Behavioral Health EHR
Behavioral Health

Human and behavioral health professionals have a lot on their plates. From records and billing to patient engagement, a lot of dedicated care and work goes into assisting patients in receiving the treatment and tools they require to lead happier and healthier lives. 

However, many behavioral health providers continue to employ outdated methods. Behavioral health EHRs offer a more modernized way of keeping track of patient information, improving organizational processes, and meeting the particular requirements of various behavioral health specialties. If your business hasn’t made the switch, here’s what you need to know.

What Is a Behavioral Health EHR?

Behavioral Health Electronic (EHR) systems are created to specifically address the requirements of the providers. EHR software for behavioral health is a complete solution that offers more features than electronic medical records (EMR).

They give providers a secure means to access and store clients’ records digitally and offer tools to improve collaboration and communication with clients and other treatment team members. 

Features to Look For in a Behavioral Health EHR

EHRs typically offer a variety of features because they are comprehensive solutions for behavioral healthcare.

It can be challenging to go through the options, so here is a simple list of the important features to look for in a behavioral health EHR:

  • Digital health records: Providers can store, create and access patient records and forms using EHRs.

  • Patient Portal: It provides a safe, HIPAA-compliant environment for managing patient communications and providing access to clients records.

  • Chat or Messaging Features: Look for chat or messaging features that make it simple for healthcare professionals to connect in one location.

  • Reporting Features: Get access to detailed data reports to simply revenue management and make better decisions as an organization.

How to Choose a Behavioral Health EHR

Although there are several EHRs available, providers must take care to select the one that best suits their needs. Here are a few considerations as you examine your EHR choices.

Search for solutions designed generally for the behavioral health field 

Look for EHR made specifically for the behavioral health industry rather than conventional medical EHRs.

Unlike a general medical EHR, a behavioral health EHR will offer specialty-specific tools that fit your workflows, such as clinical documentation tools, templates for widely-used forms or evaluations and improved care coordination features.

Select a service with an individualized and flexible customer service team

Technical challenges should never get in the way of patient healthcare. If anyone in your group runs into an issue or requires a little help to sort out a feature, prompt support is essential. The customer support and training teams should always be there to offer product training and ongoing support.

Discuss the onboarding and implementation process

A detailed implementation sets your institution up for success. One of the main difficulties behavioral healthcare providers have experienced in implementing EHRs is a training and skill gap within the field.

According to a recent study, the steep learning curve, the complexity of the EHR systems, a lack of computer literacy, and employee resistance were major obstacles to adopting a mental health EHR. You can alleviate many of these problems by ensuring that your staff gets the proper training and support throughout the onboarding process. Involve hands-on guidance and training from live onboarding staff who can specifically address any issues your team members have.

Let’s connect for more.

Electronic health records help providers streamline their processes so they may focus more on interacting with patients and less time on routine administrative activities. If you want to know more about EHR software, our team at Zkare would be happy to give you a free demo.