HITECH Act. Electronic Health Record [EHR]. Federal appointment. Government incentives. Medical insurance compliance. Eligible professionals. Certification technology. No paper record. $44,000. 2014 federal deadline.

You may recognize these terms, but what do they mean for your physical therapy practice?

Let us begin by removing the terms “government rewards”, “qualified professionals” and “$44,000” from our list. Unfortunately, physiotherapy practices have yielded short-lived results in achieving successful “government incentives”. The EHR system is in their practice, and that would include the "$44,000" number you might have heard of. Although PT practices are not eligible for these awards, they still need to effectively use “certified EHR technology” at the “2014 federal deadline”.

This change in scale is by no means an easy task, but when you research and understand this EHR implementation, the benefits of “paperless recording” far outweigh the benefits of any paper-based system. how about it? Higher efficiency, cost savings and improved workflow are just a few of the benefits of a long list of benefits you can experience.

Let's use a set of examples that use the Internet, GPS or mobile phone to get directions. In fact, think about how different things can be without a mobile phone. Is our daily life and business operations not so simple? This is the same concept.

The use of technology makes things easier and allows us to better manage our time is not a revelation. It is because of these technological advances that we can experience greater efficiency, cost savings and improved workflow in personal and professional life.

The implementation of the system is critical to the success of any company. Whether it's a simple system, such as the way to collect employee schedules per week, or a slightly more complex system, such as implementing a new EHR service, each system will be different. Never have a system or an individual can do it all. Rather, it is a great work for multiple systems and people working together to achieve common goals.

It is worthwhile to maintain health insurance compliance.

Finally, we must not forget the importance of maintaining the clinic's “Medicare compliance”. If you want the federal government to get paid for your services, you must follow their rules. According to the “Federal Authorization” of the HITECH Act, health care professionals who fail to demonstrate the effective use of “certified EHR technology” within the “2014 Federal Deadline” will be subject to Medicare reimbursement deductions. For start-up or smaller practices, I understand that some people may have difficulty wrapping the cost of implementing an EHR system. Of course, no one wants to add extra overhead, but I challenge you to pay close attention to the big picture. Don't just focus on the monthly or annual cost of the EHR system. Instead, focusing on the benefits that the EHR system will bring to you, your practice and your patients, I guarantee that you will receive the highest award.

Research, education, preparation and implementation.

Although the 2014 deadline seems to be a distant date, I highly recommend that you start your homework by researching, educating, preparing, and implementing the EHR system that you think is best for your practice. The implementation of the EHR system should not be seen as “another thing that the government forced us to do”. Instead, consider it as a way to improve the efficiency, workflow, and bottom line of clinic operations.

Physical Therapy Electronic Health Record (EHR) – What does this mean for your practice? was originally published on Spring