7 Benefits of Mental Health EHR Systems

Overview 

Over the past decade Electronic Health Records has reached a point of widespread practice in the medical and healthcare community. 

However, behavioral health providers have a need to provide better healthcare equipment as a means of care for their behavioral patients, by providing better supervision for their patients.  

As per the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, psychiatric hospitals, and office-based physicians practice psychiatry lag in EHR adoption. 

Only 49% of psychiatric hospitals have certified EHRs compared to 89% of rehabilitation centers, 87% of children’s hospitals, and 59% of long-term care hospitals. 

Office-based physician adoption of an EHR has nearly doubled from about 40% to 89% in the last few years. 

Researchers interviewed 43 behavioral health clinicians and health IT managers in four separate hospitals to analyze EHR adoption barriers and facilitators.  

• Respondents revealed seven EHR implementation barriers. 
• While three barriers are connected to EHR usability: computer literacy, EHR system complexity, and steep learning curve. 
• Respondents also stressed EHR alert fatigue, poor organizational support, and general EHR anxiety. 

Why is it necessary to have an EHR for mental health specialists? 

Behavioral and mental health practices require unique EHR characteristics compared to other specialties or common medical practices. 

Behavioral and mental health practices have different requirements regarding how they use clinical data. An EHR that is fully customizable and has a tailored system for psychiatrists and psychiatry practices use is essential for mental health specialists. 

7 Mental Health EHR Benefits 

Here are 7 major benefits of using an EHR system for your mental health clinic. Let's walk you through them. 

1.Automated Data Entry 

Mental health EHR software allows the provider to share patient records with these other providers to ensure the best patient care and accurate record-keeping on all counts. 

Multiple data entry methods, such as point-and-click, voice and handwriting recognition, full planning management and health reminders, electronic prescriptions, and laboratory automation. 

PrognoCIS allows lightning-fast search using intuitive search features that allow you to search the entire patient database based on specific requests. 

2. Tailored to the Specialist 

Different from any other specialty in healthcare, mental health uses a unique set of coding and language in their everyday line of work. 

An EHR model that is scalable from single-doctor clinics to large, multi-location, and specialty. Offers cloud-based or client-server models. 

Our cloud-based Psychiatry EHR software is designed to create an intuitive workflow, streamline communication, simplify administrative and financial tasks, and enhance physician and staffs productivity. 

PrognoCIS offers various templates that a mental health specialist requires such as Orientation, Intellectual functioning, Homicidal Ideation, Suicidal Ideation, Motor Activity, and more. 

3. Better Medication Management 

Medication Management for Adherence (MMAd) is a solution from Surescripts. This solution allows providers to analyze data on prescriptions and implement better drug management. 

Behavioral health software provides mental health specialists access to a specialized list of prescriptions. 

Providers can: 

• Receive messages about medication adherence. 
• View the patient’s adherence summary. 
• Respond to Medication Management messages. 

There are several features integrated into PrognoCIS EHR including e-Prescribing Controlled Substances (EPCS) and Medication Management for Adherence.  

It allows you to: 

• Send a prescription directly to the pharmacy. 
• Refill a prescription from the mobile app. 
• Prescribe controlled substances. 
• Improved Patient Safety and Care. 

4. Improved Clinic Efficiency 

EHR solutions allow your clinic to focus on one thing that counts: providing excellent patient care. 

With a mental health EHR tool, you can: 

• Digitize and simplify patient intake via online forms. 
• Keep an eye on invoices and patient billing information. 
• Remove relevant data from the software with one click (rather than spending hours going through different Excel sheets). 
• Having the latest technologies for your practice. Allowing seamless communication between practice and laboratories, radiology, pharmacies, and referral physicians. 

5. Integrated Billing 

When it comes down to your practice as a business, your revenue streams have a lot of influence.  

Practice more efficient billing with PrognoCIS EHR, encounters are quickly converted to billable EDI and paper claims for fast reimbursements. 

An EHR software that enables you to confidently charge the appropriate level of service based on your encounter using our built-in E&M coding. 

6. Improved Security 

PrognoCIS can help your organization maintain compliance whilst understanding the problem. 

Our cloud-based technology and HIPAA compliance allows for easy access over the Internet using a standard web browser as patient health records are well protected. 

7. Streamlined Scheduling:  

PrognoCIS improves scheduling practices and puts a heavy focus on data analysis. 

The intuitive planning interface allows you to easily track, view, and edit events and integrate with the rest of the system, including events in patient reports and billing workflows. 

Key Takeaway 

• Your revenue stream is a central part of your business. 
• User-friendly, EHR software gives psychiatrists the flexibility and speed needed to document encounters. 
• Customized templates and features simplify the care delivery and documentation of Psychiatry Clinics 
• It is important that your mental health practice considers a technologically integrated EHR to be able to provide better quality healthcare services to the patients.