When reading the title of this article, you’re probably thinking, are we not past implementing Electronic Health Records? Haven’t most of us already gone through this a long time ago?
Technically, you wouldn’t be wrong, but healthcare organizations and professionals have moved past the technology itself to really delve into what it can do for them and how it meets the needs of today’s complex care organizations.
With the move to value-based care, emphasis on data-driven technology and processes is increasingly important not only for interoperability reasons, but for sustainable payment and reimbursement models as well.
Take Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) as an example. Hospitals and physician practices are participating more and more in ACOs as payers adopt value-based reimbursement. With the goal of cutting costs and providing quality care for patients, ACOs must show continuous monitoring of patient performance and respect quality measures.
To achieve these goals, they must have technology on hand that allows them to share information seamlessly between healthcare professionals and hospitals. This is where Electronic Health Records (EHRs) come in. They allow ACOs to produce and manage valuable data across the entire patient care cycle.
Over the years, EHRs have grown to become an essential tool in a healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure. However, there are many features to consider when choosing the right technology for a specific organization:
Your EHR should be an extension of your practice, allowing you to reach your goals and augment your care offering. Make sure you choose the right tool that will allow you to do so and will evolve with your constantly changing workflow and needs.
