According to a new release from the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC), a nonprofit, federally designed collaborative that works to improve the quality of healthcare for those in the Empire State, more than 10,000 state medical facilities are now using electronic medical records software as of January 1. The more than 5,000 healthcare providers all enrolled in the programs as part of an effort to capitalize on the federal government's meaningful use incentives.
But, these New York facilities had the unique advantage of gaining a partner that was capable of helping them navigate the potential pitfalls that come along with an operational shift of this magnitude. The release indicated that these facilities had access to the Regional Extension Centers program, which taught doctors and nurses at participating organizations how to qualify for the meaningful use incentives.
Administering the programs were The New York City Health Department and the NYeC, both of which pledged to meet the 10,000 provider mark in 2011.
"In New York City, we've seen how health IT can help doctors. EMRs let them see which patients are falling through gaps in our health system and help practices set priorities to improve population health," Jesse Singer, the assistant commissioner at the NYC Health Department, said in a statement. "We are excited to help more doctors understand how to use data to improve the lives of their patients."
Now that they've reached this goal, doctors and physicians are able to rely on top-quality software to replace the pen-and-paper notations that had dominated records keeping in the industry. However, the report indicates that those looking to switch to this type of service may want to do so only with support.
By obtaining the help of a professional consulting service that provides Allscripts MyWay software, facilities outside the New York state area could navigate their transitions with a similar ease.
Microwize Technology is a leading retailer of healthcare IT products, including electronic medical records software and medical billing software from top providers like Lytec, Allscripts and McKesson.