As technology continues to advance, paper medical records have become a relic of the past in many doctors’ offices. In fact, it’s likely been a while since you’ve seen a doctor use a paper and pen. According to CNN, 78% of doctors and 96% of hospitals use electronic health records or EHR. Many behavioral health practitioners, like psychiatrists or addiction specialists, are also making the switch. Here’s a quick look at how mental health EHR can benefit your practice and improve patient care.
A Focus on Care
When it comes to behavioral health, it’s entirely possible that patients will often arrive in a state of crisis and vulnerability, as AZZLY points out. Mental health EHR can make it easier to perform intakes and assessments when patients arrive in a state that’s not conducive to filling out paperwork or procuring certain personal documents and information.
Organization
When it comes to the aforementioned paperwork, dealing with vulnerable patient populations means that there’s a lot of crucial information to keep track of. EHR streamlines all of your paperwork and allows you to see your patient’s entire history laid out in a simple, clear, and organized format.
Compliance and Medication Management
Follow-up visits and proper medication are a crucial part of managing your patients’ ongoing well-being. EHR makes it easy for you to keep track of visits, phone calls and outreach outcomes, and changes in medication. Patient compliance can be easily managed in this way. Additionally, EHR can be outfitted with medication databases, drug interaction checkers, and the ability to electronically transmit medications. This ensures that your patient’s medication is administered safely, accurately, and available in a timely fashion.
Overall, the benefits of EHR are vast, and this is only a general look at how it can change your practice. If you’re dedicated to modern, efficient ways of delivering exceptional care, then EHR might be a worthwhile transition for your practice.
