As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) received a mandate to establish an incentive program for healthcare professionals and hospitals for the adopting, implementing, and demonstrating meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). The reason for this program is to leverage the efficiency that health information technology brings to the coordination of medical treatment in order to reduce both costs and medical errors. The purpose of the incentive payments is to defray the costs of implementing EHR.

Healthcare organizations that provide mental health services lag other specialty areas in the adoption of electronic health records (EHR). In 2006, less than 8 percent of the community mental health centers have adopted EHR. While more mental have providers have adopted EHR today, the percentage of professionals using this technology remains relatively low due to concerns about cost and difficulty in find EHR software that is relevant to mental health practices. Fortunately, with mental health EHR software now being offered on a subscription basis, both of these concerns have been resolved.

Here is a sneak peek into our whitepaper, "The Beginner's Guide to EHR Meaningful Use."

Electronic health records (EHR's) continue to gain acceptance among both medical providers and para-professionals, thanks to the many benefits that medical records software delivers to both service providers and patients. One of the latest groups to adopt the widespread use of electronic health records is behavioral health professionals; according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Forty-six states...are either incorporating or planning to incorporate electronic health records" in both their psychiatric hospitals and community mental health services.

OB GYN EMR software allows medical practices to process patient records more efficiently and without the need to purchase outside storage space when the office runs out of room. Not all electronic medical records software is created equal, and to find an appropriate solution check that the EMR software solution meets basic criteria. While these requirements are not the only factors that should be taken into consideration, they are the fundamentals that can help avoid purchasing the wrong software and can help in selecting an appropriate medical software company.

The newest trend in medical records is to go with an electronic health records (erh) system from a reputable medical software company. These systems take the paper out of paperwork and allow doctors, nurses and other staff members the ability to access vital records, prescription histories and diagnostic reports at the click of a mouse. There are 5 major reasons to look into one of these systems for your office.

Electronic health records software helps practices organize and track information that relates to specific health concerns related to the foot, ankle and lower extremities. Podiatric medical offices have special requirements and needs that a general medical software package may not provide. Choosing the right Podiatry EHR software solution can reduce costs, eliminate penalties and simplify claim processing.

As a dedicated health professional, you want your focus to be on delivering the best care for your patients. Unfortunately, many behavioral health physicians find themselves split between taking care of patients and keeping track of billing, charts and other critical records. Relying on manual record-keeping can easily result in a tangle of lost or misplaced records, incidences that can cost you time and cause headaches. Having an efficient form of electronic health record-keeping can help solve many of these problems and make your practice more efficient.

Electronic medical records provide qualified healthcare providers with the means to manage client records efficiently. Currently, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides a way for qualified professionals to receive reimbursements on the purchase of EMR software. Practices have until 2014 to reach Stage 2. However, the deadline for meeting Stage 1 implementation has already passed. Your practice may not yet need an EMR software solution, but by investing in the technology now you can take advantage of the incentive programs offered by the government to reduce the cost of adopting this new technology.

Besides the push by the U.S. government for physicians to start using electronic medical records in their practice, there are several good reasons to make the switch to an all-digital system now. Your practice can become more efficient, stream-lined and earn a reputation for helping your patients by obtaining accurate information regardless of where you are. Modern technology has made it possible to access patient records quickly and securely through a method of paperless automation. You can use a portable device to store years worth of records, and if you lose that device, you can remotely wipe all of the information from your home using an iPad or another mobile device that supports remote access, if necessary. Records will still be available through a secure online customer portal and you don't have to worry about violating the privacy of your patients.