If you have decided that you want to upgrade your medical practice's logistical operations to include electronic medical records (EMRs), then you need to stop, breathe, and take a step back. While you are making the right decision switching from paper medical records to EMRs, making this change will be a headache if you do not use the right methods - the wrong methods for electronic medical records implementation can cause a lot of serious issues, including:
- Lost, destroyed or damaged medical records
- A poorly orchestrated EMR system
- An EMR implementation process that interferes with your team's ability to practice medicine
There are many ways to get your electronic medical records implementation wrong and end up with results like the ones listed above. Fortunately, though, there are only four methods that you need to get it right.
1. Hire a professional to convert your current paper medical records to digital
You are making a transition to EMRs so that you can manage all of your patients' medical records more effectively. Having some paper and some electronic medical records will simply cause confusion and hinder your overall efficiency. That is why the first method for electronic medical records implementation involves turning all of your paper medical records into digital files.Doing this is not a toil, as you can have all of your paper medical records professionally converted. In fact, it is essential that you use professional document conversion services to take on this task, because they will:
- Plan out how your medical records should be converted
- Provide high volume scanning services
- Prepare paper medical records to be scanned
- Produce the highest quality image
- Destroy excess paper documentation, as needed
- Index all of your newly created EMRs so that they can be easily accessed
- Maintain a high level of security for all of your medical records
- Allow you to continue doing your job as they convert your medical records
- Get the job done quickly
2. Invest in a document management solution that will make sure that your EMRs are fully manageable
In addition to the EMRs created from converted medical records, you will also be creating new records yourself. You need a system that will allow you to easily create new EMRs and integrate them in with the rest of your records.The method that you should use to get this done is simple: invest in a document management software solution. As the name suggests, these will allow you to effectively manage all digital documents (in your practice's case, EMRs).
3. Don't assume that you won't have to convert any paper medical records in the future
Just because all of the paper medical records that your practice houses have been converted to digital does not mean that you won't receive more paper records in the future. Your practice must be prepared for this by investing in a professional quality scanner.
4. Make your EMRs accessible anywhere
Electronic medical records implementation involves making your medical records accessible anywhere. If you are trying to copy large amounts of medical records to multiple devices, you are not only being inefficient, but you are also compromising the security of this data. Instead, use a cloud solution, which will allow you to securely access the records anywhere.
These methods will make successful electronic medical records implementation a snap
You do not have to stop the operation of your entire medical practice in order to make the switch to electronic medical records. By sticking to the four methods discussed above, you will be using EMRs to enhance the way that you practice medicine in no time.
