What Is The Purpose Of An EMR?

Much of the changes in today's healthcare ecosystem can be attributed to the advancements in technology. One of the biggest transformations is the shift from a paper-based record to the adoption of electronic medical record systems or EMRs. EMRs are a game-changer for any outpatient clinics and aesthetic practices as this makes quality care more accessible and efficient for both patients and health care professionals. 

But what exactly are the purposes of an EMR? The main function of electronic medical records is to consolidate the patient’s paper chart and medical records in a digital version for safekeeping purposes and quick access. It allows health care providers to provide accurate treatment plans and better care coordination based on the data that is included in their records. 

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) VS Electronic Health Records (EHR) 

In the healthcare community, a patient’s medical historical records is the most important piece of information that is crucial to the quality of care and treatment effectiveness. However, it’s easy for any healthcare professionals to confuse electronic medical records and electronic health records with one another, especially since they both contain key data typically found in a patient chart. 

Here are the distinct differences between the two: 

Electronic medical record 

An electronic medical record refers to the digital format of a patient’s paper records and chart, containing essential information about their medical history, past diagnoses, medications, vital signs, treatment history, and other key data that can be used in making medical decisions and potential treatment options.

EMRs are used in most primary care settings, public hospitals, and clinics. What makes EMR different from EHRs is that they cannot be released or shared outside the individual clinic or practice. Access to the electronic records and patient portals are limited to the authorized providers within the practice’s network and staff. 

But putting this limitation aside, EMRs essentially improve the expectation of health care to offer better treatment success and efficiency. Compared to paper-based record hospitals, EMR-adopted hospitals and practices can easily keep track of their patient health information and remain up-to-date and informed about their individual needs. 

Electronic health record 

An electronic health record is a more comprehensive version of the electronic medical record. Like EMRs, EHR software systems also contain the basic individual patient information along with more details about their treatment plans, medical images, radiology images, laboratory reports, doctor’s notes, and medical billing and access billing history. 

Unlike EMRs, EHRs are designed for collaboration with health clinics and practices since the information can be shared with other essential primary care providers to ensure accurate care for patients. EHRs also allow continuity of care and offer interoperability to make chronic care management easier for patients seeking specialized treatment from other providers for their chronic conditions.

Why Aesthetic and Medical Practices Need An EMR 

Having a convenient patient portal or EMR software is extremely beneficial for the record keeping and patient documentation of any independent practice or aesthetic provider. It also raises your clinic’s quality of services and primary care for patients, allowing you to perform more efficient procedures and ensure patient satisfaction. Here are more specific reasons why you need EMR software systems: 

1. Improves access to more accurate information

EMRs are increasingly popular because it allows both patients and physicians to be better informed. With an electronic patient record, a healthcare provider can have all the necessary medical and health information right at their fingertips without needing to search paper records in storage. It also provides patient access to their own medical information for better transparency on their data. 

In addition, EMRs make it easy for attending physicians to monitor any changes to the patient’s diagnosis and charts so they can recommend more precise treatment plans to assure treatment effectiveness. All information stored in EMRs are also safely managed with security systems and password protections for authorized staff. 

2. Improved patient engagement and staff relationships 

EMRs also help improve the organizational structure and work lives of family physicians within clinics and  any healthcare organization. It essentially streamlines the workflow delegation of daily tasks and requests within staff and saves time of physicians, effectively minimizing miscommunication and medical errors for a faster treatment process.

Keeping EMRs can also improve the level of communication with patients and allows freedom to manage their health records and own medical care. In most cases, EMRs can also facilitate easier appointment scheduling through user-friendly online portals. 

3. Less paper records, less errors 

EMRs simplify the administrative processes and patient management by reducing the need for filling out paper forms and charts. Less paperwork means that there’s less chances of losing, misplacing, or damaging crucial patient information, eliminates billing errors, and saves you the trouble in retrieving them when immediately needed. In addition, since most EMRs are stored in the cloud or network digitally, it saves storage and physical space for many health care facilities. 

4. Faster prescription process 

EMRs can also enhance the quality of services and interaction between health professionals and pharmacies. There are cases when a prescription note can be difficult to understand which leads to a medical error or distribution of wrong medication. With EMRs, you can easily share prescriptions electronically which will lessen the likelihood of confusion in prescription and speed up the process of giving the necessary medications. 

5. Increases efficiency in treatments and reduces unnecessary costs  

EMRs also allow providers to have access to evidence-based tools so they can accurately diagnose patients and improve effectiveness of treatments. It also decreases the chances of performing repeat tests, imaging, or labs which can  incur greater costs for both the practice and the patient. Since EMRs are stored online, it’s also easy to provide and gain quick access to real-time updates to avoid delays in treatments and assure the best preventive care and health care services to patients. 

Features You Need From An EMR

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the different choices available for an EMR system. What’s important is to find the right software that will meet the needs of your practice. Here are the  some of the important features your EMR software must have: 

• Convenient online booking appointment to organize multiple schedules for both patients and physicians
• Provides platform for easy communication with patients to remind them of their bookings 
• Offers a wide range of flexible online payment options 
• Availability of digital consent forms which can be uploaded online along with patient information 
• Telemedicine features such as Zoom conferencing for online consultations 
• Secure and HIPAA-compliant servers to ensure confidentiality and patient safety

Calysta EMR: Your Clinic’s Partner For The Best EMR Solution  

There’s no doubt that EMRs are leading the future of health care and primary care. Calysta is one of the reliable EMR partners that can help transform your clinical and aesthetic practice to provide the highest quality of services and patient care management. 

Upgrade your aesthetic services now with innovative solutions provided by Calysta EMR. Contact us today and sign for a free trial and discover how our platform can improve the overall experience for your doctors and patients.