Best EMR software

[cheruka]

I have seen Nextgen, Mccassin, Epic and Cerner. Is Epic really the best? I am trying to rank the programs🙂😴

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[Winged Scapula]

I have seen Nextgen, Mccassin, Epic and Cerner. Is Epic really the best? I am trying to rank the programs🙂😴

Uhh...that should be about the 637th reason to rank a program.

You will find loads of complaints about EPIC here and elsewhere on the internets. There is NO perfect EMR.

 

[smq123]

100% agree with Winged Scapula. Which EMR the program uses is not a reason to rank a program.

My program used NextGen, which is a lousy EMR. It's clunky and difficult to personalize. That being said, my program has excellently prepared me for the real world, and I was very very happy there. The faculty, the office staff, the MAs, the program coordinator, the head of the ACGME, the location, and, of course, my fellow residents, were wonderful - couldn't have asked for better. The EMR that we used was so secondary to the overall equation.

 

[deleted87716]

NextGen here. Also used Centricity as a resident.

Doesn't matter. Rank programs based on something else.

 

[okhandsome]

I like the ease of Centricity but do not even think about Clear practice....its horrible.

 

[TPBC]

Any thoughts on Practice Fusion, the free EMR? I know a new doc who is setting up his practice with it but don't know much about it.

 

[brats800]

I've used NextGen, Cerner, vista (@ the VA), and EPIC. They all have their good parts but my favorite is, by far, EPIC. I think that EPIC has the potential to be the fastest if used efficiently and is extremely customizable (using their dot phrases, etc)...the other EMRs would always require so many clicks to generate a note that always looked like a generic form-letter....

 

[surrender903]

Intergy then NextGen.

 

[MedicineDoc]

Epic has been by far the best EMR I have used for inpatients. Havent used it for outpatient but imagine it would be similarly powerful. Blows in FH, Soc. Hist, Surg hist, labs, allergies that are on record. Filters for types of labs etc. Easy electronic billing. Kind of like a jet plane though powerful but you have to learn how to fly it. McKesson has Been by far the worst outpatient. Specifically the HAC or horizon ambulatory care system. Doubled or more time to see patients for literally every type of provider at my residency program. Extremely cumbersome. Even made it hard for FM residents to get their required numbers. Multimillion dollar fail on the part of my residency institution. System was a very bad joke and the source of endless hours of frustration. Physician Portal halfway decent but the version I used hadn't gone to electronic order entry.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I hate them all. Just suck, make the job harder, not easier. EMR is for the government to track us and for the billing people. Pick a program where you will be happy.

 

[cheruka]

I can't help it. I am a software engineer before getting into medicine. I tend to evaluate things like software EMR 😛

Thank you for your input.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I can't help it. I am a software engineer before getting into medicine. I tend to evaluate things like software EMR 😛

Thank you for your input.

Fair enough. But seriously, it should be the 667th thing on your list. A little something called training in FM should be priority even if they make you write your notes with a chisel and the blood of a newt.

 

[notinkansas]

I can't help it. I am a software engineer before getting into medicine. I tend to evaluate things like software EMR 😛

Thank you for your input.

How does one define "best"? What happens if the hospital administration decides to change vendors during your time there? Are you evaluating the plans and vendor readiness for ICD 10?

Seems like you'd be a good candidate to be the informatics person once you start practice. For residency there are other things to focus on-its a short term commitment

 

[cheruka]

Ofcourse I look at how good a program is in terms of didactics and patient volume, boards prep, opportunity for procedures etc. Just because you are not a computer person, no need to talk like that. From what I gather Epic is pretty darn good, though expensive. I do believe EMR systems will play a big role in medicine and to me, if a program has their act together with medical home implementation, it is one of the positive things. I have seen clinics cancel seeing patients to implement these things, physicians having a tough time understanding and using the systems. These systems are so expensive, hospitals do not change them every 2 years. To each their own.

 

[deleted87716]

Fair enough. But seriously, it should be the 667th thing on your list. A little something called training in FM should be priority even if they make you write your notes with a chisel and the blood of a newt.

I agree that the specific EMR shouldn't be a factor in ranking programs. However, I would be hesitant to rank any program still using paper charts in this day and age.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I agree that the specific EMR shouldn't be a factor in ranking programs. However, I would be hesitant to rank any program still using paper charts in this day and age.

Agreed. I was joking (given the government requirements a practice still using paper charts if either going to be violation, undergoing extensive changes soon or will be closing).

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ofcourse I look at how good a program is in terms of didactics and patient volume, boards prep, opportunity for procedures etc. Just because you are not a computer person, no need to talk like that. From what I gather Epic is pretty darn good, though expensive. I do believe EMR systems will play a big role in medicine and to me, if a program has their act together with medical home implementation, it is one of the positive things. I have seen clinics cancel seeing patients to implement these things, physicians having a tough time understanding and using the systems. These systems are so expensive, hospitals do not change them every 2 years. To each their own.

TO whom are you speaking?

 

[cheruka]

TO whom are you speaking?

I am sorry, I was responding to this:
Seems like you'd be a good candidate to be the informatics person once you start practice. For residency there are other things to focus on-its a short term commitment

 

[Winged Scapula]

I am sorry, I was responding to this:
Seems like you'd be a good candidate to be the informatics person once you start practice. For residency there are other things to focus on-its a short term commitment

Gotcha. 👍

You can use the Quote button at the bottom which clarifies things.

Best wishes for the upcoming match.

 

[notinkansas]

I am sorry, I was responding to this:
Seems like you'd be a good candidate to be the informatics person once you start practice. For residency there are other things to focus on-its a short term commitment

*ahem*

I may not be a computer person, but I did I work in consulting. Some hospitals do change systems in much shorter time period than you'd think, I know of one teaching hospital system that is changing after about 7 years. Another well known large teaching system will be changing very soon to a vendor that will better accommodate ICD 10. I doubt very much anybody you would encounter in the residency interview process would have any clue about plans to change vendors. These decisions are made at the highest levels and not announced until the full implementation plan is in place.

 

[DCFamilyMed]

Mine. It was homemade and has been in existence since 1972. I employ 2 IT staff members who work on it. It does everything including auto populating labs from our lab equipment. We have no superbills as visit and codes and immediately submitted as the patient leaves the door. It was made by a physician so thought processes have the physician in mind. From scheduling patients, seeing patients it is an integrated record by system and at the end of every visit a copy of the record is given to the patient to read.


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[deleted87716]

Mine. It was homemade and has been in existence since 1972. I employ 2 IT staff members who work on it. It does everything including auto populating labs from our lab equipment. We have no superbills as visit and codes and immediately submitted as the patient leaves the door. It was made by a physician so thought processes have the physician in mind. From scheduling patients, seeing patients it is an integrated record by system and at the end of every visit a copy of the record is given to the patient to read.

Does it qualify for meaningful use (CMS)? How well does it integrate with other EHRs in your area? That's the next big step. ACOs and PCMH rely on robust data-mining and reporting capabilities. Most home-grown systems are probably going to be left in the dust.

 

[DCFamilyMed]

Absolutely qualifies for meaningful use and has been able to obtain and has data sharing capabilities since 1985. Rather than purchase huge systems that may or may not exist in 5 years, this homemade system will continue to exist indefinitely. We are a model system and family doctors should not be afraid of homemade systems.


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[BrunoWallington]

Well everyone have a point. So in everybody's opinion what would make a good patient management and/or EMR practice management. I ask this since I have a group of friends in the software engineer field that want to build a cloud-based practice management and perhaps a little help from us would do the trick and build us something nice 😉

 

[bronx43]

Well everyone have a point. So in everybody's opinion what would make a good patient management and/or EMR practice management. I ask this since I have a group of friends in the software engineer field that want to build a cloud-based practice management and perhaps a little help from us would do the trick and build us something nice 😉

Can you expand a little on the functionality of this cloud-based practice management software? What is its role in a physician practice? Is it purely an EMR or would it have additional functions? What would it offer beyond what is already on the market?
Just curious.

 

[BrunoWallington]

Can you expand a little on the functionality of this cloud-based practice management software? What is its role in a physician practice? Is it purely an EMR or would it have additional functions? What would it offer beyond what is already on the market?
Just curious.

I really do not know the details of what they're doing but all I know they're building something like practice fusion but they use the words intuitive and "no-ads", they also mentioned better UI controls for users like timepickers, multiple practicioners scheduling, and being able for the patient as well to schedule, sms/email integration, etc... What they want is to have something simple but at the same time something that we don't struggle with and which the learning curve is fast and not tedious. That's why they ask what is a list of things that can make this cloud-based app worth it for us...

 

[bronx43]

I really do not know the details of what they're doing but all I know they're building something like practice fusion but they use the words intuitive and "no-ads", they also mentioned better UI controls for users like timepickers, multiple practicioners scheduling, and being able for the patient as well to schedule, sms/email integration, etc... What they want is to have something simple but at the same time something that we don't struggle with and which the learning curve is fast and not tedious. That's why they ask what is a list of things that can make this cloud-based app worth it for us...

Improving user interface and making functionality more intuitive with a less steep learning curve is always in demand for software - medical or otherwise. I like the idea of patient scheduling as long as there is incentive to keep their appointments. SMS/email incorporation is a good idea that a lot of EMRs are pushing for. Minimizing the need for actual call centers in a practice would be ideal.
Cloud computing is cool, but what do they think is the value-add in this? In 5-10 years, I can see cloud being ubiquitous, but right now for the purposes of medical software development, the cost effectiveness is questionable.

 

[BrunoWallington]

Improving user interface and making functionality more intuitive with a less steep learning curve is always in demand for software - medical or otherwise. I like the idea of patient scheduling as long as there is incentive to keep their appointments. SMS/email incorporation is a good idea that a lot of EMRs are pushing for. Minimizing the need for actual call centers in a practice would be ideal.
Cloud computing is cool, but what do they think is the value-add in this? In 5-10 years, I can see cloud being ubiquitous, but right now for the purposes of medical software development, the cost effectiveness is questionable.

I just spoke to one of my friends doing this and she told me that they are adding a procedure list with different procedure charges based if done by a professional or a technician or a global charge, so if there's a procedure or multiple procedures on a patient, that would generate automatic invoices either to the insurance and/or patient... Sounds very neat!