The Future of Women’s Health EHR: Navigating NextGen for OB/GYN Practices

The landscape of women’s healthcare is undergoing significant changes. The most extensive study on women’s health IT to date was released in April 2025 by Black Book Research. This was a landmark moment that highlights the need for wellness initiatives and technology, such as women's health EHR for OB/GYN practices, to be more targeted, inclusive, and, above all, outcome-driven.

While the study suggests that progress has been made, further changes are still needed. Notably, NextGen Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems should be tailored to be more useful for both OB/GYN practitioners and their patients. Standard templates and dashboards may not include relevant fields to log menstrual activity, fertility, or other pertinent data. Understanding how women’s health EHRs need to change can help you find the right partner to make systems more inclusive.

Features of the Ideal OB/GYN EHR 

OB/GYN clinics and departments have their specific requirements, but many have commonalities. Anyone working with female anatomy needs systems that allow logging of key data, from conception dates to pelvic pain. Obstetrics, in particular, is a field with plenty of standardized timescales and expectations that could allow EHRs to:

• Provide SOAP note templates for assessment and diagnosis

• Automatically calculate the due date of a child based on the last menstrual cycle

• Flag alerts if appointments, such as scans or tests, are missed

• Create automatic appointments based on pregnancy milestones

• Recommend screenings based on risk, age, and previous pregnancies

Currently, most EHR systems aren’t built specifically for obstetrics, so medical professionals have to find workarounds for patient data. Another challenge is the lack of interoperability between systems. Lack of interoperability is cited as one of the top reasons nurses across various fields are failing to embrace the rise of digital health records. 

Women's health EHR for OB/GYN should include easy-to-use features for logging the results of cervical exams and automating next steps, such as follow-up appointments. OB/GYN software should also, ideally, include telehealth features for expectant patients who might not be able to access a clinic setting. There should also be mobile features for ambulatory professionals, such as visiting midwives.

Of course, all EHRs must be HIPAA compliant. Protecting the privacy of women is critical, but ensuring that their data is accessible to the medical professionals who need it is equally important. 

Advancements in Women’s Health IT

NextGen EHR systems enable facilities to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. Advancements in women’s health tech include:

• AI-powered endometriosis detection

• Smartphone apps for monitoring pregnancy stages

• Digital postpartum depression solutions

• Medication adherence solutions

• Automated patient data transfer between connected systems

While the latter point isn’t strictly isolated to OB/GYN care, it’s a vital point to consider. Pregnant women can go into labor at any point and may end up in a facility they’ve never been to. The ability to quickly access and assess the patient’s history is essential. In-house EHR systems must be built to understand the formatting of obstetrics-specific data, or delays could occur. 

Similarly, if a woman’s regular checkup reports are handwritten and then digitally scanned, some systems may struggle to accurately interpret this data. Therefore, while the available technologies are undoubtedly helpful, they require efficient and advanced recording solutions to make the data fully actionable.

Optimizing Women's Health EHR Dashboard Templates

TempDev collaborates closely with NextGen to develop effective dashboard templates for organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The non-profit offers patient education, sexual health care, postpartum care, and more. With that in mind, their EHR systems must handle multiple types of specialized data while meeting specific legislative requirements. TempDev's templates and dashboards solved many of those challenges.

Another way the right EHR system can help is by assisting with quality checking. Using TempDev’s templates, organization administrators and managers can quickly review the procedures they conducted and the rationale behind each. This quality dashboard includes a dedicated section for women’s health, with areas for reporting on effective cervical care and breast screening.

The right EHR systems streamline workflows while providing exactly the data needed at the right time. Patients need every medical professional to be aware of their medical history and status. This is particularly true in an emergency, as they may not be able to communicate. A woman in labor isn’t necessarily going to remember exactly when their last scan was, for example. Effective, interoperable EHRs are a primary solution for ensuring women’s healthcare continues to improve.

Work With TempDev for EHRs that Support the Future of Women’s Health+

The market for virtual solutions relating to women's health EHR for OB/GYN and reproductive health is worth at least $3.3 billion globally. Clinics and other women’s health facilities need to ensure that their technology keeps pace by providing relevant, timely access to patient data and preventing delays for the women in their care.

When you work with TempDev, you gain access to templates that can help you improve the accuracy of your data and elevate your revenue cycle. You’ll be able to optimize workflows while ensuring that you capture information in a way that centers on patients and their needs. All the while supporting your OB/GYN professionals to work to the best of their ability while avoiding burnout from unnecessary document handling. Contact us online or call us at 1.888.TEMPDEV to find out more.