EHR Experts

Most people know switching from paper to electronic health records (EHR) can save their practice lots of time and money, while increasing compliance with HIPPA as well. However, some might not be aware the most advanced EHR systems can also facilitate numerous other practice-management tasks.

The leading EHR systems are loaded with a wealth of features designed to not only create an efficient paperless practice, but also help with several other office applications, such as billing, scheduling, data security, office management, and even patient education. This article will focus on how EHR software can enhance a DC’s ability to educate patients on chiropractic care, thereby saving the practice even more time and money, while also generating added patient trust and revenue.

You want to do what with my spine?

Because the spine and its surrounding structures are a highly complex system with a wide array of functions, it’s often difficult and time consuming to explain the nature of chiropractic care to patients and potential patients. Lacking serious medical knowledge, patients can easily become confused when a DC attempts to detail their condition and treatment.

This not only takes up lots of time, but in many instances, a DC’s ability to clearly explain the nature of a particular musculoskeletal issue and how chiropractic treatment will improve this condition, can be a deciding factor in whether a patient decides to undergo treatment or look elsewhere. This can be especially true for some patients, who may be skeptical of chiropractic’s validity.

Education made easy

However, the top EHR software systems offer special patient-education features that can solve these problems and win over even the most stubborn patients. The education features offer a comprehensive collection of tools and resources, such as high-definition videos covering hundreds of chiropractic conditions and exercises, dozens of anatomical illustrations and posters, personalized treatment reports, and several other high-tech applications. All of the features work together to facilitate a patient’s understanding of what chiropractic care will involve and how it will help their specific condition.

Moreover, the top EHR patient-education modules integrate their education features with all of the practice’s other EHR components, allowing the DC to add videos to documentation notes, print out personalized handouts for patients to take home, and customize the education system with additional data and video from a DC’s own personal collection. Such progressive technology will impress patients and make them feel like they’re receiving the most advanced level of care, while also encouraging them to remain compliant with their care plan.

Convincing evidence

Such technology makes your diagnosis easier to understand and also highly objective, so it doesn’t appear you’re trying to “oversell” unnecessary treatments. To this end, the EHR education features provide “hard evidence” supporting your diagnosis and proposed treatment, so you’ll have high-tech documentation backing your treatment options.

In this way, the visual and printed resources provided by EHR education tools, not only stand to educate, but they can also increase patient trust in your diagnosis and treatment abilities. And with increased trust comes increased compliance, increased patient rolls—and ultimately increased revenue for your practice.

Above article published on

http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/8349/1100/Go-paperless-and-win-over-patients-with-EHRs/

Filed under: EHR, Electronic Health Records on October 7th, 2009