Legacy EHRs are draining your day.
At this point, it’s not exactly news that healthcare professionals spend an unhealthy amount of time dealing with their outdated Electronic Health Records (EHR) software. While this software was originally designed to help improve efficiency, it’s not uncommon for legacy EHR software to hinder more than it helps. This is due to several reasons, but the main one is since a handful of large EHR players dominate the space, there’s little incentive for them to make the investment needed to update their software solutions to reflect the technology needed today.
Even though EHR tools first built 20 years ago are generally an inconvenience, it’s human nature to resist change. While the transition period of switching from one EHR solution to another might at first appear difficult to consider, these five time-wasters your legacy EHR is creating just might just give you pause to take another look.
1. Limited access to custom forms
Most EHR tools are “customizable” to some degree, but let’s take a look at what that means. For starters, you’ll most likely have to go through the EHR tool’s third-party IT provider. Do you need a new form to properly assess your patients with anxiety disorder? That could take several months. On top of that, you’re likely to pay for every change you need to the EHR’s existing template form. Would you like to go through the hassle of getting your form, or would you rather spend more time treating patients? With Axiom, you no longer need to choose. With Axiom’s built-in custom form-builder, you can create perfect forms in two clicks or less at no extra cost.
2. Complicated user interfaces
Healthcare and technology don’t always go hand-in-hand when it comes to training employees how to use most EHR tools. Because many of the EHR platforms haven’t been significantly updated in years, they are extremely difficult to use. You might say existing employees are used to the software, but what about when it comes to onboarding new employees? Do you want to spend hours teaching them how to use software straight from 2005? Do yourself a favor and choose an easy-to-use EHR that’s user-friendly with little to no learning curve. You’ll be thankful you did.
3. Lengthy patient notes
A 2018 study by the Annals of Internal Medicine found the average length of a patient note is a staggering 700 words. That’s more words than any healthcare professional has time to type in and more than they should have to. EHR tools are meant to streamline the information collection process and make it easier for users to have access to comprehensive data, so why do most seem to do the complete opposite? Next time you’re in the market for EHR software, remember why you need an EHR platform in the first place.
4. Lack of necessary features
With as much patient data that exists today, it’s astounding how few EHR tools have the right technology to address information overload. As we move into 2020, data sets are only becoming larger and more complicated—and EHR software needs to be able to manage that data. Because of the nature of most EHR tools, this responsibility is largely placed on healthcare professionals when it absolutely shouldn’t be. Technology is advanced, so why aren’t EHR tools making the most of what’s possible? Innovations like artificial intelligence and automation are essential for the modern EHR, and it’s about time these tools stepped into the new era.
5. Too few software updates
Technology changes quickly, and it’s your EHR software’s job to keep up with the pace. Unfortunately for most EHR tools, software updates are few and far between. Due to the lack of updates, improvements and integration of faster and better technology, most EHR software looks and feels like it got lost in the previous decade. Your clinic deserves the best, so why are you settling for less?
Ready to leap into a customizable EHR that meets your needs? Learn how you can switch to AxiomEHR in 60 days or less.
