Medical specialties have different software requirements depending on the functionality of the practice. The following are the details pertaining to the demands of internal medicine in 2015 and how health IT solutions can help internists minimize efforts and complexities.
Internist’s Perspective
A software solution that works according to the routine of the internists gives more time, and leads to efficiency at work. Though internal medicine is the number one specialty (around 110,000 internists practice in the US), health IT has not completely addressed each distinct need. A perfect electronic health record software and practice management system is essential for internists for various reasons that include:
Workflow – internists manage the electronic medical record of 20 to 30 patients a day.
Efficiency – manage weekly work time which is an average 59 hours a week.
Less Hassles – at least 56% of internists work more than 10 hours a week to complete paperwork and administrative duties.
With high levels of burnout reported, internists need proper software that does not create frustration at work. Since the Affordable Care Act rolled out, internists are consulting larger patient volumes. Further, the demands of changing to ICD-10 codes add to the complexity of an internists work with regard to medical billing and patient encounters. However, the use of a good internal medicine EHR and practice management system that gives the flexibility to access from anywhere and from any device gives the freedom for internists to streamline the way work is coordinated and ensures proper codes are used for patient care and billing.
What type of Health IT do internists require?
Easy to Use Templates: Internists can work smarter with an EMR which stores and displays patient assessment and planning data efficiently. The EHR must have the option to configure charting templates. The ability to customize enables internists to create templates based on their practice and speed up the patient encounter process.
Patient Portal: Internists must be given medical practice software that has a modern patient portal to decrease administrative work and other obstacles related to patient appointments, and increase the time for patient engagement. The option for digital patient communication would make their work easier, which is also required for meaningful use stage 2 incentives.
Manage Workflow: Certain features of practice management software allow for quicker patient rotation. If the software gives a quick overview of a patient, the practice can allocate resources accordingly and complete the appointment and consultation process efficiently.
ICD-10 compliant: Customized Health IT Software that can automatically update the transition to ICD-10 codes can avoid disruption for internists and maintain cash flow after ICD-10 implementation. This feature is enabled by cloud based software solutions.
If you are upgrading your Health IT, look for the above features that can give efficient EHR and practice management software for internal medicine practice.