Electronic health record (EHR) adoption is increasing. Some surveys indicate four out of five United States physicians currently use systems for digital record keeping and peer-to-peer file sharing.

Implementing an electronic health record (EHR) has the potential to enhance healthcare delivery and expedite reimbursements. However, there are several significant risks for providers. Converting a manual system, or updating to a customized system, can be overwhelming for patients and staff members.

There are numerous benefits for providers and patients woven into Electronic Health Record (EHR) software. Not least among the advantages for physicians and ancillary organizations is improved coding for decision-making and financial resource management.

When utilized and maintained properly, behavioral and mental health electronic medical records (EMR) strengthen patient-doctor relationships and support clinical and care-related activities. Centralizing all relevant data in a secure, paper-less environment enables quality of care management, outcomes reporting and decision support.

The following excerpt is from an article found on U.S. News Health. It was written by Magaly Olivero. The days when doctors riffled through a folder bulging with papers to find crucial information about a patient's medical history are disappearing. Today, health care providers at many physician practices, hospitals and health systems across America rely on electronic medical records that give the medical team, patients and their family members easy access to the same critical data.

No matter how skilled you are, your success will depend to some degree on the quality of the tools and equipment you use in your profession. Many physicians who entered into their careers before the era of modern, networked computing have become accustomed to using antiquated paper-based systems for patient record keeping. They may be aware of colleagues who use electronic health record software but for one reason or another haven’t acquainted themselves with the benefits of using EHR solutions.

Now that your behavioral health practice is starting to really take off and you are seeing more patients than ever before, you and your staff need to manage your organization’s growing pains. One of the first things medical organizations tend to do when their patient volume substantially increases is to check on software solutions. This is where behavioral health electronic health record software comes in.

As you join the growing ranks of medical organizations that have made the leap from using an old-fashioned, paper-based solution to a modern electronic medical records application, it’s important to learn as much as you can about the software. Becoming more familiar with the various features in your EMR will help you boost productivity and lower the stress levels of your staff. Here are five ways to take advantage of EMR software.

These days, you would be hard pressed to find an industry that hasn’t embraced the use of computers and specialized software to streamline operations and get more work done, more efficiently. However, in such a forward-thinking industry as the medical profession, some organizations are still working with antiquated paper-based systems to manage the voluminous information they record on each patient. As a savvy medical professional yourself, you may be new to electronic health records software but are ready to learn how to use it to improve the level of care you offer patients. That’s good, because the sooner you learn about and implement EHR software at your facility, the better. Here’s what you need to know about EHR applications.

Making a choice in specialized software, such as that used to keep track of patients’ medical information, is not something you’ll want to take lightly. Implementing a new electronic health records software solution involves an investment of your money, time and staff resources, so it only makes sense that you would take your time in determining the best application and provider to go with. If you are fortunate, some of your colleagues at other, non-competing medical practices may have some good leads for you to check out. However, the way things work at your medical organization could be quite different, so your software requirements may not dovetail with those of your colleagues.