EMR facilitates office processes, expedites revenues and enhances the quality of client care. These are just some of the advantages why Nitin Chhoda wants physical therapists and private practice owners need to implement an electronic medical record system now.
Throughout the years as technology evolved, healthcare management has adapted to meet the changing capabilities of the system.
Before a new eave of technological advances, offices were forced to rely on paper medical records, handwritten, and susceptible to casualty or loss.
These boxes and file cabinets filled back rooms of physical therapists’ offices. If the documents remained safe in the office, they were still at risk of being read by an individual who could compromise the patient information.
Now a new era of medical records has arrived called electronic medical records (EMRs). It has streamlined every facet of the healthcare practice, no longer forcing offices to rely on paper records
New Flow of Communication
Physical therapist and other private practice offices used to rely on postal system and copier to transfer information to other practices. The ability to fax records helped speed up the process but it still took time. If a patient relocated for employment or family, the patient’s medical records had to be transferred as well, a cumbersome practice that could take weeks or months of sorting, copying, billing for copies, and mailing.
With EMR, records are stored in the “cloud” or a healthcare database from which a physician can easily access a new patient’s previous records. EMR also allow doctors and physical therapists to coordinate treatment of their mutual patients, and the information is updated immediately.
Cost-Saving Procedure
Paying an employee to keep medical records can cost a physical therapist or provider up to $15 per hour. With new EMR software, medical records are kept easier and faster, and readily accessible to any individual in the office with the touch of a button.
Improved Physical Therapy Documentation for Third Parties
In the days before advanced technology, retrieving physical therapy documentation was a tedious practice. Insurance agencies were forced to rely on photocopied records or faxed copies. This delay in processing slowed the entire system. Personal injury attorneys had to retrieve a signed HIPAA from a patient, individually contacting each medical provider for patient records for legal analysis.
Now with EMR, attorneys can simply fill out a request form, and have the information provided within a few a days.
Streamlined Billing Practice
In the pre-EMR days, physical therapist billing used to be a shaky process at best. Providers had to submit individually to each insurance agency, and wait for the results. Few patients had insurance and if treatment was covered by a government agency, the waiting time doubled.
Income was precarious due to the long response time. Now EMR system allows physical therapist and other providers to bill with a few clicks, and insurance agencies are instantly notified with invoices. Gone are the days of billing via mail for insurance and individuals, payment processing is now available online.
EMR opens a new way of communication and billing process for patients, insurance agencies, and third parties. In the evolving body of healthcare, EMR improves the treatment of patients with up-to-date information.
As more providers embrace technology, EMR is also available on tablets and mobile phones, for instant consultation.
