As per a report, 14 percent of the clinics complain about the inability to customize EHR (Electronic Medical Records) without a vendor’s assistance. In addition, 34 percent of the providers state that the EHR lacks user-friendliness. Dissatisfaction with ready-to-use EHR software is driving the need to customize EHR for hospitals or clinics.
EHR offers a range of benefits, such as ease of management, minimal paperwork, and zero chances of errors. However, apart from this, EHR software poses various challenges, especially ready-to-use ones as they lack features which otherwise can be found in a custom developed EHR software.
Three Crucial Reasons for Customizing Your EHR Software
1. To Improve Interoperability
EHR interoperability means to share Protective Health Information (PHI) electronically by healthcare professionals and record systems. As per a survey, 36 percent of the medical record administrators surveyed stated that they struggle with exchanging PHI with other healthcare professionals, especially with physicians using other EHR software. EHR systems aren’t designed to process information from multiple sources. They consist of different data formats, coding languages, and interfaces.
Hindrances to Improving Interoperability
Further, as per the 2020 HIMSS Media and Hyland Healthcare Survey, there are hindrances to improving interoperability. They include consumerism, managing unstructured data, integration, and regulating multiple EHRs. Over half of the patients surveyed reported that the inability to keep up with patients’ expectations is hampering interoperability.
Target for Cyberattackers
EHR is a primary target for hackers to obtain data about employees and patients. Hence, data interoperability and portability create new opportunities for cyberattackers to hack into systems. Incorporating EHR interoperability is a challenge, because the healthcare software development company has to assess the following:
- Encryption and cybersecurity tools;
- Methods for data retrieval;
- Synergies and dependencies; and
- Workflows, frameworks, and technological expectations for software.
To avoid cyberattacks, your EHR software must adhere to HIPAA standards, FDA, HITRUST, and federal and state laws. Assure that software has risk mitigation and authentication measures, plus regular assessments of compliance. Moreover, interoperability is vital for patient care. As per a report published in the Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the USA.
Inexpensive Alternative
Improving interoperability demands work, and hiring a person to handle EHR interoperability is expensive, especially for small healthcare organizations. Instead, a customized EHR software maintains interoperability for you at a minimal price.
A healthcare business with poor EHR interoperability impacts patient satisfaction and outcome, paves way for cyberattacks, and hampers the overall system. Thus, building a customized EHR software helps to resolve these issues for smooth business operation.
2. To Tackle Complex Systems That Hamper Productivity
The main aim of EHR is to reduce mundane paperwork. However, documentation burden hasn’t vanished but has converted into an electronic version. Physicians are tasked with filing out EHR and managing records, thus increasing workload and affecting the healthcare business, too. According to a research, doctors spend an average time doing the following activities:
- 44 percent on data entry;
- 12 percent reviewing records and tests;
- 28 percent on direct patient care;
- 13 percent on discussions with colleagues; and
- 3 percent on other activities.
Loss of Time and Productivity
A larger portion of a physician’s time is dedicated to data entry than on the patients, which is their primary priority. This results in poor patient satisfaction, negligence, and inattention during visits. An unsatisfied patient hampers healthcare business, as they may not come back for checkups, thus affecting revenue too.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine reports that during a 10-hour shift, a doctor performs around 4,000 mouse clicks in EHR, thus hampering productivity and time as well. This impacts the personal time of providers due to overtime needed to complete EHR documentation. In addition to this, the Annals Family Medicine suggests that doctors spend approximately 90 minutes every day recording entries in EHR post working hours.
Data Entry Error
Further, another aim of EHR is to minimize errors. However, as per MedStar Health’s National Center of Human Factors, during 2012 to 2017 three pediatric hospitals made 3,243 mistakes in prescriptions which were caused due to usability issues in EHR.
In addition, every clinic and hospital consists of different processes and departments. Hence, using the wrong software leads to mess. Having a customized EHR with features such as electronic signatures, voice and handwriting recognition, and checklists improves doctor’s productivity and in turn ameliorates healthcare business as well.
Burden on Physicians
As per MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Health, automated EHR software reduces burden from physicians. The data entered matches with clinicians’ thinking process. A customized EHR designed with features to reduce professionals’ workloads and to enhance productivity leaves a positive impact on the overall healthcare business.
3. To Overcome Data Breach
The JAMIA Open reports 1512 data breaches which affected over 154,415,257 patient records in the United States. Out of these 128 breaches were related to EHR, hampering patients’ privacy leads to identity theft, harms reputation, affects financial assets, and exposes private health data, which can be used against the person.
HIPAA Compliance
Usage of HIPAA compliance EHR software safeguards the privacy and safety of PHI and providers data as well. EHR software, which do not adhere to compliance rules are penalized heavily. For instance, two hospitals located in Prince George’s County, Maryland had to agree to a settlement of $3 million for denying access to medical records of 41 patients.
Under HIPAA, patients request their medical copies, and providers comply within 60 days and not charge for it. The hospitals in Maryland were fined for their unwillingness to cooperate with the patients. Hence, all healthcare businesses — clinics or hospitals — must implement a HIPAA compliant EHR system.
Averting Data Breach
Further, best security practices to avert data breach use machine-learning platforms, safeguard codes, and train staff for security. Use of TrueVault or AWS for HIPAA prevents loss of technical data. This software also updates security measures, and it monitors the system automatically, thus eliminating the threat of data breach.
With a customized EHR, you gain control over user access and authorization to share patients’ information. A customized EHR includes features such as PIN code, user verification protocol, username and password, and biometric authentication to prevent data leakage. The healthcare industry is vulnerable to phishing and other cyberattacks, therefore encryption is crucial for secure data transmission. A customized EHR software provides data encryption features.
In Conclusion
Therefore, these were three reasons why every healthcare organization or business must customize its EHR software. Custom EHR software is a suitable way to assure that your organization remains competitive and cost-efficient in the upcoming years. Reduced workflow and expenses help to streamline healthcare services and improve patient experience for the business.
