Electronic Health Records For Dummies

Communicating with others in your practice

The EHR can create an atmosphere of more open communication, so make use of the interactive functions it offers. Use the EHR to send notes or reports to other providers, communicate go-forwards to the front office, and send alerts or reminders about incoming patients or necessary follow-up measures. In other words, save a lot of time on the phone and time wandering the halls of your office trying to find a staffer or colleague by using the EHR’s message and alert features. For example, staff can pose questions to the physicians via the EHR’s instant messaging (IM) function, rather than opening the exam room door and interrupting a patient consultation, which can be less intrusive and more time efficient.

Don’t let the EHR be your excuse for not interacting with staffers and fellow colleagues. Maintaining personal and professional relationships via face-to-face interaction is vital to the health of your corporate culture. So, go ahead and chat it up around the conference table or water cooler.

Additionally, think about how everyone in the office manages patients — individuals and groups. The EHR allows you to create functions and tools designed to monitor not only individuals, but also categories of patients. You can use the EHR’s support tools to create reminders for specific care tasks, follow-ups, and communication suggestions. For example, ...