By Mike Stephens
Former CEO, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hospitals and health systems across the country are trying to figure out how they will meet meaningful use rules in order to qualify for federal incentive payments in return for installing electronic medical record (EMR) systems. But experts warn we should not be focused on the financial reimbursement alone. We need to focus on choosing a system that will truly help connect doctors, various medical offices and patients to each other.
A recent article in Becker's Hospital Review offers important tips to keep in mind when it comes to EMRs.
1. Focus on the long-term benefits, not the short-term incentives.
2. Build pockets of connectivity.
3. Plan for the staged deadlines.
4. Look at your existing quality reporting processes.
5. Choose a vendor that will help you get to meaningful use.
Many experts agree that highly integrated enterprise EMR applications essentially will guarantee you'll get to meaningful use. The rule is not perfect and we will talk about the trouble with this rule in a related blog post this week.
But the fact remains that we can no longer live in silos. When picking a system, John Connolly, Ed.D., CEO of Castle Connolly, a healthcare research, information and publishing company that identifies the top doctors and hospitals in America, says it's important to pick a system that seems to have the potential be compatible with other systems. "Choosing carefully is very important," says Dr. Connolly. "You want to choose a system where you can connect hospitals to community-based physicians and to patients and to other hospitals."
Electronic medical records help us prevent redundancy in the system. This eliminates unnecessary costs and is ultimately better for the patient.
