EHR Technology

Most institutions … are satisfied to get their medical computer systems from vendors and not dependent on having physicians on the payroll acting as what they consider to be glorified computer technicians.

In front of you lies a big translational project as you choose, design, build, and/or implement your EHR. A PA can fill the job of leader in this process.

An EHR installation is only the halfway point between overflowing filing cabinets and a truly digitized practice. Here's what comes next.

If every chart you create looks basically the same, it might be a problem for CMS.

Protect your practice and patient information by installing a data-backup system.

In short, certification will set progress in EHR back by however many years it remains in effect.

It is a rare EHR where the core charting functions were engineered, prototyped, and test “flown” before the final product was built.

For small practices, the ongoing monthly costs of an EHR may simply not be affordable. So what alternatives are out there?

Your kitchen and your EHR - they have more in common than you think.

Shelling out cash for tech stuff like portals to kiosks and EHRs can be financially stressful. Here’s a guide to understanding which technologies can really cut your costs.

Lao-tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This is certainly true for where we are today using technology in healthcare.

Practices of all sizes are adopting EHRs at a growing rate. And some of the fastest growth is among smaller practices.

In this podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Hertzberg, president of Medformatics, Inc., a Minneapolis-based consulting firm, provides tips, hints, and advice regarding EHR usage during patient exams.

It's not just the software that makes an EHR tick; it's also the vendor behind it. Here's how to find out if you and the vendor are truly a perfect match.

Even if physicians are influenced by the incentive or social pressure to make a purchase, the real test will be what, if anything they are doing with their new EHR a couple of years down the road after the initial excitement wears off.

Perhaps it is time to consider that despite the brilliance and hard work of the pioneers, the early decisions, made when their naiveté was unavoidably most pronounced, have had the effect of defining a paradigm for EHR that is not capable of yielding the results that they envisioned.

As the person in our medical group who definitely does a significant amount of the administrative work ... I have made the leap to the fully electronic charting system early and have been using it for two months. I love it, but worry about the learning curve for our surgeons and others on the medical staff based on my experience.

The HITECH Act significantly strengthened aspects of the HIPAA Security Rule. If you are a 'Covered Entity' or 'Business Associate' it's time to get serious!

The process of finding the right EHR system isn’t always easy no matter what your background, and we even switched systems after just six months with the one I initially selected. But in the end, it was worth it.

To implement EHR nationwide, it could cost $168 billion - it boggles the mind, but where does it come from?

When your EHR fails you, don't panic. Here's how to create the best possible 'downtime' plan.

Certification is good for large, legacy companies. It anoints what they have already done thus minimizing the need to innovate in the future. It is in their interest to flex whatever political muscle they have to insure that certification is required.

Even if you previously passed on using voice recognition technology, with EHRs and the movement toward integrated healthcare, it might deserve a second look.

With government incentive dollars flowing and new tech tools like tablet computers and patient portals emerging, more practices are embracing a digital future. But for many, the old barrier to adoption - money - remains.

Physicians Practice asked its readers "What are the most crucial questions you should be asking your technology vendor?" Here are 20 of our favorites.