The medical field has spawned all kinds of new technology that takes patient care to the next level. Regulations demand that even smaller practices need to make the jump to electronic medical record systems (also known as electronic health records). These EMR/EHR solutions provide an interface that give providers and patients a way to keep themselves connected to each other--a tool to promote a more efficient delivery method for these services. We’ll take a look at these EMR and EHR solutions that are hosted in the cloud, giving your organization more information to make an educated choice on implementing this software.

EMR/EHR
EMR/EHR is a critical piece of software for any modern healthcare provider. EMR/EHR is an interface that gives physicians, healthcare providers, and insurers access to updated information about their patients, all at a glance. Since the patient has access to their own file, it can help to promote transparency and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients to improve the quality of their care.

Major Considerations
Healthcare is expensive for both patients and providers, which should prompt them to consider a cloud-hosted solution as a viable strategy to minimize costs associated with this industry. Unfortunately, many providers are somewhat reluctant to implement cloud-hosted solutions, even in the face of regulatory compliance laws. There are many serious questions that need to be considered by any organization hoping to take advantage of electronic records--particularly those who store electronic protected health information (ePHI). One of the many considerations any practice needs to consider is the incredible incentive offered to businesses that implement “meaningful use” EMR/EHR technology. To quality as “meaningful use,” the following variables need to be met:

• Engaging patients in their own care
• Improving quality, efficiency, safety, and reducing health disparities
• Improving care coordination
• Improving public health and health education
• Meet HIPAA regulations for the privacy of health records

Some of these might seem like common sense, but the costs associated with meeting all of these requirements might be used as an excuse to not invest in these qualifications. Cost is one of the most important factors to consider, and in a high-risk market like healthcare, industry providers generally don’t want to spend more than they have to. The end result is that an organization might utilize cloud-based technology to cut their costs, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to sustain “meaningful use” as it’s defined above.

With that said, cloud computing has really come into its own over the past few years, providing even more great services (including security) than ever before--services that EMR/EHR can really benefit from. If you want to implement a solution that can help your medical practice reduce costs and improve functionality, or if you just want to meet the changes in industry regulations, look no further. 415 IT can help your business implement high-quality technology solutions designed to increase profits and efficiency. To learn more, reach out to us at (415) 295-4898.