Recent estimates conclude there are various specialists in the EMR market who rather than using specialty EMR, usually follow the trend of using a general EMR which has a few extra functions; however user views suggest that general EMRs with extra functions/templates are usually not sufficient for many specialists.
The U.S. EMR market space is highly fragmented with more than 1000 players in the market with the EMR market expected to grow to $6,054 million in 2015 at an estimated CAGR of 18.1%. Most doctors recognize that EMR adoption is inevitable and are willing to invest in a good EMR, but specialists find it difficult to access a broad range of options when they want a system tailored to their needs. Various EMRs lack the sophistication needed to be effective in specialized medical environments and if an EMR has been designed for everyone, for every specialty, it has in reality very little value.
There is a wide disconnect between futurist visions and current EMR implementation rates amongst medical specialists, such as otolaryngologists and orthopedic surgeons. But generally EMR vendors provide solutions that are designed for generalized medical fields, rather than specialties as they focus their R&D efforts and finances on solving the needs of physicians such as family practitioners or pediatricians. Furthermore certain manufacturers choose an even wider approach and attempt to build systems that suit the needs of physicians across today’s very broad medical spectrum.
Multi specialties can do well by choosing generically built EMR if they suit their purpose, however it suits a specialist more to use specialty EMR’s to avoid higher costs and implementation. Physicians aware of this can definitely benefit from the right EMR.
Certain Advantages for a specialist of a customizable specialty EMR system over a generic system:
- Specialty EMR takes less time to implement and adopt
- Customized with the library of required forms and templates which helps the user to focus on quality of care rather than writing templates
- Generalized EMR’s could take a month to work properly and user has higher chance of making errors while preparing templates. Specialized EMR’s leave little room or no room for errors and omissions
- A specialty EMR is designed according to the workflow of a particular practice
- A general EMR system comes loaded with all types of features and functionalities whether a user needs it or not leading in distracting the user’s attention and efficient workflow
- Specialty EMR helps to improve competence through the accuracy of medical decisions
Hence it is evident that there is a large market for EMRs that specialize by practice type and gradually there is developing a trend amongst smaller EMR vendors who are trying to carve out their niche in the EMR market by focusing on certain specialties, but the market for specialty EMRs has a long way to go before it matures. Moreover doctors while choosing their EMR have an option of choosing from more than 300 EMR companies.
Balancing their act between healthcare reforms demands and patient care physicians can do well by partnering with a Medical Billing Consultant who can guide them and give them advice on the right EMR after studying their practice medical billing process completely.
MedicalBilersandCoders.com is offering a wide array of EMR’s for them to choose from besides providing consultation in selection of the right EMR which generate records through successful implementation in the healthcare practices which are eventually used by the practice for various purposes such as patient care, administration, research, healthcare quality improvement, and processing of reimbursements.