EHR System Offers Ease Of Use And Adaptability

Since the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, podiatrists have increasingly turned to electronic health record (EHR) software to facilitate effective practice management.

MediTouch^® EHR offers an array of features meant to ease the transition to EHR technology for today’s busy practitioners. The cloud-based MediTouch comes preloaded with findings specific to the foot and ankle so podiatrists can log in through a web browser and begin charting on day one.

According to the manufacturer HealthFusion, MediTouch is optimized for easy data input, providing podiatrists the flexibility to enter patient data through touch, talk or type whether they are in the exam room or at a remote location. MediTouch EHR has also garnered the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Acceptance, according to HealthFusion.

Peter Brieloff, DPM, the President and founder of the Maryland-based Brieloff Foot Centers, says the decision to go with MediTouch EHR for his practice was easy considering the system’s many appealing qualities, including its cloud-based feature. From a practical standpoint, he liked the freedom the system afforded him from having to maintain expensive servers and software.

Dr. Brieloff has been using the system for three years and finds the ability to stay connected with patients and staff outside of the office a key benefit of the system.

“I can remotely run my practice from anywhere that I have an Internet connection with just my iPad,” says Dr. Brieloff, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine, and the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management.

Dr. Brieloff also points to such features as a patient portal, a built-in clearinghouse, fax server, report generator and the ability to directly import patient images into a patient’s note as important attributes of the MediTouch system.

Additionally, the system performs automatic updates of all codes, medications and formularies “behind the scenes,” as Dr. Brieloff describes it, which is something he appreciates because it does not interrupt his practice’s workflow.

Dr. Brieloff says the MediTouch EHR software and its integration with SureScripts also provides a more complete picture of a patient’s medical history since patients do not always self-report their current medications.

“By being able to see the medical and medication history on one page, as in a MediTouch chart, the physician is then able to put the big picture in focus, and this can aid in making the correct diagnosis,” he says.

MediTouch was one of the first ambulatory EHRs to achieve 2014 meaningful use certification and the company says the system provides users with the proper tools to meet meaningful use standards requiring “virtually no extra work.”

With recent modifications finalized as of October 2015, the existing set of standards for meaningful use may change over time, says the company. However, it states that technology will continue to play a major role in patient care.

Although he is not a proponent of meaningful use and its incentive system, Dr. Brieloff says MediTouch is set up for anyone who wishes to participate in the program. He also praises HealthFusion’s customer support staff regarding its helpfulness in getting practices set up for meaningful use.

“The fact that MediTouch is used by thousands of doctors in many specialties means that they stay on top of all CMS issues and are on the cutting edge of the changes in medicine and billing/coding software,” adds Dr. Brieloff.

Ms. Garthwait is a freelance writer who lives in Downingtown, Pa.