Sifting through an ocean of EHR for hospitals and choosing the right one for your practice can be very difficult. Our definitive guide on the best EHR for hospitals will make your choice a little easier by giving you all the details required to make the apt choice for your practice.
A decade ago, the use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) was at a mere 72% in the United States. But, on reviewing more recent reports you will find that the adoption of EHR has soared to a whopping 96% (National Coordinator for Health Information Technology).
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act passed in 2009 acted as a huge catalyst in the widespread adoption of EHR in hospitals. The act sought out to encourage healthcare providers to embrace EHR quickly and reap the benefits of digital data recording systems to enhance quality, transparency and comfort for patients.
While most practices do have EHR systems in place, some smaller practices haven’t switched to using EHR yet. Whether you are looking for a change in EHR or are looking to implement it from scratch, read on to learn everything there is to know about the best EHR for hospitals in 2024.
What are the top 3 EHR systems?
- Epic: For large medical facilities
- Cerner: The largest provider for inpatient care
- Meditech: For small and mid-sized practices
Table of Contents
What is EHR for hospitals?
What is EHR for hospitals?An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital version of all patient records. It is collected, conserved and protected by a provider over time. It includes critical clinical information including demographics, diagnosis, lab reports, immunisation history, patient medical history, progress notes, prescriptions, scan reports etc.
With EHR this data can be accessed easily and can simplify the physician’s workflow.
Ambulatory EHR Vs. Inpatient EHR Systems
Ambulatory EHR is mainly used by smaller healthcare facilities and outpatient care units. These EHR’s are widely used in places where there is a need for little to no interoperability, these facilities probably have only one major department. Inpatient EHR systems are meant to facilitate the needs of bigger facilities that require coordination between multiple departments, physicians and other staff.
Choosing the right EHR for hospitals can be a daunting task with the sheer number of options there are, but with a little homework, you’ll be able to find the right one for your practice.
Why should you use an EHR system?
Automating access to vital health information can be critical when it comes to improving clinical outcomes and providing the right diagnosis. EHR also helps hospitals make data-driven decisions and supports other healthcare activities through various interfaces.
EHRs are most definitely an important requirement when it comes to health care. They can strengthen and support patient-physician relationships, make access to data simple and more transparent.
The benefits of EHRs for hospitals
The benefits of EHRs for hospitals- A reduction of medical errors
- Improved accuracy, transparency and clarity of medical data
- Reduced duplication of tests, delays in treatments and misdiagnosis
- Improved clinical outcomes
While it may prove to be challenging to choose the right EHR for hospitals, EHR systems are so much more easier to maintain than using conventional hand-written note-taking and printing systems.
What are the top 3 EHR systems in healthcare?
While there are plenty of EHRs for hospitals, it is of the utmost importance to understand each one’s features and pick the best one for your practice.
Our top 3 picks for the best EHR for hospitals
EPIC
Primarily focused on catering to the needs of large medical facilities, EPIC is frequently ranked as the top EHR for hospitals. It is one of the best inpatient EHRs and allows for high levels of healthcare interoperability. It is very easy to implement EPIC, and its interface is incredibly user-friendly making training needs less.
Cerner
One of the leading providers of IT solutions for hospitals, Cerner is currently the largest provider of systems for inpatient care. They have a huge user base and support over 55 specialities along with healthcare, financial and business needs of medium to large-sized practices.
Meditech
Meditech is an IT vendor for hospitals and primarily focuses on serving small and mid-sized practices. It even has an integrated EHR solution. It is one of the oldest healthcare IT vendors and was founded in 1969. Meditech is easy to operate, gives an interactive web feel and allows for easy customization.
Understanding the features, benefits and scope of each of these providers individually can help you assess if Meditech or Epic is better and which EHR system is the best for your individual business requirements.
Conclusion
A highly efficient team of medical professionals need access to an EHR software that will streamline their operations to stay competitive and give the best care to patients. Is it crucial to examine if healthcare IT services are HIPAA compliant. While choosing a good EHR for hospitals is important, it is also equally important to choose a good online fax service provider to ensure seamless sharing of documents across the organization and with patients.
Online fax software such as iFax can help you fax medical records at record speeds. Try iFax now to revolutionize the way you share documents. iFax offers HIPAA compliant faxing with end-to-end encryption to ensure that messages are secure during storage and transit, the iFax support team works 24/7 on all days in the week to ensure none of your faxing related questions go unanswered. iFax has unique services such as pay-per-fax and can seamlessly integrate with your existing workflow.
iFax is available on Android, macOS, iOS, Windows and on the Web.
