4 Practical Ways EHRs Use Real Time Analysis to Help Providers and Patients http://goo.gl/gHuO3Z

1. 4 Practical Ways EHRs Use Real Time
Analysis to Help Providers and Patients
© CureMD Healthcare

2. Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR
• It’s a term constantly inserted into technology
conversations to make a product or action seem new
and cutting edge
• While the term is undoubtedly over-used, it remains
relevant because it showcases a significant truth: the
way we access data is changing
• In our personal and professional lives, a few clicks
can now summon a myriad of empirical evidence
about our fitness, financial records, and even utilities
usage

3. • Far from being esoteric technology, real-time data
retrieval is quickly becoming a foundational element
of our relationship with technology
• As information technology has increasingly become a
part of medical practice, the healthcare industry is
no longer immune from conversations involving the
words “real-time”
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

4. Why Real-Time Analysis Matters for Medicine
• The decreasing cost of this technology has made it
readily available for many providers, either through
their Practice Management software or their
Electronic Health Record system
• In an industry that relies on historical data – past
medical history, commodities, etc. – having access to
up to date clinical information is a boon
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

5. • Clinical decision support systems built into EHRs can
alert physicians when their treatment plans run afoul
of medication lists before prescriptions are finalized
• Integrated health systems can manage entire
populations using predictive algorithms that adjust
by the second to pinpoint high-risk patients
• Instead of relying on information gathered from
patients (which can be unreliable), providers can
leverage hard data to inform their treatment
decisions
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

6. • It can be easy to slide into the “real-time” hype, but
that’s largely due to the promise this technology for
medicine
• But instead of focusing on cutting edge
developments at the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic,
let’s examine how everyday practices can benefit
from real time analysis using systems already widely
adopted - EHRs
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

7. • Common Applications
– 1. Clinical Decision Support
• Perhaps the most important real time use-case
comes at the point of care
• As physicians chart and build their treatment
plans, the EMR system will use IF-THEN logic to
determine if any proposed treatments or
medications would result in adverse events for the
patient
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

8. • This simple algorithm helps prevent misdiagnosis or
prescriptions, and can improve outcomes
• As the market for wearable health technology grows,
physicians will have access to patients’ biometric
data
• By accessing this data at the point of care, physicians
can use empirical evidence rather than patient
testimonials to make treatment decisions
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

9. • This type of clinical decision support will also play a
large role in identifying high-risk patients.
• If providers have the resources, they can use
biometric data and health wearables to create alert
thresholds for such patients
• If the patient’s vital signs pass a certain point,
providers can reach out directly and advise that they
come in for treatment or alter their behavior
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

10. • All in real-time, of course.
– 2. Clinical Workflow
• The line between practice management software and
EHR platforms becomes blurrier by the day
• Many EHRs now offer patient intake and scheduling
features as well as financial reports about a practice’s
cash flow – jobs that were traditionally left to PM
systems
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

11. • Regardless of where the analysis takes place though,
there’s a lot of potential for providers to leverage
real-time capabilities to improve the patient
experience, along with satisfaction scores
• Much of it has to do with process. As patients enter
the office, a real-time system can automate exam
room assignments, freeing up receptionists to
interact with patients
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

12. • Another opportunity lies in financial reports, which
both PM and EHR systems can generate. In private
practices, physicians aren’t only healing patients, but
are also running a business
• By monitoring financial performance on a weekly or
even daily basis, physicians can stay informed about
what’s working business-wise without visiting their
CPA every week
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

13. • Many EHRs also include Meaningful Use dashboards,
which are modules that centralize the data collection
of quality scores and other required stats
• This feature tracks how well practices are meeting
Meaningful Use criteria, so that any gaps in data
collection can be corrected
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

14. - 3. Coding Support
• Human error represents the most common reason
for rejected claims. Demographic information or
patient health information that entered incorrectly
can end up significantly delaying reimbursement
• Enter claims scrubbing. Again, using “real-time”
analysis, scrubbing software checks a practice’s
coding against industry standards for each procedure
and corrects any glaring errors
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

15. • Scrubbing engines use real time analysis to identify
and correct for any mistakes before claims get
submitted, which helps practices avoid unnecessary
impediments
• Certain billing software can also track claims
throughout the revenue cycle by visualizing where
each claim lies in terms of reimbursement or
rejection
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

16. • In some cases the software will identify which payers
offer the best reimbursement options for specialties,
or commonly performed procedures
• This type of information more closely resembles the
real time analysis found in clinical workflow and
clinical decision support features
Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR

17. Benefits of Real Time Analysis In EHR
• There’s a great deal more to be said about real-time
analysis, but moving into the realm of decision trees
and abstract algorithms won’t directly benefit most
providers
• For all intents and purposes, real-time analysis
simply means the ability to quickly access powerful
information – which is a phenomenal resource for
healthcare providers

18. Read more on blog.curemd.com
• To read more on this topic, visit:
• http://blog.curemd.com/4-practical-ways-ehrs-use-
real-time-analysis-to-help-providers-and-patients/

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