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Help advance mental health support with technology

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Duration: 3 min. read

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Ambulatory EHR

Help advance mental health support with technology

Providing care for patients who need mental health services requires strong support, resources, the right technology, and patient education. The pandemic brought the importance of technology to the forefront, with psychiatry as a specialty using ePrescribing most widely—jumping from ninth to fourth when compared with other specialties—according to the Surescripts 2020 National Progress Report. Additionally, more than half of psychiatry practices utilize ePrescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS), which your practice can integrate into your electronic health record (EHR) workflow.

Here are 10 key features that can help you choose the right EHR for your psychiatry practice.

Mobility

It’s crucial to have access to information whenever your patient calls, no matter where you are located. Look for a cloud-based solution that is complemented by a robust, mobile, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant app that allows easy access to your office anywhere, anytime. This accessibility should be available on multiple devices—laptop, desktop, tablets, and mobile phones—and allow use of the Apple Pencil to write directly into notes if using an iPad®.

Custom templates

Make sure that you can personalize your EHR to your style by creating customized templates to document patient history and support your clinical documentation and regulatory requirements. 

System interoperability

The solution should have a wide range of capabilities, including electronic lab order management, clinical messaging, ePrescribing, clinical documentation tools, document management, and multisystem interoperability. An optional practice management module or revenue cycle management service can further enhance practice efficiency, and a third-party dictation component can accommodate consultative discussions.

Storage

An EHR with cloud storage should ensure secure access to patient data anytime, anywhere, without worrying about system capacity.

Expandable

The solution you choose should be up to date with new service offerings and current with governmental and industry regulations and the changing healthcare environment. 

Security

Your EHR must protect patient and practice information, so verify that it complies with HIPAA. To keep data confidential, the EHR should have functionality and modules, such as secure internal tasking, clinical Direct Messaging, and a Patient Portal, to communicate securely internally, with other providers on the patient’s treatment team, and with patients themselves and their healthcare proxies.

Reputable

Talk to current clients to confirm that the vendor provides consistent product updates and communications, complies with federal and state regulatory changes and updates, offers consistently reliable and prompt service, and is dedicated to satisfying its clients.

Strategic

The EHR vendor should understand your practice needs and your day-to-day challenges and how to overcome them.

Innovative

Your vendor partner should inspire innovation, both with its product(s) and within the industry. Is it involved with other medical discoveries and technologies? Does it partner with other healthcare industry leaders to find answers?

Strong

Look for verification of a company’s strength. You want a company that has been in business for a long time and is financially stable. Check for a listing on the Fortune 500, recent investments in the company, or even the organization’s financial reports if the vendor is a publicly traded company. Will they still be around in 10 years?
Page Published: April 28, 2023
Page Updated: 24-Jan-2022
Quanum Insights
Quanum Insights

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