Spotlight on Orthopedics Practices: 7 Best EHR Software Features with Veradigm EHR, Part 1
Written by: Auren Weinberg M.D., M.B.A. and Cheryl Reifsnyder, PhD
Electronic health records (EHRs) are one of the top drivers of clinician burnout, particularly among specialists. Specialty practices often require functionality beyond that offered by standard EHRs. When an EHR fails to meet a practice’s specialty-specific needs, it causes decreased satisfaction for both patients and physicians, impaired productivity, reduced efficiency, and difficulty meeting the meaningful use requirements of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
All medical specialties deal with a degree of healthcare IT (HIT)-related stress, but according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, HIT-related stress is worst for specialists in orthopedics. Orthopedics practices treat a wide range of conditions, and most deal with high patient volumes—factors that naturally make their EHR requirements more detailed and specialized than those of other practices.
Identifying an EHR with the right functionalities for your practice is critical to providing high-quality patient care, ensuring care efficiency, and reducing EHR-related burnout. The ideal orthopedics EHR should be an amalgamation of efficiency, functionality, and customization specific to orthopedic requirements. In this two-part series, we list the 7 most critical features to look for in an orthopedic-focused EHR.
#1 Customizable orthopedic-specific templates and workflows
One of the key considerations when selecting orthopedic EHR software is how data is input into the EHR system. Here are 2 crucial questions to ask when selecting an EHR for your orthopedic practice:
1. Does the EHR system provide orthopedic-specific templates and flow sheets?
Clinical data collected by orthopedic clinicians requires specific data fields to accommodate the broad range of data types generated during orthopedics practice. Orthopedic-specific templates can save clinicians time by allowing them to create patient notes without clicking boxes or pull-down menus.
2. Are the orthopedic-specific templates and flow sheets customizable?
Orthopedic-specific templates enable clinicians to tailor workflows according to their individual preferences and needs—but only if they are customizable. This is because orthopedics includes a broad range of practice areas, from sports medicine to physical therapy to orthopedic surgery. Practice needs will vary depending on which specific orthopedic services are offered. It’s critical for the practice to be able to customize templates so workflows can be optimized to suit how individual clinicians enter data and interact with their EHR.
Orthopedic treatment plans should also be customizable so that they can be integrated into physicians’ existing workflows. Configuring an EHR to reflect a practice’s specific workflow nuances enables providers to optimize data collection, streamline patient care, and improve outcomes. Providers can then devote more time to what’s most important: caring for their patients.
Veradigm EHR
Veradigm offers a tailored EHR environment that perfectly suits orthopedics by delivering specific templates and workflows that cater to each provider’s preferences. Orthopedic-specific templates exist for various conditions and treatments in orthopedics, from ACL injuries and arthritis treatments to reconstructive surgeries and more, ensuring clinicians have every tool at their fingertips.
Templates are not only comprehensive but fully customizable, allowing practitioners to modify them based on evolving needs. Efficiently record patient information, access previous notes, and generate comprehensive reports, consistently creating accurate and complete documentation.
Veradigm EHR also allows providers to choose from a range of charting methods, from traditional keyboard data entry to voice recognition, to optimize documentation efficiency and comfort for each clinician.
#2 Robust care coordination and collaboration features
In orthopedics, coordinating care and collaborating with physicians at other practices is essential. Whether that means following up on a patient’s care with their general physician or setting up and managing ongoing physical therapy treatments, your practice requires tools that simplify HIPAA-compliant communications with other clinicians.
Veradigm EHR
In addition to standard EHR features, such as secure messaging and referral management, Veradigm EHR supplies functionalities critical to orthopedics care. These include:
- Clinical image management via an application built as a companion for Veradigm EHR
- Care plans and goals, enabling users to create, define, track, and share patient-specific care details
- Electronic patient data sharing
These features enhance inter-provider coordination and collaboration—vital for comprehensive patient care. Gain a comprehensive view of a patient’s health, ensuring personalized, patient-centered care while fostering seamless communication among healthcare providers.
#3 Comprehensive suite of solutions
Pain management and patient engagement are essential elements of orthopedics care. Your practice will operate most effectively when tools such as electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS), and patient portals are integrated directly with your EHR solution.
Veradigm EHR
Veradigm EHR includes a holistic suite of tools to facilitate comprehensive care delivery, such as:
- Veradigm ePrescribeTM, an integrated e-prescribing solution
- Veradigm eAuth, a solution that automates the submission of prior authorization requests within your e-prescribing workflow
- Veradigm RxTruePrice, which provides patient-specific drug price information at the point of care
- Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) integration, tools to help prevent prescription drug fraud and misuse
- Veradigm FollowMyHealth (formerly FollowMyHealth), a leading mobile-first patient engagement platform
Veradigm ePrescribe can help providers save time by prescribing electronically from within the clinical workflow. This can help to improve patient satisfaction, medication adherence, and efficiency. Veradigm ePrescribe goes far beyond streamlining prescribing, also delivering patients’ medical histories and formularies, and performing automatic interaction checks. It provides the advanced e-prescribing capabilities you need to deliver the best clinical and financial outcomes for your patients.
Veradigm eAuth allows you to speed up the process of getting prescribed medications to your patients by submitting requests for prior authorization from within the e-prescribing workflow. Veradigm RxTruePrice helps you address the escalating issue of patients struggling to pay for their prescription medications. This solution empowers providers to access patient-specific medication costs at the point of care, enabling you to give patients clear information about their medication pricing and cost-saving alternatives before they leave the office—all from within your existing clinical workflow.
Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) enables you to digitally transfer patient prescriptions directly to their chosen pharmacy, increasing security with prescribers and dispensers. EPCS will facilitate your practice complies with guidelines for meaningful use requirements when prescribing controlled substances. It also integrates directly with existing state PDMP systems.
Veradigm FollowMyHealth offers a user-friendly portal where patients can access vital health data, fostering more active patient participation in their care journey. It facilitates secure messaging between patients and providers, ensuring consistent and clear communication. Online payment features expedite fee collections and enhance your practice’s operational efficiency. FollowMyHealth utilizes a mobile-first approach to help meet patients on their terms, delivering patient accessibility with an integrated approach to patient engagement. This solution was recently recognized as a Most Improved Software Product by KLAS, a prominent healthcare solution evaluator, in its 2023 Best in KLAS report.
Veradigm Ambulatory EHR Suite
In addition to our comprehensive EHR system, Veradigm offers a suite of other solutions to help optimize your orthopedics practice—such as offerings to help you improve your practice’s financials. Solutions such as Veradigm Practice Management and Payerpath can facilitate you process medical claims efficiently and accurately; and both shared and full-service revenue cycle services are available to help you with medical billing.
Check back soon for Part 2, where we will bring you even more essential EHR features for orthopedic practices. To learn more about Veradigm EHR, or for a free demonstration, Contact us today. Let Veradigm help you take patient care to the next level!