10 Must-Haves Features for Your Substance Abuse EMR

Posted by on

Substance Abuse Software

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems can be a valuable tool to streamline your daily tasks and keep track of patient care. In any hospital or outpatient clinic, an EMR system is likely already in place. Choose an EMR with the most efficient features if your practice treats substance abuse cases.

 

Here, we outline the ten must-have features for your substance abuse EMR:

 

1. The Medication Tracking Feature

You can keep track of the medications prescribed to your patients using an EMR feature with medication-tracking capabilities. One of the critical benefits of medication tracking is determining whether one drug interacts with another that the patient is taking. In addition, it is a valuable tool for identifying allergic reactions and protecting your patients from the side effects of medication.

The EMR solution’s medication tracking feature can alert you to any warnings regarding prescribed medications. Moreover, your medication tracker gives you an accurate diagnosis and better clinical care for patients with substance abuse histories. 

 

2. Customizable EMR Templates

A substance abuse EMR with customizable templates would enable you to take notes using built-in templates. With ease of use, you can quickly input information into the system. Thus, templates will help you chart in just a few taps and create patient data that is easy to access for reference. Ensure that you can create your templates. You can speed up workflow when you see patients with similar diagnoses by storing your frequently used information.

 

Here are some examples of EMR templates you can create:

 

  • Patients’ medical problems/common patient encounters
  • Intake forms 
  • Quick-links for usual medications 
  • Diagnostic codes
  • New consultation and evaluations

 

Charting and customizable EMR templates are essential in an EMR.

 

3. Billing Integration

Integration is a significant component of any EMR software. Data is transferred from one system to another in real-time and on-demand via interfaces. 

Billing integration simplifies the billing process for your patients. Also, it improves the efficiency of your front office staff and reduces coding errors. By integrating your billing system within your substance abuse EMR, reimbursements can happen at a faster rate. A feature like this is in high demand for EMR solutions as it reduces the amount of data entry for each billing cycle and, therefore, saves time. As a result, you can devote more time to patient care and improve the efficiency of your operations.

 

4. Physician-To-Physician Communication

The EMR should enable access from anywhere and share information between physicians. By sending or receiving patient records quickly to someone else, such as a referring doctor, you can ensure that all doctors have the latest and most accurate information about the patient. You should be able to directly message or chat with another doctor from your EMR aside from sending patient health information. Centralizing patient communications also makes recording and accessing current patient data easier.

 

5. Assist With Treatment Plans

Treatment options for substance abuse include long-term care. An EMR must have a feature that lets you easily update patient care and outcomes. 

 

6. E-Prescribing Feature

Make sure that your substance abuse EMR software has an e-prescribing feature so you can electronically print and transmit prescriptions. With this feature, your patients will not only be able to obtain their medications more quickly, but you will also be able to communicate directly with pharmacies. For instance, you can forward the prescription directly to the patient’s pharmacy of choice. The system also offers automatic and real-time notifications of potential drug interactions and allergies.

 

7. Patient Portals

The patient portal is an effective way to educate patients and facilitate information sharing with their doctors. In addition, this platform helps speed up their recovery time. An EMR that provides a secure login for patients allows them to access:

 

  • Laboratory results.
  • Forms to fill out.
  • Patient’s last visit information.
  • Education materials (like instructions for care)
  • Personal contact information.
  • Medical history, allergies, and immunizations.
  • Information about recent doctors’ visits and discharges.

 

You can share newsletters, recalls, and targeted health promotions via customizable portals in some EMR systems.

 

8. Scanning of Documents

Scanning documents is a critical feature that allows you to customize workflows that meet your clinic’s unique needs. You can send necessary supporting documentation to your in-house or external billing clerks through this feature, who then forward the completed reimbursement submission. Thus, there is no need to acquire, copy, or fax documents, and billing delays or missed paperwork are impossible.

 

9. High-Level Security

EMR systems should have a firewall and anti-malware software installed. In the case of healthcare-related automation, not only can the facility’s financial and operational data be compromised, but also the personal health information of your patients. These violations would almost certainly involve HIPAA penalties. 

Since the possibility of your patient/client’s data being exposed or exploited is a huge risk, you need to be extra careful. So, you should ensure proper security is in place if your substance software resides on your servers. If you have concerns about your system’s security, be sure your IT team is in the loop. Common-sense rules should always apply when opening suspicious emails, regardless of how they are accessed.

 

10. Able to Assist Multiple Facilities

In substance abuse treatment, there is no one-size-fits-all EMR. Therapists provide clients with outpatient, inpatient, partial-inpatient, and other blended treatment options. Depending on the individual case, a suitable EMR allows physicians and hospitals to bill for maximum reimbursement via UB or HCFA forms.

 

Final Thoughts

With the advancement of technology, electronic medical record systems are becoming more advanced, adding more features tailored to every physician’s needs. So, include these ten features when choosing for your substance abuse EMR! Having all of these increases your productivity, improves patient care, and saves you time.

Providing you with the Best

Choose only the best for your healthcare practice. 

At 1st Providers Choice, we understand the need and expectations of our clients for a higher level of performance for billing software and EMR software. That’s why we only offer the top tailored medical billing system and EHR with features that will allow your practice to operate at its optimum potential, save time, and double your revenue.

You can call us at (480) 782-1116 for immediate assistance, or you can schedule a free demo with our experts TODAY.