Why Doctors Love Having EMR Access on Their Smartphones

Mobile EMR for doctors is becoming increasingly essential as cell phone use continues to rise across the United States. Many individuals, including healthcare professionals, now rely on their mobile devices for both educational and work-related tasks. According to a Vitera survey conducted in August, 72% of healthcare professionals use their smartphones for professional purposes. For physicians, these devices offer a convenient way to stay connected with patients and colleagues, conduct on-the-go medical research, and access important patient information. To enable these capabilities, doctors require an EMR system that supports seamless access via smartphones.

Currently, fewer than 10 percent of physicians use their smartphones to connect to their electronic medical records (EMR), but many more would like to be able to do so. Of the healthcare professionals surveyed, physicians expressed the highest interest in having EMR access on their phones (91%), while practice administrators (66%) and billing managers (43%) followed closely behind.

Although smartphone screens are significantly smaller than those of laptops and PCs, creating a mobile version of an EMR system is possible, and many vendors are focusing on doing so. The key isn’t about replicating the desktop version but in adapting it for the small screen by focusing on the functionalities that physicians want most. This includes the ability to review and update patient charts, document patient encounters, and electronically order prescriptions. Many mobile EMRs even allow providers to order labs, assign tasks, and send private messages to staff. Being able to complete these tasks without being tied down to a desk allows providers to make better use of their time. In fact, it allows them to work from any location, at any time – even outside office hours.

To simplify the documentation process, which can be challenging on small touchscreen devices, many mobile EMRs offer real-time voice recognition capabilities and web-based dictation services. Others also allow providers to type a few letters and then bring up the desired term within the selected field. In some cases, in order to provide full access to the software from anywhere in the world, vendors offer remote or web-based EMR applications that can be accessed from laptops, tablets and mobile devices like smartphones.

Interested in learning more about our EMR with smartphone access? Contact us at 480-782-1116.