For years, vendors have marketed document scanning and e-prescribing solutions as a “light” or stripped-down EHR. But neither of these completely clears the physician’s desk of paper and can potentially create additional paper shuffling and disrupt the practice’s documentation and workflow if the implementation isn’t fully adopted. When investigating “light” versions of an EHR/PM solution, practices should make sure they:

• Accommodate physicians’ current method of documentation
• Provide a completely paperless solution
• Safeguard the practice’s revenue generation
• Support dictation through voice recognition, WAV file storage and export for transcription
• Scan and attach handwritten notes to patient data and store notes written within the patient record

A “light” EHR/PM system can serve as a permanent solution or as a bridge to a full-featured system. “Light” versions vary in features, functions and scope, so physicians should ensure the solution meets the requirements to obtain federal government payments for PQRI, e-prescribing and incentives offered through ARRA. In many cases, a practice can transition to a full system with a minimal increase in licensing fees and 10-12 hours of additional training. Certain vendors even allow practices to mix their technology so that some physicians can adopt a fully functional EHR/PM system, while others can adopt a “lighter” version that still achieves major workflow advantages.

Go Back To Top 5 Questions