Electronic Health Records (EHR) have transformed healthcare, but their full potential remains untapped. This article presents strategies from successful leaders who have optimized EHR systems in various medical fields. From customizing platforms for specific procedures to streamlining workflows, these expert insights offer practical approaches to enhance patient care and improve healthcare delivery.
- Create Live Feedback Loop for EHR Improvement
- Customize EHR for Weight Management Success
- Streamline Workflow with Intuitive EHR Platform
- Enhance Patient Care Through Integrated EHR
- Tailor EHR for Functional Medicine Approach
- Unify Radiologists’ Dictation with Epic EHR
- Implement Role-Based Access Controls in EHR
- Customize EHR for Hair Restoration Procedures
Create Live Feedback Loop for EHR Improvement
We recognized early on that optimizing our electronic health records (EHR) system couldn’t be a one-time project or a top-down decision. Having spent decades in behavioral health, I knew how critical it was to include the voices of the people actually using the system every day. With that in mind, we created a live feedback loop that allows staff to suggest changes or improvements directly within the system itself. This wasn’t just about gathering ideas; it was about giving our team ownership and making the EHR feel like a tool they helped shape, not one that was imposed on them.
What made this approach so effective was its simplicity and consistency. We didn’t rely on occasional surveys or assume we knew what was best from an administrative level. Instead, we built an ongoing channel where team members could regularly share what was working, what wasn’t, and what small changes could make a big difference in their workflow. The input came from clinicians, case managers, and support staff across departments, people who understood the system from the inside out.
Once the team saw that their feedback was being taken seriously and that real changes were happening based on their input, something shifted. Engagement with the system increased. Documentation became more consistent. Time spent on notes decreased. Frustration dropped significantly. Most importantly, our team stopped viewing the EHR as a static, external requirement and started seeing it as a shared resource they could improve.
This shift toward shared ownership didn’t just enhance our use of the EHR; it strengthened our culture. It encouraged more accountability, more collaboration, and a mindset of continuous improvement. In the behavioral health space, where burnout is a serious concern, even small changes to reduce friction in daily systems can make a lasting impact. The EHR became not just more functional, but more empowering.
By listening to the people closest to the work and trusting their input, we’ve built a system that truly supports our mission and the people who carry it out every day.
Saralyn Cohen
CEO, Able To Change Recovery
Customize EHR for Weight Management Success
Our Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a strategic asset because we customized it for weight management and metabolic health. Thanks to customized templates for bariatric surgery follow-ups, nutrition assessments, and behavioral health tracking, we’ve reduced charting time by 40% and improved our documentation’s accuracy. Our integration with wearable devices brings real-time patient data (such as glucose trends and activity levels) directly into our progress notes, providing a 360-degree view of each patient’s journey. This has made a world of difference for our Remote Monitoring (RM) program—we have seen a 30% improvement in patient engagement compared to when we were on a system with a 6-month weight loss success rate that was 22% less than that of the pre-EHR optimization era.
The real strength of our enhanced EHR is its predictive analytics technology. Using a decade’s worth of anonymized patient data, we developed algorithms that identify patients who are at risk of nutritional deficiencies or plateauing weight loss before presenting with clinical symptoms. This proactive system has decreased our Emergency Room (ER) consults by 35%, and our patient retention rate stands at 92%. We’ve also built automated patient education workflows—if a provider documents a medical condition (for example, insulin resistance), the system automatically adds customized patient education information to the patient portal. This perfect blending of clinical care and education has enabled us to grow our practice without losing the all-important personal touch that is so crucial when it comes to bariatric medicine.
Kevin Huffman
Doctor of Osteopathic Med | Bariatric Physician | CEO & Founder, Ambari Nutrition
Streamline Workflow with Intuitive EHR Platform
Optimizing Electronic Health Records (EHRs) has been all about making the system more intuitive and aligned with how clinicians actually work. We focused on creating a platform that feels more like a collaborative workspace rather than just a place to store data. That meant simplifying documentation with smart templates, integrating scheduling, billing, and telehealth all in one place, and reducing the number of clicks it takes to get things done.
One of the biggest improvements we’ve seen is in workflow efficiency. Practices have reported a 30 to 40 percent boost, which translates directly to more time with patients and less time on administrative tasks. Clinicians tell us they’re less burnt out and feel more in control of their day. So for us, the benefit has been clear—less friction in daily tasks, better care delivery, and a system that supports rather than slows down the work.
Jamie Frew
CEO, Carepatron
Enhance Patient Care Through Integrated EHR
We’ve embraced electronic health records (EHR) as a crucial tool in optimizing our rehabilitation services. By integrating a comprehensive EHR system, we’ve been able to streamline our patient management, ensure personalized care, and improve overall treatment outcomes. This system allows us to track each patient’s progress in real time, from the initial consultation to ongoing treatments. The ability to access detailed medical histories, treatment plans, and progress notes all in one place ensures that every decision we make is informed and tailored to the unique needs of each individual.
The key benefit we’ve observed is a significant reduction in administrative burden. With EHR, our team can quickly access and update patient records, allowing us to spend more time focusing on what truly matters: delivering high-quality care. This has also improved our communication with patients, as they can easily track their progress and stay informed about their treatment plans.
For example, one of our clients, Mark, who had been struggling with mobility issues after knee surgery, was able to directly engage with his care plan via the EHR portal. This not only kept him motivated but also gave him a clear understanding of his rehabilitation journey.
Another benefit we’ve noticed is enhanced coordination of care. With the EHR system, we can seamlessly collaborate with other healthcare providers involved in a patient’s treatment, ensuring that everyone is aligned on the best approach. This holistic coordination is especially beneficial for patients who need to manage multiple aspects of their health, such as pain management, physical therapy, and wellness practices.
In short, EHR has been an essential part of our mission to help individuals live pain-free and move more freely. By optimizing our processes, we’ve been able to enhance both the efficiency of our services and the overall patient experience. It’s just one more way we’re empowering our clients to reclaim their health and wellness.
Paul Roscioli
Chiropractic Physician, Owner, Main Line Disc
Tailor EHR for Functional Medicine Approach
We’ve optimized the use of electronic health records by leveraging the capabilities of Healthie.com, tailoring it specifically to our functional medicine approach. Rather than relying on generic symptom-focused templates, we’ve customized the platform to track deeper root-cause indicators—such as patterns in thyroid, adrenal, liver, and gut function. Healthie allows us to integrate functional lab results, create customized care plans, and automate patient communication, which has significantly enhanced efficiency and continuity of care.
The benefits have been substantial: improved patient outcomes through personalized protocols, increased compliance via automated follow-ups and shared resources, streamlined team collaboration, and a more seamless patient experience overall. Using Healthie has helped us deliver more proactive, data-driven care while reducing administrative burdens across the board.
Dr. Jonathan Spages
Doctor, Author, Advanced Natural Health Center
Unify Radiologists’ Dictation with Epic EHR
We have integrated our radiologists’ dictation into the electronic health record, Epic. Our goal is to have a unified system with improved collation of information. One benefit is being able to pull in the history from the same program and more efficiently toggle back and forth between pathology, labs, and notes.
Mia Kazanjian
Physician
Implement Role-Based Access Controls in EHR
Optimizing our use of electronic health records (EHR) has been a crucial part of how we’ve continued to raise the bar in both patient care and operational efficiency. Having led the practice since 1991, I’ve seen firsthand how much the right systems, and the way they’re implemented, can influence everything from clinical outcomes to team culture. While our focus has always been on providing personalized, patient-centered care, I’ve also been deeply committed to ensuring that our internal processes, including data security, reflect that same level of precision and intention.
One of the most impactful improvements we made was optimizing encryption and access controls within our EHR system. It started by clearly defining roles for each team member and tying access permissions directly to those responsibilities. In a multidisciplinary environment like ours, where clinicians, administrative staff, and treatment coordinators each play a unique role, clarity around who can see or edit what is essential. Once we implemented these role-based controls, we saw an immediate shift. Team members engaged with the system more confidently, no longer second-guessing whether they were overstepping or unsure of their permissions. That clarity not only reduced compliance concerns but also improved overall workflow efficiency.
What really stood out to me was the cultural impact. Knowing that sensitive data is protected, both for the patient’s sake and for the integrity of the team, gave everyone peace of mind. Our staff felt supported, not scrutinized, and that shifted the energy around documentation entirely. When people feel secure within a system, they’re more likely to document thoroughly and on time, which improves both continuity of care and long-term outcomes.
We’ve always embraced innovation, whether it’s leading with Invisalign advancements or mentoring young professionals in dentistry. But no matter how cutting-edge the treatment is, it has to be grounded in trust, especially when it comes to managing patient information. Security and trust go hand in hand. In my view, optimizing EHR isn’t just an IT upgrade; it’s a leadership decision that reinforces accountability, respect, and the high standards we set for everything we do at Kunik Orthodontics.
Randy Kunik
CEO, Kunik Orthodontics
Customize EHR for Hair Restoration Procedures
We’ve optimized the use of electronic health records (EHRs) by customizing the system to support the specific clinical and procedural needs of hair restoration. This includes structured documentation for surgical techniques like FUE and robotic-assisted procedures, as well as non-surgical treatments. The EHR allows us to efficiently capture procedural details, track treatment progress over time, and maintain a centralized source of patient data that supports informed clinical decision-making.
This setup has really helped streamline how we work. It makes patient intake quicker, keeps consultation notes more organized, and helps us track long-term results more consistently. This is especially important in hair restoration, where seeing clear results and keeping detailed records is key. Research from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows that optimizing EHR systems can improve everything from efficiency to communication and overall patient care, which is exactly what we aim to do in our practice.
MANE Center Hair Restoration
General Surgery, Mane Center for Advanced Hair Restoration
