For medical providers looking to improve the efficiency of office operations, there are a number of free practice management solutions available. Before implementing one of them, it is important to analyze your practice management workflow to be sure you are ready.
Software Magnifies Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes people make is to assume that free practice management systems will solve their workflow problems. In fact, software can have the opposite effect. Computers are very quick but can only do what people tell them to. If your existing system doesn't work, putting it in electronic form merely allows it to be inefficient a thousand times faster.
Even before evaluating free practice management options, medical offices should evaluate their existing procedures. This is the time to find flaws in the system and fix them. Optimizing the workflow before implementing the EMR will lead to more successful use of the system and a better-run office. Ignoring the problems is a sure recipe for disaster.
What Problem Are You Trying to Solve?
Ask yourself what you expect a free practice management system to do for you. Many offices are implementing EMR because it's the latest craze, but if they don't know what to expect from the system then they aren't going to get much use out of it.
One of the leading reasons medical providers investigate medical practice software is for organization. Storing all patient information as electronic medical records is faster and more efficient than paper-based filing. However the office must create procedures so that everyone from the front desk staff to the physicians is trained on the system and using its capabilities.
Many free practice management include an option for filing electronic insurance claims. Talk to the insurance companies you work with most to ensure the software you are considering can submit claims in a format they can accept.
Implement New Coding Practices
The organizational strength of free practice management software comes from standardized coding. When using paper records, it doesn't matter if each doctor has unique methods of recording information. If one doctor writes a diagnosis of diabetes as "T2 Diab" and another as "DM" anyone reading the patient's records will figure out both diagnoses are the same.
When using electronic medical records, it is imperative that all data such as diagnoses or medications be recorded in a standard format. This allows users to search and organize records easily. If there a diagnosis is recorded ten different ways then ten different searches will have to be done.
Developing and using a standardized coding system even before bringing in the electronic system ensures that everyone is comfortable with the new procedures before the system goes live. It spreads out the learning curve and makes everyone comfortable with the new software.
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