliance levels thanks to the transition from paper-based documentation to digital, computer-based nursing home software. This has a positive impact on the safety, quality, and effectiveness of long-term care facilities.
The best practices for electronic health records must be covered by a set of fundamental elements for any long term care software to be effective. As a result, software must be versatile and follow specific requirements, such as:
- A thorough account of medical background, prescriptions, treatment regimen, allergies, and test outcomes.
- Access to tools that are evidence-based, such as point of care, to help medical practitioners make precise clinical decisions.
- A streamlined and automated process to increase productivity and care quality.
What are the key functions of an EHR software?
An electronic health record system’s primary duties include:
1. Admin processing and reporting EHR Function
Administrative processing and reporting are essential, but they can occupy a lot of staff time and divert focus from the patients that might otherwise be given.
The main purpose of an electronic health system is to streamline and automate a number of tasks in order to prioritize patient care in response to this time restriction. Many procedures can run automatically, including:
- Booking appointments.
- Billing.
- Outreach to or follow-up with patients.
Moreover, accuracy is improved by consolidating all organizational data into a single electronic system because it makes sure nothing is overlooked.
2. Decision support EHR Function
In the healthcare industry, offering support for decisions is essential to enhancing patient care and accuracy when a practitioner makes a choice.
Tools in electronic health software are frequently available to assist healthcare professionals in developing efficient patient treatment regimens. By keeping your healthcare providers on track to adhere to current treatment protocols, having this system in place helps them maintain best clinical practices.
3. Electronic communication EHR Function
It’s crucial for patients and their healthcare professionals to have clear, succinct, and accurate communication.
By offering secure messaging systems, an electronic health record system frequently promotes a smoother flow of communication. When used properly, messaging platforms let patients ask crucial questions as they come up on the system. At every stage of their path towards wellness, patients are more engaged when communication is convenient.
4. Health data and information EHR Function
Your healthcare information contains vital data that is beneficial to the general population’s health.
Hence, a well-managed electronic health record system ought to enable clinics to provide useful clinical data to government agencies like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
In order to stop the spread of diseases or viruses, the government uses this safely shared information to understand and monitor the state of societal health.
5. Order management EHR Function
Keeping track of lab test requests and prescription orders can be challenging, particularly for people with chronic diseases who frequently require renewals.
Yet for a more streamlined procedure, a good electronic health record system should track and record orders. Several distinct benefits are included with order management, including:
- Faster completion of orders.
- Decreased likelihood of duplicate orders.
- Improved legibility or reading of lab request forms and medications.
All orders being put into one database reduces the possibility of errors, providing a safer environment for patients and clearer accountability for a clinic.
6. Patient support EHR Function
Electronic health software equips patients with all the resources they need to be actively involved in their care. A person typically has access to the following data when a digital health record system is in place:
- Medical history.
- Health records.
- Scholarly sources.
- Home-monitoring.
Also, a lot of medical offices provide a patient portal where individuals may log in and access a lot of their medical data. The patient stays more involved in their health thanks to the data’s accessible 24/7 accessibility.
Health apps that make use of electronic health record systems have also given patients additional authority. For instance, Arkenea has developed custom EHR softwares to provide patients with mobile access to a centralized health record platform when they need it.
Try using a mobile healthcare app if you’ve had trouble keeping track of all of your medical information. The records you keep on this app are:
- Protected under HIPAA.
- For simple access, it is in your healthcare summary.
- Accessible at any time for retrieval.
7. Result management EHR Function
A healthcare professional must have the most recent patient information in order to provide care for a patient (such as lab results and medications). Even if a different team member takes over the treatment plan, a clinician or doctor can easily retrieve fresh results thanks to an electronic health record solution.
To make sure nothing is missed or forgotten, medical teams might evaluate a patient’s medical history and prior treatment plans.
You should be in the lead as the globe transitions to using online healthcare solutions. You gain the ability to keep informed about your health and wellness by using an electronic healthcare system.
Best Approaches for the Implementation of Effective Electronic Health Records
Understanding best practices for electronic health records is crucial, but it’s just as crucial to give your team enough training so they can use the software to its fullest. Of course, depending on their position and tasks, staff members utilise various LTC software features. Thus, it is not required to train every employee on how to operate every component.
The dynamics of a hospital are altered by EHR in practice.
Instead, facilities should identify the “super-users” within the facility when integrating long-term care software. These employees have a deep interest in technology and are quick learners, but more importantly, they have the patience and attitude needed to guide others in using the nursing computer software.
Only the skills necessary for them to do their jobs should be taught to other team members. This will increase facility efficiency and assist in preventing overtraining of staff members. “Super-users” should be available in the meanwhile for when unique issues occur.
8. Resident support EHR Function
Education on resident support services can help people with long-term health issues. To better manage their chronic diseases, individuals can self-test with home-monitoring equipment if they have access to educational materials.
Conclusion
In conclusion, EHRs have become an essential tool in the modern healthcare industry. EHRs enable healthcare providers to manage patient care more effectively, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, EHRs will continue to play an increasingly critical role in delivering high-quality patient care.
Arkenea has been at the forefront of the medical software industry for more than a decade. Get in touch with Arkenea if your business is looking for a custom developed EHR software.