Pedro Ballester, M.D.

Before Dr. Pedro Ballester's private practice implemented an electronic medical record (EMR) system, his wife and office coordinator Kathy Ballester was "anti-EMR." "I felt if it wasn't broken, don't fix it," she said. However, in 2004, her husband's three-person staff went electronic using the SOAPware EMR system. After implementation, Kathy described the practice's EMR system as indispensable and said there's no way she'd go back to a paper-based system.

When it came to choosing an EMR system, identifying the practice's specific needs — not only what they wanted the EMR to do, but also what they didn't need it do — was key. The Ballesters' research showed that many EMRs are better suited for the needs of a larger office. They went with SOAPware because its interface and functions worked well for a small office. "I don't do billing in-house, so I knew we didn't need to spend that much money," Kathy Ballester said.

The office maintains a storage room of paper charts containing information collected prior to 2004. Since 2004, all patient information has been stored electronically. Although establishing a network in the office was a big front-end hurdle, Dr. Ballester said that it quickly became clear the EMR made a change for the better. "It improved the documentation," he said. "It was much faster than using paper charts."

In fact, the staff was amazed at how quickly they could find files and retrieve information electronically, and so were vendors and patients who called the office. "I can't tell you how many times [a company] will call and say, ‘I'm calling about Mrs. Ballester's prescription. Could you get her chart?'" said Kathy Ballester. "I [say], ‘I'm ready.' They [say], ‘What?!' And I say, ‘I'm ready! I have an EMR. What prescription are you talking about?'"

Based on their experience, the Ballesters recommend finding a system that works for a practice's specific needs. "[For small offices,] an EMR doesn't have to cost $40,000," Kathy Ballester said. "People are afraid of hidden fees and charges for upgrades. I pay $500 for support per year. That's it."

"The most surprising thing is that it's so easy," Kathy Ballester said. "At the beginning, I wondered, am I going to be able to do this? Now I can't imagine not having an EMR."