There are many advantages of electronic medical records for physicians which tend to fall into one of three main categories: qualifying for federal incentive payments, workflow benefits, and administrative cost benefits. Federally funded EHR incentive payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) are available for qualifying health care providers under either Medicare or Medicaid programs. All (Medicare) or the majority (Medicaid) of EHR incentive payments under either plan require “meaningful use” of an EMR system accredited by a proper certification authority. It’s important to note that there are several stages to meaningful use, all of which must be met for ongoing EHR incentive payments. Once an EMR system is installed and staff are trained in its proper use, retrieving and updating patient clinical records is performed substantially faster and with fewer errors. In most cases, this allows health care providers to finish patient charting more quickly, and to do so while with the patient, increasing accuracy and completeness of the record. This efficiency can result in an increase in scheduled visits per hour with no degradation in patient care quality. Alternatively, by reducing the burden of administrative work, it allows a health care provider to concentrate more on the patient and less on paperwork. Besides improving the delivery of health care to patients, another one of the benefits of electronic medical records integration is that it can reduce administrative and other related costs for physicians. Storage space dedicated to paper charts can essentially be eliminated once the transition to an an EMR system is complete. Likewise, staffing for filing and retrieval for a patient files and the need to purchase paper based supplies is substantially reduced or eliminated. Read more: Advantages of Electronic Medical Records | medicalrecords.com http://www.medicalrecords.com/physicians/advantages-of-electronic-medical-records#ixzz2UiP9sfqx

1. The 2-minute Guide: Advantages of
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
Summer
2013
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2. Federal Incentive Payments
Administrative Cost Benefits
Workflow Benefits
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3. Current Regulations
Federal Incentive Payments
‣Health care providers qualify for Medicare and
Medicaid EMR “meaningful use” payments under:
• The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical
Health (HITECH) Act, which is part of the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
• Regulations issued by The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) regarding providers’ security and
privacy obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)
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4. Use of an EMR system is required by the end of 2015 in
order to avoid Medicare reimbursement penalties, which
start at 1% and increase to 5% in 2020*.
EHR Incentive Payments
Medicare Medicaid
‣ Maximum of the lesser of 75% of
Medicare Part B claims
‣ $44,000
‣ Maximum of the lesser of 85% of the
purchased EMR cost
‣ $63,750
*http://www.medicalrecords.com/physicians/electronic-medical-records-deadline
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5. A 2003 study by the University of California that focused on
solo and small group physicians found that some physicians
saved up to $20,000 per year though EMR implementation*.
Administrative Benefits
‣Less storage space
‣Reduce staffing for patient chart filing
‣Cut costs on paper supplies
*http://www.chcf.org/~/media/MEDIA%20LIBRARY%20Files/PDF/E/PDF%20EMRLessonsSmallPhyscianPractices.pdf
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6. Reducing the burden of administrative work.
Workflow Advantages
Retrieving and updating
patient clinical records is
faster and more efficient.
Maintain quality of patient
care.
Increased accuracy and
completeness in records.
Increase in scheduled visits
per hour.
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7. Make the Switch
Paper Based Charts EMR Systems
‣ Difficult to copy
‣ Susceptible to fire or water damage
‣ Storage space, staffing costs, paper
supplies costs
‣ Easier to share patient charts with other
health care providers
‣ Direct integration with insurance
payment systems
‣ Patient history, lab results, and
diagnostic information all in one place
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8. MedicalRecords.com works to connect physicians to the best EMR companies, matching the right
EMR system with specific medical practices. MedicalRecords.com is the world’s largest directory of
EMR software vendors. It is a privately held company based in Cambridge, MA whose mission is to
better organize the EMR software market. The company was founded by seasoned technology and
healthcare professionals in 2010 after the passing of The Health Information Technology for
Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act).
For more information about the Advantages of EMR, please visit us at: http://
www.medicalrecords.com/physicians/advantages-of-electronic-medical-records
How MedicalRecords.com can help!
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Location:
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Suite 103
Cambridge, MA 02142
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9. Thank you for reading The 2-minute Guide: Advantages of EMR!
Please visit us at MedicalRecords.com for the latest information about EMR. We can
help connect you to the best EMR companies!
Choosing the Right EMR
How MedicalRecords.com can help!
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