Electronic medical records stores physician’s reports of examinations, surgical procedures, tests, X-rays, and other clinical information that is necessary for taking care of patients. Electronic medical records also provide access to data for research and quality improvement purposes. EMR’s also allows immediate access to health information, computerized physician order management, clinical decision support, automated alerts and reminders which alerts the staff regarding important information for the patient such as follow up on testing, or if a result is critical, and it also provides error reduction.
Some EMR’s allows patients to access their own medical records (Sanderson, p. 24-25). Practice management is used by most offices to complete routine office tasks, including patient scheduling, recording patient information, creating and transmitting electronic claims, receiving electronic payments, billing patients, creating financial reports, and collecting overdue accounts (Sanderson, p. 26-27). Practice management is very useful in order for a medical office to survive. It helps with accuracy and timely records that are required to determine whether the practice is profitable.
PMPs are also important for tax-reporting (Sanderson, p. 27). PMPs contain information about each patient, such as names, addresses, contact numbers, insurance coverage, information about each provider, including facts about providers, referring providers, and outside providers such as labs. Practice management also collect data about the health plans used by the practice’s patients. PMP’s have codes used by the practice to note a diagnosis and the treatment provided, as well as the facility where the treatment was provided.
When the program contains all of the data the software can be used in a medical office and perform many of the office computer duties (Sanderson, p. 26). PMP’s have the ability to schedule appointments. The scheduling helps with double booking and gives accurate times the patient can be seen. Most of the PMP programs will print out a page that gives the office staff the patients that are going to be seen that day (Sanderson, p. 26). PMP also helps with claims and billing. Insurance claims and patient statements need to be accurate and the PMP’s can help with that.
Patient data and transaction data are two things that practice management programs require. Patient data is personal information about the patient and their medical insurance coverage. Transaction data is the date the patient visits the doctor, and the type of treatment, the diagnosis and procedure codes, and if the patient made any payments. With this program all the office staff has to do is enter the information and submit it to the insurance company. It is more accurate than doing it by hand. When the insurance company receives the claim, they will perform an edit and send it back to the health care facility.
It makes the process much faster (Sanderson, p. 27-28). When a patient makes a payment at the office the amount is entered into the PMP and a walkout statement is given to the patient. A remittance advice with payment from a health plan usually pays for a number of patients and claims at once. Once the payments listed on the RA are entered in the PMP and applied to each account. Some practices use an automated process called out posting to record this information in the program. Without posting it makes the process much faster (Sanderson, 28-29).
The computer software will benefit most health care facilities. It provides more accurate information and faster way to receive payment from the insurance company and the patients. In a medical setting the computers are linked together so more than one person can enter patient information and it allows for sharing patient information. Information on the computer system is much easier than looking in multiple files trying to find the right one. With the computer system all you have to do is enter the last name or the date of birth.
Electronic medical records help with the loss of files or misplaced files and it helps with privacy of the patient’s information. With the EMR it makes more room in the office because you do not have to worry about filing systems. Charting is done a lot faster and more accurately. Most medical errors are because of charting on the wrong chart, with the EMR’s it makes that less possible (Sanderson, p. 31). References Sanderson S, Computers In the Medical Office sixth edition. Pages 24-30, retrieved on March 26, 2011.