The US government is driving healthcare reforms at an accelerated pace. All these changes must be absorbed by healthcare providers, particularly as the government is moving solidly in the direction of pay-for-performance and away from pay-for-service. In addition, medical practice management as a whole is becoming more technologically complex.
Doctors need to embrace technology to bridge the gap between their current practices and future advancements. Health IT systems, including EHR platforms, play a vital role in this technological transformation. However, some platforms are lagging behind. In this post, we will outline five signs indicating that it's time to upgrade or replace your EHR system.
In 2023, the healthcare landscape has progressed beyond programs like Meaningful Use and ICD-10, adopting more sophisticated standards and frameworks. If your EHR system still utilizes legacy features from these outdated programs, it might impede your ability to fulfill current compliance requirements and hamper your endeavors to stay current with industry advancements.
In healthcare, you must meet numerous standards encompassing privacy, interoperability, and integrated system efficiency, all crucial factors concerning patient data. An EHR system that falls below these expectations jeopardizes the effectiveness and efficiency of your healthcare delivery.
Moreover, according to the False Claims Act, EHR vendors must uphold their commitments and ensure the authenticity of their certifications. If your vendor neglects to implement all necessary technological changes and updates for certification despite their assertions, you may face significant government fines.
An ideal EHR system ought to offer access to comprehensive and readily available training resources without any additional costs. As healthcare technology grows more complex, the absence of training resources might create a substantial obstacle to comprehending and efficiently using your practice management system. If your EHR vendor doesn't furnish such training materials, it's time for you to begin searching for a replacement.
Usability matters, and so does user experience. If your EHR system has an overly complicated interface that requires significant time and effort to navigate, it's a sign that the system is not user-friendly. A user-friendly EHR offers quick access to frequently used features and evolves with your usage allowing you to customize it to your exact needs over time.
The era of generic EHR systems and the need to customize everything for your practice is behind us. In today's healthcare environment, relying on a generic EHR for your specialty practice is no longer viable. By doing so, you jeopardize the opportunity to stay updated on vital developments relevant to your specialty. Therefore, if you're currently utilizing a generic EHR system, it's imperative to contemplate upgrading or entirely replacing your system with an EHR tailored explicitly to your medical practice.
Fifteen to twenty years ago, cloud-based EHR systems did not exist. That meant most doctors automated their practices using local server-based solutions that were expensive, cumbersome and challenging to use and maintain. If this is still you, then you need to catch up. Today, doctors all over the country are throwing out their servers and ditching expensive maintenance contracts for simplified cloud solutions that attract only a nominal monthly or annual fee.
Remember that technology is an enabler and if what you have isn’t enabling you to keep up with the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, then it’s time you considered replacing your technology.