EMRs enhance aesthetic practices

This article is part of the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology Show Coverage.

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems should be considered the digital foundation of a medical practice, allowing practitioners to streamline everything from marketing to scheduling.

EMRs improve security, cost savings, quality, and risk management, as well as create the opportunity to integrate software systems that improve patient relationships and ultimately, practice revenues, according to William Beeson, M.D., and Jerry Jacobson, CEO of PatientNow.

Dr. Beeson and Mr. Jacobson shared their insight with attendees at the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology meeting in Las Vegas.

According to Dr. Beeson, an EMR system can address several security issues:

Data retrieval following a catastrophe

If an emergency occurs, an EMR allows clinicians to retain and restore data such as patient and financial records after an emergency, he says. The ability to retrieve this information makes it faster and easier to pick up and continue a practice should a physician need to move to a new location.

Control

Systematically tracking schedules allows users to quickly do things such as see what presurgery tasks need to be accomplished and follow up on consultations.

Tracking and monitoring

Keeping an eye on the way a medical practice runs helps to hold employees accountable and ensures higher productivity. According to a study conducted by a Fortune 500 company looking at protocol compliance, the likelihood of a protocol being followed dropped from 100 to 25 percent after six weeks unless it was monitored.

EMRs also facilitate easy succession by having defined processes and easily understandable patient records, Dr. Beeson says.

These systems save on payroll costs because so many tasks can be automated and tasks can be made more efficient and effective, he says. Additionally, EMRs improve overall quality.

According to Mr. Jacobson, EMR systems offer the opportunity for doctors to develop more integrative practice management systems that improve patient relationships and ultimately, practice revenues. He says several software solutions, such as the patient education tool Touch MD and the lead automation tool MyMedLeads, can be successfully integrated into an existing EMR system to improve patient experience through better patient education and automated marketing.

Automating marketing tasks can benefit a practice’s bottom line through increased efficiency, higher patient conversion rates and add-on sales, Mr. Jacobson says.

The EMR process can be an integrated approach in which all of the pieces of a clinician’s practice, from scheduling to appointment reminders, to consults, to marketing, all work together, he says.

For more conference news, visit http://www.dermatologytimes.com/VCS2013

Read live updates and tips from conference presenters by following our Twitter page @DermTimesNow.