4 ways EHR improves patient data analysis

Electronic health records can improve the efficiency and outcomes of patient data analysis for medical practices by streamlining searches and computing data within the system. A high-quality, reliable system will be able to run reports based on a specific measure, variable, diagnosis, or patient. In this way, extensive amounts of patient information can be quickly and easily sorted through and analyzed.

Here are 4 ways that a good EHR system improves patient data analysis for healthcare practices.

1. Appointments and scheduling reports

One of the most common reasons for poor health or suboptimal outcomes is that patients fail to comply with the recommended frequency of health screenings, testing, or follow-up visits. When patients are regularly seen for preventive care and screenings, they generally have better health outcomes. For this reason, it can be useful to utilize appointment and scheduling reports to determine when patients were last seen and identify upcoming scheduled appointments. This allows the front office staff to follow up with patients with reminders and schedule necessary tests and visits. A simple appointment search tool allows this process to be done very quickly.

2. Allergy, medication, and test alerts

Another excellent tool offered by high-quality EHR systems is red flag alerts. When a patient’s medical information is comprehensively entered into the EHR system, the system is able to identify any potential adverse allergic reactions or drug interactions. In addition, reports can be run to alert the provider of necessary upcoming tests or screenings based on diagnosis and established treatment plan. This patient data analysis should improve patient care and safety.

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3. Outcome measurement reporting

For practices that utilize outcome measurement, such as rehabilitation practices, outcome measurement analysis is an excellent tool to show progress and justify services rendered. A quality EHR system will be able to analyze baseline outcome measurement scores and compare those scores to ongoing progress reports and discharge summaries. This information can be computed over the course of many patients and even visually represented to share with other providers or insurance companies.

4. Billing reports

Every healthcare practice needs to have a firm grasp on billing and financial status in order to sustain profitability. EHR systems are able to create billing reports based on payers, providers, patients, and dates. In this way, the practice is able to improve billing practices and ensure appropriate reimbursement. The practice may learn that specific insurance carriers reimburse at a lower rate than others, or that some clinicians have a better understanding of appropriate billing practices than others. This patient data analysis can support staff education to improve operations and billing practices.