What are Electronic Medical Records?
Why use Electronic Medical Records?
Why select StreamlineMD in particular?
What will my practice do with its paper charts?
Will my practice have to change its workflow?
Will the transition impair my practice’s productivity?
Will my data be safe and accessible around the clock?
A. Electronic medical records provide a structured process for documenting clinical information. They also offer the opportunity to receive critical information—such as formulary or drug interaction checks—at the point of care. With EMR, you get all the benefits of electronic information management: your patient data will be kept in a searchable, hierarchical database. And you will have access to best practices for improved coding and care. (Read more about EMR industry definitions here.)
A. A properly designed EMR solution will often pay for itself—sometimes many times over—in reduced costs for transcription, labor, and time spent on the phone with labs and pharmacies. Some practices save more just in paper costs than they spend on StreamlineMD. EMR use can reduce your liability risk and your chances of a negative audit. It also can help increase revenues through higher patient volume, better collections, and more accurate coding. Importantly, electronic medical records can improve your lifestyle by streamlining your practice, so you can leave the office a soon as the last patient visit is complete. (Read more about the benefits of EMR usage here.)
A. StreamlineMD is the most complete solution for small and midsized practices. Our software and service consistently win accolades. We are especially proud of our number one ranking from AC Group, and on the top performance of our software (provided by mMD.net) in speed and accuracy challenges sponsored by the Medical Records Institute. Unlike most vendors who provide limited in-person training and support—and who typically charge you for them—we provide all the training and support you need, from a professional located in your area, as part of our subscription services. Finally, we do not trap your data: if you ever want to move to another system, we will return your data, along with the documentation necessary to complete the migration. To our knowledge, no other EMR company will commit to this.
A. Generally, to get started with StreamlineMD, you will download basic patient data from your practice management system, then gradually transition essential clinical data from paper to the EMR. As each patient comes into the office, medications, allergies and problem lists are added to the patient’s chart. Social and medical history can be entered by patients themselves through a user-friendly online portal. Typically, the total transition process takes about three months.
A. No. StreamlineMD is designed to help you do what you are already doing more efficiently. We are not in the business of telling physicians how to administer care. Rather, we customize the capabilities of our product to suit your workflow. Most importantly, we help you design templates so that your patient encounters go quickly and smoothly.
A. No. With proper preparation and training, the practice will begin seeing patients only after everybody has become comfortable with the technology and the physician’s templates have been tuned. This requires the implementation process to be staged carefully over a period of weeks. Our local support model makes this possible. By contrast, most other EMR vendors have a two or three day implementation process that leaves the practice in a state of disarray from which many never recover.
A. Yes. StreamlineMD takes every precaution to keep your data available and safe. We house our servers in an industrial strength facility with password-protected access, six days of backup power, redundant connections to the Internet, on-site and off-site backup of data, commercial grade firewalls, and security audits.