Selecting the Best EMR Software for Your Radiology Facility
October 18, 2023
You know that you need EMR software for your radiology facility. It’s now highly encouraged by various mandates. But you’re not sure where to start. Or maybe you already have EMR software but are in desperate need of a new solution. Then this guide is for you. We’re going to walk you through exactly what radiology EMR software is all about, which features to look for, what questions to ask during the buying process, and exactly how your practice can benefit from the latest innovation in the space: Imaging EMR. Let’s jump in.
What is an EMR in radiology?
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are digital versions of a patient’s chart. They’re the more modern alternative to paper record-keeping and files. EMR systems are software that provide information flow and storage to healthcare facilities such as radiology centers, oncology departments, and hospitals. (Oncology-specific EMRs bring their own unique challenges which we will cover in a future blog post.) Radiologists also use another subsection of EMRs, Imaging EMR systems, to view & store medical images/data and do reporting/scheduling (which are the main features). There are other features that radiologists use in such systems, but they’re not the primary functions.
Radiology EHR vs. EMR
As an overview, EHRs (Electronic Health Records) in radiology “focus on the total health of the patient—going beyond standard clinical data collected in the provider’s office and inclusive of a broader view on a patient’s care,” according to HealthITbuzz. They’re generally considered to be more easily shareable than EMRs.
Important features to consider before buying EMR software for radiology
There are several important features that anyone should consider when buying radiology EMR software. Here are 10 such examples:
Viewing, Sharing, and Retrieval of Medical Images and Data
Your radiology EMR software solution should have the functionality to view, share, and retrieve the necessary medical images and data. For a radiologist, this is obviously essential; without access to the imaging critical to your patients’ care, your job is impossible to do. That’s why this is #1 on the list.
Storing and Routing of Medical Images and Data
Any EMR software you consider should also offer the storage and routing of medical images and data. Similarly to item #1, this is crucial for specialties such as radiology. Your EMR software of choice needs to offer you the capability to store imaging for easy access and route them as needed to other sites.
Radiology Billing
Your EMR software needs to provide a robust and secure radiology billing and insurance management component. This is clearly very important, as you need a seamless way to get paid for your work. Carefully consider what is being offered to you in terms of radiology billing functionality to ensure the billing process runs as smoothly as possible.
Radiology Reporting & Business Intelligence
Business intelligence is a crucial part of your radiology practice’s arsenal. And you deserve to be able to visualize your business intelligence data with straightforward reporting. Creating customized, beautiful reports is a must – this functionality should be another key aspect of your EMR software of choice.
Patient Scheduling
Your radiology EMR software should also be fully equipped with a powerful patient scheduling tool. Perhaps one of the most important parts of any medical practice is what helps bring the patients into your offices: a scheduler. Your staff and patients alike will interact with this radiology scheduling software, so it needs to be intuitive, straightforward, and reliable.
Radiology Information System (RIS)
When shopping for EMR software, something you may not immediately consider is a RIS (radiology information system). Because for so long, these types of software have been siloed: an EMR on one hand, with a RIS on the other. But with an Imaging EMR, you can have a RIS built right in. Something to consider!
Dictation Support
Dictation support is a super-handy part of an EMR solution. Even more advanced is voice recognition dictation support. A more modern type of transcription, voice recognition dictation facilitates medical-grade voice-to-text technology, like the one used in OmegaAI, Augnito. That increase in efficiency can help your radiology practice increase cost savings and tighten turnaround times for reporting.
Patient Portal
Another important aspect of your future EMR software should be a comprehensive patient portal to make communication seamless. An ideal patient portal needs to give your patients the power to access and share their medical data as they see fit. They should also be given a complete overview of their own medical imaging history.
Automated front desk
Lastly, your prospective EMR software should provide an automated front desk. This translates into features like appointment scheduling, appointment confirmations & reminders, remote form completion, remote check-in (exclusive to our solution, OmegaAI!), and automated status updates & workflow. Automating and simplifying these front desk tasks frees up your staff to focus more on delivering great patient care, as opposed to being bogged down by administrative work.
Other features related to radiology practices
There are plenty of other features you can consider, like AI and automation – which can help with things like radiologist imaging reporting & reading, reporting analytics, and more. There are also aspects like a master patient index, and beyond. As you can see, there are many different aspects to take into account when choosing the right EMR interface for your radiology practice. And don’t worry – if you need additional solutions, you can always download them in our App Marketplace to integrate with OmegaAI.
Questions to ask when selecting an EMR Software for your radiology department
There are also specific questions that you should ask throughout the decision-making process upon choosing an EMR software provider, like:
- Which certificates does your Imaging EMR have?
- Is the software easy to use? Is it user-friendly?
- Is the product scalable? Does it integrate with other systems or applications?
- What type of support is offered with the product?
- Is the Imaging EMR hosted in Cloud? Is it accessible from anywhere?
- What is the implementation process of the vendor like? How long does it take?
- What are the training resources that the vendor provides?
- How is the vendor enforcing privacy and ensuring the security of patient information?
- How much does the EMR Software cost?
These cover a wide range of considerations – from security to support to price – and will guide you along your purchasing journey. Another important thing to consider is whether your radiology EMR software is HIPAA-compliant: an important feature necessary for anyone practising in the US or using US patient records. Have any other questions? Feel free to contact our sales team.
How can your radiology facility benefit from Imaging EMR – OmegaAI?
Let’s look at an example. We’ll call this Hospital A. And Hospital A has a radiology department that has been stuck in the past, still using paper record-keeping to this day. They know that they need EMR software, and they’re curious about OmegaAI in particular.
Before jumping into the various ways that OmegaAI’s Imaging EMR software can help Hospital A, we’ll answer some of their preliminary questions before EMR integration and implementation. Here are some key facts:
- RamSoft’s SaaS solutions carry the following certificates: MDSAP certification, SOC 2 Type II Certification, Surescripts Certification, ICSA Labs certification, Canada Medical Device Regulations License, and IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise)
- OmegaAI is extremely easy-to-use and user-friendly; our intuitive OmegaAI Dial makes navigation a breeze
- The product is highly scalable and expansible, and integrates with other systems/applications through a built-in app marketplace
- OmegaAI offers comprehensive support from within the software itself
- OmegaAI Imaging EMR is cloud-native and accessible from anywhere
- The implementation process varies based on many factors, like the size of the customer and the number of staff requiring training
- RamSoft offers self-directed training syllabi/videos per role, but more traditional models are available for purchase as needed
- RamSoft takes security seriously; our radiology EMR software is HIPAA compliant and PIPEDA compliant (along with our various certificates listed above)
- Imaging EMR software with RamSoft has zero start-up costs and then follows a volume-based monthly SaaS subscription model
So, now that Hospital A has asked their necessary questions and chosen to implement OmegaAI Imaging EMR, the magic starts to happen. Through EMR implementation, those paper files? They’re now being converted to electronic health records. And the CDs they used to burn for sharing medical imaging are now obsolete. Every aspect of their radiology department is now simplified: from the time their patients book online, to when they can self-check in remotely, to when they’re at home waiting for their results. Those results are now available at the touch of a button from the device of their choosing and can be securely shared with anyone they see fit. And the department is running more smoothly than ever, with billing streamlined and the front desk automated. OmegaAI is functioning as their radiology billing software and their radiology scheduling software. Radiologists are able to use tools like voice recognition dictation to make their jobs easier now, too. It’s a changed world for Hospital A with EMRs. Their radiologists are working more efficiently than ever, spending 50 hours or more on direct patient care per week, their administrative staff has their workloads streamlined, their records are securely housed in cloud, and most importantly, their patients are happier and more empowered to take control of their own healthcare journeys. That’s the power of OmegaAI Imaging EMR in radiology, and the power of patient autonomy. Radiology EMR software has the potential to make a world of a difference.
