Templates are a very common aspect of many conversations about EMR software. I’ve used templates in a many software applications – as they are not just for EMR systems. The great part about templates is that they can speed up your process by eliminating the need to ‘recreate the wheel’ every subsequent time.
So it seems great – all you have to do is create the templates for each type of encounter that you have in your practice. After all that work, it may seem like the meticulous part of the paper to electronic transition is done. Or is it? Software, EMR or otherwise, can be a great tool to help you be more effective. But at the end of the day all of the data in those templates is only as good as you have made it with your experience and review. Has an EMR vendor ever indicated to you how their software will ‘automate’ your process?
Whether you’re working on a plan to make the transition to EMR or you’ve been through the ‘go-live’ the process is not as automated as one might think. In fact, the process of proper documentation in your entire process does still depend heavily on smart people in your practice – even with this slick new EMR software. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with several folks at Karen Zupko & Associates, Inc. Here is an article that some members of their team put together to shed some light on the pitfalls of assuming automation with an EMR system.
