Contributed by Liz Pennefather, Account Executive
As you’re reading this, you might be thinking, “How would a massage therapist get involved in the EMR industry?” When I accepted the job offer here with P & P Data Systems, I thought the exact same thing. But I was so excited to become involved in something that really has the power to help revolutionize the healthcare profession for the future, at all levels.
I was working at a clinical practice, and started to see a bit of a pattern. In a multidisciplinary practice, a few practitioners would often see the same patients in the same day. We were constantly tracking each other down to find the patient chart and enter our notes. We would need to review history and progress of the patient, any new information we received (i.e. diagnostic imaging results, or letters from physicians and surgeons) and any insurance information, as our billing was not connected with OHIP. Many times charts would go missing, were not filed, or quickly became damaged and worn because of storage issues. I’ll never forget the day my boss ordered another filing cabinet because we had so many patient charts…our storage room became a file room.
I had heard about EMR from a couple of friends working in the business, and didn’t even realize that my own family doctor was using a system. What a fantastic idea! No more lost charts, instant access with the ability to enter notes from a terminal in the office or treatment room, and consistently updated information with everyone’s notes and pertinent information. Genius!
I know what you might be thinking. Some of these systems are so complicated and full of information that initially you feel intimidated about how to navigate or do a simple standard SOAP or progress note while you are with the patient. I felt exactly the same way when I first started my training with P & P. However, as I became more familiar with the system, I saw how organized it can make things. Through your choice of our templates, acronym narrative entry or even Dragon dictation, patient information is permanently added to the note in such a way that changes, deletions, and additions can be tracked.
The best parts? No difficulty interpreting anyone’s hand writing, no lost post-it notes and no fumbling through paper charts of previous encounters. All the necessary information is neatly displayed and accessible with tabs. Just a couple of clicks away, you can find all the patient’s visits in chronological order. The user/practitioner decides what information in the cumulative patient profile should be quickly accessible. It’s the same for reviewing lab results, and writing prescriptions, and providing pamphlets or information for patients: just a few clicks of the mouse. CIS is well-rounded and complete too: registering a patient, booking appointments, and billing are completed with ease. Nothing is ever lost: everything can be easily communicated through the integrated interoffice email-like system.
It does seem unnerving, and it is a huge undertaking to move from paper to EMR, but it is achievable. The training is done in stages, and very interactive so learning is maximized. It’s not disruptive to the clinical practice; the best advice I can give is to start off slow and integrate each aspect in good time. Going paperless does not happen immediately; there will still be some coming in and out, but as time passes, it will definitely be reduced, and as a result, you will save lots of time for the administrative staff. Eventually, you will see the results: better attention to running the practice, and most importantly, better patient care.
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