The Benefits of EHR Integration Software for Small Practices

  • Iron Bridge

African american doctor gp therapist wear white coat, stethoscope writing medical records in notebook while using laptop computer browsing internet or watching webinar training sitting at work desk. The Journal of Open Innovation (Sep 2024) recently discussed healthcare efficiency improvements in the past few years, with the introduction of electronic health records alone accounting for a 30% increase in administrative efficiency. The implementation of software to address such issues has accounted for several improvements to healthcare in the past few years, including:

  • Streamlining workflows
  • Reducing manual processes
  • Enhancing patient care
  • Increasing positive outcomes
  • Allowing universal access to patient data

How does EHR integration software do so much, and is there any other way that small-practice technology improvements such as these can benefit you?

Read on to discover how these solutions can improve every step of the patient care process while remaining compliant with healthcare regulations. Learn more about how to reduce operational costs and regulatory burdens and how Iron Bridge may be the perfect solution for you in the future.

Save Time and Boost Productivity with EHR Integration Software

Healthcare software integration offers specialized tools for seamlessly integrating patient records with any number of other:

The number of applications is significant, especially when communicating between disparate systems that haven't interacted in such a way previously. Such data transfer should also remain secure when kept up-to-date, which is essential in an industry where only around one-third of organizations have updated their systems due to security and privacy fears. As such, it can boost the capabilities of healthcare organizations and offer more efficient operations for staff.

Some of the specific improvements in productivity it can offer include allowing staff to simplify the vast majority of repetitive administrative tasks that involve patient records. For example:

Clarify Appointment Scheduling

Access to a fully EHR-integrated system allows you to see if patients have scheduling conflicts with other locations. You can also reschedule in real-time, linking the patient's records and the appointment.

As missed appointments can significantly impact a small clinic's organizational efforts, an integrated EHR aims to reduce this possibility with automated reminders linked to the patient record. The EHR-integrated system can even use information from the patient to add personalized information, such as reminders to bring along samples or specific documentation.

Simplify Patient Intake

Instead of running through patient intake at the location, individuals can complete forms online and confirm them in person. They can then sync these with their EHR from other locations, allowing for automated data entry where relevant.

An EHR linked to a patient's insurance eligibility can also help staff ensure the individual's coverage is up-to-date at a glance. Staff can then advise the patient if they need to update anything before enrollment.

Optimize Patient Record Workflows

EHR integration software can optimize the organization of patient records by providing a central access location and a "single source of truth" for data. It also allows for automation of specific work, such as:

When the EHR is linked directly to other organizations, it can also ensure any relevant data is applied directly to the record. For example, lab results can be linked to the record, allowing a doctor to see them sooner, such as if they are watching for potential dangers to a specific patient.

Other Useful EHR Software Advantages for Productivity

EHR-integrated systems can also offer several other benefits to a provider's organizational efforts, including:

  • Billing automation
  • Streamlined insurance claims processing
  • Easier communication between internal contacts
  • Simple methods of contacting external providers
  • Patient self-service software to allow individual action without staff intervention
  • Inventory management and supply tracking
  • Alerts for reordering of medication stock

By using all the above tools, EHR software can simplify all repetitive tasks, including using automated workflows, to ensure that staff can focus on patient care instead.

Access Patient Records and Lab Results Faster

EHR for small clinics can give your entire staff access to a centralized record access database. Such a method of referencing patient information is beneficial, as every department can interact with the same information, instantly retrieving or writing to a patient's medical history.

The information stored in an EHR database would include all the information any staff member may need, including:

  • Full medical history
  • Past lab results
  • Prescriptions
  • Treatment plans
  • Provider notes

Being able to interact with these notes in such an easy way eliminates the need to search through, edit, and otherwise interact with multiple systems or even physical files.

Real-Time Updates

When working with an EHR-integrated system, you can expect information to update across all access points simultaneously. As such, you do not need to wait more than a few moments until lab results return once the lab signs them off. According to Labcorp, this data is used in around 70% of medical decisions, so the faster doctors receive it, the better.

Such an increase in speed reduces delays that patients must face before receiving a diagnosis or the appropriate treatment for their condition. This instant access to critical results can save lives when the time before results would previously often be significantly longer, depending on the specific information at hand.

Similarly, such a high level of interoperability also allows data to flow the other way. Labs will receive requests instantly, allowing them to prioritize their work appropriately based on the importance of specific issues.

In short, the streamlined communications in both directions allow staff to complete any patient workflow much faster. There is no better reason to investigate such an opportunity, so ensure that you contact Iron Bridge to learn more about their EHR software.

Fully-Searchable Records

While searching records was possible with previous databases, access to a complete patient record via an EHR-integrated search means no stone goes unturned. With any search, you can look through a patient's entire file, no matter which organization or venue gathered the information, so long as they connect to an EHR integration software that uses the same data standard.

When a clinician needs to investigate a specific patient, they would be able to search by any form of document, regardless of its location, including by:

  • Date
  • Condition
  • Location
  • Test type

_In addition, using standardized clinical tags, such as SNOMED codes, allows for more granular searches._So, one could search for items categorized under, for example, the "Clinical oncology" hierarchy. (e.g., 394593009 - Clinical oncology). Thus, They can discover items related to diverse oncological data points, even when unrelated to the same issue.

If they wish to be even more specific, they can use other tags further down the hierarchy, such as 108290001 - Chemotherapy treatment.

Ensure Smoother Compliance Reporting

Systems that can communicate with one another more efficiently, such as an EHR-integrated system, can streamline compliance reporting by empowering healthcare providers with seamless communication methods. These separate systems can each gather all the relevant audit data from their location and save it to a central location. Reviewing this data and passing it on to the appropriate authorities then becomes much easier to manage.

In addition, advanced EHR software can pre-fill required forms with the data they source, meaning admin staff only need to review and send off these documents, freeing up their time for other areas of their role.

Another benefit of automatically performing this task is ensuring staff finish it with minimal errors due to transferring data from one location to another. The computer-led effort is much less likely to return issues, and the human-led review process should be able to correct any bugs.

Built-in Templates for Reports

Instead of needing to source the correct documents to report on a business each year, you can offer a single source of this information for all staff. _You can then ensure that all locations adhere to local or federal requirements for reporting while reducing the need for specialized compliance knowledge among staff._Individuals do not need training in sourcing and handling these documents outside of reviewing them.

These standardized reports also reduce the chance of non-compliance and the penalties resulting from such a situation. Data submissions will be more accurate and complete, as you can be assured all forms will have the same data.

Transparency and Accountability Via Auditing

Interoperable databases such as those in an EHR-integrated system allow for more strict oversight in case of problematic document changes, including with patient health records. These systems can track every change made to records, including who made the changes and both when and where staff changed them.

If anyone discovers a problem, staff can track it to its source, offering training or guidance for the individual who made the incorrect change to the record.

Cut Costs with EHR-Integrated Healthcare Operations

Transitioning from paper-based records to a completely digital EHR method of data-keeping can reduce the amount of money you spend associated with resources such as:

  • Paper
  • Printing
  • Storage containers
  • Physical storage spaces
  • Moving files
  • Destroying paper in a compliant manner

A reduction in both printing costs and the time taken to handle so many physical files should then offer you the savings you need to ensure that any increase in IT infrastructure is easy to handle.

Physical Media and Storage Space

You should also be able to free up a lot of office space previously used for storing physical records, either allowing you to move into a smaller space or make better use of what you have. According to the University of Delaware, the healthcare industry as a whole digitizes 2,314 exabytes of data annually, and it makes no sense to keep this data stored physically.

Similarly, should you need to locate specific paper files, you would no longer need to take time to identify and manage them manually. Instead, a simple text search should find everything you need. If mistakes exist, they are easily located and updated without the concern that you have missed any other errors, as you can quickly check the rest of the updated files to see what other changes occurred.

At the same time, should you need to share digital files, you will not need to physically ship or fax them. Instead, a simple data transfer or even a link within the EHR-integrated system should give someone else the file. While you will still need to be aware of data theft if transferring outside of the organization, the movement of data is often simpler than the same amount of paper records.

Possible Cloud-Based Solutions

Depending on your specific contract or requirements, you may be able to source external server resources to hold both your hardware and software. Logging into these external locations reduces the need for costly on-site servers or a full suite of IT infrastructure. Instead, you can rely on a dedicated external team to ensure HIPAA compliance and oversee the data.

Such services also offer scalability without you needing to use additional physical storage. As such, should you have a sudden influx or a reduction in size for any reason, it should not result in wasted resources or an inability to handle such a change. In a healthcare industry where, according to Jumpstart Magazine, 25% of resource use is waste, this is crucial.

Sustainability Practices

These days, many patients are interested in how much a practice ensures that it does not adversely affect the environment. As such, it often behooves you to track internal green initiatives, such as cutting paper waste and lowering carbon footprints.

Using digital tools that rely far less on paper, such as an EHR-integrated system, can improve your efforts in this area. As such, you can promote yourself as a forward-thinking company that makes the extra effort to be an eco-conscious organization. Depending on your area, you may also be able to discover tax breaks that will also help you,

Overcome Modern Efficiency Challenges with Iron Bridge

Small healthcare practices face unique challenges in balancing many aspects of their role, including:

  • Efficiency
  • Compliance
  • Quality care
  • Data security

EHR integration software offers several solutions that can overcome these needs, streamlining the role of modern healthcare providers.

Iron Bridge Corp offers industry-leading software that can empower small practices like yours to save money and boost patient outcomes while reducing your workload. Get in touch and discover the benefits of EHR systems and what they can do for your location today.