Gone are the days when a doctor scribbled progress notes or medication scripts on a notepad and stored it in a file cabinet. Today, electronic health record (EHR) software is a mainstay in modern medicine that many physicians believe enhances overall patient care. EHRs are widely used by hospitals, clinics, and private practices of all sizes to help organize patient and billing data.
EHR software safeguards patient records, reduces the incidence of medical data entry errors by improving data accuracy and input, expedites treatment, and helps patients stay well-informed about their clinical care and medical history.
What is EHR software?
Electronic health record software (EHR) helps providers keep track of a patient’s progress notes, medications, health history, immunizations, diagnoses, referrals, and more.
A decade ago, roughly one in ten hospitals used EHR software. Now, more than 96% of hospitals in the United States use an EHR, according to a report by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.
EHR software also enables physicians to share a patient’s health records digitally with other providers anywhere in the country. In this capacity, EHR software enables care coordination among a network of providers, regardless of their location.
Electronic health records are often digitally accessible to patients, giving them added visibility and documentation. Within many EHR portals, patients can easily and securely access their lab results, order prescription refills, message their provider, request or check appointments, and complete forms digitally before their appointments.
Electronic health records are commonly mistaken for their predecessor, electronic medical records (EMR). Let’s take a look at how EHRs differ from EMRs.
What’s the difference between EMR and EHR?
Both EMRs and EHRs are digital versions of the patient’s medical history. While they have many similarities, EHRs are generally easier to share among a network of providers, as well as the patient. That shareability creates a holistic view of a patient’s medical history across all stages of care and healthcare organizations.
EMRs, on the other hand, must be printed and mailed to other providers to share patient data. EMR systems are commonly tailored to a specific medical practice, making them more challenging to share with external healthcare providers because no two are the same. Most EMRs are not accessible to patients either, which makes EHRs a preferred option for medical practices that want to maintain transparency with their patients.
What are the benefits of an EHR system?
From practice efficiency gains to improved patient care—there are numerous advantages to using electronic health records. Today, medical practices can receive several benefits from an EHR solution such as:
- Improving patient outcomes: EHRs establish consistently accurate, up-to-date information about a patient’s health history at any point of care.
- Achieving business goals: EHRs reduce data entry costs, decrease paperwork, improve security, reduce clerical errors, and prevent duplicate diagnostics. EHR software that integrates with practice management platforms streamline admin work by combining practices to align schedules, reports, billing dashboards, and electronic health records in the same place.
- Enabling care coordination: EHR data can be securely shared with patients and among other clinicians on the care team. That improves communication between a provider and their patients, while also streamlining care coordination.
What sets Benchmark EHR apart?
With Benchmark EHR’s customizable templates and workflows, clinicians save time while seamlessly maintaining patient charts, ordering prescriptions, and coding encounters. Enjoy powerful features such as:
- Customizable dashboards, templates, and forms
Easily adapt your Benchmark EHR layout and spend less time searching for the most important criteria for your practice and patients. Customize pre-built templates based on your specialty or build one from scratch to specify your data collection. - Five-star support team
The Benchmark EHR support team is responsive and knowledgeable, helping clients optimize workflows through customization. - Integrated practice management
Together, Benchmark EHR and Benchmark PM software seamlessly integrate visit information, codes, and billing information. - Meaningful use of educational materials
E-mail, message, or print helpful patient fact sheets and resources from MedlinePlus that correspond with your ICD-10 code. - User-friendly, integrated patient portal
Patients can easily access lab results, request prescription refills, securely message their provider, request appointments, and complete forms online to streamline office visits. - ICD-10 and CPT code recommendations
Benchmark EHR offers automated evaluation and management code recommendations that are based on the type of care, time spent, and level of complexity. - Easier progress notes
Customize the template and dashboard view to quickly cross-reference chart information while taking notes. - eRx
Send drug prescriptions directly to pharmacies natively in the Benchmark EHR software.
Everything your practice needs in an EHR
Your electronic health records dashboards, notes, and templates—just the way you imagine them
What would you change about your current EHR? Let us show you how to personalize your Benchmark EHR to perfectly fit your practice needs.
Contact a Benchmark Solutions EHR expert today and let our team show you a custom-tailored EHR software solution that fits your medical practice’s needs.