3 EHR Trends Small Practices Need to Know About

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Here’s what we’ll cover:

● Trend #1: Mobile EHRs Are on the Rise

● Trend #2: Demand for Cloud-Based EHRs Is Increasing

● Trend #3: Increasing Adoption of Patient Portals

● Conclusions and Next Steps

This presentation will help small medical practices understand the latest trends in the EHR software market and how they will impact their business.

Introduction

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Business need: Staff communication

Example vendors: drchrono and Meditab

What these vendors offer:

● Proper and accurate flow of information within the medical

practice.

● Allows staff members to communicate with the medical billing

team.

Trend #1: Mobile EHRs Are on the Rise

Why should small practices care?

Mobile EHR apps enable you to control and manage various tasks, such as view patient charts, prescribe medications etc. so that you get more time to engage with your patients during their visits.

“78% of surveyed physicians are using

mobile-accessible EHR systems, while

60% of them used mobile devices in

some form to enhance performance.”

Source: Physicians Practice Technology

Survey 2016 1

When to opt for mobile EHRs: ● To receive and view accurate data at your fingertips● To enhance internal communication● To increase overall patient satisfaction

Business need: Appointment scheduling

Example vendors: AdvancedMD, drchrono and Kareo

What these vendors offer:

● View complete facility schedules and update availability

statuses in real time.

● Color-coded calendars to better manage physicians’ time.

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When to opt for cloud-based EHRs:● When you need simple and quick implementation● When you want to focus on cost savings● When you need better accessibility and enhanced security of data

Why should small practices care?

Cloud-based EHRs eliminate the excessive burden of installing and maintaining a personal data server. They enable physicians to focus on patient satisfaction.

Trend #2: Demand for cloud-based EHRs is increasing

“Nearly 50% of surveyed IT leaders at

health care provider companies are

planning to move their EHRs to the

cloud in the near future.”

Source: HIMSS Analytics 2016 Cloud Survey 2

Business need: Meaningful Use certified EHR

Example vendor: eClinicalWorks and Amazing Charts

What these vendor offer:

● Incentive payment through the use of a Meaningful Use certified

EHR that qualifies for “EHR Incentive Programs.”

Business need: Automatic software updates

Example vendor: Practice Fusion

What this vendor offers:

● Automatic updates so that medical practices are always

running on the latest version of the software.

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Trend #3: Increased adoption of patient portals

Why should small practices care?

Patient portals enable patients to fill out paperwork at home, saving valuable in-office time and leading to increased patient satisfaction as a result of speedier trips to the doctor.

“60.1% medical practices are investing

in patient portals, and worldwide

patient portal market to grow at a

CAGR of 16.2% during 2015-2020.”

Source: Physicians Practice Technology

Survey 2016 1 and Meticulous Research,

20163

Business need: Achieve Meaningful Use requirements

Example vendor: athenahealth and Allscripts

What these vendor offer:

● Enable medical practices to identify patients who are missing

important information to achieve Meaningful Use measures.

● Ensure that patients get maximum meaningful information to the

portal.

Business need: Improve patient engagement

Example vendor: athenahealth, Allscripts and Epic

What these vendor offer:

● Patient portals that drive engagement and reduce staff work,

since patients can view lab results on their own.

● Enable patients to make payments online and make or

reschedule their own appointments.

When to opt for patient portals: ● When you need to enhance patient engagement● When you need to reduce the number of patient no-shows● If you encounter issues such as excessive paperwork or telephone calls

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Based on these trends, it’s clear that mobile EHRs, cloud-based EHRs and patient portals are here to stay and will continue to serve small

medical practices. All of these technologies enhance the overall workflow of medical practices, creating better experiences for both physicians

and patients.

From an operational standpoint:

● Mobile EHRs help reduce patient wait times, decrease administrative work and provide real time access to data on the go.

● On the other hand, cloud-based EHRs can save a lot of money, which is a high priority for small medical practices.

● Additionally, patient portals can help improve the relationship between physicians and patients by increasing engagement.

However, the specific requirements and budget of your medical practice will play a crucial role in adopting these technologies.

Conclusions and Next Steps

● Read the full report here: http://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/ehr-trends-small-practices/

● Check out our Electronic Medical Records Software Buyer’s Guide to see what the latest market trends are for small practices: http://www.softwareadvice.com/medical/electronic-medical-record-software-comparison/#buyers-guide

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1. “Physicians Practice Technology Survey 2016” - http://imaging.ubmmedica.com/all/editorial/physicianspractice/pdfs/Tech-Report.pdf

2. “HIMSS Analytics 2016 Cloud Survey” - http://www.level3.com/-/media/files/ebooks/en_cloud_eb_healthcare.pdf

3. “Meticulous Research, 2016” - http://www.meticulousresearch.com/global-patient-portal-market-to-reach-1617-6-million-by-the-year-2020/

Sources

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@PMSoftAdvice