Three ways to get the most out of your EHR
EHR technology may not be the greatest, but it is a necessary part of most medical practices. Here are three ways to make it work better.
Saroj Misra, an osteopathic physician with a special interest in using technology, thinks that most physicians see EHRs as a barrier to patient care. He cites a
"What they found in that study was astounding. Eighty-nine percent felt that data management was slower; 64 percent felt that SOAP note documentation took longer; and a third found that it took longer to review medical data," said Misra.
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Whether you have a special interest in technology and love finding out what your EHR can do, or view your EHR as an unwelcome intruder, insinuating itself between doctor and patient, the EHR is here to stay. So what can you do as a busy physician, whose time is limited?
Experts say that the best course of action is to make full use of your existing technology, and examine how it fits into your practice work flow.
To get started your practice should examine these three areas:
Look for and address "choke-points" in work flow
Atlanta-based practice management consultant Elizabeth Woodcock said the best way to optimize the use of your EHR and reduce physician frustration is to examine the entire patient work flow process. She points out that it is no help to providers if they routinely start each patient 10 minutes late. "I find that [EHR trouble] is consistent across all settings, because the challenges with EHR are really the physician and the exam room," said Woodcock. Another stumbling block can be failing to allot enough time for staff to complete the pre-screening and documentation that must take place before the physician can see the patient.
The way to address these issues is two-fold. First, Woodcock said take a look at your provider schedules. They must be realistic and take into account tasks like medication-list reconciliation, recording vital signs, and documenting the components of meaningful use. These tasks should be complete before the physician arrives in the exam room.
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Second, Misra said once your practice is aware of the "choke-points" where work flow slows down, redirect tasks to the people who are best suited to complete them. For example, too often physicians are doing routine data entry that could be offloaded to other staff members.
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