Interoperability and EHR use are among the most talked about topics in healthcare

Interoperability and EHR use are among the most talked about topics in healthcare July 21, 2017

Are interoperability and EHR just buzzwords or are they an integral part of your independent primary care practice? Interoperability and EHRs have been in the news alot lately, but what are they and what do they mean to you?

They are actually very important topics that you need to know about, particularly in regards to care coordination.

EHR, or electronic health record, enables you to update and maintain your patient’s health information electronically. No more paper forms. No more shuffling through a file trying to find notes from a previous visit. All of your patient’s data is in one place and is easily accessible.

Interoperability happens when different EHR systems play well together, enabling you to electronically share information with other providers. Care coordination within an EHR happens with interoperability. When you have a patient who sees a specialty provider, visits a lab for tests, or has medical services provided in another facility, you can coordinate care for that patient with the help of interoperable EHR systems.

Interoperability improves the quality of your patient’s care

Interoperability can also improve patient safety. Medications can be coordinated. Human error in completing paperwork is virtually eliminated. Waiting for test results to be faxed or called in becomes a thing of the past.

These advances are being discussed widely in the healthcare field because they are that important to the practice of an independent primary care physician. As reported in an EHR Intelligence article, “Organizations left and right are recognizing the need for seamless transfer of health data between disparate systems and are working together to do something about it.”

EHR and interoperability are becoming particularly important for the independent physician as the healthcare industry moves toward a patient-centered, value-based system. Independent physicians are always focused on the care of their patients and care coordination with an EHR becomes even more seamless through true interoperability.

Want to learn more? Contact us today! We can help you maneuver through these terms and show you how they can benefit your practice – and your patients.