EMR is short for Electronic medical records, which is a digital record system that are used by health care and aesthetic professionals for documentation of patient data. An EMR usually contains general information such as patient contact information, medical history, aesthetic preferences, allergies and treatments. An EMR is designed to keep records organized, with quick access, and ease of use for logging new treatments as well as editing old data.
In short an EMR is the digital version of a paper record in the health care, and now also used in aesthetic clinics.
What is the purpose of an EMR?
Having an EMR helps both patients and care providers in several ways. Not only is it beneficial from a safety aspect, making it easy to keep records accessible for the right people, but also from the aspect of quality of care and treatment.
EMR’s make it possible to keep all information about a patient in one place which enables an easy overview of medical history, planned treatments and progress. Care providers can follow up with their patients in a smooth way and patients can feel secure their information won’t be shared or accessed by anyone outside of their care team.
What is the difference between EMR & EHR?
Apart from the EMR, the electronic medical record, there is also the electronic health record – EHR. The difference between the two is that the EHR contains information from multiple places and practices and displays the whole health history of a patient, whilst the EMR is only providing medical history from one practice.
An EMR can be described as a digital version of a patient’s chart. The purpose of the EMR is not to share it outside of the practice and is mainly used for diagnosis and treatment.
The EHR can be shared with other care providers and is often used for decision making as it provides a holistic view of the patient’s health over time.
How is an EMR used in the aesthetic industry?
One important and commonly used feature of an EMR within the aesthetic industry is the possibility to keep before and after pictures. Patients can get an easy overview of their progress and can also help managing expectations. Keeping all information regarding a patient in one place is another important aspect, which also helps saving time and build upon the relationship with the patient as it’s easy to get a good insight to the development and plan forward.
The EMR can also provide the possibility for the patient to fill out all of their information beforehand, freeing up time for the care providers and making it more convenient for the patient. Time saving is an aspect of having an EMR which many clinics benefit from when being able to focus more of their time on the patient.
What are the main features of an EMR system for an aesthetic clinic?
To use an EMR system as an injection clinic or as a beauty professional, there are a few features that are essential for efficient and safe record keeping. Here are the main features that system should have.
- Access to patient information such as contact information, allergies, treatments & aesthetic preferences
- Secure data storage on a cloud or physical server
- Following GDPR standards for patient data and privacy
- Access restrictions for users, limiting visibility of patient records
- A smooth patient registration process, to be transparent about which patient data is stored
Types of Electronic Medical Systems
There are two general types of EMR systems that are used widely today. Depending on the clinic need, you can have a simple cloud based system, or more complex systems locally that includes cash register, scheduling and bookings.
Cloud based
- Most popular and widespread system
- Simple and usually require very little IT knowledge to implement
- Accessible from all devices and therefore also from any location
- Less costly since this is centrally managed and based on a web platform or an application
Server based
- More powerful and based on a dedicated server for the clinic
- Usually have more tools including scheduling and booking system
- Requires installations and integrations with other systems in the clinic
- Costly and requires more support as this is locally managed
A Cloud-based EMR is the preferred system for smaller injection and aesthetic clinics, that only need a simple system to store patient records. Prices can be as low as 4-5€ per month or $6-7 USD which makes it a very attractive investment for storing patient data securely and organized.
Benefits of an EMR system in the beauty & aesthetic industry
There are both practical, financial and security benefits of moving records to a secure online system. Saving time in record keeping will give focus on the patients and treatments, and less in administration. By having organized records there is an opportunity to foresee client needs and reach out to book new treatments, providing additional sales.
With today’s demand for safe data handling, an EMR system in the beauty and aesthetic industry should be a must for any patient record keeping.