Electronic Medical Records in Family Medicine Resources

Assembled by the MAFP Technology and Innovative Practice Task Force
Revised March 17, 2003

Should I make the leap?

Why I Love My EMR - October 2002 - Family Practice Management
Two years after he took his practice digital, the author addresses the concerns of others who contemplate leaving paper records behind.

 

How Much Will That EMR System Really Cost? - April 2002 - Family Practice Management
Article helps you calculate the initial purchase price of a complete EMR system as well as the annual and five-year operating costs of the system. You can download a working copy of a spreadsheet to help you with your own calculations (you will need Microsoft Excel to view the file).

 

The EMR: Not Just a Computerized Chart - January 2001 - Family Practice Management
Author describes how an electronic medical record is not just an electronic version of your paper chart. They don't simplify work, instead they enable you to do more complex work. He uses the example of Quicken - more than just a checkbook balancing program.

 

Ready, Set, Grow - December 2002 - Health Management Technology
North Fulton Family Medicine is a full-service family medicine practice serving the North Atlanta region with two locations in Alpharetta and Cummings, GA.   This article describes how they implemented an electronic medical record (EMR) technology, tripled patient volume and reduced per patient costs by more than 10 percent.

Doing it on the cheap

 

6 Easy Steps to a Low-Cost Electronic Medical Record - May 2001 - Family Practice Management
Author describes how to use common word-processing software to create your own electronic medical records.

 

How a Salaried FP Computerized His Practice -- on His Own - June 2000 - Family Practice Management
Author describes how, with an investment of less than $5,000, he created a network of computers for documentation at the point of care which enables him to produce progress notes and patient instructions and to streamline the completion of forms.  He created the network and configured the software with guidance from a how-to book and his operating system's online help.

 

Achieving Tangible IT Benefits in Small Physician Practices - First Consulting Group, Sept 2002
This report highlights creative new IT initiatives that small physician offices across the country have developed to improve the quality and efficiency of care.  Physicians and staff at more than two-dozen small physician practices were interviewed, along with vendors and leaders from several national professional organizations

 

EMR? Not Exactly. Good Enough? For now - August 9 2002 - Medical Economics Magazine
Article describes how the Family Practice Associates of Lexington (KY) gradually automated their records while reaping immediate benefits. Three years ago they began to scan paper charts and convert them into static electronic images.


Selecting a System

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Selecting an EMR System - November/December 1999 - Family Practice Management
A short article describing steps you can take to help you uncover a system's technological limitations and choose a system well suited to your practice.

 

Electronic Medical Records: 10 Questions I Didn't Know to Ask - March 2001 -- Family Practice Management
After using a product for three years, this author describes ten questions she wished she had known to ask when reviewing the various systems.

 

How to Select a Computer System for a Family Physician's Office - AAFP Practice Monograph, 1999
This monograph is in its third revision.  It takes you through the process of evaluating and selecting a system though planning and making the implementation.

 

Electronic Medical Record Functionality for Family Medicine - AAFP Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Medical Records, 2002?
This document provides a list of electronic medical record features can be used as a guide in the decision-making process.  Features are listed in the categories of "Basic," "Advanced" and "Optional."