One Size EMR Does Not Fit All

Is there an electronic medical record systemReminders- 72% Reports- 76% Tracking- 74%
ready for the 21st century? Is there anPCWindows/Mac compatible- 9%
affordable electronic medical record system? CanWhich EMR Price is Right?
a good EMR help to reduce my business's medicalThe average set up cost of these 88 EMR
liability expenses?systems is around $870; however, the average
21st Century Specs You Need for Your EMRannual maintenance cost is $2,254 per year. Does
This is a time of fast-paced business. To be blunt,this sound strange to you too? Many practices
if your current EMR does not keep up with 21stare getting knocked around by the potholes that
century needs, than your medical practice willtheir EMR systems create. But they are still
experience something similar to driving down adriving into them at full speed, and it is costly.
road filled with potholes. No matter how fast youThe average number of active EMR users as of
try to move, you will keep getting your practice2002 is 2, 225 users per EMR. That means that
knocked around until you finally have to pay morethere is a large market for more effective
to repair it.electronic medical records systems. That also
Why not take a road without potholes? An EMRmeans that there are a lot of users that regularly
that can keep up with the needs of yourrun into these potholes as well, and they don't
practice? You can, but you must do yourwant to help pay for the repairs.
homework. Check the 21st century EMR specs.EMR, the Right Prescription for Reducing Liability
What does your current EMR have?Costs
This list, compiled by emrupdate.com, consists ofPerhaps the reason there are so many EMR users
24 EMR needs and how many of 88 current EMRis that is safe. Customers want to reduce liability
systems actually meet them.costs, as do medical practices. Pres. Bush toured
Office schedule module- 32% 3rd partythe country after his reelection, from Downington,
scheduling- 57% Billing module- 24% 3rd partyPA to Canton, OH to Collinsville, IL, talking about
billing- 63% Lab / HL7 interface- 57%liability costs and defensive medicine.
Prescriptions- 81% Drug interactions- 49% EMSmall practices spend an average of $150,000 per
ASP- 27% Internet access- 48% Dial in access-year in liability costs. When medical records are
75% Connection from separate locations- 77%kept the same way college dorm rooms are
Wireless- 77% Transcription compatible- 75%kept, this makes sense. Most practices are
Voice recognition- 69% PDA compatible- 42%smarter than that and are looking for an EMR
Handwriting recognition- 43% Digital imaging- 80%that works. The right EMR may be the best
Freeform sketches- 49% Practice guidelines- 61%defensive medicine.