What to look for in an EHR system to grow your practice

If you are looking for practice growth, you are probably already thinking about systems you can improve and strategic changes you can make to how your clinic operates.

Having solid plans to improve your clinic can help you get on the right track to finding new patients, providing better chiropractic care, and unleashing practice growth.

An EHR system can help with these needs, too. One of the primary benefits of electronic healthcare records, in fact, is the productivity boost many practices see once they are able to eliminate paper records. If you need growth opportunities, then EHR software may help you get there and reach your practice goals.

Ready to scale

Having the right software to help you manage patient information can make it easier to expand your operations quickly. EHR has many advantages for doctors that may outweigh the disadvantages created by the process of transitioning from paper.

These advantages allow EHR to help your clinic scale: ¹ ²

• Consistency—Having the same consistent process for every patient that comes in through the front door can help you minimize difficultly created by chaotic records management. If you know that every record is managed the same way, that can save you time when you decide to edit a specific record or try to find something.
• Search-Friendly—EHR is usually a lot easier to search than paper, because you can quickly open specific files and search using a computer’s speed and processing capabilities instead of relying on human eyes to find the right information.
• Efficient—EHR operates more efficiently than paper. You can store more, review records faster and input information quickly.
• Flexible—If you need to change something, add in a new user, hire a new employee who will use EHR or make some other adjustment, then your system can help you stay flexible and adapt to change.
• Mobile—With access to a mobile app, you can use EHR on-the-go or away from your workstation more easily than with paper.

Your software can help you do more, adapt to changes in your clinical environment and prepare for growth.

Embracing growth

Clinical growth that you prepare for may be manageable. As your clinic adds patients and expands services, you often begin to need more capacity, time, and resources to meet the new demands. EHR can help you embrace this new growth by enabling your practice to become more flexible, adaptable, and productive.

EHR software can grow along with your practice. Adding more patients, appointments or services does not necessarily mean you need different software. Your EHR platform can grow with you, so you do not need to go shopping for a new system. If you experience slower periods, your software can also help you manage your time. Alongside the changes in your business, EHR can adapt.

Ready for change

Preparing for practice growth may mean switching to EHR. If you already have EHR software, take a moment to stop and think about how your system is working for your practice. This may help you figure out if you need a different system or need to change something else about your practice.

Keep in mind that making changes to your clinical operations can be challenging. You may feel overwhelmed at times. Patience, focus and dedication can help your practice emerge from the experience with a sense of victory and perspective. It may take some time to see positive results, or there may be a learning curve to overcome. Working to help your practice move forward is worthwhile and may require some creativity.

If you already have an EHR system, consider asking your vendor for suggestions on how to improve your EHR knowledge and skills. Some offices have “super user” employees or colleagues that are highly skilled with EHR and can share tips and ideas. These improvements may make a difference for your clinic.

References

1. gov. “Medical Practice Efficiencies & Cost Savings.” https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/medical-practice-efficiencies-cost-savings. Accessed: July 2017.
2. Infinit Healthcare, “The Efficiency of Electronic Health Records.” Infinit Healthcare Blog. https://www.infinithealthcare.com/resource-center/electronic-health-records-efficiency/. Published: March 2017. Accessed: July 2017.