EMR Implementation & HITECH Act Blog

EMR/EHRs For Neurologists – What To Look For

The American Academy of Neurology convened a work group to look at EMR/EHR systems and formulate a set of recommendations for neurologists as they evaluate systems for their practices.   Here’s what they suggested.

Electronic Prescribing – This should be a part of any practice’s system. The ability to electronically prescribe medications will add convenience and improve both efficiency and patient safety.

Documentation and Progress Notes – Documentation and progress notes are the most time-consuming ongoing task in patient care. Dictation has costs and doesn’t lend itself to producing the discrete data needed for decision support databases, and typing is too time consuming. The group favors systems with advanced template and list systems to facilitate this function

Medicine Lists – A medicine list should be a part of the system, with dosage data and perhaps the ability to link to patient insurance and formulaic records. It should also interface directly with the E-prescribing system.

Easy Navigation – Any system should be easy to use and easy to move from one function to another.

Problem Lists – Problem lists should be an integral part of the system and should support ICD_9 or ICD-10 and successor coding systems, plus interface with the systems billing module.

Reporting – As PQRI and other quality reporting measures become more prevalent, and more pay-for-performance schemes enter the industry, a robust reporting program will be essential

Knowledge Bases – The system should have a variety of knowledge bases to augment decision support for such things as e-prescribing, disease management and patient education.

Importing – The system should be able to easily import and integrate data from all parts of the practice plus outside laboratories, insurance companies, pharmacies and other medical practices.

Communications – The system should facilitate secure communication between and among all the various parties inside and outside the practice – doctors, nurses, insurers, hospitals, patients and others.  The system should also easily mesh with a practice management system and all of its modules, such as billing and scheduling.

The work group concluded that universal electronic medical and health records are inevitable.    Properly implemented, they can lead to a more efficient streamlined practice and better patient outcomes.

Rich Silverman
PC HealthStop Blogging Team

Public Domain Photo by the U.S. National Institutes of Health courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Posted by PC Healthstop Blogging Team