Benefits of Using an Electronic Health Records System
What Are They and Why Do You Need One?
My guess is, by now, you’ve at least heard of Electronic Health Records (EHR for short) and may well have already used them. One of the most frequent questions I see asked is whether someone needs one if they don’t bill insurance in their private practice. My answer – YES! If you do accept insurance you absolutely need one.
EHRs are electronic client files. Rather than using paper, an EHR allows you to keep everything electronically. They are also the way the health industry, in general, is going. Medical doctors are now required to keep their records electronically. Insurance companies require us to submit billings electronically. EHRs are our future. It’s how it is and is going to be.
EHR records are awesome. They really are. They have it over paper in almost every way. First off, you no longer need to worry about storing old client files for years. I’ve been a therapist for a long time. I see a lot of children in my practice: we are required to keep a minor’s file for 7 years past their 18th birthday. Meaning, if I see a child when they are 5, I must literally keep that file for 23 years! Seriously. This is what initially prompted me to make the switch from paper files to electronic. I am so happy I did it. But it took me months, and months, and months, to transfer all my old paper files into electronic ones. I had hundreds of them. Don’t be me. Use an EHR from the beginning.
EHR systems will make your administrative tasks much easier and keep you more organized!
The electronic systems are fantastic at organizing everything.
It’s a lot harder for things to fall through the cracks when you use one. The system organizes:
- Your appointments.
- Your progress notes. They system also prompts you to make a progress note whenever there is a session scheduled.
- Releases of Information. My system even prompts me to check that I have a release on file if I make a note of a contact.
- Your billings, client payments, and balances.
- If you bill insurance, YOU NEED ONE. Notice I capitalized and bolded that. An EHR will save you a ton of time. The system submits the billings and tracks and automatically records the payments from the insurance company. It literally takes me 30 seconds to submit my claims at the end of the week. I click two buttons and I’m done. If you are using a biller, you can jettison that service; the EHR will do it for you in far less time than it takes you to prepare your weekly report for your biller.
- You can easily send clients invoices or superbills.
- If you choose to, the system can process credit card payments, keep your calendar, and send appointment reminders to clients.
- They have client portals, allowing clients to sign paperwork virtually.
- Most systems offer video platforms for online sessions.
I mean, what can’t they do?!
Seriously, get one. They will cost you money – probably somewhere between $50- $80 a month. It will take you less than one session to pay for it. Totally worth it.
What if you could successfully set up your practice without the mistakes most therapists make?
What if you could do it without feeling stressed out and overwhelmed?
My Private Practice Builder Master Course and Mini Courses are here to make that happen. Check them out now!
The Systems
There are a lot of systems out there, and the list is growing. If you want to compare, you can check out the website Capterra (www.capterra.com/mental-health-software). They offer a comprehensive list with links to EHR sites.
The two systems most therapists seem to use are TherapyNotes and Simple Practice.
I’ve heard a lot of devotion for both TherapyNotes and Simple Practice. I think this is something where personal preference comes into play. There are some differences, and you need to do your research to see which one is the better fit for you. Most have free trials. Go check them out.
However, you do need to choose a system with good customer support and a company that can talk intelligently about how they secure their system and back up client files.
Full disclosure: I use TherapyNotes and love them. Their system has worked really well for me and has been incredibly reliable. Their support is fantastic. Every time I need help, I get someone on the phone, often with little to no wait. I think the longest I’ve ever been on hold has been 5 minutes. They are dedicated to providing excellent customer service and they deliver.
I have not used Simple Practice, so I can’t talk knowledgeably about them. From the feedback I’ve heard from other therapists, their customer service is adequate but not as reliable as TherapyNotes. You have to contact them by email. Some people have felt they are responsive, but others have frustrations with their support.
They allow a few more options than TherapyNotes, like designing your own progress note forms, and a more robust client portal.
Again, I encourage you to try them out for yourself and see which you prefer. You will be using your system every single day for the next however many years of your life. Choose one that feels good for you.
When you are done with private practice, you can either continue to archive your files long term on their system or download them to securely store on your own (laptop or cloud).
To find out more crucial information about the steps you need to take when starting your private practice check out The Master Course, Everything You Need To Know About Private Practice But Didn’t Know To Ask. To get the same information in more affordable, bite size pieces, don’t miss the Mini Courses!
I love helping therapists build successful private practices! For more great information like this to help you build yours, make sure to check out the Master Course and the Mini Courses. I’m here to support you and I want to help you reach your dream!
If you need some individual help with all of this, I’m here for you! I offer mentoring services for those who want some personal attention to help them build their successful private practice. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can find out more on the Mentoring Groups page.
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