MicroMD EMR is an electronic medical record (EMR) solution that is not only appropriate for larger practices but for smaller (even solo) practices as well. It combines electronic records and practice management into one system, and is geared toward numerous specialties, such as family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. The MicroMD EMR has received the 2011-2012 ONC-ATCB Certified designation for Stage 1 meaningful use. MicroMD EMR is used in two forms: either as a client-server (located on the practice’s premises) or via a web-based ASP software. It is HIPPA-compliant, and supports the HL7 standard and XML specification.

MicroMD EMR provides a variety of clinical documentation methods, such as templates, forms, speech recognition, and handwriting recognition. Templates can even be formatted so that they are similar to paper charts. Also, some templates allow the provider to build a list of “responses” (e.g. symptoms) and change them as needed. Doctors and staff can customize their templates (based on specialty) on their own, without the need for IT; these templates come pre-loaded.  The Patient Monitor feature provides an at-a-glance view of patient history and flags items that the doctor needs to review or act on during the patient visit. There is also the clinical dashboard, which provides clinical data of a specific patient’s condition  in graph form  (for example, weight, glucose, and blood pressure information on a diabetic patient).

Doctors can also prescribe medications and send them to pharmacies electronically via the SureScript network – therefore reducing illegible handwriting and errors. The e-Prescribing feature also provides eligibility verification, patient medication history, drug formulary verification, and drug interaction information. Prescription renewals can also be submitted electronically.  Doctors can also submit lab and other test orders and get those results sent back electronically. MicroMD EMR also alerts the staff to follow up with patients if they did not go for their tests within a specified time frame.

MicroMD EMR provides medical billing services through its Evaluation & Management (E&M) coding interface. Its Evaluation Level calculator lets the provider record details of the patient visit and then generates accurate codes based on those details – which reduces the chance of errors in coding and billing.  The EMR software uses CPT and ICD codes, as well as the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) for codes not covered by CPT. When used in conjunction with MicroMD’s practice management software, other medical billing services are performed, such as checking against claims for errors, generating billing statements, and posting payments.

As mentioned above, MicroMD has received Stage 1 certification for meaningful use. It has released the latest version of the MicroMD EMR (Version 7.5) to help practices that have not adopted electronic health records and need to meet Stage 1 meaningful use requirements in order to obtain federal stimulus funds.  Version 7.5 features a patient portal so patients can communicate with doctors outside of office hours. It also features an at-a-glance function that lets doctors know what patient charts or visits meet the meaningful use requirements and what data fields need to be completed.

MicroMD provides training prior to implementation. There is onsite training as well as online training. One-on-one training is available as well. Doctors can also receive post-implementation phone support.

One feature we want to point out is that the MicroMD EMR has a Web-based faxing interface for those practices that have a need to fax prescriptions and referrals — such as a case of a practice that does not yet have  electronic medical record software. Any inbound fax comes directly into the MicroMD EMR software. Another feature to note is that the PM software has a built-in optical character recognition functionality to allow for scanning of driver licenses and insurance cards and electronically extracting key data from these cards, therefore eliminating the need for manual data entry.

The MicroMD EMR software provides a comprehensive set of features that not only meets meaningful use guidelines but also helps doctors focus more on patient healthcare. When used in conjunction with its PM software, it also reduces time-consuming tasks for administrative staff.  This is the kind of software that all practices can use, regardless of size.

For more information on electronic medical records (EMRs), please download our free whitepaper “Electronic Medical Records: Choosing the Best System for Your Practice.”

Tags: EHR, EMR