Writing thorough medical records is legally and medically necessary, but the process can be time-consuming, especially for overworked veterinarians. At the 2024 AAEP Convention, Emily Mangan, DVM, gave advice on streamlining medical recordkeeping.
How EMRs Benefit Veterinary Practices
Research shows that human physicians spend 20-50% of their time on administrative tasks such as writing records and treatment orders, Mangan shared. This is also a common pain point for veterinarians. Electronic medical records (EMRs) improve efficiency and workflow, she said, which can lead to shortened work hours and more job satisfaction.
Currently, only 58% of companion animal practices and 67% of equine practices use EMRs, Mangan reported, mostly due to resistance to change, fear of technology, and financial concerns. However, when used correctly, EMRs should improve communication; allow seamless, organized access to data by multiple parties in different locations; and offer a new, efficient workflow. That workflow includes templates, a quick-text library, dictation, multimedia storage for photos and videos, discharge handouts, scheduling modules, automation of routine tasks, accessibility resources with multilingual options, seamless remote work, and robust data analytics. In short, “Never write something more than once,” she advised.
Tips and Tricks
By creating an information library customized to specific appointment types, species, diagnoses, topic emails, and treatments, equine practices can leverage EMRs to markedly decrease the amount of time spent writing medical records. Mangan advised practices to remove patient names and genders from templates and instead leave those fields blank so they are easier to fill in. She also recommended organizing your library carefully so you can easily find the templates you need.
Final Thoughts
In closing, Mangan emphasized the improvement in consistency, efficiency, and accuracy that EMRs provide.
Related Reading
- The Business of Practice: AI Scribes for Veterinary Records
- 6 Ways to Improve Equine Practice Profitability
- Do You Utilize Telemedicine in Your Equine Practice?
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