Going Digital: Physicians’ Practices Are Eyeing Electronic Health Records (NAPSA)—Thenext time you visit the doctor, you may discover that more of your medical history is being recorded electronically. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are already being used to speed up prescriptions, lab test requests and records transfers in many hospitals and large medical institutions. More small medical practices may soon also use EHRsto coordinate medical information. In the past, medium, small and solo practices found that EHR systems designed for hospitals and large institutions were not suited to their specific needs. The systems were often prohibitively complex and costly for smaller practices. Such practices need a solution that allows them to practice medicine better without turning them into IT administrators. Fortunately, EHR systems are now being developed specifically for the underserved solo and small group practices, some of them taking advantage of iPhone technology. For example, Epocrates will soon offer a user-friendly system that has an intuitive interface, is mobile for remote access and meets the specific needs of the small practice. The lower-cost model has no hardware expenses and low monthly subscription costs. It offers real-time decision support at the point of care and records all encounters, prescriptions and costs. The company, which currently develops mobile software being used by over 1 million healthcare professionals, designs com- Health records are going digital in small and large medical practices. prehensive customized solutions from the physician’s perspective. Epocrates’ EHR system is designed from scratch so it maximizes today’s technology and is customizable for different practices. The result is a doctor-centric product that will help enhance patient care and improve workflow. Financial incentives are helping many smaller practices take the leap to EHR adoption. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 aimsto create a nationaldigital health network. As an incentive to make the switch to EHR,the act providesaid to eligible professional providers and penalties if they don’t comply by 2015. Planning now can help your healthcare provider take advantage of this act and help them adopt the technology designed to improve patient care. For more information, visit ehr.epocrates.com or call (650) 227-1700.
