There is enough to do when you’re working for a hospice facility and trying to make sure that your patients are as comfortable as they possibly can be in their final days. There are so many other things beyond that: working with their families, educating them about what exactly hospice care is, and making sure that they are taken care of and understand what to expect.

When you think about all of those things, adding the issue of whether or not you have electronic records for your facility probably seems unnecessary. But it’s not. It’s vitally important because of the type of work that you do. And if you are looking for a new EMR software provider, you have to make sure that you can use an integrated system smoothly and implement it in a way that allows all the medical professionals in your office access to vital information in a way that can be done instantly and communicated effectively.

The Top 5 Features Your EMR Software Should Have

There are many things that come about when you search for an EMR provider, but there are six things that you should try to concentrate on as much as possible to make sure that your office has the correct clinical and financial workflows.

1. Scheduling of Appointments and Follow-Ups

Any EMR software is used because of its scheduling features. Scheduling features are a key component of any medical office. Being able to use a calendar throughout the office in a collaborative fashion from staff to clinicians is vital to the software’s effectiveness. You also need to be able to integrate patient information to not just schedule appointments, but any follow-ups that may be needed as well. A strong scheduling module will provide a series of checklists, authorizations and alerts for your staff to ensure compliance and also give everybody from your office to the families you deal with information in a simple, efficient manner. That way, any steps during the hospice process are conveyed clearly, which allows your daily operations to run more smoothly.

2. Documentation and Delivery

For all of the ways that EMR software can help your office, being user-friendly is often underrated. However, using a software program that can be quickly accessed for information and communication between office members is vital because if you’re going to spend the money on this software, it must be efficient and easy to both understand and use. Be sure to utilize and scout out EMR software possibilities that have clear, navigable home screens with critical information all in one place.

Being able to have software compatible with whatever operating system your office’s computers are on is non-negotiable, and having software that can be accessible at a moment’s notice even if it’s off-site is a giant bonus. Using a software system that can be secure and intelligent when providing information helps you be able to communicate that information not only to co-workers but the pertinent information needed to the families that you are helping in their time of need.

3. Administrative Assistance

Another thing you’ll want to consider when selecting EMR software is whether or not it’s capable of combining administrative tasks. For example, your team needs to be able to access patient information but also perform billing and other tasks as necessary. Having the type of system that allows for single-patient records to avoid duplicate data entry, efficient billing and receiving, and alerts for licensing and tools for labor-management is crucial. Streamlining your agency behind the front desk allows you to be more productive and perform in an efficient manner. Not only will your staff be able to work more efficiently and with a little bit less stress, but patients will also be rewarded by having clear communication between care that is provided and billing that needs to be done.

4. Reporting and Analytics

Having software that contains referrals, revenue, billable services and more as part of its suite of tools is imperative. Having summaries and reporting accessible in one place increases the transparency and productivity needed for your team to be more efficient. Resolving issues and having outcomes specific to your office with custom reporting options allows you to have instant access to key data, plus analytics, which makes your office more aware of the return on investment that you make with different decisions on care options.

5. Billing ability

You aren’t in the hospice business to make money. It’s about the patient and making sure they have the care needed to make the end of life peaceful. But there is undeniably a financial component to your work, and having software with financial billing capabilities saves time that you need to focus on your hospice work.

At Med USA, we have decades of experience in medical billing so you can focus on what’s important: Giving the best possible medical care to your patients. Contact a Med USA expert today and let’s discuss how we can work together.

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