After the recent release of Apple’s iPad tablet, a number of healthcare IT professionals, as well as physicians, nurses and medical students, were asked to describe what features they would like the ideal healthcare tablet to possess. As it turns out, the iPad only comes with a handful of the “must-have” components they are looking for, and it is missing some of the main features they deemed most important. Although the iPad might not be the choice for doctors and hospitals, tablet makers will be thrilled to learn that many healthcare professionals have stated they do plan to purchase and begin using a tablet this year!

In fact, many workers have said they would like to use a tablet for everything from notes and memos to medical image viewing, and from clinical decision support to e-prescribing – to name only a few! Ease of use is often the most important factor when choosing a tablet. With many physicians who regularly see 30 patients in an eight-hour day, it’s essential to be able to quickly, easily and completely document each visit. Touch screen tablets are a huge favorite, due to the accuracy of entering information this way and the high level of usability they provide. A big problem with Apple’s iPad is that most EMR software systems are not compatible with a Mac OSX operating system, and instead require a Windows-based operating system in order to function.

Some other important factors healthcare professionals often consider when choosing a tablet include: Wi-fi accessibility, resistance to dust and liquid, portability, software selection, barcode scanning capability, fingerprint access and voice-to-text dictation. The iPad does not have sealed ports and is therefore vulnerable to spills and hospital fluids, as well as dust, making it very difficult to disinfect. In addition, the iPad does not offer fingerprint access, barcode scanning or an integrated camera for documenting diagnosis. All of these issues make it very unlikely that the healthcare industry will effect widespread adoption of the iPad, although it is clear that most healthcare workers are very excited about the idea of using a tablet – we can expect to see them pop up more and more in doctor’s offices and hospitals in the coming months!

The ability to electronically manage prescriptions, known as e-prescribing, works by transmitting prescription information directly to pharmacies using a secure Internet connection via a digital handheld device or computer, and is one of the major advantages to using an electronic medical record (EMR) software system. Although many physicians still use the old “paper and pen” method, e-prescribing is quickly gaining in popularity as more facilities begin to realize the added safety, efficiency and quality of service it provides.

Since the software automatically scans each patient’s drug history for risks, e-prescribing has been found to significantly reduce dangerous mistakes, including instances of adverse interactions with other medication, drug allergies and improper dosages. Also, the systems can often allow physicians to see a comprehensive list of every medication that a patient is taking, eliminating the worry that he or she could forget to mention something. The increased popularity of e-prescribing also encourages the broader adoption of EMR software systems, as many of the programs can work together and include complete medical histories, reminder alerts and a wide variety of lab reports in addition to e-prescribing capabilities.

Incentives that are currently being offered by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are another big reason why so many physicians and hospitals are now working to adopt an e-prescribing system. Healthcare facilities and practices that prescribe electronically will receive a 2 percent bonus for all Medicare payments in 2010, a 1 percent bonus in 2011 and 2012, and a .05 percent bonus in 2013. In addition, Medicare plans to enforce a penalty on payments to doctors and hospitals that choose not to e-prescribe, amounting to a 1 percent reduction in payments beginning in 2012, and jumping to a 2 percent reduction in payments by 2014.

Another benefit to e-prescribing systems is the cost savings that is associated with the physician’s ability to quickly and easily search for the price of generic drugs that are covered by a patient’s health plan. In fact, a recent study by the Archives of Internal Medicine found that doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, were able to reduce the cost of delivering medication to patients by $845,000 annually for every 100,000 patients, simply by adopting an e-prescribing system.

Although barriers still exist that prevent some doctors and hospitals from adopting an EMR and/or e-prescribing software system, there is little doubt that digital recordkeeping and prescription management systems will continue to receive added attention and become more common in the years to come. Most experts agree that all healthcare facilities – from small clinics to large institutions – will eventually choose to adopt these new technologies as their usefulness is consistently proven to outweigh any potential drawbacks.

When making the switch to a new electronic medical record software system (EMR), physicians and healthcare facilities must take into account the inevitable workflow interruptions and the ‘learning curve’ that will arise as a result of the software implementation process. By not requiring healthcare professionals to enter too much (or too little) information, systems can achieve a balance for the facility, making recordkeeping systems more effective while streamlining the medical charting process.

Keep in mind that EMR workflow changes will even reach all the way into the actual examination rooms, especially since many physicians are still charting by hand, using symbols and abbreviations that make sense only to them and to their staff. This ‘language’ was originally developed to help doctors save time and space when recording notes, but EMRs will require physicians and other staff members to learn a standardized system and to be more mindful when inputting information. As a result, it’s very important to be selective when choosing the information that will be required by the EMR software system your facility adopts.

In order to determine what information should be required by your EMR software system, take the time to make a definitive list of everything you would like the system to do for you in a perfect world. Then, eliminate the things you could live without. For example, is e-prescribing important to you? What requirements do your specialty have? Do you want to participate in PQRI? Once you have identified the must-have requirements for your facility’s EMR software system, you can work with your software provider to modify an existing system to better suit your specific needs, or to find an ‘off-the-shelf’ product that comes loaded with everything your practice will need.

By taking the time to plan extensively and concentrating on anticipating the future needs of each individual practice or healthcare facility, medical professionals can ensure that the amount of information the EMR software system requires them to input will not slow down medical charting. On the flip side, proper planning will also ensure that enough information must be entered, so physicians and healthcare professionals everywhere will begin to enjoy unprecedented access to comprehensive and comparative data.