Electronic health records - EHR - are commonly used by most healthcare organizations. They can make patient care both better and easier, and provide more access and information to patients.
There are a number of EHR software solutions that you can purchase and implement for your medical practice. You can also have a custom EHR system built that may offer increased benefits for your practice by focusing on the features that you need - and leaving out the ones that you don’t. A software development team will work with you to understand your requirements before designing and building a HIPAA-compliant EHR system for your practice.
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What Is an EHR System?
An EHR system is a way to collect and store electronic health records (EHR) digitally. EHR systems are created using software that allows data to be input, controlled, and shared. These records can then be shared across different healthcare settings. For example, if you see one doctor in a network, then another provider within that network will be able to see information about your visit. This process is designed to streamline healthcare and help patients receive better care.
An EHR typically contains a variety of information, such as demographics, medical history, immunizations, medication, allergies, vital statistics, and billing information. It is more comprehensive than an electronic medical record (EMR), which is typically a digital version of paper medical records that is used by one healthcare practice. In addition to improving healthcare outcomes, EHRs also allow patients to communicate directly with their providers and to access their own healthcare information.
There are a lot of benefits to EHR systems. For healthcare providers, an EHR system allows them to access patient data easily and quickly, which can simplify patient treatment. They can also provide better preventative care by tracking patient data over time. By receiving data from other providers, doctors can also provide more comprehensive care to their patients.
For patients, an EHR system provides a portal through which they can set appointments, receive reminders, and request refills. It can allow for more coordinated care between various providers. Patients can also fill out forms and pay co-pays through an EHR system, which reduces the time spent in a doctor’s office.
Electronic health records have a lot of advantages over traditional paper records. However, there are also certain concerns with EHR systems - particularly as it relates to security and legal compliance. Specifically, EHR systems must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that requires that patients’ health information be protected. EHR software must also be secure against cyber attacks and be able to integrate with other software that your organization may be utilizing.
Building a Custom EHR System
There are two options when it comes to EHR systems: an out-of-the-box software (like EPIC) or a custom EHR system software. While purchased software often comes with a lower initial investment, it can be most costly over time due to licensing fees and the need for upgrades. This type of software may also not have all of the features that you want - and may be bogged down with features that you don’t need in your medical practice.
A custom EHR system typically will cost more upfront. However, it will often save your practice money over time because you won’t need to pay expensive licensing fees. More importantly, a fully custom EHR software program will increase productivity because it is designed specifically for your organization and how you will utilize the system.
Find A Development Team To Work With
If you decide to go the custom EHR route, the first step will be to hire a software development team. You will want to pick a company that has experience building this type of software - and that understands the laws that apply to healthcare organizations and how they impact the development of websites and applications.
The agency you choose should have a team that includes software developers, a UX designer, a project manager, a QA engineer, and someone who specializes in DevOps. Together, they will analyze your requirements and work with you to help you understand your options for building a custom EHR system.
Identify Your Needs
If you haven't already done so, you will want to talk to your staff to learn more about their daily work and ways that an EHR system could improve their workflow. For example, if they spend a lot of time each day filling out certain forms, electronic versions of those forms could make their work more efficient. If they find it difficult to communicate with patients or other providers, then you may want to include a messaging portal as part of the EHR system.
If you’re already using an out-of-the-box EHR system, you could ask them what works and what doesn’t work about it. This will give you a good starting point for coming up a list of requirements for your EHR system.
Your custom EHR system will be unique to your practice. However, it will likely contain common features such as:
- A centralized patient information hub, which can be used by healthcare providers and patients alike to access protected health information (PHI) such as lab results, radiology reports, and medication lists. Doctors and other providers can review, add, and upload patient data through this hub, which can then be utilized across the network.
- Charting and document management to allow providers to create, store, and manage electronic patient records, including treatment plans, medical history, and results of tests and examinations.
- Prescription management, which can allow patients to track and request prescriptions and refills and doctors to issue electronic prescriptions.
- Integration with laboratories and pharmacies to streamline patient care and make it easy to track and receive test results, submit prescriptions, and more.
- Health information exchange options so that patient information can be shared securely with other healthcare organizations.
- Access controls to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive medical information.
Depending on the specific needs of your practice, you may want other features as well.
UX Mapping & Design
Once you have your requirements set, it is time to design the software from a user interface/user experience (UI/UX) perspective - known as the front-end of the website. This step is all about how the software will function when healthcare providers and patients use it. UI/UX design is an important part of the development process, as it impacts the overall utility of the final product. For example, if you build an incredible piece of software but doctors can’t figure out how to enter information, then it won’t be successful - which is why UI/UX design is vital.
Development & Testing
Once the design is finalized, the project will go to the software developers to create the code that will make your vision come to life. This is known as back-end development - the part that you don’t see. As the developers code, quality assurance (QA) engineers will check their work for bugs to ensure that the software works as intended. The developers should also ensure that their code can be integrated with other applications and systems that may be necessary for the final product to work properly - such as medical billing software.
System Launch
The final step in the process is to launch the software. There is typically a “soft” launch of sorts to make sure that the software is performing as expected. From there, features could be added, removed, or edited to ensure that your software works the way that you need. When all changes are made, the final version will be launched. Your software development team can then maintain the system for you.
Integrate Your EHR With Your Website
EHR systems are a necessity in today’s healthcare industry. Not only do patients expect to have access to their health records, but it is also important to patient care to be able to share records electronically with other providers. Building a custom EHR system is a great way to get exactly the functionality that you need for your practice’s unique needs.
Inclind offers high-quality website design and development services to medical practices and healthcare organizations. We provide a full range of services for the medical sector, including website design and redesign, conversion optimization, automation, custom integrations, accessibility audits, and support and maintenance. Our team can help you integrate your EHR system with your website for a seamless experience.We understand the unique needs of healthcare organizations as it relates to legal requirements and security, and design and develop websites with those factors in mind. If you want tolearn more about how we can help you build a website for your medical practice, we are here to talk. Fill out our online contact form or hit the live chat button to chat with one of our team members about your medical website.