Electronic patient records: cost savings, efficiencies and competitive strategies for specialty physician groups.

Abstract

Knowledge is power. Sharing information about patients and knowledge about practice guidelines with allied physicians through the electronic patient record can help strengthen and maintain referral relationships. Electronic patient records can support specialty physicians in managing care across the continuum. As this professional paper suggests, organizations should be open to the use of cutting-edge technologies as long as there is a compelling business reason for introducing them. Specialty practices that want to successfully meet the future certainly have compelling business reasons for embracing the electronic patient record.