Regulations and technology need to align to advance the goal of enhanced patient outcomes necessarily.

The healthcare industry has always been slow in adopting technologies as compared to other sectors such as retail or manufacturing. However, in recent times, the healthcare industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in its operations and functions due to the rapid adoption of digital health technologies. Electronic Health Record (EHR) has gained significant attention as a leading digital tool for transforming medical practices. The question, however, remains if EHR innovation and regulation go hand in hand?

EHR vendors and medical providers have both been battling the numerous regulatory requirements associated with EHR implementation. They are typically overwhelmed with several regulatory programs, from PQRS and eRx programs to Meaningful Use, value-based modifiers, ICD-10, and a lot more.

EHRs are designed for compliance

It is imperative to note that EHRs are essentially designed for compliance. The healthcare industry is highly regulated as compared to other sectors, primarily due to the sensitive nature of Protected Health Information (PHI). Hence, vendors design EHR keeping in mind the regulatory requirements such as MACRA. Also, they are developed to meet the ever-evolving guidelines and shifting deadlines of various regulatory programs.

However, there are challenges associated with this regulatory compliance. For instance, Meaningful Use Stage 2 requires the EHR to meet standard interfacing with state immunization registries. EHR vendors are bound to produce a standard-format file and transmit it to the state immunization registry to attain certification. However, each state has its own set of requirements, and many states won’t accept the in-built format of EHR. This then limits the functionality of the system.

Integrating compliance into the workflow

EHR vendors have a choice of designing compliance features to seek a physician’s preference for manual input of data or capturing it automatically for reporting purposes. A lot of effort goes into automating the regulatory requirements and integrating the necessary data collection procedures to fit into the practice’s workflows automatically. For instance, if a physician writes an electronic prescription, he need not attest it manually into a separate system of having done so. The regulatory tracker will do this itself. Such features can be natively built into the EHR to ensure regulatory compliance.

Innovation in a continually changing regulatory environment

The constantly changing healthcare industry and regulatory environment pose considerable pressure on all practices. Patients expect more as they pay more under high deductibles plans. Practices struggle to meet these expectations, improving the quality of care while minimizing costs. The advances in digital technologies have made it easier to integrate patient-captured data into the EHR for better patient outcomes. For instance, the data collected through wearables can be merged into the patient chart, and machine learning and analytics can be deployed to predict what the practice needs to do next. Similarly, digital tools help to streamline administrative processes to extend provider outreach and improve care through electronic follow-up. Most importantly, the EHR can be strategically integrated with practice management and medical billing solutions to liberate providers from routine administrative tasks and focus on patient care instead.

The advanced features in digital technologies essentially depict the next frontier in healthcare. However, as new regulations are implemented, they require additional features to be embedded into the existing systems. This then creates awkward user interfaces that frustrate both the providers and the vendors. Regulations and technology need to align to advance the goal of enhanced patient outcomes necessarily.