To Ask About Electronic Medical Records Software

Important Questions To Ask About Electronic Medical Records Software

If you’re a private physician, you have probably looked at more electronic medical records (EMR) programs than you care to remember. When looking at EMRs there are a number of questions you should ask:

What is the licensing of this product? Meaning do you have to pay every time you load it on a computer in your office; so you and your secretary and office manager can all handle billing?. Some companies have a site license for which you can put your EMR software on a number of PC’s in your office without restrictions on program users. Other software is sold as “single user” and that means exactly what it says – one person can use the software on one pc.

Which isn’t bad for a small practice to handle their medical billing in this manner but can turn into a nightmare if you have a busy practice.

Other good questions to ask are how your EMR software will be supported and is there a charge with each technical support issue? More and more software companies don’t have the same friendly attitude that service is job #1. More often than not, if you have a technical issue, you will be directed to a phone bank in either India or the Phillipines and in many cases you will charged for the privelege. Make sure you have a warranty and technical assistance included in your EMR software, at least for a limited period of time.

Another big issue is the ability to print your EMRs. A number of EMRs are only compatible with a small number of printers. Make sure your EMR is fully functional with your printers.

You will find, once your practice grows, outsourcing your medical billing to a third party vendor will make the most sense and will actually get your reimbursements handled within 2 weeks as opposed to the 30-45 days you are probably used to at this point. Another good reason to think about outsourcing your medical billing as your practice becomes larger is that most medical billing companies have their own software that they upkeep and maintain. Meaning all you have to do is run your practice, service your patients and let your medical billing partner handle all the paperwork.

View all Articles by: Melissa Clark, CCS-P