When selecting a new Electronic medical record (EMR) software system, neurosurgery facilities should look for a system that has been designed specifically for the special needs of the clinic and its patients. It is also advisable to select an experienced software vendor with a great reputation. A reputable vendor can assist the facility with the entire process, and should be very comfortable with the essential task of helping a practice determine what its most urgent needs truly are. This will help to ensure that the neurosurgery EMR software system works to assist surgeons and other medical staff with streamlining existing systems and procedures for data collection. In turn, this can also help the practice save time and money by reducing the possibility for errors and working to eliminate unnecessary expenditures.
A neurosurgery EMR software system will typically come with a number of customizable, built-in features that are already used by other neurosurgery facilities. These often include digital imaging, head trauma exam support, a lab interface, an Oswestry index, nerve injury exam support and E&M coding assistance for a neurosurgery clinic, but a number of others also exist. Also, make sure that your new EMR software system is designed to automatically recognize and utilize the unique terminology and specific language that is commonly used in a neurosurgery specialty facility. For a complete list of available features, and to receive help in deciding which ones are best suited for your practice, talk to your software vendor.
In addition to the above-mentioned features, most high quality software vendors will also provide a variety of flexible EMR software templates for use in a neurosurgery facility. These templates are developed to assist doctors and other medical staff with the job of collecting, assessing and storing important patient medical information, including a current list of all past and present medications, each patient’s complete medical history, and all possible treatment options. Commonly used templates for neurosurgery facilities include headache templates, seizure templates, pituitary tumor templates, traumatic brain injury templates and integration of CT/MRI, but a number of others also exist, so ask your software vendor for a complete list. In addition, many practices have found that implementing neurosurgery-specific scheduling and billing templates can improve employee performance, and as a result, the overall patient experience.
Neurosurgery specialty practices should take time to research and evaluate a variety of EMR software systems and vendors before making a final choice. This will not only allow for a better understanding of the entire process, but it can also improve the neurosurgery facility’s satisfaction with the implementation process and the software system for the long term.