Software Solutions/EHR

Training Staff Can Maximize EHR’s Power

By Scott A. Jens, OD, FAAO

Train your staff to enter complete patient information into your EHR system. Then mine that data to generate a powerful analysis of your practice’s business.

When you and your staff make accurate data entry into your electronic health record system a set routine, you empower your EHR system. With comprehensive information inputted, EHR has the ability to show you everything from buying trends in the optical to the number of patients who have not returned for follow-up appointments and the number of patient referrals generated in the last month, quarter or year.

Here are key steps to take to maximize your EHRsystem to deliver a quality business analysis.

What an EHR Can Do
with Comprehensive Data Inputted

Allows the doctor to analyze the mix of services provided–Medical visits, contact lens fitting, follow-up, etc.

Enables faster information for the next office visit: “I see that your pressure last year was…”

Facilitates lifestyle dispensing.

Allows business analysis of the most profitable use of staff time.

Train All Staff Equally on EHR
Optometric practices should make an effort to train the entire patient care team to capture data in a particular fashion to develop consistency in workflow. For example, if an EHR system takes in data from refracting equipment, it is more useful to take time at an office meeting to train the entire staff equally than it is to have one staff person be the trainer of the others. The more disparity in capabilities within office staff teams, the more difficult it is to put in consistent workflow processes, especially when staff is missing for illness, vacation or other time out.

Solicit Necessary Information from Patients
One of the most challenging parts of using data analysis is getting good data into the system. There is an adage: junk in, junk out. That truism means staff has to put in a fair amount of effort to make certain that patients are interviewed properly so their identifying data is properly loaded. It isn’t always easy to get patients to slow down long enough to get good information from them. For example, staff must be trained to take a full patient history when the patient comes in. It is not enough to rely on the patient form, or, as is often the case, the patient may forget to answer a question or two and must be prompted by a staff member. It also helps to follow-up on satisfaction with products purchased the previous year, so the EHR can track information that will help the doctor make a more on-target eyeglasses prescription this time around. This, in turn, enables the optical shop to better match eyewear options with the patient’s product preferences.

Train Staff to Enter Necessary Data

Staff that is knowledgeable in the processes that a doctor executes for high-tech patient care can make a practice’s workflow markedly smooth. A smoother workflow means patients will have more time to shop in the optical and be in a better mindset to make a purchase. Assessments by optometric practice consultants have been able to find a direct correlation between short process time and patient willingness to purchase products that are recommended to them. With integrated software systems that deliver both practice management capabilities and electronic health record-keeping, staff can be efficiently trained in assessing the software’s reporting capabilities that then result in better patient understanding of their conditions and the doctor’s recommendations. For example, today’s EHR systems can identify patients with particular diagnoses that require specific types of educational actions.

Focus on Three Critical Data Touch Points

Demographic data capture. Make certain that staff have a complete understanding of the value to your practice in knowing preferred language, race and ethnicity for proper patient identification. Also, capture contact information without the appearance of a marketing machine–the use of e-mail and mobile texting should be restricted to patient-valued communications processes.

Proper documentation of prescriptions. Doctor and staff should work together to populate eyeglasses, contact lens and medication prescriptions. It is imperative that every participant in the Rx creation process is capable of accuracy in data entry, so when the doctor authorizes the prescriptions they are documented accurately for future order processing.

Care documentation means documenting what you did. So many practices look at EHR systems as copy-and-paste documentation tools, and doctors must remember that the care that they and their staff deliver is unique every time the patient is in the office. Document what you did, and you will be properly and fairly paid for your services. That means not omitting actions, but also not being overly aggressive with data entry shortcuts that put you at risk for over-documenting.

Related ROB Articles

Lead Your Staff in Transition to EHR

Utilize Your EHR System as a Business-Building Tool for the Optical Dispensary

Use EHR System to Data Mine Your Patient Base

Scott A. Jens, OD, FAAO, is co-owner of Isthmus Eye Care, with offices in Middleton and Madison, Wis. In addition, Dr. Jens is the CEO of RevolutionEHR, a provider of online-based electronic health records. He can be reached at: sjens@revolutionehr.com.

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