Hello Danc33,
I was assuming you wanted PPM, Physician Practice Management
software as opposed to EMR software, that will include audit trails,
claims processing, coding support, and referral tracking. PPM
software is not web-based, which is one of your requirements, and it
is also more expensive.
I had worked on this question several hours before I got your
clarification, so some of my answer covers PPM, and some seems to
overlap- the low end version being EMR, with modules you can add to
increase functionality. I have included other applications that I
found on review sites as well as those you asked about. Not all of the
software companies publish all of information you wanted, such as
complete functionality and the support/training. Some of the
information can be found to a degree, in the charts I have posted near
the end of the answer. Consider making an Excel spreadsheet with
functions your office considers important. You can use a chart in this
answer as a model. The add the applications that appeal to you.
Eventually, you will have a nice table and it will help you discern
the best application for you. None of these applications are 100%
perfect for every office.
I?m starting the answer with information about EMR/PPM software in
general. Near the end of my answer, I have included sites that compare
and rate the software, along with tips and tools to help you select
software that is appropriate for your office.
If any part of my answer is unclear, before you rate the answer,
please ask for an Answer Clarification, and allow me to respond.
Google Researchers do their best to provide you with the best answer
possible, but we can?t always know exactly what is clear to YOU. So,
please do not rate until you are completely satisfied with the answer.
I will be glad to assist you further on this question.
?According to a survey by Healthcare Informatics magazine, almost
400 companies offer an EMR product.
"Don't look for a buyer's guide that analyzes all your options and
recommends what to select, either. That's too tall an order, given
that practices of varying sizes and specialties need different kinds
of EMRs (also called computerized patient records and electronic
patient records). However, there are ways?some inexpensive, others
free?to gain vital intelligence about EMR software that will help you
pick a winner.?
http://www.memag.com/memag/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=116458
PPM
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1140714
"There's a dollar cost and an effort cost," Dr. Davis said,
noting that physicians should plan to spend six months to get
completely comfortable with electronic records software. To accelerate
that process, Dr. Davis said physicians should look for systems that
have fast screen "flip speeds," a term that refers to how quickly new
data appear on the computer screen. He also suggested looking for a
system that is easy for novices to use. Some systems, for example,
make patient records look like paper charts with tabs that guide users
to other files. Each tab links users to familiar categories like lab
results, progress notes and imaging reports.?
?The panelists also discussed Internet-based medical record systems,
which can generate notes and provide evaluation and management codes.
A big advantage of these new Web-based systems is that they cost much
less than systems that must be installed on hardware in your office;
physicians can subscribe to MedicaLogic's Logician Internet, for
instance, for $99 a month.
Dr. Davis cautioned, however, that Web-based systems typically lack
many features of traditional packages, such as the ability to generate
prescriptions, integrate with billing systems and provide interoffice
e-mail. "They are an excellent way for physicians to get their feet
wet with the EMR process," he said, "but they don't do as much in the
way of patient management or office work flow."
http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/jul-aug00/electronicrecords.htm
From almost three years ago, this study of clinical practices
software: ?(May 12, 2003) ? AC Group, Inc. released their 2003 annual
report on electronic medical record (EMR) applications at the TEPR
conference in San Antonio, TX. This annual report provides physician
groups with one of the most comprehensive evaluations of leading EMR
applications.?
?For smaller practices with less than 5 physicians, eClinicalworks
(89%), Hamilton Scientific, Ltd. (88%), and Physician Micro Systems,
Inc. (85%) meet more than 85% of the current requirements. A4
Healthcare (80%), ChartCare (78%), and Companion Technologies Corp?s
Medicware (74%) rounded out the top 6 EMR vendor applications for the
small physician office.?
http://www.providersedge.com/ehdocs/ehr_articles/2003_EMR_Survey_Summary_Report.pdf
The American Academy of Family Physicians compiled a satisfaction
report in October, 2005, of 408 family physicians. This site presents
charts that cover ease of use, functionality, ease of service,
perceived value and recommendations. You?ll find this useful, I?m
sure. eMDs had the highest rating for overall ease of use.
Caveat: ?While we believe you will find the results of this survey
useful in deciding whether to move to an EHR system and which system
to select, we urge you to keep in mind several limitations. First, the
small number of respondents for many EHR systems may mean that many
potentially excellent systems aren't evaluated adequately. Moreover,
even for systems included in the 11 we analyzed, small cell sizes mean
that even one additional response might have changed results
considerably.?
http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20051000/29aneh.html
==================
Software Companies
==================
==================
Health Tec
==================
(The constant beeping of this web site when nearing the menu
caused me to feel less than confident that this is a very professional
company. IMHO) I don?t feel information is presented clearly enough to
make an informed decision. Perhaps they can send you more informative
information if you contact them.
FoxMed/Health Tec Software Inc.
11550 I.H. 10 West, Ste. 235
San Antonio, TX 78230
210 545-1010; Fax 210-545-5545
http://www.foxmed.com/
?Independent Ratings
In the AMA recommended HCP Directory of Medical Office Management
Computer System Vendors with Satisfaction Ratings, FoxMed? is rated 10
out of a possible 10 overall. Hundreds of software systems are
analyzed in this directory, and FoxMed? receives the highest ratings!
In the popular SRD Publication (Satisfaction Rating Directory by
Jewson Enterprises) 1997 edition, FoxMed? was rated an "Exceptional
9.3 Overall Satisfaction Rating" and rated an even more "Exceptional
9.5 in Breadth of Products and Services Rating." And finally, FoxMed?
was rated "Exceptional 9.8 in Product Maturity".
HealthTec Software, Inc. can support you and FoxMed? from the ground
up. With all of the benefits and experience of HealthTec Software,
Inc., shouldn't you select FoxMed? in your practice?
To find out how HealthTec Software, Inc. can help streamline your
practice management systems, contact us today!
Voice: 210.545.1010 Fax: 210.545.5545 or Email Us
http://www.foxmed.com/foxmed.htm
Training
http://www.foxmed.com/
Register to get a report on FoxMed
http://knowledgestorm.fastcompany.com/fastco/ActivityServlet?ksAction=optInReq&solId=78589&pos=15&referer=SEARCH_RESULTS&trkpg=search_results_viewdetail
========================
Physicians Micro Systems
========================
?Practice Partner Foundation provides a unique, cost-effective
approach to the EMR for practices that would prefer to take an
incremental approach to EMR deployment. Foundation allows a practice
to lay the groundwork for a future EMR without having to implement a
complete system.?
http://www.ctsguides.com/physicianmicro.asp
?PMSI made the Deloitte & Touche Fast-50 program for Washington State,
a ranking of the state's 50 fastest-growing technology companies.
PMSI was 35th in the Deloitte & Touche Fast-50, with a 221% revenue
growth over the past five years.
"Making Deloitte & Touche's list of Fast 50 is both an honor and
testament to the strength of PMSI," says Andrew Ury, M.D., founder and
president of Physician Micro Systems, Inc. "When a company's financial
success mirrors its achievements in developing quality products, we
know we're making the right decisions."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_Oct_9/ai_92650912
PMSI
http://www.pmsi.com/
You can download a free demo version.
http://www.pmsi.com/forms/downloaddemo2.aspx
Product Tour is not available yet.
http://www.pmsi.com/forms/producttour.aspx
?Physician Micro Systems, Inc. (PMSI), a leader in the development of
electronic health records (EHR), practice management, and computerized
physician order entry (CPOE) software, today announced the launch of
Total Practice Partner Version 8.1. Total Practice Partner is a fully
integrated EHR and practice management package that includes Practice
Partner Patient Records, Order Entry, Medical Billing, and Appointment
Scheduler.
Version 8.1 provides an increased level of integration between the
applications. Total Practice Partner runs on a single database,
enabling integration features such as common registration, shared
internal messaging, electronic encounter form generation, and other
information sharing between the applications. As a result of the close
integration, new versions of the Practice Partner applications are now
released together, as Total Practice Partner.?
Features:
New features in Practice Partner Medical Billing 8.1 include:
? Collections Module: The new collections workflow module helps
practices to efficiently monitor and work collections accounts.
Ticklers (collection notes) make it easy to track and follow up on
both delinquent accounts and late insurance payments. Users can create
individual collection notes on the fly, or use reports to create
collections notes for multiple accounts at once.
? To-do Lists: Users can assign various tasks as ?to-dos? for other
staff members, with accompanying categories, priorities, expiration
dates, and more. These to-dos create user work lists that improve
staff communication and help users to prioritize and manage their
tasks.
? Integrated Claims Scrubbing: PMSI partnered with UnicorMed to
integrate Practice Partner CodeWizard, a claims scrubbing and coding
assistance software tool. Features include sophisticated procedure and
diagnosis code lookup as well as comprehensive claims scrubbing
directly from the charge entry screen.
? Electronic Remittance Advice: Practices can download HIPAA-compliant
electronic remittance advice (ERA) files and automatically post these
payments in Medical Billing. Payment posting using ERA saves time and
improves accuracy by allowing users to post batches of payments in
just one step.
New features in Practice Partner Appointment Scheduler 8.1 include:
? Protocol Scheduling: Scheduling staff can accommodate complex
patient visits by using protocol scheduling to schedule a series of
appointments across days, providers, resources, and practices ? while
handling dependencies and team requirements.
? On-call Provider Tracking: Users can easily assign and track
multiple on-call providers. On-call provider(s) are displayed on each
schedule.
http://www.onlypunjab.com/fullstory1104-insight-Physician+Micro+Systems+Inc+Launches-status-22-newsID-8213.html
Review
?Total Practice Partner version 8.1 is an integrated electronic health
record and practice management system that includes Practice Partner
Patient Records, Order Entry, Medical Billing and Appointment
Scheduler. It runs on a single database, enabling features such as
common registration, shared internal messaging, electronic encounter
form generation, and other information-sharing among the applications.
Version 8.1 also provides: health maintenance protocols that create
reminders based on diagnoses and medications; interfaces with MidMark
Diagnostics? IQMark Digital Spirometer and Welch Allyn vital signs
monitors; integrated voice recognition; an enhanced progress notes
editor; advanced E&M coding assistance; exporting of patient data to
PDAs; order rules; recurrent orders; a collections module; to-do
lists; integrated claims scrubbing; electronic remittance advice;
protocol scheduling; and on-call provider tracking.?
http://www.healthmgttech.com/Products/physicianpra.htm
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/101705-network-streaming.html
Tech Support:
Remote PC support software - assist clients on demand
Incident-based remote support
No pre-installed client software
Complete reboot & reconnect
Fast, secure connection
http://networkstreaming.com/remote-support-solutions/
?PMSI looked to NetworkStreaming to meet its remote support needs. The
remote support solution by NetworkStreaming is appliance-based and
allows PMSI to control any of its customers' PCs anywhere in the world
in less than 10 seconds after customers grant permission to control
the PC. Once the permission bas been granted, PMSI also has the
ability to reboot and reconnect to the computer.
NetworkStreaming?s Support Appliance is a ready-to-use device equipped
with remote support software that connects into PMSI?s existing data
infrastructure, delivering secure and quick access. SupportDesk
enables the IT support team to access and control remote PCs after
customers grant permission for remote control. The support team can
control a remote computer as if they were physically at the console.?
NetworkStreaming
578 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 300
Ridgeland, MS 39157
Fax: 601.510.9722
Phone: 601.519.0123
Toll-free: 1.866.652.3177
www.networkstreaming.com
http://networkstreaming.com/wsheet/pmsi-case-study.pdf
========================
DoctorsPartner
========================
?DoctorsPartner is an advanced Medical Practice Management System
with Integrated Appointment Scheduling, EMR (Electronic Charting),
Billing, Prescription Writer, Transcription Module, Document
Management and Workflow Management built to meet HIPAA standards.
Designed and developed by physicians working with skilled technical
developers, DoctorsPartner is the INTEGRATED Solution for Solo
practices and Small to Large groups.?
http://www.capterra.com/electronic-medical-record-software
I found no information what-so-ever regarding training for this software.
?Main Features:
Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
Multi-Location Appointment Scheduler
Call & Confirm - Auto Phone Appt Reminder
Complete Billing
Electronic Prescription Writer
Drug Interactions Checker Interface
Image/Document Management
Web Technology
FREE Customization
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/
Features
Appointment Scheduler Automatic Call&Confirm Phone Appt. Reminder.
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Complete Billing Web Access and
Security Call Center (Document Calls) Transcription Integration
Electronic Prescription Writer Electronic Orders (Labs, X-Rays)
Image/Document Management Wireless Enabled Secure Internal Email
HIPAA compliant security Solo/Group Features FREE
Customization
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/Features.htm
Technology
This software is installed on your server, but it still accesses some
applications vie online services. Patient records stay on your
server. ?Your patient data is located in your office and your access
is not affected by web outages.
Low Maintenance costs due to Web architecture.
Securely access your EMR package from anywhere in the world!
??In our Hybrid Technology Model, the application is installed on a
server located at your office premises, sitting behind a secure
firewall, providing your patient information to you. Your patient
information is on your EMR installed within your office and available
to you regardless of the availability of an internet connection.
Furthermore, none of your other computers need to have any special
software installed on them to access the most current data and the
most advanced application features.?
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/Technology.htm
Support ? Phone and Web-based support
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/Support.htm
Pricing
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/Pricing.htm
ROI
http://www.emr-electronicmedicalrecords.com/ROI.htm
========================
DigitalPhysician
http://www.digitalphysician.com/
========================
========================
Accumedic
========================
Seems to be for mid-size to large practices. There is not much
online information about this system. You may have to request more
in-depth information.
http://www.accumedic.com/electronic-medical-record-software.html
Request Information
http://www.accumedhipaa.com/form.html
?Includes:
? Electronic Medical Billing Software / Accounts Receivable
? Appointment Scheduling / Medical Scheduling Software Programs
? Medical Claim Processing Software
? Electronic Medical Record Software / Patient Demographics
? Custom Reports
? HL7 EDI Interface
? HIPAA Medical Compliance Billing Software
? And much, much more..
Accumedic s Electronic Medical Billing Software enables practices to
submit claims electronically, accelerating the payment process and
reducing submission errors. Our Electronic Medical Billing Software is
a HIPAA Medical Compliance Billing Software solution and Microsoft
Windows compatible.
Accumedic's Medical Claim Processing Software is a user-friendly
integrated system that is customized for every practice. It produces
HIPAA Medical Compliance claims and transmits them electronically to
payors nationwide.
The AccuScheduler Appointment Scheduling / Medical Scheduling Software
Program is an integrated scheduling, patient tracking and charge entry
system. The user can customize the AccuScheduler Medical Scheduling
Accumedic's Electronic Medical Record Software Interface enables
real-time HL7 EDI Interface with all major programs, populates patient
demographics, and provides custom reports to best suit your practice
needs.?
HIPAA Compliant
http://www.accumedic.com/index.html
Features
http://www.accumedic.com/electronic-medical-record-software.html
?AccuMed Medical Practice Management Software Solutions are extremely
versatile and scalable, beginning with the Standalone PC Edition for
practices operating from a single user environment. For larger
organizations seeking to link multiple computers at a single physical
location, we offer the AccuMed Local Area Network ("LAN") Edition,
where all network workstations can access the system.
By incorporating Internet Communication Protocols into the Enterprise
Wide Area Network ("WAN") Edition, Accumedic users are enabled with
full access and complete program functionality from any location
equipped with an Internet connection or Virtual Private Network (VPN).
The Wan Edition also supports Citrix servers.
AccuMed Medical Practice Management Software users benefit from 24/7
access to the Accumedic Support site, which contains new software
versions, program updates, frequently asked questions ("FAQ's"), and
more.?
http://www.accumedic.com/practice-management.html
About
http://www.accumedic.com/about-us.html
========================
eMDs
========================
eMDs
http://www.e-mds.com/
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/about/index.html
?e-MDs' line of products has undergone a radical transformation, and
emerged as e-MDs Solution Series. Enormous strides have been made in
features, function, performance, and utility, and specific modules are
now available for practice specialties. And best of all, this
metamorphosis has occurred without raising the price of the system, so
even the smallest practice can afford to realize the economic benefits
of office automation.
Each of e-MDs' software modules is a powerful application in its own
right. However, when brought together into e-MDs Solution Series they
form a seamless solution proven to increase physician income while
delivering higher quality patient care. As we will show, the
integration within the Solution Series extends far beyond the sharing
of simple patient demographics such as name, gender, and date of
birth. Our vision is to empower physicians with an integrated solution
to improve patient care, maintain economic independence, and
rediscover the joy of practicing medicine.?
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/prodserv/index.html
Training
?e-MDs Training Facility
Your staff is trained at e-MDs' training facility located near Austin, Texas.
On-site Training
This training is conducted at the customer's site on their computer
system. The required minimum attendance is four, but these attendees
may come from different sites.
Internet Based Training
We offer group training sessions via the internet so that your staff
can learn new and advanced features and maximize the use of our
software. This will help for new staff training, training on new
functionality available with upgrades, and to ensure optimal use of
the many features within our products. This can be personalized,
one-on-one, or you can join one of the regularly scheduled classes we
hold.?
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/support/training/index.html
Continuing Ed:
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/news/uc2005/courses.html
eMDs and HIPAA
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/benefits/hipaa.html
Support
http://www.e-mds.com/faqs/opt_005/index.html
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/support/customersupport/index.html
Free tour:
http://www.e-mds.com/emds/about/contact.html
Review
?e-MDs is a nine year-old private company located in Cedar Park,
Texas. They have over 1,200 installations; the largest being 30
physicians. They have 75 employees and primarily sell direct but do
have a few resellers within the US.
e-MDs offers an integrated Practice Management and EMR product. Their
product doesn?t interface with other PM/EMR vendors. e-MDs typical
clients are solo practitioners to 25 physicians but can scale to over
100 physicians. The EMR solution does very well with Urology,
Dermatology, Family Practice, Ob/Gyn, Cardiology, Orthopaedic,
Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, ENT and Pediatrics specialties. The
product is primarily found in Ambulatory Settings, Academic Medical
Centers, Billing Services, Cancer/Oncology Centers, Home Health
Agencies, Mental Health Centers, Physician Hospital Organizations,
Surgery Centers and Urgent Care Centers."
http://www.ctsguides.com/emds.asp
========================
Amazing Charts
========================
2.85 stars out of 5
http://www.emredge.com/view_emr.php?emr_id=75
?Amazing Charts is a full-featured Electronic Health Record (EHR)
system that allows scheduling, intra-office messaging, and complete
documentation of the medical encounter in a fast, efficient, and
straight-forward manner. Designed by physicians for physicians,
Amazing Charts is continually updated to incorporate suggestions
submitted by thousands of users around the country. But don't take it
from us, listen to what our actual users have to say when we ask to
hear the good, and the bad, about Amazing Charts.?
Product Tour
http://www.amazingcharts.com/product/theproductframeset.htm
Support Forum
http://www.amazingcharts.com/help/support_user.htm
Billing, Technical Support
http://www.amazingcharts.com/services/index.htm
Tech Support: $500 for one physician and $100 additional per year per
addition physician.
http://www.amazingcharts.com/services/services_update_content.html
??Amazing Charts application and SureData billing services together
make an awesome, cost-effective, streamlined, totally efficient system
from front to back for any physician practice. The training curve
for the use of this system is very minimal; the use of the system is
very user-friendly. The billing service is amazing...live-on time with
the ability to view practice analysis graphs, financials or individual
patient accounts at any time. ?
Linda Bert
Findlay Neurology, Ohio?
http://www.amazingcharts.com/ACBS/ACBDatasheet.pdf
?I have started using Amazing Charts from the US to write my scripts.
it is fast and very functional and all I need at this stage. Writing
scripts for me is the ideal application and has been very easy and
simple to implement and that's how I like my life. I would worry about
what happens during the patient interview. in fact I recently talked
to a patient who was thinking about switching from her previously
revered GP as he recently got a computer in his office and now he is
more interested ion the computer than me.?
http://emruser.typepad.com/canadianemr/2004/01/thoughts_on_emr.html
Comments on a physician EMR forum
?Amazing Charts - steep learning curve
WebMD Intergy - Recently Instaled, will give give feedback later?
Re. Amazing Charts
?I haven't seen anybody mentioning this EMR in this forum.
It has a 3 months totally functional trial. Current version 1.2.6
It is practical, easy to learn, with fair costumization, especially
the templates for notes writing. And, a very important plus is the
price. It cost 500 dollars.
This week I learned from one of its reps that the version 2.0 is
coming in July '04. It should include a document scanning support and
an interface for faxes and/or Lab reports. Also, he told me that the
scheduling module is enhanced.
I am looking foward to try this upgrade.?
Re. e-MDs I'm a solo general surgeon in North Middle Mississippi.
I've been using e-MDs' TopSuite for the last three years. Works very
well. Tightly integrated product
(EMR/Scheduler/Billing/DocumentManagement. Template driven with easy
to customize templates.
http://www.docsboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=515
Some further information
http://www.entlink.net/practice/products/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=62256
========================
Medisoft
========================
NDC Medisoft is a small company that publishes software for small practices.
Features
http://www.medisoft.com/Products/mew.asp
Contact
http://www.medisoft.com/contact.asp
Technical Support ? Plans available for purchase
?Support is available from 6:00 am until 5 pm MST (No Daylight
Savings) Monday - Friday throughout the year. The exceptions to this
availability will be holidays, weekly Support Staff meetings (Friday,
8:30 - 10:15am) and an occasional all staff meeting.?
http://www.medisoft.com/Support/Support.asp
Training
Medisoft delivers training on CD-ROMS, or it can be arranged by Medisoft vendors.
http://www.medisoft.com/Training/Index.asp
?Training - NDCHealth Support is unable to provide training over the
telephone. If you would like to learn more about the options
available for training on your product, please contact your sales
representative or local Value-Added Reseller.?
http://www.medisoft.com/Support/Support.asp
About
http://www.everything99.com/medisoft.htm
?Medisoft Streamlines Practice Management
? Close a day?s accounting quickly and accurately with the Patient Daysheet.
? Summarize charges, payments, and account adjustments with the
Practice Analysis Report.
? Pinpoint referral sources for tracking and/or acknowledgement with
the Patient Referral Report.
? Automate appointment scheduling with included Office Hours software.
? Assign a security level for each employee for complete control of
activities and protection of data.
? Track conversations with insurance carriers, pharmacies, or others
with the Contact Log.
? Write personalized form letters, print birthday lists, or create
custom reports with the Report Designer.
Medisoft Simplifies Managed Care
? Create a treatment plan for insurance payment approval before
services are performed.
? Track the number of allowed visits or visits in a treatment series.
? Handle PPO patients with a fixed co-payment easily and efficiently.
http://www.microwize.com/medisoft/
Request Information
http://www.microwize.com/dl.htm
Purchase the modules you need. It is certainly economical!
http://www.systechsolutions.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SS&Category_Code=NMC
NDCMedisoft
http://completemedicalbilling.com/completemedicalbilling/medisoft/?wcw=google
========================
MDServe
========================
MDServe seems to be for very large practices and clinics. I didn?t dig
any further as this appears to be much more than you need!
?Enhanced Usage Features
Customize editing rules to meet your own specific needs; view and edit
patient statements; add custom messages; select or delete statements
before printing or mailing; and more:
? Flexible Billing Tools
? Electronic Statement Processing
? Enhanced Search Capability including Partial Search and multiple filters
? Extended Patient Record Search, e.g., DOB, phone number, etc.
? Dynamic Required Field s and Missing Required Field Notification
? Column Sorting Within Displays
? Grid Data Categorization
? Meaningful Icons
Your MDSERVE Value Added Reseller will be happy to answer questions or
arrange a demonstration of MDSERVE's Physician-Oriented, Patient
Encounter-Centered Practice Management System V7.0 without
obligation.?
http://www.mdserve.com/
?A TOTAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
MDSERVE - the only healthcare IT company that is CHC owned-is pleased
to offer TSP, the Technology Support Program, a suite of products
ranging from infrastructure and core functionality to custom reporting
and innovative, new web-based training and education, all designed to
help Health Centers increase efficiency and deliver the highest
possible quality of care.?
http://www.mdserve.com/solutions.php
?As the only Community Health Center-owned healthcare IT company, our
first-hand CHC operational experience gives MDSERVE unique insight
about CHC information needs. Coupled with a commitment to continuous
product innovation, that's enabled us to build superior SCHEDULING,
BILLING & REPORTING performance into new MDSERVE PMS V7.?
http://www.mdserve.com/solutions_pm.php
========================
eClinicalworks
========================
http://www.eclinicalworks.com/google.php
========================
NextGen
========================
http://www.nextgen.com/index.asp
?Appropriate for any sized medical practice?from a small, solo
practice to a large, multi-provider/multi-location group?this
feature-rich system allows you to create and maintain complete medical
records faster and more efficiently than ever before.?
http://www.nextgen.com/pro_emr.asp
Features:
Advanced Security
Graphing
Appointment Scheduling
Health Maintenance
CCR / PHR Capabilities
Image Management
Clinical Decision Support
Knowledge Base
Coding Optimization
Lab Order Entry & Results Reporting
Contract Management
Medications Module
Device Connectivity
Mobile Solutions
Disease Management
Outcomes Analysis
Document Generation
Patient Education Module
ePrescribing
Patient Registry
Electronic Chart
Provider Approval Queue
Electronic Superbill
Referral Management
Eligibility Verification
System Integration
Enterprise Data Sharing
Template Editor
Fax Capability
Voice Recognition Option
Follow-up / Recall Tracking
Workflow Management
http://www.nextgen.com/pro_emr_features.asp
?As a Microsoft-certified partner, NextGen EMR utilizes a spectrum of
state-of-the-art Microsoft technology, including Windows OS, SQL
database and Microsoft Active Domain architecture within our
products?resulting in easy-to-use systems that drive adoption. NextGen
Healthcare?s enterprise applications are fully integrated and employ
sophisticated protocols to ensure complete security and HIPAA
compliance.?
NextGen can work as a user-side application or in an ASP (web) based environment.
http://www.nextgen.com/pro_emr_arch.asp
Tech Support:
?Technical Support provides valuable input as you investigate network
planning and design, site planning and disaster recovery planning.
They lend their expertise to all types of hardware considerations ?
recognizing that the system must be available whenever you need it to
be. Team members are highly trained in network design/administration;
LAN/WAN configurations; fat-client/thin-client configurations;
wireless, pen-based options; and Web solutions.
Support tickets may be opened conveniently by phone, by e-mail, or
through a dedicated website. Emergency services and software and
hardware maintenance services are also available.
Additional critical support features include:
Applications that stay up at all times, eliminating the need for
nightly processing by your staff
Automatic, Web-based downloads of new versions and patches, creating a
manageable upgrade process
Automatic upgrades directly from the server to each workstation,
eliminating the time- and effort-intensive process of individual
updates
Our Server Wellcare program, part of the service contract, whereby
Silverback Technologies proactively monitors your servers for
security, performance, disk space, backup issues, and other potential
problems before they create a disruption.
http://www.nextgen.com/ser_technical.asp
http://www.nextgen.com/ser_onsite.asp
Training:
?Throughout the process, we provide comprehensive training to your
staff. If you choose, we can employ a ?train the trainer? approach, so
you can manage the process (and control the costs) of implementing the
system in multiple sites.
Of course, once you?re up and running, we continue to support your
needs?helping you maximize your use of the system and providing
ongoing training for updates and upgrades. These are available through
advanced courses at select NextGen offices, online via the NextGen
Learning Center, and at our annual User Group Meeting.?
http://www.nextgen.com/ser_implementation.asp
Review
I was surprised to see a 2.65 out of 5 stars for NextGen!
http://emredge.com/view_emr.php?emr_id=163
========================
WebMD Intergy
========================
WebMD Practice Services
2202 N. West Shore Blvd., Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33607-5749
877.WebMD.01
http://www.webmdps.com
Key Technical Characteristics
? Database: Progress Relational Database
? Server Operating System Platform: Microsoft® Windows®, AIX, HP-UX
? Workstation Operating System Platform: MS Windows 2000 and MS
Windows XP Professional
? Real-time Remote Monitoring System (RMS): Provides proactive support
measures, including
system monitoring of queues and tolerance levels, performing remote
diagnostics and other
system checks unprecedented at the physician practice management
system level. RMS also
provides the tools to automatically download updates. Maintenance
tools within the system
allow the practice to schedule automatic service pack updates.
? Fault tolerance: Supports before and after-image, resulting in
little or no system down-time,
and virtually eliminating the possibility of data loss.
? Scalability: Relational database scales to support every type of
practice?from the solo practice
to a multi-site practice with thousands of physicians.
? Wireless Mobility: Wireless mobile solution designed for use with
the latest tablets, wireless laptops
and pocket PCs to provide real-time wireless network access to the
system. Pocket PC offline
mode allows the provider access to recent patient data and the ability
to capture encounters
while performing rounds at the hospital or other facilities.?
http://www.jsessum.com/samples/SpecSheet_WebMD_PRAC.pdf
?WebMD, a health care company forged by two high-profile entrepreneurs
at the height of the dot-com boom, is fabulously successful by one
important measure: It's still here.
Not only that, but WebMD is a profitable, billion-dollar company that
occupies a central place in three important health care
businesses--claims transmission, practice management software for
physicians and a health care portal for doctors and consumers.?
?The second leg is WebMD Practice Services, which sells Medical
Manager and is introducing a product with more features, called
Intergy. These serve physician offices and provide the option of using
Envoy as the clearinghouse.?
http://news.com.com/Diagnosing+WebMD/2009-1017_3-5208510.html
Review: 4.69 stars out of five
EMREdge.com periodically updates product information from third-party sources,
so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm
all information before relying on it.
Copyright 2006 MBA Resources, Inc.
http://emredge.com/view_emr.php?emr_id=60&PHPSESSID=b98003d32e18dc52126c014125e9102c
?WebMD Intergy®, a practice and clinical management solution, from
WebMD Practice Services provides integration with a graphical user
interface. It is a true Windows® system and not merely a front end
that looks Windows based. The system was designed based on 20+ years
of development experience and was built from the ground up.?
?"WebMD Practice Services, formerly Medical Manager Health Systems, is
a division of WebMD Corporation. The company provides administrative,
financial, and clinical management applications to physicians under
the brand names WebMD Intergy® and The Medical Manager® software. A
leader in the industry, WebMD Practice Services has been developing
innovative solutions for practices of all sizes and specialties for
more than 22 years and currently supports over 185,000 physicians
across the country.
WebMD Corporation provides a comprehensive suite of health
information, transaction processing and physician practice management
services that help simplify the healthcare system for consumers,
physicians, and other healthcare providers and institutions. The
company?s stock is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol ?HLTH?.?
http://www.ctsguides.com/webmd-intergy.asp
The following was taken from the free downloadable review of medical
software brochure obtained from CTS. (The links are found on the site
above)
?WebMD Intergy Clinical Chart comes with a prescriptions system that
writes and tracks prescriptions. The Prescription Writer resembles a
prescription pad with which physicians can quickly select the drugs,
pharmacy, and SIG code. Once selected, the prescription can be printed
or called in to the patient's preferred pharmacy.?
?WebMD Intergy doesn?t offer a document builder module or application
with the system.
(Some systems allow you to have full control over the data and layout
by enabling you to define leading and ending text for chosen values
and the ability to form sentences and paragraphs versus bullet lists.)
WebMD Intergy does provide many documents such as referral
letters,SOAP notes, etc and they can be edited using Word but the
templates or macros themselves that create the documents are not
easily customized by a practice.?
?WebMD Intergy is loaded with formulary information and is used to
automatically perform formulary checking of each prescription.?
Intergy fared less well in this survey of small practice software:
http://www.providersedge.com/ehdocs/ehr_articles/2003_EMR_Survey_Summary_Report.pdf
==============================================
Tips and tools for purchasing the right system:
==============================================
Because this is a significant investment for your practice, I
recommend reading all the tips and methods for purchasing the right
system for your needs.
http://www.chcf.org/documents/ihealth/ForresterEMRBuyersGuideRevise.pdf
and
http://www.chcf.org/documents/ihealth/EMRLessonsSmallPhyscianPractices.pdf
EMR Tool
--------
This tool come sin a zipped format, which is easily opened with any
Unzip tool (I believe Windows XP has one built in) When you click the
tool link, double click and it will expand in an Excel window. There
are a limited amount of vendors, but it allows you to add more.
(NextGen is included already.) The criteria and methodology for
ratings are included, among the index tabs at the bottom of the page.
http://www.chcf.org/topics/view.cfm?itemID=21520
How to use EMRTool:
http://www.chcf.org/documents/ihealth/EMRToolUserGuide.pdf
?Basic interface: by this I mean, the look of the program. If the
program does not ?feel? right to use after you have played around with
it for a short time then the program is not likely a good fit for you.
Do not buy any program that does not allow you time to ?mess around?
with the program. If you are able to easily crash the program or
easily get yourself into major trouble then do not buy the program.?
?Integration with Practice Management and billing software: small
systems and very large systems may wish to use separate systems for
billing, scheduling, practice management, and as an EMR. The main
benefit of an integrated system is the saving in time on multiple
entries of data and ease of generating reports. For very small
practices you will pay a premium for this service and large systems
have architectures that may support integration of separate systems.
An integrated system works very well for growing small and mid sized
practices.?
?Reminders and communication: pop up reminders are a nice feature
either to provide messages about meetings for the group such as a
monthly staff meeting or about a patient such as the existence of a
living will on file. <Since the Terry Schiavo case made the news we
have had many more requests to document advanced directives and living
wills.>
Health Maintenance: make sure the guidelines are recognizable such as
the ADA or the AHA. You may have to add this yourself or pay as a
separate module.?
?If other people are working with your system well, and if after
repeated attempts to educate a user fail then you need to fire that
person, and hire someone more teachable. Our group hires unusually
bright people even at entry levels of our business. We also pay
accordingly. Generally, you get what you pay for.?
****** ?Our data is precious. We have come close to losing vital
patient data using an ASP and using our own system. We now are very
paranoid and are investing in redundancy. To protect our data we have
two servers with triple RAID hard drives (when information is written
to 1 hard drive it is simultaneously written to all 6). Every day a
tape back up is made and the most current tape back up is taken off
site to be placed in a fire proof box. The preceding 6 days (one tape
for each day of the week) is placed in a fireproof box at the office.
We are in the process of opening two satellite offices and each office
will have a server connected via a different internet provider than
any of the other location with the same process at each for
preservation of data. We want to be paranoid but safe. By the way, if
you are thinking that your paper charts are safe think fire or water
damage.?****
http://www.aahcp.org/presentations/2005_jackson_emr.pdf
This document if chock full of excellent hardware and technical
advice for small to medium practices. I believe their workstation
advice is a little off however. (I strongly agree with NO Celeron
processors). I?d get the fastest processor and hard drive you can
afford to avoid bottlenecks and have rapid screen changes. I?d suggest
a gig of RAM and a much larger hard drive. Documents don?t take up as
much space as other types of files, but 20G by today?s standards is
rather small. You?ll need an efficient and automatic backup system
too. You will want to have the software on a dedicated server, one
that is not used by staff, for optimal speed, and fewer glitches. Your
vendor should help you with the optimum setup for your office.
?Data backups
Backing up your data is critical to you being able to recover from a
natural, man-made or human-error disaster. HIPAA and many insurance
agencies now require that you have in place a disaster recovery plan
that includes data backup. We recommend that you backup you data daily
and store backups off site. Backing up your data can even be automated
over the internet. Work with only reputable companies if you choose to
backup over the Internet. In general, your PMS/EMR vendor and your ISP
are good sources for reliable internet based backup services, as both
likely resell these services from proven data-recovery software
firms.?
?Workstations
Pentium 4 Processor 2.8 GHZ (No Celeron)
512 MB or Ram
20 GB HD
10/100 network card
15? Flat panel Monitor (Flat panels not required, obviously, but they
sure save space!)
Page 15 of this document also compares EMR software, licensing, support, etc.
http://www.hitbcc.com/emr/EMRGuide.pdf
EMR Requirements
?Functionality: Many of the lower-priced EMR's have limited
functionality. To increase the functionality you may have to add on
later and a premium price. On the other hand, you could spend a lot of
money on full featured systems in use only 5 to 10% of its
functionality. Therefore, it is important that you identify the needs
for your particular office prior to purchasing an electronic medical
record.?
http://www.elmr-electronic-medical-records-emr.com/resources/requirements.asp
Tips for Implementation
http://www.emrconsultant.com/emr_pitfalls.php
More comparisons by users:
http://www.docsboard.com/forums/faq.php?faq=emr_faq#faq_pitfalls
Software Ratings
http://www.emredge.com/emr_list.php
Locator
http://www.physiciansehr.org/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=36
http://www.physiciansehr.com/
Cost / Benefit chart
http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20041100/43whyi.html
EMR Forum
http://www.emrconsultant.com/forum/index.php?showforum=4
PPM Forum (Not very active!)
http://www.emrconsultant.com/forum/index.php?showforum=23
?Though searching out the right medical practice software to simplify
your EMR needs will require you to do your homework, searching is
probably the hardest part. In other words, medical practice software
was meant to work for you. The information and tips provided in this
article and its accompanying resources are meant to simplify the
searching process too. Faced-paced business, especially medical
practice business, doesn't stop and wait for everyone to catch up, nor
do patients stop coming. The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared," and
with medical practice software, you will be. A supportable, useable,
flexible, manageable, and affordable way to streamline the demands of
a medical practice EMR is to find medical practice software capable of
supporting your practice's information databases and streamlining
their management to one secured login. Not only can it support your
EMR's but also you, because medical practice software provides access
to service consultant and medical codes. It also allows you to access
your EMR databases off-site.?
http://www.electronic-medical-records-center.com/electronic-medical-records-programs-comparisons.php
?Today we had a person involved in implementing EMR in our office.
She has been deemed an "expert" in the field enough to be training
others on the use of EMR. Yet a few hours in our office showed her
how much she did not know. I told her it is like a person without
children trying to teach people how to raise kids. We all have
opinions on the subject, but when we have kids ourselves, we realize
how naiive many of our views were. What seemed to be simple in
theory, was practically impossible.
This is what I see is a major flaw with most EMR vendors.
Implementation is the achilles heel. They do not understand what it
is to run a small office - they don't feel our pain, deal with our
trouble, or face our challanges. They know software and can recite
the reasons it is a good thing, yet most of the people implementing
are not from the real world.?
http://www.healthvoices.com/taxonomy_menu/3/40
Selecting your computer system. A little dated but useful
http://www.physiciansnews.com/computers/801migliore.html
EMR Roadshow
This a great and inexpensive way to evaluate applications and talk
with vendors about specific questions.
http://www.medrecinst.com/conferences/roadshow/pdfs/EMRRoadShowBrochureR1.pdf
http://www.medrecinst.com/conferences/roadshow/vendor.asp
http://www.medrecinst.com/conferences/roadshow/index.asp
?Finally, a few words of advise (sic) for those looking to implement an EMR:
1 Do your homework.
2 Understand the rudimentaries of the technology, at a minimum.
3 Do not delegate complete responsibility for this decision to someone else.
4 Be willing to spend money when and where appropriate ? this will
become the central nervous system and lifeline of your business.
5 Ask for, and be willing to pay for, good qualifiedhelp.
6 Be skeptical and challenge every solution that you see. When you
have made your decision become its greatest champion and advocate
internally.
7 Expect bumps in the road, and set expectations appropriately. When
problems arise, deal with them.
8 The light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train.
http://www.hitbcc.com/emr/EMRGuide.pdf
I hope this information will help you select the most effective EMR
for your office. Please, request an Answer Clarification, and allow me
to respond, before rating!
Sincerely, Crabcakes
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