How much thought do you give to the various computer systems that have been set up to enable staff to keep track of and manage patient data as well as communicate and connect with other entities, such as insurance providers and referring physicians? While the computer setup is the main concern for your IT department, being aware of how these systems connect and work together is a matter of importance for everyone on staff regardless of their position. To that end, healthcare organizations must stay aware of interoperability and how it supports their team as well as the patients they serve.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are a vital component of most medical practices in today’s digital age. Making the transition from a paper-based system to digital can improve not only the quality of work for your employees but the experience of your patients. However, EHRs are not always perfect.

Viruses. Spyware. Ransomware. Hacking. Intrusions. All are extremely damaging, especially when healthcare systems are involved. That's because they not only compromise sensitive and confidential financial and operational information, but they put patients' personal health information (PHI) at risk, as well.

Most people in healthcare have heard of Health Level 7 (HL7) but not all may be familiar with it on a super-technical level. Still, most at least know HL7's needed for interfacing different healthcare-related systems, and that they'd only want to implement software that is HL7-compliant.

In any enterprise, knowing what your clients or customers want is crucial for ensuring the long-term survival of the organization. This is especially the case when it comes to medical organizations. Patients do not have to put up with a doctor’s practice that doesn’t meet their needs, because generally, they have a wide range of healthcare provider options from which to choose.

With portable computing available to anyone with a smartphone or laptop and near-ubiquitous broadband connectivity, solutions like telemedicine sound perfect for organizations that are focused on streamlining services for patients and cutting down on expenses.

The number of patients seeking health care for mental health issues from your organization seems to be increasing as of late, prompting you and fellow stakeholders to consider options for expanding service. Or, you are aware of changes in regional demographics and you have determined that many patients struggling with mental health are too far away for you to realistically provide service on an ongoing basis.

Substance use treatment has changed. No longer do programs adhere to a single pathway for treatment. In 2019, you must treat each person individually because what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. Multiple pathways for recovery create more options to aid in the recovery process. It’s pertinent to know you’re living up to your responsibility in providing care that is person-centered, holistic, and stress-free. Here are 6 steps for improving your feedback strategy to ensure your substance use treatment facility is providing person-centered care.

You and fellow stakeholders at your medical organization have done your due diligence and determined that now is the time to switch over from an antiquated paper-based system for handling patient information and are now ready to deploy Electronic Health Records software. However, before you choose a vendor and EHR system to install, there are potential issues that you should be aware of. In particular, it’s prudent to consider security problems, reductions in data flow, the need for extra staff training, and the prospect of slowdowns for novices when inputting patient data in the first place.

The Electronic Medical Record The electronic medical record (EMR) has been evolving from the early days before the technology revolution took off after the turn of the century. The federal mandate that took effect on January 1, 2014, required the medical world to begin using electronic medical records for "meaningful use" as outlined by the mandate.