5 Ways ICD-10 Differs from ICD-9

The ICD-10 compliance deadline is less than a year and a half away. The deadline will be upon us before we know it, but many practices are behind in their ICD-10 transition plans. However, HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius has said that the government has no plans to push the deadline...

Date: May 20, 2013 Categories: ICD-100 comments.

What Can You Do with Two Hours?

See more patients. Make more money. Go to lunch with a friend. Read a book. Go golfing. You can do a lot with two hours, even if you only get two free hours a month. Imagine what you could do with two extra hours every day. Two hours is the...

Date: May 13, 2013 Categories: Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Voice0 comments.

3 Things Doctors Can Do to Improve EHR Productivity

Like it or not, your electronic health records system defines the way your practice is run. It determines how informed the front office staff is, how long it takes a doctor to dictate a note, and whether a patient can access his or her records online. An EHR that hampers...

Date: May 06, 2013 Categories: Electronic Health Record (EHR), Productivity0 comments.

The Modern EMR: What Doctors Can Realistically Expect

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have come a long way since the early ’90s when EMR technology was still relatively new. In the early days, EMRs were seen primarily as a replacement to paper. These systems made it easier for staff to keep track of charts and reduced money spent on...

Date: Apr 29, 2013 Categories: Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Usability0 comments.

EMR Security: A Return to the Basics

All too often I come across headlines along the lines of “Data breach affects millions” or “5 hospital workers fired over inappropriate EMR behavior,” which has caused a lot of people to conclude that EMRs are unsafe. In reality, though, electronic medical records are actually more secure than paper records,...

Date: Apr 15, 2013 Categories: Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Privacy/Security0 comments.

What Will You Do with Your Meaningful Use Payment?

In the ensuing months, a large number of physicians will receive payments for successfully attesting to meaningful use in 2012. After jumping through hoops to meet all the government requirements for the program, practices are rewarded with as much leeway as they want to use the funds however they feel...

Date: Apr 01, 2013 Categories: Meaningful Use0 comments.

Using Meaningful Use as a Springboard to Success

With any decision related to electronic health records, many factors must be considered. Is the EHR affordable? Does it meld with practice workflow? Will it increase productivity and decrease redundancy? Does it integrate with patient portal and practice management? The government has added another important factor to the mix—meaningful use....

Date: Mar 25, 2013 Categories: Meaningful Use0 comments.

How Voice Technology Improves the EHR Experience

Over the last several years, great innovators have found ways to improve efficiency in a variety of different settings by using voice technology. Writers can write articles without using a keyboard, on-the-go workers can dictate their emails, and a lot of tools we use every day—from cars to security systems—can...

Date: Mar 18, 2013 Categories: Electronic Health Record (EHR), Voice0 comments.

What EHR Users Want: To Be Comfortable

Seventeen percent of current EHR users plan to switch to a new EHR this year. Why? Because they are uncomfortable. The EHRs they are using do not coincide with their workflow, do not meet their unique needs, and are difficult to use. It’s little wonder that so many EHR purchases...

Date: Mar 04, 2013 Categories: Electronic Health Record (EHR), Usability0 comments.