How can there eventually be more than several EHRs? Since the consolidation is just starting, how do you think AC will end up?
AC has moved into stronger hands, and the founder has been able to take money out of his investment for his family's security and continue to contribute. All good, but there are many rounds to go.
The first problem is the wasted time trying to develop a PM unsuccessfully. While it is good education for helping to purchase or make a PM, the time and talent could have made much more than 6.5 by now. The list of 81.
The second problem is that they have to spend so much time connecting AC to a new PM to make it seamless. That may be very difficult too, but it will take a lot of time and talent to do it. My MediSoft transactions file is 20+ GB, so we will need a very robust database.
The third problem is the transition to new management and the time it takes to get people in and out, and then everyone on the same page. Does this sound like falling down in a race when you're ahead of the pack, and getting up and trying to get up to speed when you're behind? Fortunately, there are more laps ahead.
The EHRs of the present don't have to have a PM, because almost everyone has a PM already, and who wants to put the whole office through transition hell at the same time. But, the next step for everyone is to integrate front and back office.
The EHRs of the future have to have every bell and whistle that is required for the target physician market to take care of patients, and interact as needed with the government, insurers, hospitals, other EHRs, other members of the home model, and the patient. I would imagine that committees of appropriate experts and specialty reps will meet so that every ICD-10 diagnosis will eventually be associated with a list of data that have to be entered by whatever method you prefer to qualify for each of the different levels of E/M charges. The EHR will prompt you for answers and do the coding. An effective EHR will get most of the questions answered directly by the patient before they come to your office or while sitting in the waiting room.
An effective EHR will have scrubbed the chart to make your office look like you are good at dotting i-s and crossing t-s, or warned your nurse of a problem 3 days in advance of the appointment. An effective EHR will prompt prevention issues and treatment options, and provide resources to help the patient come to a better decision, either today or by the next visit. An effective EHR will allow patients to make appointments online, remind them, and contact them 15 minutes before the appointment to verify they are coming on-time, or reschedule and charge them. I'm sure I can't think tonight of the eventual requirements.
Most of all, however, it will have to save and cut personnel expenses if payments for our work aren't going to keep up with inflation.
