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EHR Systems are Must-Haves For Telemedicine to Grow

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OSP Labs
EHR Systems are Must-Haves For Telemedicine to Grow



Telehealth is one of the most talked-about things in the healthcare industry. As the name indicates, it involves the use of internet and telecommunication technology to provide healthcare services from a remote location. Although the idea behind telehealth is not new, it took a pandemic and curfews for it to be taken seriously. The pandemic saw the number of remote consultations grow significantly. But the thing that makes telehealth realistic and practical is Electronic health records system.


EHR or electronic health records is exactly what the name suggests. It is a repository of patients’ medical information stored in digital format. The benefit of using EMR/EHR systems is that providers can pull up patient history with a few clicks and know about the health of their patients better before finalizing treatments. This is especially helpful in case of accidents, emergencies, or other scenarios where the patient might not be able to communicate effectively with their treating physician. Certain pre-existing conditions or chronic diseases need to be taken into consideration before a doctor can decide upon medication or any course of treatment. This is to ensure that the patients respond well to the treatment, and do not suffer any adverse reactions.


But when it comes to telehealth, the patients won’t be seeing their doctor physically. The consultation happens over the internet, through a smartphone, or a computer. In such cases, it is enormously beneficial for the providers to be able to access their patients’ health history before or during the virtual session. As mentioned earlier, knowledge of a person’s medical history helps doctors make informed decisions about their treatment. Otherwise, the clinical outcomes might not be desirable.


It can be rightly said that telehealth won’t be possible without healthcare EHR systems. This applies to conventional medical care as well as mental healthcare. Once again, the pandemic proved to be a catalyzing agent for the widespread adoption of telehealth solutions for mental health issues. The curfews forced people to talk about their personal struggles since most people were losing loved ones and getting laid off from their jobs. All of this only added to existing woes and worsened people’s mental health problems.


As telehealth became the new norm, telehealth solutions integrated with EHR applications helped therapists treat their patients better. When integrated with an appointment scheduling solution, coupled with software for medical coding and billing, EHR & EMR systems streamline the entire process of telehealth, both for the providers and the patients. In light of the growing ubiquity of telehealth in the USA and the world over, EMR software development has made seamless integration a major priority of the development workflow. 


In addition to being integrated with the above-mentioned solutions, if an electronic health records system can also work with a digital payments system, it would go a long way in establishing remote care as the norm and help patients make their medical payments from anywhere. Providers too can claim EHR reimbursement, or rather reimbursements for virtual care if they maintain EHRs.


To sum it up, EHR systems form a vital aspect of telehealth. They enable providers to deliver quality care without being physically close to the patients and still achieve desirable clinical outcomes. 


 



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