EHR: A Valuable Tool for Individual Counselors
Addiction counselors are discovering that using electronic health records to collect and consolidate client data and treatment protocols instead of relying on piles of outdated paperwork is much simpler and faster. EHRs enable counselors to perform online assessments and record patient information using cloud-based software.
A Valuable Tool for Individual Counselors To Save Time
With an EHR in place, individual addiction counselors can nearly go paperless in the workplace because patient documentation can be stored electronically. Both patient and staff paperwork can be uploaded to an EHR system for safekeeping, with no file folders or papers necessary.
Having to take notes on paper, record them digitally and then file the originals wastes valuable time every day. Going paperless with an EHR simplifies this process by allowing you to digitally create and manage client records, eliminating the need to process each report twice. An EHR gives you more freedom to spend quality time with your patients—instead of digging out from under a mountain of paperwork.
Improve Cash Flow with Easier Claim Filing
As an individual counselor treating patients with substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders, filing insurance claims the old-fashioned way without administrative support is cumbersome, inefficient and time-consuming. You may be so busy that at times you’ve decided it was easier to put off the work of billing—to the point that some claims got lost in the shuffle, resulting in a loss of income. With the help of auto-billing tools, claims are promptly submitted and can be retrieved easily.
Through increased efficiency, electronic health record systems are expected to save the health care industry over $81 billion a year.1 Using an EHR can become a valuable tool for individual counselors that can help them save money and improve organizational efficiency in the long run.
Electronic Health Records Increase Efficiency
E-prescribing allows you to easily and securely create prescriptions for your clients. By using an EHR that includes an e-prescribing tool, your operational efficiency increases every time you need to prescribe medications by bypassing written prescriptions.
Using electronic health records also decreases concerns about how you will fit in the time to file claims, process billing information and enter patient data. Studies have found that when health care providers implement EHR systems, actual time spent with patients during appointments increased.2 Spending more time with your patients leads to improved client care and increased client satisfaction with your services.
Secure Recordkeeping and Convenient Notifications
Electronic health records keep your patients’ data safe and secure, yet always conveniently available for your review and use. With cloud-based access, an EHR allows you to review client data from any location, at any time—without having to download additional software.
Never miss an appointment or overlook time-sensitive forms again with automatic reminders and alerts. EHRs are a valuable tool for individual counselors that allow them to keep up to date on deadlines and streamline schedules.