Beyond the Basics: Advanced Features to Have in Custom EHR Software 2025
Whenever you start looking for a healthcare software system, especially an EHR software system for your practice, it is very natural that you’ll come across a variety of software solutions. And interestingly everyone claims to remove all your worries and streamline your processes, that will help you improve your efficiency.
However, let me tell you an interesting statistics around 93% of the healthcare providers feel exhausted at work and around 65% of these healthcare professionals feel that their Electronic Health Record system does not help them in solving their main problem. Which is obviously to save time.
The software systems have become a necessity in recent years, especially with EHR systems and moving ahead it will become the epicenter of healthcare delivery. So, don’t you think it should actually solve the problems of the providers who are actually using these software solutions?
Well, yes and these problems can only be addressed and solved with the help of a custom EHR software. Since, no off-the-shelf EHR software will meet all your needs and requirements.
So, moving beyond basics, here are the advanced features of a customizable EHR that will help you in simplifying and streamlining your healthcare practice and optimize healthcare delivery. And while you are at it, you can read this complete guide to EHR software development for detailed analysis.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Integrated Analytics & Reporting – Turn Data into Actionable Insights
Your custom EHR system will be collecting a lot of data that will vary from patient to practice. However, interpreting this data is quite troublesome for your providers and also staff members. This is where advanced EHR system features like customizable EHR dashboards for key performance indicators (KPIs) come into the picture. These dashboards actually simplify data for you, allowing access to data in an understandable manner and taking action accordingly.
Apart from that, the feature of real-time population health analytics also helps in understanding health patterns in populations and identify care gaps. This being a major risk factor, it allows you to take effective care measures and delivery care in a more holistic way.
Going beyond care delivery, these analytics and reporting features can also improve your revenue cycle. For instance, with finance reporting tools, you can optimize the flow of money into your practice, claims submission, etc.
Last but not least, with automated quality measure tracking for compliance, you actually ensure that analytics can be ingrained into your care delivery. This way, you can shift the focus back to patient care and save time for healthcare professionals to improve patient health outcomes.
AI-Powered Clinical Decision Support
Moving ahead with healthcare technology, AI is making headlines every now and then. While AI-powered clinical decision support has helped in enhancing care delivery, here is how AI with custom EHR software can enhance your practice and care delivery:
- Data-driven Insights: By putting the data in your software to work with machine learning algorithms, you can leverage its power in care delivery. For instance, machine learning can help you identify potential risks and suggest evidence-based care pathways that can create a care plan that is holistic for patients. Along with that, by enhancing data, AI-powered clinical decision support can also be used to improve diagnostic accuracy, which will again enhance the quality of care.
- Clinical Documentation Support: Another application of AI in healthcare is Natural Language Processing, which allows providers to have ease in documentation. This way, they can actually reduce time and focus more on care delivery, and the process of taking patient notes and populating forms can be automated and streamlined.
- AI transcription/AI Voice to Text: One of the most anticipated applications of AI has been the AI transcription or Voice to Text feature. Many healthcare providers believe this to be an advantage for saving time in care delivery and focus more on the patient consultation.
Workflow Automation & Decision Support – Streamline Processes & Improve Accuracy
Preventive care is also some of the most important aspects of care delivery and with custom EHR software systems, it can easily be addressed with various features. For instance, with custom alerts and reminders medications can be improved, preventive care can be provided in a much better way and workflow of care delivery will be streamlined.
For instance, with clinical decision support tools integrated with the software, evidence-based guidelines can be formed and care can be delivered with data-backed practices.
To further ensure its accuracy, customized order sets, and protocols can be set during the care delivery process. It will guide the healthcare providers in the process of ensuring the right preventive measures are taken at the right time and in the right direction.
Along with that, the automation process can be also extended to the documentation that goes around in your practice. With automated documentation templates in the software system, enough time can be saved for providers and ensure completeness of the documents, which has been a major concern for many healthcare providers for a while now.
Having said that, with these advanced EHR features, workflow can be automated, and decisions can be made effectively.
Patient Engagement & Self-Service – Empower Patients & Reduce Administrative Burden
Being a healthcare professional, you know the impact patient engagement can have on their outcomes. From improving their adherence to gaining positive outcomes, it naturally covers almost every aspect of care. However, with a custom EHR software system, you can enhance that and empower your patients to proactively participate in their care delivery and reduce the administrative burden.
For instance, with a secure and dedicated patient portal, patients can self schedule their appointments, request for medication refills and access test and lab results almost instantly. This way they can take control of their own health and actively participate in making informed decisions about their health.
Furthermore, two-way communication can also be established so that they can constantly stay in touch with their providers. This would initiate building healthy relations with them to meet all their healthcare needs and requirements.
On top of that, the custom EHR software features can also have educational resources which can help patients in self education and be aware about their health. This can empower them to take control and make necessary lifestyle changes for better and improved care results.
This coupled with patient surveys and telehealth integration can enhance remote consultations where patients can be connected with the providers virtually to initiate care. Telehealth further streamlines the follow-up process, making it much easier for both the parties.
AI can also be used to personalize the care delivery process. For instance, to reduce errors and enhance the efficiency of care professionals, real-time alerts and reminders can be set to avoid medication conflicts and bring the entire care team on the same page, working towards the same goal to improve healthcare outcomes.
Interoperability & Data Exchange – Seamless Collaboration for Enhanced Care Coordination
Another problem that many healthcare providers have faced is establishing a seamless connection with other desperate healthcare systems. To achieve this interoperability in healthcare is the key and sets the foundation for care coordination between all the healthcare systems.
This is where custom EHR software systems can be your savior; for instance, with compliance with HL7 FHIR standards, secure health data can be exchanged seamlessly without disrupting its meaning.
This way, your system can be easily integrated with external labs, pharmacies, and other disparate healthcare systems. Also, interoperability and health information exchanges (HIEs) set the bedrock for seamless communication and collaboration between the care teams so that they are on the same page and working towards the same goal.
Apart from that, custom EHR software systems can give you the ability to import and export patient data in standardized format which makes it easy for everybody to exchange data. Furthermore, referral management tools can also be implemented with custom EHR software which will further facilitate seamless communication with specialists. This way care can be delivered easily and efficiently.
10 Advanced EHR Features Your Practice Should Consider
View ChecklistConclusion
In a nutshell, custom EHR software development can transform your practice and can actually solve the problems of your healthcare professionals. The ability of the system to have advanced features that helps in easily carrying out day-to-day activities while bringing back the focus on patient care is what makes your system go beyond the basics of a generic EHR software system.
On that note, advance your healthcare practice with advanced custom EHR features in your software system. So, what are you waiting for? Click here to get your free consultation for custom EHR software development.
Frequently Asked Questions
The benefits of EHR software includes tailored workflows, seamless integration with existing systems, enhanced security, scalability to meet future needs, and the potential for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to off-the-shelf solutions.
Custom EHR software offers a range of advanced features, including:
- Data Analytics: AI-powered tools to identify trends and insights from patient data.
- Interoperability: Seamless integration with other healthcare systems for information sharing.
- Population Health Management: Tools to analyze patient populations and implement preventive care strategies.
- Clinical Decision Support Systems: Real-time alerts and suggestions to guide treatment decisions.
- Advanced Reporting: Customizable reports for tracking key performance indicators and financial metrics.
- Patient Engagement: Tools for patient communication, education, and self-management.
Custom EHR software with advanced features can be a great investment for your practice if you have unique needs that aren’t met by off-the-shelf solutions. Consider these factors:
- Workflow Efficiency: Can the software streamline your current processes and reduce administrative burdens?
- Data Security: Does the software provider have robust security measures to protect sensitive patient information?
- Scalability: Will the software grow with your practice as your patient volume increases?
- Integration Capabilities: Can the software integrate with other systems you use, such as billing and lab systems?
- Support and Training: Does the provider offer adequate support and training to ensure a smooth transition and ongoing use?
Ultimately, the best way to determine if custom EHR software is right for your practice is to carefully evaluate your specific needs and consult with a reputable software provider.
Implementing custom EHR software with advanced features involves significant costs. These include development costs for tailoring the software to specific needs, integration costs for connecting with existing systems, hardware and infrastructure costs, implementation and training costs, ongoing maintenance and support costs, and potential licensing fees. The total cost can vary widely depending on the complexity of the features, the size of the organization, and the chosen vendor.
To ensure data security with custom EHR software, prioritize these key steps:
- Choose a reputable vendor: Select a vendor with a proven track record in data security and compliance.
- Implement strong access controls: Use robust authentication methods like multi-factor authentication and restrict access to authorized personnel.
- Encrypt sensitive data: Protect patient information with encryption both at rest and in transit.
- Regularly update software: Keep the EHR software and underlying systems up-to-date with the latest security patches.
- Conduct regular security audits: Perform thorough security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Train staff on security best practices: Educate employees on data security protocols to minimize human error.
- Develop a comprehensive data breach response plan: Have a plan in place to respond effectively in case of a security incident.
- Stay informed about evolving threats: Keep up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity threats and trends.
- Consider HIPAA compliance: Ensure the EHR software and practices adhere to HIPAA regulations to protect patient privacy.
To implement custom EHR software with advanced features, consider these steps:
- Define Requirements: Clearly outline your needs, including patient data management, appointment scheduling, electronic prescriptions, and more.
- Choose a Development Approach: Select between building from scratch or using a pre-built EHR platform.
- Select Technology Stack: Choose appropriate programming languages, frameworks, and databases.
- Design User Interface: Create an intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- Develop Core Features: Implement essential functionalities like patient records, appointment scheduling, and billing.
- Integrate Advanced Features: Add features like AI-powered diagnosis, telemedicine, and data analytics.
- Ensure Security: Implement robust security measures to protect patient data.
- Test Thoroughly: Rigorously test the software for bugs and performance issues.
- Deploy and Maintain: Deploy the software and provide ongoing support and updates.
Remember, EHR software development is complex, so consider partnering with experienced developers or healthcare IT companies.
