One of the most important steps in the process of purchasing an EMR is to define your needs . . .
• Do you want to cut time spent searching for charts?
• Reduce errors?
• Improve coding?
• Eliminate pharmacy callbacks?
• Speed communication with labs?
• Support HIPAA compliance?
• Make records accessible simultaneously to multiple staff?
An EMR can help you do all of these things, but you need to prioritize your objectives.
Look closely at how your practice works and what processes you want to change. An EMR should support your practice style to make the practice more efficient and to better document your patient care. Make sure the EMR fits they way you work and is comfortable for you.