Streamlining Claim Submission with Electronic Health Records (EHR)
One of the more famous recent articles against the cause of EHR and other electronic records and medical billing software has to be the one published in the March 2012 edition of the Health Affairs, a journal considered by some as the bible of health policies. The article focussed on conclusions reached via data obtained from The 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, wherein physicians who had ready electronic access to patients’ previous medical records were found to order more tests than their counterparts who operated from a physical file.
The EHR critics were ever so ready to parade this as a case against EHR deployment and the HITECH Act. They cited that the study conclusively proved that EHR and other related software deployment will ultimately increase national healthcare costs in the form of increased lab tests being ordered, as evidenced in the above study.
As is the case with any myopic attack against the cause of EHR/EMR deployment, the authors of the article failed to focus on the “better clinical outcomes” aspect of the situation. Although it looked like the costs were seemingly increased, on closer inspection one finds that the clinical decision support system that most EHR provides these days, enables a physician to catch disease trends early and thus order appropriate labs much earlier in the disease life cycle than a normal physician.
This ultimately would ensure better clinical outcomes and also in the process avoid denials at a later stage in the disease cycle. In fact a similar study in a smaller closed setting such as the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston made apparent the immediate cost savings in using EHR software, wherein duplicate lab tests were cancelled in 69% of the cases, as a result of electronic reminders, thus enabling a savings of $35,000 in lab charges alone.
The modern EHR is also a holistic product, which enhances a clinic’s revenue cycle workflow by enabling clear documentation and precise medical coding, thus decreasing exposure to audits, and ultimately improving bottom lines by facilitating rapid fulfilment of payer queries in regards to electronic claims.
For more information on EHR Technology and choosing one for your clinic contact 1-888-571-9069 or email steve@billingparadise.com.
