It may be challenging for physicians to find an appropriate electronic medical record (EMR) software for their practice due to the vast number of available choices. Knowing what to criteria to search for in a potential EMR software will help simply the process and help you get started on your search of finding internal medicine EMR for your practice. In order to maximize your chances of finding the right EMR for your internal medicine practice, you should look for software that is designed specifically for internists or a similar specialty. Internal medicine EMR software is customized to deal with the unique characteristics of treating disease in adults. As an internist, you need to be a jack of all trades, often drawing from multiple specialties as you foster long-term relationships with your patients. Your practice may offer x-rays, EKGs, or other diagnostics, in addition to physical exams. As such, your EMR should be capable of seamlessly capturing any data related to any procedure performed in the office, using several computers in different exam rooms. Often your patients will suffer from multiple, disparate conditions, so internal medicine EMR software should be able to chart multiple conditions at the same time. Internists often rely on tests performed by other specialists or technicians, so internal medicine EMR software should ideally be able to receive and analyze the large amounts of data that may be generated for each patient, even if from different software. Similarly, internal medicine doctors often refer patients to specialists. More and more internal medicine EMR have automated referral systems making the process more efficient and easier to track. Other factors to be aware of include the abilities to prescribe electronically, and send patient reminders and other correspondence automatically.
At the start of software evaluation process, you should evaluate potential internal medicine EMR based on the following criteria:
- Practice Size: Some software is better suited to small practices, others to larger ones. EMR software is designed for a certain number and type of user, with scalability in mind. Make sure the software you select is appropriate for the number of internists in your practice.
- Systems Architecture: You can purchase EMR software that is installed directly on your computer servers on-site at your practice (“client-server”) or EMR software that is located in the “cloud” that you access via the Internet (“cloud-based” or software-as-a-service “SaaS”). Some internists prefer client-server based software since they feel more comfortable with HIPAA compliance when they control all the underlying data on their systems, despite the need to maintain and upgrade these systems periodically. Other internists choose cloud-based software because it can be accessed almost anywhere through the Internet. However, you are reliant on your Internet connection, so you need to make sure the quality and consistency of your Internet service is high. It is worth reading about all the advantages and disadvantages of each type, to make sure you choose software with the systems architecture that best matches your needs.
- Certification: When selecting your internal medicine EMR, you should make sure that it is tested and certified by an ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (“ONC-ATCB”). The ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) is the responsible agency for establishing EMR certification standards and certifying vendor EMR products. ONC-ATCB certification assures that your EMR has met required Meaningful Use (“MU”) objectives and measures. This is a prerequisite to obtaining MU Medicaid (up to $63,750) and Medicare (up to $44,000) incentives for adopting an EMR, and avoiding penalties for not adopting one. To learn more about these topics, you may want to read the following articles:
Unique Features of Internal Medicine EMR Systems
Once you have narrowed down your EMR choices based on practice size, systems architecture, and certification, you can evaluate certain features that are unique to internal medicine practices.
Such features include:
- ICD/CPT codes specific to internal medicine
- Integration with EKG, X-ray, and other diagnostic equipment
- Vaccination tracking
- Ability to evaluate multiple conditions/complaints
- Capability of automating patient correspondence
- Disease management alerts
- Growth charts
Pre-designed Templates of Internal Medicine EMR
Internal medicine EMR vendors understand that not all specialties are alike. While there are a lot of similarities shared by all EMR software, you should be able to customize whatever EMR you choose to fit your specific needs.
To facilitate this, internal medicine EMR vendors offer a variety of pre-designed templates such as ones tailored for:
- Annual wellness, physical, or gynecological exams
- Diabetes
- Abdominal pain
- Migraines
- Injury
- Chest pain
- Vaginal discharge
- Cardiovascular
- Back pain
While selecting a internal medicine EMR software may seem like a daunting task, having familiarity with the basic selection criteria common to all EMR software as well as some of the features customized for your specialty can help you make the right choice for your practice.