Advantages of Electronic Medical Records Part 1 - Lowered Costs

Switching from old-fashioned paper filing systems to computerized electronic medical records (EMRs) is highly beneficial for both doctors and patients. Below are just some of the advantages which directly or indirectly lower costs:

1) Initial cost increases are offset over time by significant savings in costs for clinicians and health insurance companies

2) Lots of freed up space in the office ultimately saves money

3) Allows everyone on a health care team, such as every staff member in a single office in Frederick, MD, to coordinate care. This prevents duplication of testing and threats of dangerous prescription interactions, as well as increased knowledge and understanding of chosen treatment methods among practitioners. Even more important is the case in which all those staff members from Frederick, MD need to coordinate information with a specialist's office in Northern Virginia.

4) No need for any time delay due to email or faxing, which is particularly important in emergency situations. For example, you need emergency care immediately in Frederick, MD but your records must be faxed from an understaffed office in Ohio.

5) Ability to keep up in a fast-paced office environment in order to stay competitive

6) Less time invested in trouble-shooting, more time available for patient care

7) Set-up costs and overhead are rendered obsolete, and replaced by the reduced costs of monthly usage fees

8) Elimination of IT infrastructure and the resulting complications, replaced by a single, streamlined online database

9) EMR software allows for multiple users to simultaneously access identical information (saves time = saves money). For example, a worker at the Frederick, MD office can access Mary Smith's prescription drug history at the exact same moment this information is needed by her specialist in Northern VA.

10) Solves many efficiency problems. For example, just because a doctor's office in Frederick, MD has increased their speed of operations due to hiring an additional worker does not mean that office has increased its overall efficiency. Efficiency takes all of the tasks involved in medical record and office management and divides them by time and money. Adoption of an EMR software system will always ultimately result in decreased costs as well as increased speed.

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