Healthcare transformation is becoming digital and the core to this revolution is the electronic health record (EHR) system. EHRs are now more than mere digital file folders for storing patient data. They’ve become powerful tools that shape everything from diagnosis and treatment planning to billing and compliance. But the common, out of the box EHR systems tend to not account for individual providers’ unique system flows and needs. This is the area in which demand for custom EHR projects is increasing quickly.
How hospitals, clinics and specialized practices function vary. What is good for a large hospital might feel inefficient, bloated and clunky in a small family practice. A generic EHR might attempt to be all things to all people, but will usually leave everyone frustrated. The tailored approach that considers the specific needs of your staff and patients can transform the delivery of care in your practice.
The Dilemma of the EHR One-Size-Fits-All Formula
One major reason is that most healthcare providers begin with a pre-packaged EHR system because it is the easiest and the fastest. Unfortunately, these systems frequently fail once they are connected to the day-to-day operation of a practice. Physicians and nurses can be buried in process for things that don’t matter, working in systems that don’t match up with the work they perform, spending more time with documentation and information capture than patients.
What’s worse, substandard experiences with EHR platforms can cause burnout and decreased job satisfaction among medical staff. That’s counter-productive to the whole reason why you have a digital system, which is to make life few more efficient. As patient demands rise and regulations become stricter, the limitations of one-size-fits-all methodologies are further highlighted.
Custom EHR: A More Intelligent Solution
A tailor-made EHR system does not resemble an off-the-shelf platform – it is engineered and tailored to fit your medical practice in particular. It can be customized around the way you capture patient data, schedule appointments, assess clinical encounters or communicate with other providers or patients.
Perhaps your clinic focuses on pediatric care. A bespoke solution can offer child specific fields, growth chart integration and even vaccination reminders, all without the interface being swamped in surplus tools for other medical fields. Conversely a behavioral health clinic may require more sophisticated functionality for therapy notes, treatment plans, psychological assessments and the like.
A well-made tailored EHR naturally fits your workflow, and it leads to better care.
Improved Patient Experience
Patients know when their care team is using a system designed with their experience in mind. Bespoke solutions simplify their experience when booking online, setting up reminders before appointment times, enabling them to complete digital forms and providing them with a secure way to access medical records in a user-friendly patient portal.
And when doctors and nurses aren’t diverted by irrelevant screens or slow systems, they can spend more time and attention with their patients. Eyes meet more, deep conversations start to blossom, and trust grows. This results in higher patient satisfaction and better health.
Work Smarter — No need to reinvent the wheel!
One of the major benefits of building a custom EHR is that it can be compatible with other tools you currently use. From billing systems to lab testing platforms to a hospital’s larger enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, a customized solution can guarantee the seamless and accurate flow of data across departments.
What is more, custom EHRs automate repetitive processes, such as sending follow-up reminders, reporting, or tracking patient progression through treatment protocols. These automations cut down on inefficiencies and the likelihood of error, freeing up healthcare professionals to concentrate on their core duties.
Scalability and Adaptability
Healthcare requirement is ever-changing. Regulations evolve, new medical procedures are developed, and practices grow or change the services they offer. A well-configured and customized EHR will help you eb and flow with these changes.
Want to upload new templates or clinical forms? Need to refresh privacy policies or add telemedicine features? Because it’s a custom EHR, you aren’t at the mercy of a software vendor to put out an update that may or may not suit your practice. You’re in charge and can adjust when you want to.
Improved Security and Compliance of Data
Guardians of sensitive patient data are health systems. Amid surmounting concerns about privacy, data breaches and cyber threats, a system that is secure isn’t simply a nice-to-have — quite literally, it’s necessary. Custom EHRs can be developed with security practices tailored to your practice – you can implement multi-step authentication, encryption of data, and log access, for example.
If you are subject to certain regulations (HIPAA in the United States or GDPR in Europe) having a system tailor made to your needs will mean that regulatory considerations are already baked in. It’s a proactive step that lowers the risk of a lawsuit and improves the doctor-patient relationship.
Real-Life Benefits in Action
More and more physicians are reaping the rewards of customized EHR systems as a result. Look at a mid-sized ortho practice that moved from one of the generic EHRs to doing their own thing. They removed irrelevant fields of data, optimized patient intake, and tailored treatment plans to focus on orthopedic care. The result? A 25% improvement in throughput and great decrease of patients wait time.
And a multi-location urgent care chain, chose a customized EHR that synced up records instantly across locations and provided personalized check-in features. This allowed them to reduce the administrative load by 50 percent and achieve faster, more accurate diagnoses.
Is Custom EHR Right for You?
It’s not necessary to have a homegrown system from the start of every practice. But if your EHR is holding you back, annoying your employees, or making life difficult for your patients, it might be time to think about a solution that was built for you.
Begin by pinpointing your main problems. Is Documentation Dragging On? Do you have system integration issues? Are patients complaining that they can’t get their records or appointments? These pain points can help steer you toward what your custom solution needs to be capable of.
With healthcare growing more patient-centric and tech-centric, systems working with rather than against your workflow have transitioned from being a luxury to being something you can’t run your practice without. A mobile EHR offers the convenience, capability, and intuitiveness busy and dedicated medical professionals require to provide great care without letting any details fall through the cracks.
When you invest in a platform that knows your practice, you’re not just getting a new piece of software, you’re fundamentally changing the way you deliver care.