Not every physician practice can afford an EMR system, but that doesn't mean there's no place for technology in your office. For example, a document management system is a simpler and less costly solution to help practices manage everyday projects, solve work flow issues, and increase revenue and productivity. How document management systems work Simply put, a document management system is a computer system (or set of computer programs) used to track and store electronic documents and/or images of paper documents.

From the time your practice starts an EMR implementation, be prepared for planning, training, and budgeting to continue far beyond the original stage. "Enhancements to the EMR software will come along, and your provider group will need to choose the changes that will help improve care," says Julie Wright, MBA, CMPE, CEO of Sound Family Medicine in Puyallup, WA. "It's the practice's job to find out which ones are irrelevant, and what priority to give to those changes."

More and more physician practices are adopting new technology systems and devices as a way to provide a patient-focused environment with easy access to important medical information and open lines of communication. Offering interactive services in the office gives those already technical, Web-savvy patients a greater connection to providers, but more importantly, it allows people to take better responsibility for their own health.

The Web is one of patients' most widely used resources for medical information. Therefore, it behooves practices to implement a well-designed, user-friendly Web site to help meet the needs of today's technology-savvy patients. A well-planned site can also save your practice time and money by making users individually responsible for tasks traditionally handled by an employee (see the March TDO for more information). Even providing basic information such as your address, hours of operation, and office policies on the Web can cut down on your phone call volume.

After practicing internal medicine for 22 years, Lou Snitkoff, MD, took an administrative position at CapitalCare Medical Group, a large multispecialty, primary care office in Albany, NY. The recently formed group comprises physicians and staff members from three smaller specialty groups. In his new position as medical director, Snitkoff focuses on mentoring his fellow physicians and demonstrating business savvy, he says.

As a physician, you're likely to think of time management in terms of when you can squeeze in all the tasks you have to complete for other people. But the best way to get a hold of the limited time offered in a given day is to instead focus on yourself, says Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH, CPCC, PCC, physician entrepreneur/business development coach for The Entrepreneurial MD in Los Angeles.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took one small step toward introducing telemedicine to the healthcare community in the 1960s, issuing suits specially equipped to monitor astronauts' biomedical responses while in space. The technology also provided the space travelers access to medical care thousands of miles away. Using similar telecommunications and IT, today's physicians have the opportunity to take a giant leap toward changing the way healthcare is delivered in the United States. No summer at Space Camp required.