American Medical News - EMR packages being bundled as single product

The bundling of hardware and software packages into multi-functional EMR solutions is occurring at a rapid pace (American Medical News). The push for facilities to adopt electronic records is increasing and vendors are ramping up in anticipation of rising demand. Mandates by Medicare and federal stimulus money will make EMR solutions virtually unavoidable in modern practice. In light of these changes, the need for packages geared towards smaller facilities and physician practices is immense. Smaller practices may find it difficult to find a solution that isn't exorbitantly priced nor a hassle to implement and maintain. The average practice won't need or be able to afford a full-blown, integrated solution that might be found in a larger practice or hospital. More entrants into the EMR market has meant a wider variety of options for physicians. Even document management systems are popping up which are being billed as hybrid EMRs. While EMR may eventually yield positive results for our health care system in aggregate, practices that are seeking immediate return on investment should look towards billing or practice management solutions...these can be ideal for improving productivity, cash flow, and efficiency right out of the box.