When you send prescriptions directly to the pharmacy, your patients can no longer lose their prescriptions. A 2017 report showed that medical operating costs grew by 7.5% in one year. Yet the annual operating revenue grew by only 6.6%.

Increased operating costs are in part due to complex medical billing. Not to mention salaries for multiple administrative employees.

You can reduce administrative costs by switching to electronic health records. Read on to learn all the benefits of electronic health records for your practice.

Less Administrative Time

The cost and time of administrative duties in healthcare are staggering. Healthcare staff spend a big part of their day filling out and processing patient forms.

One of the advantages of electronic medical records is that they streamline several processes.

Having EHR means that staff will spend less time looking for records. Instead, with just a few clicks, the patient’s file is readily available.

As a result of paperless records, your office will need less storage space and will no longer have boxes and boxes of files taking up space.

Improved Efficiency and Productivity

Electronic health records are more efficient than paper copies because you no longer have to fill out the same paperwork at each visit.

Even when a patient sees a specialist or new medical provider, the patient’s history is at his or her fingertips. There is no delay in waiting for another clinic to fax or mail records.

Electronic health records also prevents unnecessary testing and imaging. This includes which diagnostic tests the patient has had in the past are the results of those tests.

Around 31% of the United States $2.3 trillion dollar healthcare budget goes towards administration. Though your practice’s bill may not reach the trillions, over 30% is a large cost. This can be lowered with the help of EHR.

As a result, health care providers can better work together in the best interest of the patient. This not only leads to improved efficiency but also to improved management of chronic conditions.

Electronic health records provide various automated tools that streamline the process. This includes automated insurance claim forms and coding.

These features save a lot of time and improve efficiency.

Less Missing Information

It’s not uncommon for doctors to have to re-order tests because the results are not in a patient’s chart.

A recent study found that up to 25% of the time, some necessary information is missing from a patient’s chart. Missing information has productivity and financial implications. And it also is a concern as far as patient safety and confidentiality.

You can find more information about the scalability and customization of an EHR provider on www.medinformatix.com.

Better Quality of Care

Electronic health records let you provide the best quality of care to your patients. Electronic records ensure that you review up-to-date, complete and accurate patient information.

You can send the patient’s health data to other medical professionals and specialists in real-time. And not just a quick overview either. All physicians will have full access to the patient’s medical history.

Full access means a better evaluation and the ability to reach an accurate diagnosis more quickly.

Using paperless medical records reduces human error. No longer will pharmacists misread paper prescriptions. Unclear abbreviations and decimal point placement can be avoided by using electronic records.

This could mean quicker wait times for patients as well as reduced workload for pharmacists.

Also, electronic prescriptions automatically look for dangerous drug interactions. This provides another layer of protection and safety for your patients.

Better Communication

Improved communication with insurance providers, health care providers, and pharmacies is a byproduct of EHR.

All your communications are fast and also trackable. This reduces the amount of follow-up your staff has to do as well as eliminates lost messages.

Ability to Order Sets

One of the benefits of electronic health records is that you can create an order set. This saves time because physicians don’t need to enter each keystroke.

For example, users are able to create an order set for pneumonia that lists the antibiotic, oxygen, repeat chest x-ray, and so on.

The order sets can follow the clinical practice guidelines. That way, all staff are on the same page and offering the best care.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

The cost of paper records in a medical clinic is significant. Each year, our planet produces more than 300 million tons of paper. And most of that paper is used for copier paper, computer printouts, and notepads.

You can reduce your office’s carbon footprint by switching to electronic health records.

Financial Incentives

There are various costs to migrate to electronic health record system. Such as employee training for the new software, and getting new equipment. You may also need to hire personnel to put the new system in place.

And if the increased efficiency and productivity aren’t enough, consider the financial incentives.

Both the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program allow providers to earn incentives.

Bottom Line on Benefits of Electronic Health Records

We hope this list of benefits of electronic health records has helped you see the many reasons why it is a good decision to make the switch.

Remember, the future is coming. Soon paper records will be obsolete.

Your patients and third-parties will expect you to stay current and use electronic health records. It’s generally better to make the change sooner rather than later.

Before you go, check out this guide on different scrub colors for your medical staff.