How to Select the Best Medical Record Software for Your Hospital
The foundation of how a hospital manages patient care is medical record software. Along with healthcare equipment and new or used medical carts with computers and power, making the right choice will not only save you money but will also improve the quality of patient care.
What is medical record software?
The medical record software is a system that works as one system for the convenience of the physician to keep a complete track record of their patient’s health information. Typically, this is computer-based software with a saved file for each of the patient’s health aspects. The best thing about this system is that it increases efficiency and provides instant access to patient information.
How to Select the Best Medical Record Software for Your Hospital
Inadequate planning for the key features your facility requires leads to dissatisfaction and additional costs for things like upgrades or system replacement.
Make a list of all the features that the staff considers essential, as well as those that would be nice to have. Include all stakeholders in the process at this early stage: doctors, nurses, IT staff, administration employees, and anyone else who will use the system.
Create a Selection Committee
Make a committee to choose medical record software. To complete the process, you will require a doctor, a nurse, your IT manager, payroll, and a support staff member.
Assign a project manager to oversee the team and set agendas.
While you do not want to rush the process, establish a reasonable completion timeline for the project manager to use when setting goals.
Begin by making a checklist
One of the first tasks for the committee is to create a checklist.
There is a plethora of medical record software available on the market. Your checklist should include all of the features that your clinic requires, as well as what each section anticipates.
Use this to narrow your prospect pool. Set a maximum of ten or twelve options, then use the checklist to reduce the list to three or four.
Look at Software to Match Your Facility
Match the medical record software to your facility. Many software companies provide medical record software programs that are tailored to specific specialties or the size and type of facilities. Many have add-ons or upgrades that allow users to include additional features later as hospitals expand or need change.
Don’t Accept a System That Is Too Generic
If the system is too generic, you will most likely have difficulty getting it to do exactly what you need it to do. Get something that is tailored to your hospital’s strengths and specialties and is adaptable enough to change or expand as needed.
Simple to Implement
Complex software frequently causes more problems than it solves. Find a system that is simple and easy to learn for all members of your team. Complicated programming and unintuitive drop-down menus can not only frustrate employees but also increase the risk of errors.
Encourage Contribution
Participate in any demonstrations or test runs with all end users. Encourage each section manager to watch videos and read about the product before making a final decision on what to purchase.
Compatibility with Hardware
Because of the complexity of most medical record software systems, a large amount of hardware is required. To support a high-quality medical record software program, you may need to consider restructuring your infrastructure and budget accordingly.
Remember that these systems will be in constant use. Nurses and doctors will wheel-powered medical carts to patients’ bedsides. Where they will input data and access the system for information about a patient’s medical history.
For use with your mobile carts, you’ll need a reliable and secure Wi-Fi system. It has well as cloud storage and backup.
Security
Make certain that whatever system you choose has excellent security features. You want to know who has accessed the system, when they accessed it, and what they accessed.
Due Process
Spend some time carefully checking references. Go beyond reading online reviews.
Request references from other facilities that use the software. Make an appointment with the administration of that healthcare facility to view the product in action.
You want software that not only works well but also a vendor that works with you to not only implement the service but also respond quickly to any problems that may arise in the future.
Choose a first option and a backup option
Negotiations with the vendor may fall through. Once the purchasing process begins, your first choice may not be available for any number of other reasons, so always include a backup.
