Many people think that an electronic medical record (EMR) is just a computer program, which doesn’t require any design at all as it can be made so intuitive that everybody would instantly know how to use it. But they are wrong. In fact, an easy EMR interface is an integral part of the hospital administrative workflow and its purpose is to assist the doctors and their patients in performing essential administrative procedures.
Designing EMRs with an easy and simple interface is important because they facilitate the hospital workflow and doctor-patient communication. Doctors and specialists spend much of their day filling out potentially dozens of different forms for the hundreds of patients they visit each day. Having a simple interface is the best way to optimize workflow in the hospital setting. There’s no point in dwelling on certain applications if the interface is going to be too complicated and cumbersome.
In this article, we’ll discuss what are the importance and features of a user-friendly and easy EMR interface. Software features are, after all, what is usually concerned about when beginning the search for a new EMR.
Why Simple and Easy EMR Interface is Important
1. Provides user experience that makes people feel good.
A simple user interface and user experience design will lead to a higher level of engagement from both employees and patients. When you have an electronic medical record (EMR) implemented in your hospital that is easy and simple, it provides a positive experience for the users like smooth transactions between departments and easy patient access.
2. Reduce software development and support costs.
To avoid frustrating users, electronic medical record systems should be user-friendly and have simple, easy EMR interface. Systems should be tested during development to ensure that they are free of problems. When electronic medical record systems are clearly designed for ease of use, users encounter fewer problems. This decreases the likelihood of providers having to redesign or redevelop those systems.
3. Improves operational efficiency.
An easy EMR interface is built on a unified workflow platform allowing clients seamless interoperability. EMRs should be simple to use, and once they are implemented, doctors and patients will be able to work more efficiently, which translates into increased productivity. This can lead to a better quality of care over the long run.
Key Features of a Simple and Easy EMR Interface
1. Serves healthcare organizations with the benefits they need.
In choosing an electronic medical record system, healthcare organizations should look for a system that fits their needs. An easy EMR interface takes into account all the workflows and the components that are used and interpreted by the organization. This way, it can provide ease of use while fulfilling the needs of the organization.
2. Considers the different ways users will interact with an easy EMR interface.
EMRs should be designed to fit the needs of different users: physicians, caretakers, lab workers, pharmacists, and others. This way, healthcare workers can spend less time navigating because they won’t be overloaded with the information they don’t need. To prevent healthcare workers from getting bogged down by extraneous data, EMRs can be designed with multiple user interfaces for different professionals.
3. Enables different target devices.
Just like with user types, an easy EMR interface is the one designed according to the devices that are in use. It’s not a question of crafting an interface that would adjust to any screen size but rather the question of creating several UIs to cover different needs. For example, inputting basic patient information and scheduling appointments on a hospital administration touch screen kiosk, and typing health examination notes on a tablet.
In the end, it’s best to scrutinize an EMR system before investing time, effort, and money into it. Healthcare organizations shouldn’t settle for anything less than what they need the software for: a simple and easy EMR interface. After all, the last thing everyone wants to have is a poor-quality design that won’t suffice in the long run.
Get Your Electronic Medical Record Hub Here
Contact Lifepoint Informatics today at 877.522.8378 to book a free consultation. You can also talk to us through our contact page. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you meet your electronic medical record needs. To start, check our EMRHub brochure.