Archive for category Infrastructure
Evaluating an EMR? Use the opportunity to assess your overarching technology solution
Posted by Jim Denny in EMR, Infrastructure, Practice Management System on November 20th, 2009
The prospect of obtaining stimulus funding has, not surprisingly, created an environment of intense focus on EMRs. While that’s OK, I see a distinct limitation in looking at EMRs, practice management systems (PMS) and other applications as isolated pieces of hardware/software. Instead, I think the current atmosphere provides many practices the opportunity to step into completely new systems, with a completely new way of viewing the components.
Rather than contemplating an EMR purchase or PMS evaluation in the context of “what’s available,” consider how well these technologies will serve as your platform from which to custom-build, taking into account future needs as well as current.
It is similar to when, as a teenager, I went to buy my first stereo system. I saved up, went to the store, and there they helped me design my own system to suit my listening style. Two speakers or four? Turntable or tape player? Headphones? The stereo store catered to my taste, my music, my needs – and I ended up with a system that was perfect for me. Read the rest of this entry »
Beyond EHR: Select open systems that promote interoperability
Posted by Jim Denny in EMR, Health Information Exchange, Health Information Technology, Infrastructure, Interoperability on August 11th, 2009
Besides electronic health records, the information technology components of the 2009 federal stimulus bill emphasize interoperability and infrastructure. The intent is to nudge the country in the direction of a National Health Information Network (NHIN).
The logic is simple. Paper patient medical records limit access to information: Only the person with the chart in hand can review or augment the contents. Likewise, a stand-alone EHR delivers information to only those providers affiliated with the independent medical group. The information may be digitized, but it is still housed in a data silo. Patient information – whether it is medical history, allergies, demographics or insurance coverage – increases in value exponentially when it is appropriately made available to clinical staff and practice managers across the care continuum.
This is an important factor to keep in mind when selecting an EHR or other information technology such as lab reporting software, practice management systems or human resource management applications. To achieve optimal performance, practices must have the freedom to adopt “best-of-class” core applications and complementary software that meet their unique needs. At the same time, practices are best served when the technology they adopt promotes connectivity among a wide range of applications and software packages. The benefits of doing so are wide-ranging:
- Comprehensive access to multiple applications allows users to exchange information easily for increased efficiency;
- Connectivity ensures that data vital to patient care and clinical operations are available as needed; and
- Automatic data exchange eliminates the need for information to be re-entered into disparate applications – a labor-intensive process that increases the risk of error. Read the rest of this entry »