Cardiology EHR: special features, benefits & implementation guide
January 9, 2024
An electronic health records solution for cardiologists enables a secure and reliable storage and transfer of patient health information beyond the general medical records, e.g., real-time reports from wearable cardiac monitoring devices, ECGs, stress test results, and pacemaker identification.
Itransition helps healthcare providers choose and implement EHR or EMR software that suits their budget and specialty-specific workflows, covers cardiology practice requirements, and is fully interoperable with the rest of their health IT solutions.
Cardiology market overview
cause of death in the US are heart diseases
CDC, 2021
cardiologists are actively employed in the US
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022
CAGR is projected for the cardiology information system (CIS) market by 2028
Expert Market Research, 2022
Cardiology EHR functionality & architecture
Cardiology EMR and EHR software is built similarly to general-use systems with an addition of field-specific modules, templates, and terminology.
- Complete medical history and PHI storage
- Appointment scheduler and reminder
- Comprehensive dashboards with medical information
- Task trackers and reminders
- Practice management module
- Symptomatic pattern identification
- Health condition forecasting
- Treatment effectiveness assessment
- Insurance information storage
- Payer details specification
- E-prescriptions
- Multi-factor authentication
- Role-based access control
- Data encryption
- Secure data transfer channels and protocols
Specialty-specific features
- Integration with cardiological medical devices
- Cardiology-specific templates and e-forms for charting and record-keeping
- Cardiological patient charts for clinicians and nurses
- ECG image storage
- Cardiology medicine e-prescribing
- Cardiology CPT and ICD-10 correspondence
- Simplified referral functionality
Ready to improve your cardiology practice’s productivity with EHR?
Cardiology EHR success cases
Healthcare professionals who use cardiology EHR/EMR and practice management software admit improved productivity, reduced costs, and more time to focus on patient engagement instead of tedious documentation tasks.
20%
better practice efficiency
Medical Colleagues of Texas increases efficiency with Greenway EHR
Example by Greenway HealthAn independent medical practice with specialists from family physicians to cardiologists adopted the Greenway EHR and practice management solution because of its highly customizable nature. Specialists modify the system depending on their needs and patient population, which helps them simplify day-to-day operations and see a significant boost in productivity.
0
crashes in over 10 years
Kafri Heart And Vascular Clinic facilitated patient care via PrognoCIS EHR
Example by PrognoCIS EHRDr. Hassan Kafr, an interventional cardiologist in Chula Vista, CA, has noticed a significant reduction in documentation management costs after implementing a cloud-based EHR solution. Over the years, he remained happy with the system’s reliability and scalability, as he was able to add new features with little effort on his staff’s part. He has also never experienced issues with the PrognoCIS software.
Cardiology EHR integrations
Healthcare software brings greater benefits if interconnected in one IT ecosystem. Our experts help medical practices integrate EHRs with the rest of their systems to achieve flawless healthcare interoperability.
Core integrations
Telehealth
Hospital management systems
Medical devices
Pharmacy management software
Revenue cycle management
Patient portals
Boost profitability by enabling virtual cardiology services. Help your clinicians properly diagnose and prescribe treatment to remote patients during telemedicine sessions by granting them easy access to electronic medical records.
Streamline the majority of administrative tasks (e.g., schedule appointments and follow-ups, organize shifts, and distribute resources) according to real-time patient needs recorded in the EHR.
Connecting EHR or EMR system to remote patient monitoring wearables or medical equipment that records ECG, or takes cardiac MRI to automate data entry into the system.
Go beyond e-Rx solutions, simplify, and optimize medication ordering for your clinic by connecting electronic health records to pharmacy software.
Revenue cycle management
Get reimbursement for your care faster by adding insurance information to your EHR and medical billing services to your health IT ecosystem.
Encourage your patients to participate more actively in their own healthcare by allowing them to view and manage their personal and health details.
How to choose cardiology EHR software
The choice of an EHR software system depends on clinical and business requirements, connectivity capabilities, as well as the budget, and size of a particular organization. We recommend using the diagram below to determine which solution works best for your practice. Keep in mind that regardless of its functionality, your EHR should comply with HIPAA and other regulators and standards depending on the country.
On-premises vs cloud-based cardiology EHR
Hospitals with cardiology departments, clinics, and independent practices can choose between the on-premises and cloud EHRs. Each type has its own advantages and limitations that should be considered before making a decision.
Cloud-based
On-premise
Adoption
Cloud-based
On-premise
Requires minimal hardware and infrastructure changes, except for high-speed connectivity
Requires hardware, workflows, and infrastructure changes, as well as longer adoption time
Pricing
Cloud-based
On-premise
Lower upfront fees but higher lifetime costs
Higher initial payment but lower lifetime costs
Accessibility
Cloud-based
On-premise
Patient records are accessible from anywhere via the internet
Patient records are accessible online and offline from the organization’s facilities
Vulnerability
Cloud-based
On-premise
Requires continuous security upgrades against cyberattacks
Requires additional security measures against internal threats
Reliability
Cloud-based
On-premise
Patient data is stored and backed up on servers outside an organization’s facilities under vendor’s protection
Organization is responsible for the system’s backups and data recovery in case of a failure
Customization
Cloud-based
On-premise
Can be customized quickly but with limited options
Takes longer to customize but can be tuned more accurately to a particular organization’s needs
Cardiology EHR implementation roadmap
Our experts support cardiologists throughout all stages of EHR implementation, providing consultation, development, tuning, integration, data migration, and post-deployment support services.
1
Preparation
Define main EMR/EHR requirements and tech stack
Map out crucial workflows and outline main project milestones
Work out a data governance strategy to ensure effective and sustainable system adoption
2
Implementation
Develop EHR/EMR software or tune the existing system according to your practice’s needs
Integrate other healthcare software and hardware
Migrate data from one system to another if needed
Perform all-round quality assurance and ensure compliance with security and meaningful use requirements
3
Post-deployment
Monitor the system’s performance
Resolve any issues that come up
Update and upgrade the system
Train your personnel
Top cardiology EHR platforms
A suitable EHR/EMR platform is essential for successful solution implementation and quick ROI. Our specialists help healthcare providers pick the most fitting solution for their practice and then timely implement it staying within the available budget.
Notable features
- Сustomizable clinical workflow design
- Electronic medical records
- eRx
- PACS connectivity
- Voice transcription
- Referral management
- Specialty templates
- Medical billing services
- Easy integration with other health IT systems
Compatibility
- Mac, iPhone and iPad
Mode of deployment
- Cloud
- Hybrid
- On-premise
Certification/compliance
- HIPAA compliant
- CCHIT
- ONC-ACB
- HL-7
Pricing
- $225-450 per month per provider, customization cost is available on request
Demo
- On request
Notable features
- Сlinical notes
- Сlinical documentation management
- E-prescribing
- Dedicated patient portal
- Powerful integration capabilities
- Referral management
- Practice management
- Specialty templates
- Analytics and reporting modules
Compatibility
- All major OSs
Mode of deployment
- Cloud
- Hybrid
- On-premise
Certification/compliance
- HIPAA compliant
- CCHIT
- ONC-ACB
- HL-7
Pricing
- $1,200 but goes up with each integration
Demo
- On request
Notable features
- Cardiovascular risk factors scorecards
- Flexible documentation management
- Cardiology device connectivity
- PACS integration
- Voice transcription
- Automated insurance eligibility
- Quick-save templates
- Financial management modules
Compatibility
- Any computing device
Mode of deployment
- Cloud
- Hybrid
- On-premise
Certification/compliance
- HIPAA compliant
- CCHIT
- ONC-ACB
- HL-7
Pricing
- $299-549 per month per provider, personalized quote is available on request
Demo
- On request
Notable features
- Predictive order management
- Family medical history
- eRx and PDMP check
- At-risk claims identification
- Integrated patient portal and messaging
- Insurance management
- Customizable pre-loaded forms and clinical templates
- Easy integration with practice management software
Compatibility
- A stand-alone EHR solution is available on major OSs, while the Prime Suite Mobile App works on Android and Apple devices, and the Intergy Mobile App is available on iPad only
Mode of deployment
- Cloud
- Hybrid
- On-premise
Certification/compliance
- HIPAA compliant
- CCHIT
- ONC-ACB
- HL-7
Pricing
- Starts at $799 per provider per month
Demo
- On request
When out-of-the-box EHR/EMR solutions don’t cover the requirements of a particular organization, our experts can develop a custom cardiology EHR system from scratch or enhance an existing platform with third-party modules.
Benefits of EHR in cardiology
Specialized EHRs have multiple advantages compared to less sophisticated clinical documentation management tools, helping cardiology practices become more productive and earn higher profits.
Better health outcomes
Specialized EHR software reduces mistakes associated with manual data entry to the patient history and aggregates structured health data that can be further processed by medical analytics systems. According to the Journal of Patient Safety’s research, the adoption of EHRs in cardiology, pulmonology, and surgery leads to significantly less in-hospital adverse reactions. Another study, presented in Sage Journals, shows that clinicians value EHR’s ability to present patients’ details quickly and accurately, which is paramount in most cardiology clinical situations.
Lower burnout risk for cardiology professionals
Clinicians come into healthcare to help patients lead longer, healthier lives and to treat pathological conditions rather than fill out documentation. However, many professionals do have to deal with lots of administrative tasks on top of patient care and they burn out quicker than those focused on their primary job. General-use EHRs are not the perfect solution as they are often over-complicated with multiple functions, which makes documentation management even more tiresome for clinicians. Systems tuned for specific practices solve this issue as they have strictly necessary fields and pre-defined templates for more straightforward usage.
Increased profitability
Enhanced patient care, happier personnel, and improved productivity due to properly implemented cardiology software lead to stronger patient loyalty, better staff retention, and opportunities for business growth. What’s more, certified EHRs help cardiology practices in the US participate in the government-supported incentive program, receiving reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Cardiology EHR challenges & potential solutions
Despite many proven advantages of using a specialized EHR, healthcare professionals point out several issues. Our experts always offer support and advice during all stages of EHR adoption to help providers overcome common implementation challenges.
Additional workload for personnel
Poorly optimized EHR software adds to specialists’ work burden instead of reducing it. Also, medical professionals often find learning new software stressful, and find workarounds to avoid using EHRs altogether.
Work with your software vendor to ensure that your system is tuned for your practice’s unique needs and arrange sufficient training for medical professionals. Listen to your employees’ feedback and act on it to make their experience better.
Poor interoperability
Even the most sophisticated cardiology EHR system can become useless if patient data gets siloed and inaccessible for other departments and practitioners.
Discuss your interoperability concerns with your software provider. Opt for expert integration and data migration services to flawlessly connect all of your organization’s software and third-party tools.
Security & reliability concerns
Some practitioners are anxious about losing data or access to it due to system failure, problems with connectivity, or cyber attacks.
Data protection and system backups are crucial parts of a data governance strategy in any healthcare organization. Consult with industry experts to understand how to set up your system in a secure and reliable way, so your data is always protected and available to designated specialists.
Improve your cardiology services with specialized EHR
While cardiologists are among practitioners who actively adopt EHRs, they are not always satisfied with general-use solutions. Thankfully, many EHR platforms can be tuned for cardiology practices to enhance healthcare delivery and reduce administrative workload. Itransition experts support healthcare organizations during the entire implementation process and help them gain all the benefits from their system.
Need an experienced EHR implementation partner?
FAQ
EMR vs EHR, which is better for cardiology?
An EMR system could be enough for small practices or solo practitioners who don’t need to integrate it with other software or use it for services beyond cardiology patient care. Medium and large practices, hospitals, or other healthcare organizations with a significant patient base and extensive service portfolio typically choose EHRs. However, each case is unique, so we recommend consulting an expert before committing to a particular system.
What is the cardiology information system?
A cardiology information system (CIS) encompasses software and hardware needed for cardiology data collection automation.
Will using cardiology EHR grant me eligibility for the Medicare & Medicaid incentive program?
Cardiology professionals who use an ONC-certified EHR according to the meaningful use requirements are eligible to participate in the program. You can find more information on the CMS website.
Is cardiology EHR expensive?
The cost of the EHR implementation varies depending on the system's required functionality, the size of the user base, and the number and complexity of integrations. Some systems are free, while others cost as much as $500,000 to develop and run.
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