What Is Pediatrics EMR Software?

Pediatrics EMR software is specialized for the care of infants, children, and adolescents. Because pediatrics is responsible for a specific age group, it will require unique electronic health records software features that enable the efficient functioning of the clinical practice. Pediatrician EMR Software should be designed to have preterm, infant, and child growth and BMI charts; some level of reporting for school and camp physical forms, VFC eligibility status, HEDIS immunization compliance, and more.

Features Of Pediatrics EMR Software

To understand how Pediatric Electronic Medical Records software works, it is advisable to learn about the different features and functionalities of the software solution. Before choosing Pediatrics Electronic Health Records (EHR) software, you should check if the software has the following key features:

Templates– Pediatric-specific templates in the EMR software eliminate repetitive note-taking and save time during consultations. Pediatrics doesn’t cover a specific area of the body; it covers ages, which means that pediatric templates could also include some from other specializations. Customizable pediatric templates should be easy to navigate and cover all aspects of pediatrics, such as:

• Annual Physical Exams
• Health and Wellness Reminders
• Growth Charts
• Food Allergy
• Psychiatric (ADD/ADHD, Autism, etc.)
• Musculoskeletal
• Gastrointestinal
• ENT
• State-Mandated Forms
• Newborns
• Dermatological

Workflow Management – Pediatric practices need to deal with recording and storing large volumes of data. The EHR software should be able to manage, document, and maintain all the pediatrics-related workflows. This helps the physicians have a better understanding of the condition of the patient and helps them make the right decisions at the right time.

ICD/CPT Coding – To make billing and claims accurate and efficient, pediatric-specific coding should be built into the electronic health records software.

Immunization – Vaccinations are mapped out according to age and need to be conducted within certain time frames. Pediatric-specific EMR Software should incorporate reminders of vaccinations due and alert parents on patient portals. This also allows tracking of immunization in the area in case of an outbreak.

Growth Charts – Children go through growth spurts in their first few years. Pediatric Electronic Medical Records software (EMR) should have the standard growth rate and functions to track the growth chart of each child.

e-Prescribing and Tracking – As children can react dangerously to drugs, pediatric EHR Software should have dosage calculators and drug interaction checking and alert systems to ensure the patient is being treated safely and appropriately, and it should have an e-prescribing (e-Rx) feature.

Pediatrics Dashboard – The Top Pediatrics EMR software must feature a real-time dashboard that helps physicians view patient charts, profiles, billing processes, scheduling, etc., all in one place. The dashboard also saves time taken to open multiple tabs.

Well-Visits and Care – Well-visits are scheduled appointments to check up on newborns and infants, even when they are not sick. These are to monitor the child’s health and check up on early signs of risk of any diseases that might run in the family, or just general growth.

How To Choose Pediatric EMR Software?

Countless pediatric electronic health record software vendors provide the software you need. To narrow the selection down to those that fill your requirements as a specialty as well as a medical practice, you need to keep a few things in mind.

Size – Some vendors cater better to large practices, while some are best suited to smaller ones. EMR software is designed keeping a certain number of users, scalability, and support requirements in mind. When selecting a vendor, keep in mind the size of your practice.

System Design – The choice, essentially, is between the installation of the software in your on-site computer server or cloud-based software that is available anywhere via the Internet. Which system a practice goes for depends on their personal choice and comfort level. Some doctors feel more comfortable having the system on their computer server because they feel this is more compliant with HIPAA requirements, while others need to have access to their database wherever they are. You’ll need to shortlist vendors who fulfill your needs in this department.

Certification – It makes sense to ensure that the software you are going to purchase is certified. For pediatrics, the certification you should be looking for is by the ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Body (“ONC-ATCB”). They are responsible for making sure your vendor meets Meaningful Use objectives and is HIPAA compliant.

What Medical Practices Need To Know About EMR Software

Overview

Electronic Medical Records Software, commonly referred to as EMR Software, represents the electronic method of storing medical records for patients. Using specially designed software, physicians and other medical professionals can store a wide range of information, from patient demographics to detailed clinical records, including medical history, social history, lab reports, and more.

EMR Software by Specialty

Since all medical providers (MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs, LCSW, OT, etc.) work distinctly based on their background and medical specialty, EMR Software or EHR Software must accommodate the unique style and documentation requirements. Examples of such specialty-specific features include the ability to annotate images or store before/after photos for Pain Management specialists and Dermatology specialists respectively. Similarly, specialties such as Pediatrics, Oncology, Podiatry, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Nephrology, Dialysis Centers, Rheumatology, and Chiropractic Care require their unique set of specialty-specific features to simplify adoption.

Meaningful-Use

Since the introduction of the HITECH Act, healthcare IT has undergone a massive transition starting from the widely recognized Meaningful Use program to what is now known as MACRA, the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. The Meaningful Use program has transformed and now forms part of the four components of the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which is a fundamental part of MACRA.

For some medical practices, the transition from paper-based records to EHR Software (Electronic Medical Records Software) has not been a simple one. Regardless, realizing that the benefits of utilizing ONC Certified EMR Software far outweigh the hassle and challenges associated with it, ensuring a viable future, most practices today have successfully transformed their clinical and administrative operations to EMR Software.

EMR Software Benefits

Aside from ensuring tangible financial incentives and profitability, practices converting to EMR / EHR Software have seen the following benefits:

• Improved practice efficiency
• Improved profitability and revenue cycle (Medical Billing Services)
• Patient Engagement (via Patient Portal)
• Decreased stationary costs
• Better Care Coordination
• Enhanced Security and Safety (Cloud Storage & Back-ups) – Cloud-based EMR Software
• Connectivity between doctors & hospitals across the country – Health Information Exchange (EMRs with HIE connectivity)

EMR Software Requirements by Practice Size

Just like a medical specialty, EHR Software requirements also depend on the size of the medical practice. From solo-provider clinics to large multi-provider, multi-specialty clinics, every practice has unique inherent challenges that must be addressed by the EMR Software vendor.

Small or Solo Provider Practices

A small doctor’s office not only has a limited number of staff members, but its EMR Software budgets are also meager compared to a large enterprise such as a hospital. Due to these budgetary constraints, many providers simply employ Free EMR Software or choose an affordable EHR Software vendor with a low fixed monthly fee. Cloud-based access is one such important requirement so that these providers can access patient charts even from home when needed.

Medium-Sized Practices

These practices usually consist of 5 to 10 medical providers, often belonging to the same medical specialty. Their requirements are more stringent, and their budget is also considerably larger. Aside from specialty-focused requirements (EMR Software by Specialty), these practices also require unique features such as interoperability, dedicated customer support, multi-device support, and an extensive reporting functionality to keep an eye on the overall performance of the practice.

Large Practices

Larger group practices generally comprise more than fifteen or, often, twenty medical providers. These practices usually provide medical services that fall under various medical specialties (Orthopedics, Pain Management, Surgery, Chiropractic Medicine, Family Medicine, etc.). Therefore, these practices require support for multiple users to access the system simultaneously and for the Scheduling software to accommodate multiple locations, providers, and resources, such as dialysis chairs and procedure room allocation. These practices also keep replacing or adding staff members, and need a scalable solution.

Hospitals or Enterprise Organizations

EHR software companies, such as Epic, Cerner, AllScripts, NextGen, Athenahealth, IMS by Meditab, eClinicalWorks, Meditech, McKesson, and MEDHOST, typically target and provide solutions for larger corporations, including hospitals, ACOs, PCMHs, IPAs, CINs (Clinically Integrated Networks), and public health departments.

These customers have the most elaborate list of requirements, which are usually documented in the form of an RFI or RFP to assess and shortlist vendors that can meet them. The requirements consist of features like inventory management modules, interface with local labs (LIS), machines, and diagnostic equipment, along with drug dispensing (pharmacy management software) and electronic medication administration records (EMAR), etc.

These entities also require the EMR software to integrate with multiple other software and medical devices.

Why Do Pediatric Practices Need EMR Software?

Since the introduction of Meaningful Use, most healthcare practices have little or no choice but to convert their practice operations to EMR software. However, most providers today select the EHR software that best suits their specific needs and must perform an extensive search to evaluate all available options before they find one that is suitable. Most potential EMR Software buyers in the market today have the following in common:

1. Do not know what they are looking for
2. Know exactly what they want, but don’t know where to start or how to find it
3. Relying on advice from colleagues using EMR software already

Although #3 is ideal, every provider and practice workflow is unique, and therefore, what works for one provider may not suit the other. “One size fits all” simply doesn’t apply in the world of healthcare IT. Software experts and industry specialists are an ideal source of information and advice, and ultimately ensure that the right decision is made.

What to Look For in a Potential EMR Software?

EMR software includes several types of software based on specific applications or functionalities:

Cloud-Based EMR Software

Small doctor offices benefit the most from Cloud-based EMR Software technology since minimum to no upfront cost or maintenance is required and accessing the EHR Software is possible from any location given the availability of internet access. This type of EHR software is also device-independent in most cases and can be accessed using devices such as Smartphones (Android & iOS), iPhones, iPads, laptops, and desktop computers.

ONC-ATCB Certified EMR Software Vendors

This is the most significant requirement for most software buyers today as the software must comply with the standards and guidelines set by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The online repository details all software vendors and details related to their respective compliance with the measures set by the ONC (Click here). Software that complies with these standards has undergone rigorous testing and is confirmed at a benchmark level defined by the federal body. The software testing done during this exercise checks all areas of the EMR Software system from Patient Portal access to the way the EHR Software communicates with other programs and entities like labs, Pharmacies (via e-Rx), hospitals, HIEs, etc.

Pediatrics EHR software

Electronic health records software (EHR) for certain specialties such as pediatric care, internal medicine, allergy care, otolaryngology (ENT) care, or family medicine care must provide unique tools to document the clinical workflow of those specialists such as specifying the area of concern (for example ENT) and should provide specialty-specific robust templates.

Integrated Practice Management Software

With competition rising in healthcare IT, EMR software providing integrated Practice Management software (PM software) as part of their overall software package easily outperforms rivals with standalone EMR Software including those that may provide specialty-specific EHR software. EMR Software companies with integrated Practice Management solutions often tend to provide extensive reporting capabilities to track practice performance and manage business operations better.

Integrated Medical Billing Software

Medical practices require software systems to streamline operations across the board. One such important area is billing for services rendered and communications with insurance companies. Medical Billing Software, therefore, works best when integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHR) software. All clinical documentation seamlessly conforms to the required standard and forms a financial document that can be electronically sent to payers (insurance carriers) to verify and process at their end. This simplifies the operations and ensures all parties are on the same page when it comes to the financial health of the enterprise. Medical billing software helps practices and medical billing managers generate claims, and patient statements, verify patient eligibility, and more. This software is ideal for practices that want to handle billing in-house and can integrate with EMRs.

Security

An EMR Software must ensure the security and safety of patient records while ensuring privacy and HIPAA compliance for patient/doctor communication (Patient Portal). This is a paramount concern for physicians and HIPAA compliance should be guaranteed at all times by the EHR Vendor. Most Vendors today (Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, AdvancedMD, PrognoCIS, Modernizing Medicine, eClinicalWorks, etc.) are aware of the importance of HIPAA compliance and have taken steps to ensure the safety of patient records security in every section of the EHR Software using advanced tools like data encryption technologies to enhance the security of the EMR software.

CureMD EMR Software

Specific Services

One of the decisions your practice will have to make is whether you want just an EMR software or one with an integrated Practice Management for billing and scheduling. There are advantages to having both together but there have been cases where some practices only go for one if they had unique requirements that a vendor could not fulfill, or they had already paid a hefty amount for a PM software and weren’t looking to replace it yet.

Ease of Use and Training

Doctors are not IT professionals, and though some might be tech-savvy, it would be egregious to expect them all to be experts on EHR software. Ease of use is essential to make the transition from paper to electronic smooth, as well as day-to-day practice to go along without a hitch. If the software is too complicated and hard to understand, it is a waste of precious time and needlessly aggravating. Some vendors offer free training while others don’t; make sure you ask for training if your practice needs it.

Specialty Specific

Not all specialties are created equal, so why must their software be generic? Basic EHR software works well and is good for general practice and most specialties, but doctors have complained about specialty specific not being available in the market. The specialty software has inbuilt recording systems that make specialty practices function efficiently. Only a few vendors provide specialty-specific software, so there aren’t many to choose from. But more vendors are cottoning on to the demand and there should be more options shortly.

Support

Support is a major issue most practices have with their current vendors. A good support team can make small glitches to major roadblocks easy to maneuver while a bad one will just make things worse. Some vendors provide support as part of the plan you are already paying for, while others charge extra for support. Scout the market, read reviews or just ask point blank if there will be a special support team assigned to each practitioner and whether you’ll be charged for the service.

Hidden Cost

There are varying price lists out there, some offer free services, while others charge an arm and a leg for specialty services. Either way there will be hidden costs that you might get to know about later. Fix your budget and talk to vendors you interview about hidden costs within the contract and whether services such as training and support are free.

Mobility

Smartphones have changed the dynamics of mobile usage. Handheld devices are easy to carry around and can be used for any number of uses. Most people are ditching the cumbersome PC for a handheld device. Doctors mostly use iPads or Tablets in the examination room to take down patient symptoms, check history, and note down the prescription, so the vendor must have a mobile application that is synced with all the mobile devices being used in the practice.

Intelligent Medical Software by Meditab

Market Trends to Be Aware Of

Like anything else, the EMR software industry is also subject to constant changes. From new technology to legalities and governing bodies, everything is constantly changing. Here are some of the changes I think it would do well for you to keep track of.

Cloud-Based Services

It’s no surprise that more vendors are switching to Cloud-Based EMR software. Cloud-based EMR software systems can cut down on steep upfront costs that otherwise would be spent on client servers, and they can even be hosted from any device with an internet connection and web browser, making them a much more convenient option. Research has found that only 25% of practitioners are interested in a web-based EMR system, whilst 50% are willing to have it as an initial model that eventually transitions to cloud-based.

Meaningful Use Changes

At a healthcare conference Andy Slavitt, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services declared that Meaningful Use was over. Since then Meaningful Use has been renamed Promoting Interoperability and has brought along new updates to its core principles.

The program has been overhauled, with the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) dedicating the program to the exchange of health information and patient data as well as encouraging medical professionals to implement Certified Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology.

Better Patient Access

While better patient access is expected of many EHR software systems, the feature has not been completely integrated yet. According to a study in 2019, only 10% of patients (who had access to their records) viewed them. Additionally, of these patients, 63% were encouraged to do so by their respective providers. Vendors of electronic medical records software (EMR software) are updating their systems to be easier to navigate and to better suit patients’ requirements; this also prepares EMR systems for potential future regulatory changes. More health practices are also providing more guidance and raising awareness to encourage more patients to regularly check their health records before appointments.