How to Build a Custom EHR Solution From Scratch?

Introduction

Custom EHR software facilitates efficient workflows for healthcare organizations by eliminating the need for manual processes, and also minimizes the risk of errors and discrepancies. The benefits of EHR solutions are evident across the healthcare industry, and it continues to be the preferred choice for health system development. EHR solutions specifically bridge the gap between healthcare providers and patients. Mobile EMR software solutions development is also catching up to match the increasing demand for these solutions.

As healthcare shifts its paradigm toward patient-centric caregiving, health providers must balance quality of care delivery with moderate costs while simultaneously tracking workforce performance and financials. Every healthcare organization has a unique business model; to keep all these dimensions effective, a customized EHR system is essential. Robust EHR solutions can provide actionable insights into the hospital’s huge amount of data collected.  

Through the advanced capabilities of healthcare analytics solutions, organizations can analyze medical tests, diagnoses, lab reports, prescribed medications, and many data points on a single dashboard. Tailor-made EHR software can aid clinicians in making prompt and informed decisions about patient care and delivering them right on time. Every health organization must seek to identify its specific needs and understand various trends while building the right solution. A careful choice of custom healthcare solutions will enable positive outcomes toward improving healthcare quality. In this blog, we will carefully analyze the process of building customized EHR solutions, and the advantages of incorporating them in healthcare settings.   

Key Features in Custom EHR Solutions

1. Patient Profiling

Healthcare professionals can use patient profiling features to provide a 360-degree view of patients, which includes demographic information, examination notes, and supplementary data like lab test results and medical images. It also includes previous diagnoses and current conditions. The choice of information depends on the practice’s needs and can be expanded with the EHR vendor.

2. Medical Information Resources

Care quality can be enhanced by incorporating medical EHR software with compendiums on health conditions, disease classification, medical research, drug usage, controlled substances, and treatment plan templates. This also ensures easy access and navigation while saving you time and resources.

3. Billing and Financial Management

Financial modules make it more convenient for specialists to charge for their services by integrating appointment scheduling with billing, insurance, and subscription plan management systems, making the entire process even more efficient. 

4. Scheduling and Reminders

These features offer a task management dashboard and integrate it with the appointment scheduling feature to ensure efficient task management. It also enables notifications so doctors and patients remember appointments, vaccinations, refills, or other procedures.

5. Telehealth

Integrating electronic health record software with telehealth tools such as video or audio conferencing can facilitate virtual primary care sessions. Telehealth EHR integration services improve the accessibility and accuracy of patient information. 

6. Analytics and Reporting

Healthcare workers can use this functionality to identify patient patterns, predict risks, and assess various treatment plans. Additionally, healthcare providers can also analyze the effectiveness of prescribed treatments, and identify connections between patients’ health and other factors like demographics, thereby enhancing patient care.

Advantages of Building a Customized EHR Solution:  

1. Organization-specific Knowledge – Leveraging internal software developers comes with a competitive advantage and specific knowledge relevant to that particular organization.   

2. Tailor-made Solutions – Building in-house software is usually embedded with features that offer solutions about the organization’s requirements and addresses the gaps in the system that may or may not exist in other solutions.  

3. Lower Initial Cost – Considering that the resources are internal, the initial cost of building the software is lower than what an organization would spend on buying the solution. The expertise of IT developers is already available within the healthcare agency.  

4. Ownership Advantage – Internally built software is the brainchild of the organization and comes with the advantage of ownership. It provides an added advantage as a knowledge asset in the large-scale spectrum of the healthcare industry.

5. Internal Support – While building your software, there is a distinct advantage of internal staff support that offers valuable insights into the requirements of the solution. From front-end staff to back-end management, everyone can contribute to overall functionality.   

Disadvantages of Buying a Pre-existing Solution:  

1. Lack of Operational Knowledge – Operational knowledge is key when it comes to coordinated care or accountable care. A pre-existent software is prone to reduced knowledge of the in-house staff on operating the system.   

2. Lack of Customization – A standard solution may be embedded with top-of-the-line features but lacks a tailor-made approach to the specific organization. It may be a powerful solution, but it still may not have some features that are specifically suited for the relevant healthcare agency.  

3. Wastage of Internal IT Staff Knowledge – If the organization is equipped with internal software developers, their expertise is usually wasted in the buying option. They could provide valuable inputs crucial to the development of the software.  

4. Risk of Failure – When outsourcing any job, there is always a risk of failure. This is because the guarantee of successful execution is not 100% with any vendor. Execution strategies and expertise are all outside the organization’s control and sometimes lead to disappointments. 

5. Difficulty in Identifying the Right Vendor – Even though the vast number of vendors available in the healthcare industry makes buying the software convenient, it also brings a certain amount of confusion and risk of selecting the incorrect vendor, ultimately leading to dissatisfaction.

Here are 10 critical steps to success for healthcare organizations looking to foray into building customized EMR solutions.   

Building Customized EHR Solutions – 10 Steps to Success   

1. EHR Integration Solutions

HR and EMR systems are digital versions of managing patient records. From the get-go, a robust solution must adopt deep integration with multiple aspects across the organization. Swift access to electronic medical records systems promotes medical records management and better continuity of care, thus improving patient outcomes. Moreover, electronic medical records software is critical for collaborative care and effective treatment. 

2. Documentation Management

Health management systems require seamless documentation procedures through open-source electronic medical record solutions. EMR- electronic medical records need agile document management solutions that offer electronic data exchange. EMR integration solutions use automated document management techniques to digitize administrative tasks in conjunction with practice management solutions. Be assured that EMR-integrated solutions with agile documentation management features can go a long way in improving the caregiving process. 

3. Appointment Scheduling

Another important feature in EMR technical solutions is automated appointment scheduling through cloud computing in healthcare. Cloud-based custom EHR solutions promote patient engagement solutions through practice solutions EMR. Patient scheduling is simplified through the seamless integration of EHR and practice management software. This makes it easier for patients to schedule appointments through integrated healthcare solutions for automated calls, reduced no-shows, and easy follow-ups.   

4. Patient Record Accessibility

A critical component of EMR interoperability solutions is to provide easy access to electronic patient record systems. EHR technology platforms should be accessible across multiple locations and devices for holistic caregiving. Healthcare automation can be applied to access cloud-based electronic medical records through EHR integration software. EHR systems in healthcare can be standardized on a common browser for EHR healthcare solutions to improve practice workflows. 

5. ICD-10 Support

EMR healthcare solutions must be built from the clinical practice’s perspective. The financial aspects of EHR healthcare must be noticed. EMR and EHR software should be designed to make the medical billing process easier and prompt by mapping ICD-10 codes. Automating the mapping of health codes is imperative for EMR billing solutions in decreasing repetitive administrative and financial tasks. It will further provide support towards time management and patient health.    

6. Customizable Reports

Generating reports of digital medical records offers quick and easy access to information through healthcare interoperability. Customized reports are created by mining data from hospital EMR systems and other EMR systems that multiple healthcare providers and administrative staff have entered. EHR interoperability solutions then use this information to improve patient outcomes. The electronic patient records system is vital for creating these customized reports. Health providers can benefit greatly from these reports regarding quality caregiving and medical informatics.

7. Analytics Tool

Healthcare analytics solutions are vital to improving clinical practice workflows and integration. EHR technology solutions must have strong analytics tools for overall strength. Additionally, overall analytics can be applied to population health management for an added advantage.   

8. HL7 Compliance

All healthcare app development forms, including EMR software development, must incorporate strict HIPAA-compliant solutions. EHR development relies on information exchange with multiple entities. Thus, the EHR solutions must conform with HL7 compliance. mHealth technologies now come embedded with compliance features that promote health insurance safety.   

9. E-prescribing

EMR software development can rely on electronic patient record systems to track prescriptions for patients from medical providers. Health EHR software solutions should be empowered with this feature to ensure that patients are safe from access to multiple dosages and medication overdose. EHR healthcare with e-prescribing can also help doctors track the medication regularity of patients. E-prescribing features for EHR systems reduce manual work and tracking for easier healthcare management.

10. Advanced Security:

EHR software development within mobile health apps for patients must embed EMR and EHR security protocols. Healthcare EMR systems should be deployed with advanced security features for patient health data security. Electronic health records software can include multiple access layers, depending on the organization. This controls data breaches and authorized control within health applications for doctors.   

Trends Shaping the Future of Custom EHR Development 

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are transforming patient care by seamlessly integrating into custom Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems through predictive analytics. This integration enhances efficiency and ensures accurate medical records, paving the way for a future where customized EHR platforms are predictive, and deliver patient-centric healthcare outcomes.

2. Data Interoperability and Data Exchange

The future of custom EHR development services relies on interoperability and data exchange, with healthcare professionals emphasizing standardized data formats and APIs. This facilitates efficient communication between systems and ensures a unified approach to patient care. Moreover, it also helps in streamlining processes, and improving healthcare outcomes, benefiting both providers and patients.

3. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology is very popular amongst healthcare professionals to enhance EHR software development, as it ensures complete security and transparency in managing health data. This decentralized approach safeguards patient information while maintaining its integrity and privacy. As a result, the future of custom EMR software development is expected to transform healthcare systems.

4. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

Healthcare professionals are constantly addressing the escalating concerns regarding data breaches in the digital age. The primary focus is on developing robust cybersecurity protocols for the secure future of custom ElHR development. Collaboration among industry experts ensures the privacy and integrity of patient information through effective communication.

5. Cloud Based Solutions and Remote Access

Healthcare cloud solutions and remote access are transforming healthcare by enabling seamless data management and accessibility and empowering healthcare professionals to deliver quality patient care anytime, anywhere. This will lead to a future that will enable personalized EHR custom software development systems to redefine healthcare administration.

Cost of Custom EHR Development

The cost of developing electronic health record software depends on the custom EHR features set, team and resources, agency location, and platform number. The MVP-level features generally remain consistent across projects. The cost of medical ehr systems can be broken down based on factors such as technology stack, and team size. Providers also consider factors such as hardware and network, cloud-based or on-premise deployment model, implementation assistance, training, and ongoing maintenance and support, when calculating EHR software implementation costs. The cost of EHR implementation for clients typically ranges between $50,000 and $500,000, depending on the number of features and integrations.

Conclusion 

The list above is a sure-shot way of ensuring that an EHR software solution will be power-packed to sail through the healthcare space. With a wide variety of EHR solutions, paper-based systems can be a thing of the past. Health professionals can rely on new-age apps and solutions for higher patient engagement and a better bottom line.