A Complete Guide: EMR Software Development

Has it been long since you’ve seen a doctor writing you down a paper note? It’s because electronic notes are now widely used in medical facilities. Organizations and healthcare providers often use electronic medical records (EMRs) to maintain vital information about your health and well-being. This guide will explain What EMR is, its benefits and how to develop custom EMR software development.

What is EMR? 

EMR is a digital version of a patient’s medical record. An EMR software system allows healthcare facilities to create, store and receive these records.

EMRs contain personal information about the patient, including:

• Demographic Information
• Vitals
• Comment
• Drug Information
• Lab test results
• Immunization records
• Allergy Information

In addition to storing and organizing patient medical information, EMR can also be used to:

EMRs do more than just store and organize patient data.

• Allow patients to access their medical records via an online patient portal.
• Assist providers in prescribing medication.
• Used to request lab test results.
• Medical bill integration with built-in encryption and billing software.

Difference between EHR and EMR? 

The significant difference between EMRs and EHRs is that EHRs are administered by numerous providers, whereas EMRs are solely managed by one. This implies that an EHR has more data than an EMR. Providers primarily use EMRs for diagnosis and treatment.

Another contrast is that EHRs are supposed to be interoperable, but EMRs are not. Interoperability refers to multiple systems’ capability to interchange and uses data among themselves. This is significant because it gives providers access to a patient’s complete medical record, even if they visit many providers. EHRs allow patients’ medical data to be sent locally and globally to specialists, laboratories, imaging facilities, emergency departments and pharmacies.

Key features of Custom EHR/EMR Software 

1. Easy Patient Onboarding

Providers can connect with their patients by enrolling them and collecting information such as demographics, contact information, insurance information, clinical data and prior medical and family history. This will result in a strong relationship between the patient and the practitioner.

2. Appointment Scheduling

Providers can effortlessly book appointments with patients and email the patient the customized evaluation form and questionnaire for self-check-in and assessment.

3. Patient Charting- Clinical and E-Prescription

A one-of-a-kind portal that allows patients to view their medical records. It also includes reports from past visits and treatment. Electronic prescribing allows providers to provide digital prescriptions. This feature’s development in electronic medical records software is crucial. This tool allows doctors to notify other team members about medication allergies and other issues.

4. Patient Education

Some health IT providers use natural language processing to translate clinical terminology for individuals with low health literacy, making patient portal records more accessible.

When applicable, patient education is the most effective strategy to enhance consumer health literacy. As more health IT suppliers establish license deals with educational platforms, they will be able to integrate patient education resources into their systems.

5. Reminders, Notifications & Alerts

When a patient schedules an appointment with a healthcare professional, the system can respond through e-mail, text message (SMS) or push notification to a mobile device. Furthermore, users might be reminded to take prescription medicine or check their glucose levels if they have diabetes.

6. Referral Management

Providers can make outbound referrals to other specialists if a patient has other ailments. They might also take referrals from outside specialists as well as inbound referrals.

7. Interactive Analytical Dashboard

Interactive and responsive graphs and pictorial presentations allow providers to view patient health records. This might contain the patient’s present and past vitals, lifestyle and progress.

8. Multi-location Management

Admin can set up numerous practice and provider groups and locations for each. This will make it easier for clinicians to coordinate patient care across multiple locations.

9. Specialist Management

You may manage operations for various specializations by creating specialty and specialized groups for each speciality.

10. Payments, Superbills and Claim Management

This module assists in managing financial resources by following each bill through all processing stages, from submission to payment. The admin staff can evaluate the reimbursement timeline using this information.

The EHR can be linked to the databases of insurance companies. Consequently, the administrative portal may view the patient’s insurance information (if the patient is covered) and the clinic can avoid rejections.

Furthermore, this data may be sent straight to the claim form to save time and reduce risk.

11. Lab, Radiology and Medicines Order Management and preferences

Using interoperability, many laboratories, radiologists and pharmacists may integrate the EMR application to improve patient care. With the integration of laboratories and radiologists, doctors may place online lab tests and radiological orders with patient permission.

Providers can send electronic prescriptions to integrated pharmacies, email prescriptions to order medications for individual patients or order bulk medication for their healthcare facilities.

12. Master Management

Admin and providers can create master data that will be reused. This comprises diagnosis codes, procedure codes, medications, lab tests, radio tests, fee schedules and other items.

13. Custom Encounter Plans

When a patient visits a doctor, this is where the doctor enters the information obtained on the patient’s present state. The principal complaint, history of current disease, physical examination results, vital signs, evaluation and treatment plan are all part of the encounter data.

14. Print Configuration Settings

Providers can configure print forms and required reports. Configurable reports include e-prescription, encounter information, summary print forms and financial and appointment-related reports.

Types of EMR systems 

There are various subtypes of EMR systems that can be used on different operating systems and settings, which are as follows:

1. Certified EMR systems

When it involves each EMR and EHR system, a few are certified and others aren’t. When a gadget has been certified, it meets the excessive capability and safety necessities set through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Licenses are strict and brought very seriously. Any violation or breach can suggest a software program company receives its certification revoked with different critical consequences, in line with the U.S. Department of Justice.

2. Cloud-based EMR Systems

Cloud-based software lets you view health information remotely – you do not need to be physically present to see and recover files. Because the servers are administered and operated by the software provider, cloud-based EMR software is typically less expensive than on-premises systems.

3. Mental health EMR Systems

Specific electronic medical record software is designed for therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health providers. These EMRs include unique features designed to meet the needs of clinical psychologists, such as improved note-taking and patient involvement.

EMR / EHR Software Development Process 

Now that you’ve learned about the types of EMR systems. Let us now define the stages of development. We’ll start with idea validation and work our way up to testing and prototyping.

1. Validation of an Idea

We must first define the viability of EMR software before knowing how to develop it. We receive several requests from clients for custom EMR software development. Following that, we examine its capacity and possibility. We must ensure that we are capable of developing a customized EHR system.

Begin with understanding the client’s specifications. Make a list of development-related questions. By asking the clients these questions, we may better understand their needs. It clarifies a client’s expectations of their EHR system.

Going ahead, it is crucial to pinpoint the users’ pain points. For example, consider the problems healthcare providers face at a hospital.

Is it time-consuming for them to fill out forms?

What about encounters with patients and other doctors?

Such inquiries will bring you closer to the client’s objectives. You will have a better idea of how to create an EMR after this. The business plan is tested to ensure the success of EMR system development. We test the product with prospective clients as well as providers and nurses.

2. Development and Prototyping

Let’s go on to the EMR development’s discovery phase. The best thing to do would be to draw a flowchart of the systems and procedures. It requires matching the development technology to the features of the EMR software.

Understanding the technological stack is crucial. The developers will decide on the technology at our organization. As part of creating EMR software, a budget estimate is also necessary.

We can begin developing EMR after the business analysis and cost estimation. Initially, creating a prototype will allow you to grasp better how the program works. It will also assist you in determining how to improve it.

3. Design and Development

The design comes next in the software development life cycle. You can develop a preliminary design of the EMR software based on the parameters. We then determine how to develop the first design of the solution. Create modules for critical sections using a service-oriented architecture. For EMR development, modules must be created. How does it help?

• It will help streamline tasks.
• We can speed up the development process.
• Make effective selections and evaluate performance.

Scalability is also simplified when EMR software is developed in this way.

4. Testing and Debugging

The QA team discovered issues during the testing phase. They go through the phases of development, design verification and other activities. They also understand how to improve electronic medical records systems.

The goal is to determine if the EMR software meets the requirements. Testing will continue until the development goals are achieved and the EMR software is operational.

5. Launch and Maintenence

The  EMR software development process is tailored to the user’s needs; therefore, we introduce the product in an approved way to the market. This lets us know where and how we can modify the final product.

First, we will release the MVP version. The purpose is to evaluate performance and solicit feedback. With the help of insights, it is easier to modify the features of the EMR system development. We can add, remove or modify existing functions to adapt them to our needs.

Benefits of Custom EHR/EMR software 

Healthcare providers need a well-integrated EHR system to streamline business processes and improve patient care.

Practitioners benefit from EHR/EMR software in the following ways:

EHR systems give providers quick access to patient’s clinical histories when needed. This allows them to provide appropriate care Healthcare practitioners can treat patients more effectively thanks to improved communication and the availability of real-time data.

EMR software saves time and eliminates the need for tedious paperwork. Clinical staff will no longer have to spend time manually filling in and retrieving patient health information. EHR software automates many standard processes and helps healthcare professionals and staff work more efficiently.

Because the EHR system allows multiple healthcare professionals to access a patient’s medical history from any location, it improves care coordination. This speeds up the diagnostic process as doctors can discuss a patient’s symptoms and provide appropriate medication.

EMR software includes safer prescribing capabilities. This doctor can use his medical records to assess the compatibility of new drugs he has prescribed to his patients. Suppose the recommended medication has the potential to negatively affect the patient’s health or cause an allergic reaction. In that case, the software will alert the doctor and the doctor can modify the prescription to avoid serious problems.

The EMR system helps to reduce medical errors caused by duplication. It helps to store all patient medical data in one safe place securely. Doctors can view patient lab test results whenever they need to. Doctors can connect to a lab or pharmacy using EHR software to make medications and results accessible.

Conclusion 

Custom EMR software development and deployment is an effective way to guarantee your organization’s future cost-efficiency and competitiveness. EMR solutions can assist in simplifying healthcare services and delivering a better patient experience by lowering costs and optimizing workflow. Collaboration with a reputable EMR development company is essential for obtaining this result.

Thinkitive understands what it takes to build robust health tech platforms. Our portfolio offers solutions that are highly scalable and safe, as well as HIPAA and GDPR-compliant. If you have further questions about how to design a custom EMR software platform, please contact us for a free consultation!

For any questions and inquiries, visit us at thinkitive