Demand of Physicians to get Electronic Medical Record Software in Smart Phones

Survey results published last week report that more physicians want an electronic medical record system that has a mobile component.

As more than half of physicians work from smartphones and more than a quarter are using tablet computers, mobile device compatibility and function is a deciding factor for physicians when choosing an EMR system.

The survey, conducted by CompTIA, an information technology association, involved 350 physicians and health care administrators and 400 IT companies in the health care sector. According to the survey results, only 38% of physicians are using a comprehensive EMR system, and 42% of those surveyed consider implementing or improving their EMR a high priority.

In an article from Amdnews.com, reporter Pamela Lewis Dolan, writes that according to Tim Herbert, vice president of research for CompTIA, of those shopping for EMR software, systems, or upgrades, their decisions are most influenced by whether the chosen system will have a mobile component.

The survey results also showed that 40% ranked security as a mid-level priority, and only 24% ranked it as a top priority.

In this article, Dolan clarifies that Herbert believes these statistics don't reflect physician sensitivity to patient privacy, but rather a lack of understanding of the security concerns and issues related to mobile device use.

Among IT firms, there is a great concern about mobile device security and they are working to ensure that it remains a top priority in the EMR software and system designs.

Source: http://www.healthtechnologyreview.com/art398_physicians_want_electronic_medical_record_systems_with_a_mobile_component.php

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Introduce EMR

What is EMR Software?

EMR Software, also known, Electronic Medical Record Software is a computer application that manages the clinical, financial and administrative functions of a healthcare organization in order to reduce the office workload and increase efficiency along with many other benefits such as improved security, reduced malpractice insurance premiums and enhanced quality of care.
What is a valid EMR System and how does it work?

For a system to be considered an "Electronic Medical Record," it must integrate information from multiple sources, capture data at the point of encounter and support caregiver's decision making process. Unfortunately many products on the market make use of Electronic Medical Records, EMR or EHR as only "buzz" words that would generate interest, without applying the above mentioned basic functions that merit it to be a true EMR Software System.

A suitable Electronic Medical Records software is typically an application that is installed on a central server and connected to terminals such as PC's, laptops, Tablet PC's and PDA's via a network. The caregivers and the administrative staff can then access these terminals to input clinical, financial and administrative data. An EMR Software usually integrates with the organization's existing billing software, and allows the caregiver to see the patients check in/check out routine, submit CPT/ICD information to the billing software, assist the caregiver in decision-making by suggesting treatment plan recommendations and generate reports. All EMR software can be tailored to fit a medical practice's needs and workflow settings with a specialty specific EMR Software.

Source: http://www.healthtechnologyreview.com/emr-software.php

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Electronic Medical Record: Pain Management EMR

Pain is one of the only completely subjective medical conditions. The only person who can know the experience is the person suffering from it, and everyone experiences pain differently. Doctors can perform all sorts of scans and tests but a perceived feeling isn’t something can be concretely diagnosed. Dealing with pain is tricky and mysterious, as everyone feels and deals with it differently, but physicians working in pain clinics can document and treat it more effectively when using a customized pain management EMR.

In a Modern Medicine article about pain and community pharmacists, the method in which most deal with pain can be quite unsafe: using pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical drugs to cope. "Pain is a nasty sensory and emotional experience, not an objective measure. People report pain in the absence of tissue damage or any likely pathophysiological cause. The vast majority of people use their medications appropriately and are not trying to game the system. If someone regards their experience as pain, if they report it in the same ways as pain caused by tissue damage, accept it as pain," said pain and palliative care specialist Scott Strassels, PharmD, PhD, BCPS. The implementation of a specialized pain management EMR in the practice lets doctors better document complaints, symptoms and treatments so a different course of action can be taken before the patient turns to the unsafe overuse drugs for relief.

An action plan for chronic physical discomfort can be devised from following the templates in a pain management EMR software solution. Like all EMRs, physicians can access entire patient histories, medication records and interactions, but one designed specifically for pain clinics contains content that general practice software does not. Physicians have access to templates for documenting patient complaints, how the pain affects their daily activities, what treatments they have tried and whether they worked or not. The specialized software also contains customizable-to-your-practice intricate interactive face and body diagrams to map out precise locations of pain, numbness or tingling and comes with pre-designed procedures as to how to treat it. Pre-loaded assessment notes, diagnoses and recommendations made just for pain clinics assist physicians make educated decisions about the next step in pain management care for the patient.

Source: http://www.healthtechnologyreview.com/st86_pain_management_emr_electronic_medical_relief.php

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