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Medical Informatics Engineering, Inc
What’s an
EMR/EHR?
What’s the
Patient/Provider/Practice benefit?
What’s the
COST?
What’s Primary Technologies’
Recommendation?
In the
EMR (Electronic Medical Record),
MEDICAL infers both clinical and administrative information. It’s composed of modules (practice management, insurance information,
scheduling, prescriptions, chart, orders, etc). It’s the MIM for an individual
patient which is maintained by the practice, therefore
practice centered (that patient in that practice). In the
EHR (Electronic Health Record),
HEALTH infers medical information from multiple provider sources. It’s composed of multiple EMR’s connected together (practices, hospitals, etc.), therefore
patient centered (that patient in many practices). Financial
incentives for its purchase may apply. Some sources use the terms EMR and EHR interchangeably. Both usually entail: interoperability to allow data banking and subsequent comparison and decision support, centralization (either on site or web based, individual patient focused, and coordinated data input from multiple sources. They both are thought to affect the quality of patient care.
Patient/Provider/Practice benefits:
-Accessibility: MIM which is fast, accurate, difficult to lose, mobile
-Convenience: MIM available……wherever, whenever
-Profitability: Decreased MIM related overhead by controlling the use of personnel, space, equipment, time.
-Preparation: For growth and change. For reporting requirements, disaster recovery, evolving Federal, institutional, and industry regulations
Cost:
MGMA data suggests that $20,000-40,000/provider is required for set up and training, then $8,500 annually is paid for maintenance and updates. Like most technologies,
evolution eventually lessens size, complexity and cost. Subscriptions, PILOT programs, group rates, and satisfaction guarantees are the solution to affordability and risk avoidance issues. Today’s investment is much less (sometimes 1/2) with greater value.
Recommendations:
Industry research reveals over 250 EMR/EHR vendors. A comparison of their features is difficult, especially due to variable buyers and cost/benefit ratios. Our preference is based on certifications, experience, reputation and flexibility. Please refer to the scroll at the top of the page.
Medical Information Management