Introducing EMR solutions from AMS Technologies

The definition of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software is:

An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.

There are two important aspects to this definition:

1. EMR software helps to manage the creation and retrieval of electronic patient records.

2. EMR software does not enable you to share electronic records with other organizations (unlike Electronic Health Records, or EHR, software).

A typical EMR solution allow physicians to easily manage:

·         Patient Charts - create patient charts electronically at the point of care that include demographics, clinical health histories, allergy information, medications, immunization records, progress notes, lab results etc.

·         ePrescriptions - generate and send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically

·         Lab Orders - electronically create and send orders for lab work, medical tests, and consultations

·         Billing - capture all evaluation and management (E & M) codes at the point of care to ensure complete invoicing and eliminate downcoding

How is EMR and EHR software different?

The major difference between EMR and EHR software is that EHR software can be managed and shared "across more than one health care organization”. An EHR solution enables multiple electronic medical records from different practices to be collected and shared amongst practices.

In addition, there are some functional differences between the two. EHR software includes most EMR functionality, as well as features that enable patients to securely access their own medical records.

Additional features to consider:

There are other types of medical software that are similar to EMR software and/or can easily be integrated with EMR software.

·         Medical Practice Management software manages functions such as    appointment scheduling, billing, claims processing and other administrative tasks for medical practices.

·         Healthcare Management software is more comprehensive than MPM software and integrates clinical, operational, and financial functions of a medical practice. It manages typical MPM functions as well as processes like financial auditing and regulatory compliance.

·         Medical Transcription software enables physicians to transcribe clinical notes for patients using voice dictation.

What features are included in EMR Software?

There are many variations of basic and advanced EMR solutions available. The key to finding the one that will best fit with your practice are to:

·         Determine if you need/want an integrated solution (medical practice management and EMR)

·         Determine if you need/want to share records with external organizations (EHR or "EMR" that has external interfaces)

·         Determine if you need/want a solution that is designed for your practice or specialty

Once you've decided on the factors above, you'll want to identify and compare the top 15 - 20 features that are critical to your practice. Regardless of your specifics, be sure to evaluate solutions that are HIPPA compliant and CCHIT / ONC-ATCB certified. Below are some basic and advanced features found in EMR solutions:

Basic features

·         Alerts and reminders

·         Amend encounter

·         Appointment management

·         Billing and invoicing (or interfaces)

·         Chart management

·         Claims management

·         Drug allergy and drug-to-drug interaction

·         ePrescribing

·         Medication and recall tracking

·         Physician order entry

Advanced features

·         Anatomical designation

·         Investigation questionnaire

·         Medication tracking

·         Mobile and wireless access

·         Patient self-assessment

·         P4P (pay for performance) management

·         Practice patterns and standards

·         Scheduling interface

·         Tablet/Touch screen

·         Voice recognition and voice records

Other features that may be included in an EMR solution include:

·         Clinical care and decision support

·         Clinical flow sheets

·         Clinical pathways integration

·         Document scanning and management

·         HL7 lab interface

·         Patient portal and education

·         Prescription drug database

·         Template management

AMS Technologies has a specialized team, consisting of Programmers, HIPAA consultants & Domain Experts who takes care of developing and maintaining the EMR solutions for our global clients. For more information on EMR solutions or to schedule a Demo, please drop an email to sales@amstech.co.in