The following is an excerpt from an article on Information Management. It was written by Bob Violino. Electronic health records (EHR) uptake in the U.S. has accelerated dramatically as a result of government initiatives and the considerable resources healthcare providers have invested over the past five years, says research firm Frost & Sullivan. Electronic health records have become the heart of health IT, the firm says, and U.S. clinicians use them on a daily basis.

As the manager or owner of a thriving medical practice, you may already have some experience using electronic heath record software to streamline workflow at your facility, cut down on errors, and improve patient care. EHR software definitely makes it easier on your employees, and using certified EHR software can make you eligible to receive financial incentives from the government because of the gains in efficiency providers -- typically experience.

How would you assess your medical practice’s overall health in terms of such issues as operational efficiency, protecting your patients’ data, and making each patient feel welcome and valued? If your organization is still relying on an antiquated paper-based system to keep track of things, you undoubtedly know that computerized systems are much more useful. Medical practice owners and managers who are still on the fence about the benefits of software will want to give more consideration to using electronic health record software. EHR applications are designed to help your staff work far more efficiently and will make a big difference when it comes to your bottom line. With that in mind, here are three problems that an EHR system will help solve for you.

The following excerpt is from an article by Eugene Heslin. It originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report. As Kimberly Leonard points out in her article (“Doctors Say Electronic Records Waste Time,” Sept. 8, 2014), doctors are frustrated with the time it takes to use electronic health records. This is only natural. Moving from paper to digital communication is a different way of communicating and takes time to become proficient.

The following excerpt is from an article by Julie Bird. It originally appeared on Fierce EMR. Primary-care clinics recovered their financial investments in electronic health record (EHR) systems in 10 months on average, a recent study found, in part because EHRs allowed them to see more patients.

Electronic Health Records, known as EHR, are real-time, digitized versions of traditional paper-based medical files. Digital medical records are cloud-based systems, meaning that the information entered into the electronic medical records software is stored in secure, remote servers to ensure patient privacy and system reliability.

The following is an excerpt from an article by Stephanie Ocano of Healthcare Global. This article was originally written by Adam Groff and appeared on healthcareglobal.com. The paperless revolution is taking the world by storm, so it's no surprise hospitals across the United States are jumping on the paper-free bandwagon. From digitized patient files to paperwork and documents sent by email, the medical community is embracing a paperless lifestyle.

You have recently recognized the importance of implementing Electronic Health Records software in your organization. EHR solutions are designed to help medical practices improve the level of patient care they deliver, speeding up a variety of activities, ranging from checking on a patient’s insurance status to entering in the codes for diagnosis and treatment. In order to get the most out of your EHR, here are four steps for putting it into action.

Inexpensive computers with astonishing processing capability, combined with advanced networking protocols and robust security and safety mechanisms to protect patients’ highly sensitive and confidential information have enabled a revolution in healthcare. More and more medical organizations are harnessing the power of networked computers with Electronic Health Record or EHR software to enable their staff to work better and faster while improving patient care. At the same time, the efficiencies that EHR brings to a practice have a positive effect on the organization’s bottom line.

Regardless of whether your practice has or has not yet transitioned to EMR, you may still have questions about how they work. EMR enables easily controlled access to patient records. Now, instead of locking filing cabinets and needing to have the “key person” open them as needed, protocols can be established as to the levels of patient medical information (“role based”) each system user can or cannot access. One of the most important questions that you may be wondering about is what kinds of information you might find in electronic medical records.