(This post was originally published on iQ Thinks.)
As hospitals and doctors transition to electronic records, some organizations have hired Certified EHR Specialists (CEHRS) to manage the records. CEHRS are multi-talented employees, possessing both medical records knowledge and IT skills. Hiring a specialist can benefit both doctors and patients, by improving the accuracy and efficiency of the EHRs. CEHRS can also benefit the organization by helping decide what EMR system is best for the organization.
Many people with either medical office backgrounds or IT backgrounds are training for CEHRS certification. So what makes a specialist ready for employment? One agency lists five criteria that an aspiring specialist should accomplish before they are hired:
- Get healthcare and EHR expertise.
- Study with an NHA-approved curriculum.
- Obtain more hours of EHR training than the baseline.
- Become fluent in healthcare records compliance.
- Learn multiple EHRs.
As EHR usage increases, expect the demand for CEHRS to do likewise.
(Via HealthcareIT News)
(This post originally published on iQ Thinks.)
A study conducted by Dr. Paul Rosen of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that EMR-implementation within the pediatric field is generally well-received by families. Families of patients were surveyed one month prior and three months after EMR-implementation, and the results show that EMR use can increase families’ satisfaction with their hospital visit. The study reports on other benefits of EMR use:
EMR use enhanced patient-physician communication and safety by facilitating medication reconciliation. The group also found that use of an EMR, compared with a paper chart, was more likely to result in documentation of a diagnosis, of advice given, and of a referral ordered. In 2007, Simon et al surveyed a random sample of over 1000 physicians in Massachusetts and assessed physicians’ perceptions of the EMR in medical practice. They found that compared with physicians not using an EMR, physicians using an EMR reported greater patient-physician communication.
Prior to this study, little research has been conducted to measure the level of patient satisfaction in regards to EMR implementation. (Via the Journal of Internet Medical Research)
(This post originally published on iQ Thinks.)
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently published a directory of 224 healthcare quality reports comparing local physicians and hospitals across the nation.
The information in the directory is meant to serve as a quantitative measurement of care for patients concerned with emergency room waiting time, for example, cost data, or the recuperation time given to mothers who receive a cesarean section. Much of this information may not otherwise be readily accessible to patients in need.
View the directory here. 
(Source: WSJ Health Blog).
