Essential Features to look for in an EHR

Electronic Health Records (EHR) are digital records of a patient's medical history and care. As technology advances, healthcare providers are turning to EHRs to improve care quality, speed up medical records delivery, and cut costs.

Are you seeking an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system? There are many features and systems to consider, which can make the selection process seem daunting. However, focusing on the essential features can help narrow down potential choices and evaluate them effectively before deciding. In this blog post, we'll cover how to spot these critical features in EHRs so you can select a system that meets your needs now and into the future.

Let's understand some of the essential features to look for when choosing an EHR:

What is EHR

First, let's know the connector of - what are ehrs? The word EHR stands for Electronic Health Record. It is the electronic version of the medical history of the patient. It is maintained by the person who is its provider, and he keeps it over time. It might also include all the necessary administrative and clinical data and information relevant to the person receiving care under a specific provider. It includes progress notes, demographic information, medications, problems, etc.

EHR systems primarily use to share information, medication, and lab tests with other healthcare institutes, including specialists, laboratories, medical imaging facilities, emergency facilities, pharmacies, workplaces and the like. Therefore they can consist of the information from all technicians caring for that patient.

EHR Features

Now, the important question is- what are some of the features of an ehr? Let us now look into the various features of ehr, which are pointed out as follows.

Front-office unit

• Automated scheduling: One of the EMR/EHR features includes inputting the information into the scheduling system. It does so because it helps in being updated about the recent and the latest appointments. Consequently, it is large, readily saves big time and energy, and increases the efficacy and quality of working procedures. Therefore, it uplifts the quality of work. This also helps doctors to have a single view of all the appointments, and doctors can then plan their day accordingly. And this is exactly what is included in one of the many essential ehr features.
• Monitoring the status of the patients: When you know about the features for ehr, it is needless to mention its feature of monitoring the status of the patients. The EHR software ideally and most infallibly tracks the patients' journeys. Doctors can request reports and vitals in a single click, which helps them to take an informed call. Patients also get medicine and appointment reminders which helps doctors to offer better care.
• Management of tasks: If you are keen to find which ehr features matter most, the feature of the management of tasks has to be one of the crucial features included in the EHR. This system assigns work and tasks. It also includes directing and delegating them to the other parties. Lastly, it also monitors that the people assigned complete their allocated tasks. Therefore, work efficiency can sometimes be supervised using the EHR system. It undertakes every necessary aspect that is related to the task of managing work. Therefore, it is one of the essential features of the EHR system as it consists of overall supervision and management of tasks from the initial to the end of the process.
• Generating documentation of support: The common ehr systems are capable of the process of generating clinical documentation. It includes documents of individual health profiles, past medication, medical history, protocols, guidelines, etc. It is highly beneficial for patients. It acts as a helping hand, offering the necessary information they need at a specific and needy moment. Therefore it is directly proportional to the customer experience and health outcome, as it largely promotes and enhances customer satisfaction by helping them profusely.

Doctors' super unit

Here is another important area where the EHR features bring numerous benefits and effortlessness in the work pressures. The EHR systems enable physicians to organise patients’ records and investigate the progress in the treatment process and other equally crucial aspects.

• Summarising Medical Profiles: The EHR system integrates all the necessary data and information about a specific visitor in a summary that is available in digital form. The summary consists of the treatment history, personal details, medical images, laboratory test results, and drug prescriptions of the patent. It can be readily used for a raid referencing process. It also includes the insurance and billing details of a specific person.
• Prefilled forms, Drop-downs & Single click execution: The EHR solution can readily generate reports that target a particular treatment plan, medication list, clinical notes, and instructions regarding the patient. Physicians can also make customised templates based on the current or the latest clinical requirements and the patient's visit.
• Smart prescriptions: The EHRs can redirect the list of necessary medications directly to the pharmacy or the drugstore, the EMR companies can get the medicines delivered to patients, and doctors can charge a convenience fee.. It can also analyse the compatibility of the medications and suggest the appropriate dosages. This is a great contribution to the healthcare field as it helps avoid any medical errors that may occur due to incorrect prescriptions.
• Alerts: Patients get notified and updated on the necessary steps they must resort to and the deadlines for specific tasks. The EHR app readily investigates whether the patient has abided by the treatment plan offered to him. As a result of which, the doctors and patients are equally aware of every necessary medical detail. This helps in bringing more efficacy and fruitfulness to the treatment process. It is because when one is always notified and updated about the important steps to be taken and if the process of the patient is also monitored, then automatically, the treatment success is bound to enhance.
• Data tagging and segmentation: Data tagging refers to a non-hierarchical term that refers to a piece of motion that readily declines in time and enables it to be recessed to find automatically. And the term data segmentation refers to the process of taking the information in a child and dividing it. It is further grouped based on similar data that are decided upon chosen parameters. This enables better utility and efficacy within marketing and operations. Therefore, the features of EHRs help streamline the workflow and enhance the accuracy and efficiency within the healthcare industry. Because of these features, the EHRs can provide better healthcare solutions and, thus, enhance the overall quality of life. The EHR software also provides data security, confidentiality, and privacy. It helps in protecting the insurance and billing information of the patients. Overall, it helps improve the quality of healthcare services provided to the population.

To conclude

So, now you are quite aware of the question- what are the features of an EHR system? There are numerous ehr features, and each one of them is equally beneficial. The world has been shifting to the digital world, with numerous benefits. All the features mentioned above of the EHR systems cater to or are related to at least one advantage in the medical field, both on the part of the individual being taken care of and the professional or medical institute which is taking care of the individual. The features of the EHR systems have been specifically designed to help streamline and optimise every task, thereby helping professionals and patients access better healthcare services.

With the help of this technology, errors can be minimized, and accuracy increased. Ultimately, it leads to better patient outcomes and improved quality of life. So, if you want to adopt an EHR system, ensure it offers you all the features mentioned above, as they are the key factors that will help you achieve maximum efficiency. Overall, EHR systems are a great asset when providing proper healthcare services.

FAQ

How does EMR differ from EHR?

EMR stands for Electronic medical records, whereas EHR stands for Electronic health records. The former are the digital versions of the health information and charts of the patients, which have been highly important to medical practices and treatments. Whereas the latter is a more comprehensive concept that includes tools for improving the electronic practice of the one practising, it also involves improving lab ordering and telehealth capabilities.

How many EHR systems are there?

There are primary and most commonly-known three EHR systems. It includes cloud-based EHR software, Physician-hosted systems, and Remotely-hosted systems. Each of these systems has its features, advantages, and drawbacks. It is important to select the one that best suits your needs.

What are the components of the EHR system?

The fundamental components of the EHR include appointment management, patient’s health records management, billing & revenue cycle, secure messaging and alerts, financial dashboards, and crucial components. Each is an equally vital part of the EHR system, which builds such a highly-valued and useful system.

Was there a proper name for the EHR?

Yes, the EHR was previously called or known by a different name. The name was clinical information systems, by which the EHR systems were formerly known. However, with the increased impact of technology, its name was changed.

Why are EHR systems popular?

There are numerous advantages of EHR systems. They offer accurate, updated, and complete information, enable rapid access to the patient's record and are highly reliable. These are only a few of the numerous benefits of using EHR systems. And the benefits are the causes of these systems becoming so popular with the familiar passage of time.