The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital record of pertinent patient information chronicled in any medical office that a patient has visited. EHR’s offer real-time, patient-centered records that make HIPAA compliant information available to authorized users instantly. An EHR contributes to advanced and comprehensive healthcare by giving multiple physicians a central location of patient information where true collaborative healthcare and patient monitoring can take place. While an EHR contains the medical and treatment histories of patients, an EHR system is designed to accelerate standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office to be inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care. The EHR allows access to evidence-based tools that providers can use to make informed decisions about a patient’s care. The benefit to Facilities are obvious, the EHR’s streamline provider workflow and limit their professional liability. An EHR can be created and managed by authorized providers in a digital format capable of being shared with other providers across more than one health care organization such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics, so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care
Not to be confused with an EMR, Electronic Medical Record which contains the standard medical and clinical data gathered in one provider’s office, an Electronic Health Record goes beyond the data collected in the provider’s office and can include a more comprehensive patient history. An EHR allows physicians transparency and communication between all providers to avoid issues like prescribing contradictory medications, over prescribing and prescription abuse. EHRs are designed to contain and share information from all providers involved in a patient’s care. Unlike EMRs, EHRs also allow a patient’s health record to move with them to additional supporting health care providers, specialists, hospitals, nursing homes, and even across states when a patients condition requires involvement from multiple doctors.
The EHR increases the need for accuracy and consistency in dictation, as the reliance on the EHR increases with more advances in medical technology communications. AcuTrans Solutions Transcription services are a key component of the clinical documentation workflow and, when used in conjunction with the EHR, is the most efficient system in delivering comprehensive patient care. Acu Trans Solutions offers a two tier editing system that clarifies and carefully analyzes speech, commonly used terms and appropriate terminology along with attaching the correct codes. The Electronic health record is a legal document. It is vitally important to have a second or third pair of trained eyes to validate content.
For many medical facilities, there are several reasons that integrating EHRs have failed. Some factors can be the cost associated with a change in workflow and office management. Front end systems can be difficult to train staff and use properly. Can you afford to lose staff members for any amount of time to train on a new piece of technology or software? Liability also becomes a concern when there is increased demand for accuracy and training on administrative staff. Additional demand on administrative task interrupts productivity and creates a stressful environment. Increased responsibility also demands increase in pay. Hourly overtime increases in staff pay increases overhead more significantly than outsourcing services such as transcription and coding. Outsourcing transcription to Acu Trans Solutions may significantly ease these burdens and increase likelihood of success in utilizing EHRs.
1The AC Group conducted a study of over 2,000 providers which found that 53 percent of physicians had reverted back to dictation or handwriting one year following EHR implementation while 18% had stopped using the EHR altogether.
The transcription workflow using an EMR without Acu Trans Solutions relies on the consistency of multiple steps including that the providers must use the structured data entry capabilities of the EHR or the Provider must dictate using a microphone system at a single designated computer with an installed front end speech platform. Additionally the Provider must edit the document as they go, adding references and codes for billing and insurance. Without Acu Trans Solutions, this process is not the most efficient way to utilize the EHR technology and there will be a considerable recession in physician productivity. Where is physician time more valuable? Filling out templates, Self-editing dictation, researching and applying codes or seeing patients? 2 Robin Daigh’s article, Friend or Foe, in the For The Record reported that it would take a physician 8-10 minutes or $13.50 – $27.00 to enter a clinical note into the EMR. It would cost approximately $4.30 for a documentation specialist to transcribe that same note, which is a $9.20 savings per note.
Acu Trans Solutions transcription workflow allows the Provider to dictate via phone or handheld where Digital voice files are securely captured, encrypted and delivered to our HIPAA compliant servers. Medical Records and Documents are prepared by our expert medical transcriptionists. Documentation is integrated directly into the EHR. Integrated patient records are instantly available to authorized users.
AcuTrans Solutions provides reports that easily integrate with a patients EHR as well as Physician’s internal EMR’s. The process of integrating documentation directly into the EHR is simple and straightforward. Acu Trans works within the parameters of the incumbent technology for a seamless integration. We also provide hard copies of transcriptions and email attached documents in the formats you require. We understand that as healthcare is evolving, not all providers work in the same formats and platforms and also many patients require information from a variety of sources. We provide quality and accurate patient records to meet every possible need. You can depend on us to provide accurate reporting, detailed coding and easy to understand transcriptions that help you provide the most effective care to your patients.
References:
1- Anderson, Mark R. “Digital Medical Office of the Future”. October 14, 2009. http://www.acgroup.org
2- Daigh, Robin. For the Record: Friend or Foe? — The EMR Mandate’s Effect on Transcription Companies http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/ftr_081808p20.shtml
Blog - Acu Trans Solution LLC 