Electronic medical records

Deciding whether to implement an electronic medical records (EMR) system is another critical purchasing decision for medical practices. EMR applications move patients’ charts online: they store physicians’ notes, x-rays, prescriptions, and any other information usually found in paper charts. This allows doctors to access patients’ information remotely, makes searching and retrieving data easier, and improves office efficiency and accuracy.

Both MPM and EMR are major purchasing decisions costing many thousands of dollars. Because of the magnitude and expense, it is usually advisable to purchase and install one at a time. However, to get the most out of both systems, it is important that they work well together.

The industry-standard Health Level 7 (HL7) protocol allows health care applications to share data with each other, so make sure both your EMR and MPM software use it. For truly seamless integration, you should not have to export batches of data from one and import them into the other – they should communicate in real time.

Since many medical software vendors offer both types of software – or even one software package that combines the functions of both – you may be able to investigate both at the same time. Of course, the easiest way to ensure seamless integration is to buy both systems from the same vendor. However you may find that the provider with the MPM that is ideal for your business does not offer the best EMR.

Both systems are critical to the day-to-day functioning of your office, so be sure to choose them based on your specific needs, not solely on convenience. Read our EMR software Buyer’s Guide for more information.

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