How EMR User Groups Provide Valuable, No Cost Support by Christine Harrell
Implementing an EMR system is a major undertaking for a medical office. Often EMR must be brought in live with no time for testing because the provider can't simply stop operating for a few days. The good news is that medical providers don't have to go it alone. Other offices that have done the same thing can offer advice to get things up and running more quickly.
Form a Users Group
It's helpful if you can find another office that has implemented the same EMR system. They can give tips on how to get things done, pitfalls to avoid and more. However, if two heads are better than one, then a whole crowd of heads is better than two. Consider finding other offices in your area using the EMR system and forming a user group.
When the user group meets regularly, users can discuss issues they are having with the software and brainstorm solutions. However, the meetings provide more than just answers to your own questions. Listening to the experiences that others have had with the system often opens up new possibilities. Users walk away from these meetings discovering whole new ways to use their EMR systems.
Online Forums
Of course we aren't limited to face-to-face meetings anymore. Users get together online through official and unofficial forums to discuss EMR systems and their implementations. Offices from all over the country -- or even the world can discuss issues unique to a particular EMR system. Searching through old threads reveals solutions to existing problems as well as many tricks and tips to get more out of the software.
Social media such as Facebook and MySpace are no longer fads for the teenage set. They have become valuable tools for professionals who share interests to meet each other. These central meeting places make it easier to find other offices which might be using the same EMR system and link up to provide mutual support.
Users of Other EMR Software
EMR users can glean useful information even from offices that have implemented different EMR solutions. From free EMR software to fully CCHIT-certified EMR suites, many issues are common to electronic records regardless of the actual software used.
Users discuss universal issues such as how HIPAA and electronic records affect each other or how the new stimulus bill helps offices upgrade their paper filing system to EMR software. They debate the merits of slow implementation of features over many months versus bringing the new system live overnight. User reviews help new purchasers sort through the merits and deficits of different software packages.
EMR is here to stay and is likely to get only more powerful and more complicated in the future. While the software will remain user friendly, to get maximum benefit from the system it helps to consult with other, more experienced users.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on an emr system, visit http://www.freedommd.com/Index.htm.
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