Not all medical facilities are required to adopt electronic health records or follow the Meaningful Use program. Yet, they may also experience benefits from doing so.

EHR Software Benefits Long-Term and Post-Acute Care

Written by Ronny Bachrach on March 29, 2016. Posted in Digital Radiography and PACS, E.H.R., Software

Since 2010, eligible physicians and hospitals have been striving to meet the criteria of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Meaningful Use program. While there have been some struggles along the way and the CMS is still working out a finalized version of Stage 3, MU offers both patients and health care providers a way to stay connected and share information. However, not all medical facilities are required to adopt electronic health records or follow the program. Yet, they may benefit from doing so.

Ineligible organizations see gains with EHR adoption
Only certain physicians and hospitals must adopt MU and EHR software, meaning some members of the health care industry are excluded from having to meet the CMS' guidelines. However, those ineligible facilities may see the advantages of following in the footsteps of the required professionals. Depending on the success of those currently involved, the organizations and individuals left out may soon be included.

Because of this, people may choose to start implementing EHRs before they are required. Nursing homes and long-term and post-acute care institutions are just a few thathave integrated the system into their workflows, Today's Geriatric Medicine explained. While they may have other criteria to meet under Medicare and Medicaid, they do not need to follow MU's guidelines. However, some attending physicians might be categorized as eligible professionals and they may experience difficulties if their nursing homes or LTPAC facilities do not fall under MU. The lack of EHR technology and external communications can inhibit care and result in hospital readmissions for patients.

In a study published in Applied Clinical Informatics, researchers from the University of Missouri discovered that while nursing homes and LTPAC facilities have electronic medical record software, they rarely use them for communicating with doctors outside the organization. Medical appointment scheduling and monitoring medications were also done in separate programs. In the 16 nursing homes they studied, the researchers conducted readiness assessments, performed 32 hours of clinical observations and developed six use cases. They also conducted interviews with 230 participants during 68 site visits. While each facility was prepared internally, it lacked the connection to outside doctors and nurses.

EHRs help focus on patient care
Nursing homes and LTPAC organizations have a ways to go before they will eventually meet MU criteria. However, by using EMR software internally, they have already taken a step toward one of MU's goals: improving patient care. While health information exchanges would increase their usefulness, EHRs can streamline workflows and provide insight health care providers did not have before.

In their study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, researchers from Abt Associates and the Department of Health and Human Services discovered that EHR software can help predict health conditions and accidents. Using the CMS' Minimum Data Set and EHRs for 5,129 residents in 13 nursing homes, they were able to more accurately foresee problems 13 percent of the time. The algorithm with EHR data confirmed 32.3 percent of falls in nursing homes compared with 28.8 percent with just the MDS. According to the researchers, incorporating EHRs into risk-prediction models could prevent six falls and save residents and facilities $43,842 annually. If nursing homes expanded their communications reach past their doors, they may be able to further reduce accidents.

EHR software has countless advantages when used to facilitate both internal and external discussion among patients and health care providers. Despite not being required to use the program, nursing homes, LTPAC facilities and other organizations could benefit by implementing EHRs.

Contact Viztek for more information.

Ronny Bachrach

Ronny Bachrach

Marketing Director at Viztek LLC
Responsible for all marketing activities including, press, advertising, trade show coordination, website management, dealer and customer communications.
Ronny Bachrach
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