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Don’t Worry about the Future of ACA; Communicating with Referring Physicians Will Always Be Important

The healthcare news media are filled with stories today about what is happening with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka ObamaCare. The repeal and replacement of the ACA will have a significant impact on healthcare, but we should not lose sight of what will always remain important in the delivery of healthcare – communications.

As everyone knows who works in this industry, the delivery of healthcare is changing rapidly. There are many unknowns in the future model of healthcare, but one thing is for certain — highly effective communications will always be an important aspect of healthcare delivery, more so now than ever before. Obamacare2th (1)

There have been quantum improvements in the depth and breadth of communication and this has ushered in an array of new technologies that can overcome the ineffective and expensive communication challenges of the past. The importance of communication in clinical care cannot be overstated. 

Today, using the right technology, referring physicians can easily send orders to imaging centers, clinical labs and hospitals — and receive their reports back to their office EMRs electronically — without dependence on faxing or the dreaded paper shuffle.

From a communications perspective, connectivity technology should add value to the relationship with referring physicians, even if they do not have an EMR. If they do have an EMR, which is the most likely case, physicians should be able to choose between a very low-cost EMR integration solution and no-cost integration solution which does not require the office to sign into a web portal for every result.  These solutions should allow referral centers to electronically receive orders and deliver results to referring physicians’ EMRs.   Research shows that portals are under-utilized by providers since they require providers to work outside of their EMR with yet another login. 

Having access to enhanced connectivity technology, like that offered by DigitalOne, also creates opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.  Electronic communication of patients’ results will always be an important factor in healthcare delivery. Don’t lose sight of this fact during the uncertainty over ACA.  Check out how DigitalOne can streamline your workflow and keep you on the forefront of healthcare communications.

 

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