VisionWeb's I.O. View [SPONSORED]: Five Facts to Know About EHR Software and Meaningful Use

Are you using an EHR software in your practice? Are you thinking about purchasing one so that you can participate in Meaningful Use? Well, there's a side to every story, and today we want to show you what you need to know about Meaningful Use, EHR software, and what it all means for your practice and your patients.

Meaningful Use Really is Worth It
Some people question whether participating in Meaningful Use is really worth all of the trouble. And, is it really going to help you improve the quality of your patient care? According to the ONC, 88 percent of practices report that their EHR adoption produces clinical benefits for them, while 75 percent of practices say that it has led to better overall patient care. 4 of the biggest benefits of participating in Meaningful Use are instant access to patient medical history from anywhere, reminders for preventative care, improved care coordination, and the ability to encourage patient engagement. Some of these things can be done without an EHR, but a certified EHR is going to make all of these things easier.

An EHR Software is Going to Benefit Your Business Too
While enhancing patient care is important, we know that your business is important to you too. The right EHR software isn't going to slow you down when documenting an exam and it also won't slow down your business operations. EHRs will help streamline your coding process for billing, prescribing medication, and generating reports. These are just a few more things to take into consideration when shopping around for a system.

You'll Become More Flexible
New systems require new training for you and your staff, which can be a big concern for anyone looking to adopt a new system. A lot of systems are based on older technologies and are designed for larger practices that have personnel who can input data. These types of systems tend to have a variety of features and complicated screens that don't fit well with today's modern practice. So look for an EHR that can support your workflow. What works for one office, might not work for you. Avoid solutions that tie you down to using only a mouse and keyboard. Using a tablet in the exam room gives you the flexibility of directly facing your patient without an obtrusive computer in the way.

Your Software Should Really Do Most of the Work for You
Attesting to Meaningful Use can look and sound really intimidating, and sometimes it might get a little complicated. But if your EHR is certified for Meaningful Use, it should really have the ability to do most of the work for you. Most systems can generate the exact reports you will need to submit, and all you'll have to do is simply enter the data generated into a submission form!

The Cloud is a Valuable Resource
Some EHR software systems are built in the cloud. While this might cause some hesitation to some of you, we're here to tell you how great it can be! Many ODs are used to having locally installed software on their computers, and might be nervous about moving their data to the cloud. But, cloud-based solutions are reliable, more secure, easily scalable, and far easier to maintain than any local in-house solution can ever be, and has a predictable cost pattern. If you're looking to modernize your practice, moving your software and data to the cloud is the way to go!

This piece was contributed by the Uprise blog. Uprise is a cloud-based practice management and EHR solution by VisionWeb. View the original post here: 5 Facts to Know About Optometry EHR Software and Meaningful Use.