Digital technologies have been largely streamlining businesses in almost every sector, and healthcare is no different. Various software solutions that make the job easier for healthcare professionals have been coming up in recent times. For instance, a good medical app for doctors would enable professionals to store and keep track of various information. Two of the most common digital solutions for healthcare professionals are electronic health records (EHR) and practice management software. While both are similar, they do have their own purposes.
What is practice management software?
Various healthcare facilities use medical practice management (MPM) software to manage information regarding patients. MPM finds application mostly in clerical recordkeeping purposes. It enables the healthcare facilities to keep manage clinic appointments seamlessly. Information stored in an MPM software may include billing, insurance verification, visits, etc. In brief, practice management software helps to automate the various patient management tasks.
What is EHR?
Electronic Health Record (EHR) software mainly helps to store patient information. This information may include test results, chart notes, diagnosis, medical history, etc. Ideally, an EHR should allow a doctor or a healthcare organization to store and manage patients’ clinical information with ease. Automating these tasks helps to avoid manual errors such as double entries. Moreover, many EHR platforms of special portals for the patients, through which they can access their clinical information.
How does medical practice management software differ from EHR?
Both medical practice management software and EHR are digital platforms that assist in automating and managing patient information better. However, they do differ in certain key aspects, such as:
- Medical practice management (MPM) software helps with administrative and clerical work. EHR, on the other hand, focuses more on clinical information and records.
- Patients usually do not have or need access to the information on the MPM software. This is because the healthcare facilities use it for their own operation. However, they can access their medical records stored on an EHR platform.
- As EHR mainly involves documenting the patients’ information, the application may not stay restricted to a specific healthcare facility. However, practice management software deals with the administrative aspects and tends to be clinic-specific.
- The two types of software also have different user bases. For example, an EHR is primarily beneficial to doctors and their patients. However, it is mostly the desk workers and office managers who use MPMs.
Thus, despite the similarities between these two doctors’ apps, they differ in their functions and purposes. Understanding these differences helps a healthcare facility utilize these apps to the fullest.
The importance of MPMs and EHRs
For a modern healthcare facility, medical practice management software and EHR software can prove to be extremely valuable. These come with several perks, such as:
- EHR software makes treatment and diagnosis seamless as the doctors can readily check the medical history and the test results.
- Both of these eliminate the need for manual paperwork to a great extent. In addition, it takes some burden off the workforce and allows them to focus on other tasks.
- For doctors practicing independently, such software can be of great help. Easy patient information management on an app allows them to keep track of their patients better.
- Chances of manual errors are significantly lower when the record keeping process takes place in an automated manner.
- It is highly cost-effective to use sophisticated software for patient information management, as it reduces the need for a relatively larger team of employees for it.
Read Also – How Medical Apps Can Connect Patients With Doctors
EHR vs. medical patient management software: Which one is better?
It is hard to suggest either of the two options as the better one as they serve different purposes. Neither of these apps for doctors in India can substitute the other one. Instead, they supplement each other. Ideally, a healthcare facility or a medical professional should consider using both solutions.
If you feel concerned that using two software solutions for patient management would be too complex, you may go for one of the hybrid options. Recently, several apps have merged the features of practice management software with that of EHR software. For instance, Bajaj Finserv Health has launched a medical app for doctors that acts as a one-stop solution. This allows the doctors to enjoy the features of both types of software at once.
