Time for the next entry covering Shawn Riley’s list of 101 Tips to Make your EMR and EHR More Useful. I hope you’re enjoying the series.
If you want to see my analysis of the other 101 EMR and EHR tips, I’ll be updating this page with my 101 EMR and EHR tips analysis. So, click on that link to see the other EMR tips.
60. Reporting, reporting, reporting, reports
What’s the point in collecting the data if you can’t report on it? I’ve before about the types of EMR reports that you can get out of the EMR system. The reports a hospital require will be much more robust than an ambulatory practice. In fact, outside of the basic reports (A/R, Appointments, etc), most ambulatory practices that I know don’t run very many reports. I’d say it’s haphazard report running at best.
Although, I won’t be surprised if the need to report data from your EHR increases over the next couple years. Between the meaningful use reporting requirements and the movement towards ACO’s, you can be sure that being able to have a robust reporting system built into your EHR will become a necessity.
59. Are the meaningful use (MU) guidelines covered by your product?
Assuming you want to show meaningful use, make sure your EHR vendor is certified by an ONC-ATCB. Next, talk to some of their existing users that have attested to meaningful use stage 1. Third, ask them about their approach for handling meaningful use stage 2 and 3. Fourth, evaluate how they’ve implemented some of the meaningful use requirements so you get an idea of how much extra work you’ll have to do beyond your regular documenting to meet meaningful use.
58. It they aren’t CCHIT certified take a really really hard look
Well, it looks like this tip was written pre-ONC-ATCB certifying bodies. Of course, readers of this site and its sister site, EMR and HIPAA, will be aware that CCHIT Has Become Irrelevant. Now it’s worth taking a hard look if the EHR isn’t an ONC-ATCB certified EHR. There are a few cases where it might be ok, but they better have a great reason not to be certified. Not because the EHR certification provides you any more value other than the EHR vendor will likely need that EHR certification to stay relevant in the current EHR market.
57. What billing systems do you interface with?
These days it seems in vogue to have an integrated EMR and PMS (billing system). Either way, it’s really important to evaluate how your EMR is going to integrate with your billing. Plus, there can be tremendous benefits to the tight integration if done right.
56. How much do changes and customizations cost?
In many cases, you can see and plan for the customization that you’ll need as part of the EHR implementation. However, there are also going to be plenty of unexpected customizations that you don’t know about until you’re actually using your EHR (Check out this recent post on Unexpected EHR Expenses). Be sure to have the pricing for such customizations specified in the contract. Plus, as much as possible try to understand how open they are to doing customizations for their customers.
Check out my analysis of all 101 EMR and EHR tips.
Nice informative post, thanks for the information. Its true an expensive emr system may not always be required.