Every physician has a specific specialty which has its own unique set of challenges. As a result, it requires different software capabilities. So what is the most ideal health IT software for general surgeons? Let’s take a look.
State of General Surgery
General surgeons primarily focus on diagnosing, managing and performing operations for conditions located in the gastrointestinal tract, abdomen, endocrine system, breasts, blood vessels, skin and soft tissue.
On average, 42% of general surgeons suffer from physician burnout – the 7th highest percentage among physician specialties. The primary reasons cited include excessive bureaucratic tasks, lengthy work hours and the oncoming impacts of the Affordable Care Act.
What functionality general surgeons require?
General surgeons provide a wide range of care and hence, require a unique set of needs when it comes to the software they use to treat their patients.
Because general surgeons tend to split their time between different locations, portability of patient info is extremely important. Cloud-based EHRs come in handy in this regard as they can be accessed via any computer with an Internet connection.
The ability to read and send lab results is also critical to general surgeons. Their EHR needs to be able to easily access results for pre-surgery blood tests, Partial Thromboplastic Time and complete blood counts (CBCs).
The breadth of specialty means a large volume of new codes to learn under ICD-10, so general surgeons require a PM system equipped to handle the arrival of an estimated 60,000 new medical codes. In fact, general surgeons should consider outsourcing medical billing to an external agency to alleviate the burden of ICD-10.
A quality EHR can organize patient encounters into one, easy to access location, leading to better patient results for specialists. If you’re a family physician in the market for a new EHR, download this whitepaper today for answers to your most challenging questions.
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