In this presentation, you’ll learn about the essential features small practices should look for in an EMR solution.

1. 1
The Essential EMR
(Electronic Medical
Records) Features
Your Small Practice
Needs

2. 2
Introduction
In this presentation, you’ll learn about the essential features small practices should look for in
an EMR solution.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
● Essential-for-All Features: These are key and indispensable functionalities every practice needs.
○ Charting/patient records
○ Automated coding assistance
○ Decision support
● Essential-for-Some Features: These functionalities become important based on your practice type or size.
○ Order entry
○ Clinical interoperability
○ Patient portal

3. 3
Essential-for-All Feature: Charting/Patient
Records
● Major part of medical
industry and must-have
functionality.
● Allows you to digitally
create and store copies of
patients’ clinical records.
● Saves you a lot of time and
effort.
● During our interactions
with small medical
practices, we’ve come
across many physicians
who are looking to enhance
productivity.
● Real-time charting helps
physicians reduce stress,
avoid overtime and prepare
accurate charts.
Business Value to
Small Practices
● Always opt for this feature.
Many EMRs offer
customizable templates for
your specific needs.
● The Health Insurance
Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)
mandates conversion of
paper-based health records
into secure EMRs.
Our Recommendation
What Is Charting/Patient
Records?

4. 4
Essential-for-All Feature: Automated Coding
Assistance
● Critical functionality, also
known as computer-
assisted coding.
● Generates codes (e.g., ICD
codes) related to
information in patient
charts for quick reference
in the future.
● Eliminates errors and
omissions to maximize the
billing potential for medical
practices.
● Analyzes the context to
identify whether an
instance requires coding.
For example, it can
establish that the term
"cancer" requires coding,
but not for "family history
of cancer.”
Business Value to
Small Practices
● Must be included in the
EMR. Makes it easier to
assign codes and bill
correctly.
● Reduces coding time and
enhances overall
productivity.
Our Recommendation
What Is Automated Coding
Assistance?

5. 5
Essential-for-All Feature: Decision Support
● Based on known
interactions, can post alerts
and search for alternative
treatments.
● Electronically checks for
drug, allergy and food
interactions.
● Automatically reminds
healthcare providers to
perform a particular test.
● Improves patient
satisfaction and overall
efficiency through
enhanced quality of patient
care.
● Helps avoid any manual
errors and other adverse
conditions.
Business Value to
Small Practices
● A crucial feature that
significantly reduces
emergency department
visits.
● Helps decrease the
rehospitalization of
patients.
Our RecommendationWhat Is Decision Support?

6. 6
Essential-for-Some Feature: Order Entry
● Also called computerized
physician order entry (CPOE).
● Allows medical service providers
to enter, store and transmit
orders for medical tests,
prescriptions and other services.
● Checks for errors and transmits
orders electronically.
● Useful for medical practices that
want to reduce human errors
related to transcription of
medication orders and poor
handwriting.
● Manual errors are either reduced
significantly or almost eliminated
through order entry.
When It’s UsefulWhat Is Order Entry?

7. 7
Essential-for-Some Feature: Clinical
Interoperability
● Enables the secure transfer of
clinical patient data among
different EHR systems so that
multiple authorized providers can
access that data.
● Main difference between EHR
and EMR systems is that an EHR
is an EMR with interoperability.
● Useful for medical practices that
want to reduce doubt, enable
secure data transfer and optimize
workflows.
● Enables the seamless sharing of
medical information across
patients and authorized
practitioners.
When It’s UsefulWhat Is Clinical Interoperability?

8. 8
Essential-for-Some Feature: Patient Portal
● A patient portal gives patients
secure, 24-hour access to their
personal medical information,
results, services and messages
from their medical care team.
● Offers access to a platform
through which patients and
physicians can exchange
information seamlessly, thus
providing more opportunities to
connect in the future.
● Patient portals help medical
practices reduce their staff
workload and grow their small
practice.
● Helps foster better relationships
between patients and physicians.
When It’s UsefulWhat Is a Patient Portal?

9. 9
Sources 1. “The Essential EMR Features Your Small Practice Needs” -
http://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/essential-emr-
features/
2. “Compare Electronic Medical Records Software” -
http://www.softwareadvice.com/medical/electronic-medical-
record-software-comparison/
9

10. 10
Additional
Resources
To further help you understand the landscape of EMR software,
we’ve created a number of detailed buyer guides. Here’s a quick
list for you to check out:
By Application:
● Cloud Based EMR Software
● Patient Scheduling Software
● Medical Billing Software
By Specialty:
● Allergy EMR Software
● Chiropractic Software
● Family Practice EMR Software
● Urgent Care EMR Software
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11. 11
@PMSoftAdvice