There are numerous benefits for providers and patients woven into Electronic Health Record (EHR) software. Not least among the advantages for physicians and ancillary organizations is improved coding for decision-making and financial resource management.

The following excerpt is from our recent whitepaper, "5 Predictions for ICD-10 & How You Should React." By now, it has to be assumed that all medical organizations and practices have paid heed to the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. It’s an understatement to say that anyone unprepared for ICD-10 at this point will need to hit the ground running to catch up.

When utilized and maintained properly, behavioral and mental health electronic medical records (EMR) strengthen patient-doctor relationships and support clinical and care-related activities. Centralizing all relevant data in a secure, paper-less environment enables quality of care management, outcomes reporting and decision support.

According to United States Census Bureau data, there are more than 691,000 thousand physicians and surgeons practicing medicine in the US. Many of these healthcare providers work in private practices and clinics, often with administrative support staff and other healthcare personnel.

Over the past two decades, revenue cycle solutions have evolved from a traditional back-office challenge to a major focus throughout the organization. Every individual in the medical practice from the C-suite to the exam room is expected to keep a critical eye on the revenue stream.

A 2012 survey published by Oracle revealed hospitals lose an average of 15%, roughly $72 million dollars, of additional revenue for each year because they fail to exploit collected information. Almost two-thirds, 63%, of polled respondents recognized the need to translate data into actionable insight, but felt overwhelmed by the volume of information.

Forty percent of healthcare management professionals surveyed by Oracle reported their current systems couldn’t meet specific industry requirements. RCM services that leverage financial, clinical, and other related data generate valuable opportunities to improve workflow patterns.

Health rule challenges continue, even as October 1, 2015 looms. Individual insurance benefits fluctuate as employers scramble to control costs, making it increasingly difficult for hospitals and physicians to stay on top of diverse policy provisions and exclusions. Myriad new regulations and mandates for providers and employers also means more responsibility for paying for health care services falls into the hands of patients.

The following excerpt is from an article found on U.S. News Health. It was written by Magaly Olivero. The days when doctors riffled through a folder bulging with papers to find crucial information about a patient's medical history are disappearing. Today, health care providers at many physician practices, hospitals and health systems across America rely on electronic medical records that give the medical team, patients and their family members easy access to the same critical data.

Successful medical practices must take advantage of the latest developments in software and computers if they want to position themselves as a leader in their service area. This means, for example, that they will reject old ways of doing things when presented with a more modern and efficient method for finishing tasks. A good example of this is practice management software. Organizations that managed to get by without this kind of software in the past, relying on paper based systems or a cobbled together collection of applications from unrelated developers will quickly see that practice management software will shorten the revenue cycle and keep the office humming along, running as efficiently as possible.