Given the amount of information available over the internet, by this time healthcare professionals should be well equipped with the concept of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and practice management software. Where the government did not let go of any opportunity in promoting EMR adoption, established vendors also could not keep themselves from providing physicians with an array of choices from free EMRs to specialty EMRs. No wonder, physicians are so keen in adopting such technology.
Free EMRs has always been one of the hot topics in the health IT industry. Rationally, it seems like the word €free€ has a strongly positive connotation to it. There is no doubt that the idea of simplifying clinical documentation, using preventive mechanisms to ensure patient safety, reduction of paper use and accessing various other EMR functionalities without paying a single penny would attract almost every physician.
€You literally pay nothing to automate your practice workflows. Free EMRs have been successful in eliminating the concerns of affordability€, says a North Carolina based physician.
While there are proponents of free Electronic Medical Records, coming across adversaries would not be difficult either. According to the latter, the truth is way different from what vendors portray. It is only when physicians implement a free EMR that they find out the slogans of €free EMRs€ were never absolutely true. Besides this, I believe one of the crucial problems with free EMRs available today is the absence of an integrated practice management software. This leaves physicians with the choice of opting for a separate Practice Management Software altogether. However, such a situation increases the hassles for physicians. Every time, after completing the clinical procedures and documenting them on an EMR, physicians have to either change the device or the screen to carry on the administrative and billing operations.
€It gets really annoying when you continuously have to switch devices. At times it feels you are alienating the patients and paying more attention to the software. Not only do you deviate from your core responsibilities, but also hear your patients complaining€, says an annoyed Boston based physician.
Although such problems exist, finding the right solution is the approach established EMR vendors have adopted. These vendors are working on all-in-one solutions that would not only offer free EMRs to physicians but also have integrated practice management software. This would help physicians address their clinical, as well as administrative issues from a single platform.
Free EMRs has always been one of the hot topics in the health IT industry. Rationally, it seems like the word €free€ has a strongly positive connotation to it. There is no doubt that the idea of simplifying clinical documentation, using preventive mechanisms to ensure patient safety, reduction of paper use and accessing various other EMR functionalities without paying a single penny would attract almost every physician.
€You literally pay nothing to automate your practice workflows. Free EMRs have been successful in eliminating the concerns of affordability€, says a North Carolina based physician.
While there are proponents of free Electronic Medical Records, coming across adversaries would not be difficult either. According to the latter, the truth is way different from what vendors portray. It is only when physicians implement a free EMR that they find out the slogans of €free EMRs€ were never absolutely true. Besides this, I believe one of the crucial problems with free EMRs available today is the absence of an integrated practice management software. This leaves physicians with the choice of opting for a separate Practice Management Software altogether. However, such a situation increases the hassles for physicians. Every time, after completing the clinical procedures and documenting them on an EMR, physicians have to either change the device or the screen to carry on the administrative and billing operations.
€It gets really annoying when you continuously have to switch devices. At times it feels you are alienating the patients and paying more attention to the software. Not only do you deviate from your core responsibilities, but also hear your patients complaining€, says an annoyed Boston based physician.
Although such problems exist, finding the right solution is the approach established EMR vendors have adopted. These vendors are working on all-in-one solutions that would not only offer free EMRs to physicians but also have integrated practice management software. This would help physicians address their clinical, as well as administrative issues from a single platform.