Please recommend an EMR for my specific needs.

FPDoctor,

We are finalizing things with Active Ink.  I will provide a demo of how it works here on this site in the next few days.  This is one of the most exciting Projects I have been involved in for a while, and that speaks volumes givne the literally almost 1000 projects and modules I have worked on in my 20 years Software Development.

Sorry for the delays, working on those Devils in the Details.

This is just another Document Type Module in eMedRec, but for people like yourself it can be a lot more.  Further as we see it:

Our two beta sites will be:

A busy Urgent Care Center

1. Providing both Active Ink Kiosk System at front desk of Ugent Care Center with Heavy OCCMED.
2. These filled forms will be incorporated with the Medisoft Database Information along with data filled in to start the visit encounter data capture.
3. The Physcian will complete a Active Ink Soapnote and this will automatically populate a Discharge Summary.  They will then complete the DWC-25 Workmans Comp Form and parts of this will go to the discharge summary.  This will all be used to create a Active Ink Superbill, that can quickly be modified.  The SOAPNote will contain all Orders and Medication Prescription via the EMR in it so that the rest can be generated from the SOAPNote.

A busy 16 Physician PCP Managed Care Group:

1. Patient will check in at Kiosk, if existing they scan a card at the Kiosk, currently they do this at the Check In Process.
2. If Existing, then they will get a package for just existing forms to be filled in, if New they will have to fill in a complete package.
3. If New Patients don't want to do this, they can Select to print paper forms that are barcoded for the visit, and we will scan those automatically to the chart.
4. Doctors will either use the Tablet/Active Ink System or Paper Forms from eMedRec packages, we are not going to force this down 5 sites throats, they can change when they feel ready.
5. On Check Out Referral Desk will also provide you your Card for next follow up visit.

In the later most of this is already running, we are just adding the Kiosk System.

Anyway working out the details for final go.  In any case we are embedding Active Ink with or without this, as this is now something I feel is very valuable to our product.

I'll try to answer some of the questions raised by posters.

The reason for the spread sheet is to do financial stuff (reimbursements, etc.), not clinic stuff.  I don't need to export the spread sheet.

OfficeAlly.com and FreeClaims.com require a plain text file.  The text data is strategically positioned, so they'll know which text is ID, Name, DOB, etc.  The locations of the text corresponds with CMS-1500 fields.

For documenting trigger point injections, I don't need a picture.  I just need a table of muscles, e.g. Trapezius, Levator Scapulae, Quadratus Lumborum, etc., with check boxes next to them.
Same with locations of pain.  Temporal, cervical, shoulder, lower back, etc., with check boxes next to them.  And a small area to enter free text.
It would be nice if I can create the tables.

I have a small practice.  One physician, and two physical therapists.  The PT will be using the EMR as well for their work.  Of course, the receptionist will need to access the files as well.

Not only do I scan the EOB and reports, I also scan the signed documents.  New patients have to sign about 4 or 5 documents, agreements, release statements, etc.

I'm going to have to spend the next few weeks reconsidering the options.
Thank you.

ArcticInferno:

9) this last request is a bit asking too much, but here it goes,... I'm in NY, and NY Workers Compensation requires something called C-4, instead of the CMS/HCFA-1500.  C-4 looks similar to 1500, but not identical.  Billing softwares that allow custom format modules will  allow you to print the C-4 form.  This is not absolutely necessary, because sooo many softwares can't do this.  Medisoft and Eclipse can do it, but Amazing Charts can't

This is why you need Active Ink software.  We have the same need in Florida for the DWC-25 and a Superbill.  We can create all this and any other form like your C-4 in Active Ink, I will post screen shots of this.  It will allow you to fill out the SOAPNote with a Pen/Mouse, draw on figures to your hearts desire, import pictures, etc..., and link it to other forms like a discharge summary and the C-4 and patient info sheets.  All of these will interact together and create a Discharge Summary if you like.

Bottom Line you can do whatever the hell you want with it, create whatever you want forms wise, and eMedRec is in a unique position, unlike most any other EMR's to support it in its interface just like any other document.  We are going to integrate it.

I am late for many meetings, but later this evening, I promise, I am going to get some screen shots or a video up on this technology.  It is to cool not to showcase here at EMRUpdate.com.

Regards,
Brendon

By the way only at a place like EMRUpdate will you get so much of a great response from vendors.  Hopefully you have a good research, and make a great choice for your practice.

We all our different in many ways, but for many of us this is more then our livelyhood, it is our love.

Wher in New York.  We go up in June to our Adirondack Summer Home in Old Forge and my Sister lives on Staten Island.

Regards,
Brendon

The posts on here are really getting thorough and "sales" like in their responses.  Your easiest and most objective way to find what you need is to work with an EMR consulting team as they take into account all of yoru needs.  Make sure that you work with a company that works with several EMR companies so that they can be the most objective to your needs.  They will take care of everything for you and you will not have to have your head swirling with sales pitches from hundreds of EMR companies saying who is better than the other.

Our company, AccuStat EMR, performs these consultation services but, there are several others as well so please take your choice. 

Look at it this way, when you build a home, you do not deal directly with the plumber and electrician and drywall company and so on; you hire a contractor to handle that all for you.  An EMR consultant company works much in the same way; taking into account your needs.  Beware of how the consulting company charges though.  Most should be free of charge to you except for site visits and software purchases.  Consulting on your needs should not be a charge to you in any way.

Good luck!

Arctic, you might look at Altapoint EMR. A 2-user system is $1,995. That is the only system I know of that comes in below $2,000 and it still does everything you initially asked for. I have posted some additional EMR Research here that I have done.

Coconut:

The posts on here are really getting thorough and "sales" like in their responses. 

Does anyone catch the irony here, as the sales pitch begins?

The contention that doctors necessarily are ignoramuses at this is chilling.

Reddy

I do not believe that I called physicians ignoramuses in any way or form.  To insinuate that I did is completely out of line.

Also, my "sales pitch" that you say I bgan, I believe that you can also see that I was recommending that the individual go to anyone that does that service so that he does not have to hear sales pitches from EMR companies.

Your remarks were completely uncalled for and unprofessional. 

Coconut:

I do not believe that I called physicians ignoramuses in any way or form.  To insinuate that I did is completely out of line.

Also, my "sales pitch" that you say I bgan, I believe that you can also see that I was recommending that the individual go to anyone that does that service so that he does not have to hear sales pitches from EMR companies.

Your remarks were completely uncalled for and unprofessional. 

Sorry that you took offense. Perhaps us swimming head doctors misunderstood.

As you can tell, you can tell that I have difficulty accepting your sales model.

If I were to choose a 'consultant', I would want them working for, and paid by, me.

As much as you try, you are going to steer your customers to an EMR that pays your fee.

IMHO, doctors understand their own practices better than most outside consultants I have encountered.

Reddy

Mr Reddy,

Thank you for the apology.  I do not believe that you understand the way that I run my company.  For one thing, I have worked along side of physicians as an ACNP for over 15 years.  I thoroughly understand how physician practices work inside and out and in many types of facilities.  Second, our office works 100% for the client, not the EMR company.  You think that we steer a client towards EMRs that pay our fee?  This is where you misunderstand.  My company requires one fee from a client and that fee is for travel to the site for a workflow analysis if the client requests that.  Besides that, AccuStat requires that if an EMR wants to work with us (which over 300+ companies now do), then the EMR must give us the same fee across the board (no one's is greater than the other which may appear to encourage favoritism).  This fee is separate from any costs affiliated with the client period! 

The reason that this is a good service is because EMR companies want companies like mine to go to the clients and work with them on what they want 100%, looking at the client's needs from a viewpoint of a healthcare professional like yourself.

So as you can see, there is no steering towards one company or another; there is no favoritism.  This is 100% unbiased consultation for the 100% benefit of the physician with the physician's needs in mind only.

Now that you can basically see how we work, maybe you can see the benefit in this.

ArcticInferno:

Allows excel-like spread sheet (or import and subsequent edit of excel files).

Q: What are you going to track here ?

A: The reason for the spread sheet is to do financial stuff (reimbursements, etc.), not clinic stuff.  I don't need to export the spread sheet.

Most Physicians do not understand the EMR industry or the products.

Synapse EMR certainly could meet all your needs.  There is even a physio tab (hidden by default)!  For your Excel request, one Excel file per patient in their folder would meet your requirements.  As for billing, synapse supports a few Billing programs, has a CMS 1500, and could probably be tweaked to support your OfficeAlly.com needs.  I don't think anyone has suggested it yet.

Coconut:

Mr Reddy,

Thank you for the apology.  I do not believe that you understand the way that I run my company.  For one thing, I have worked along side of physicians as an ACNP for over 15 years.  I thoroughly understand how physician practices work inside and out and in many types of facilities.  Second, our office works 100% for the client, not the EMR company.  You think that we steer a client towards EMRs that pay our fee?  This is where you misunderstand.  My company requires one fee from a client and that fee is for travel to the site for a workflow analysis if the client requests that.  Besides that, AccuStat requires that if an EMR wants to work with us (which over 300+ companies now do), then the EMR must give us the same fee across the board (no one's is greater than the other which may appear to encourage favoritism).  This fee is separate from any costs affiliated with the client period! 

The reason that this is a good service is because EMR companies want companies like mine to go to the clients and work with them on what they want 100%, looking at the client's needs from a viewpoint of a healthcare professional like yourself.

So as you can see, there is no steering towards one company or another; there is no favoritism.  This is 100% unbiased consultation for the 100% benefit of the physician with the physician's needs in mind only.

Now that you can basically see how we work, maybe you can see the benefit in this.

Mrs Coconut,

The EMR companies are upfront about how much they charge.

So how much do the EMR companies pay you for helping them sell their products?

What do you do when a doctor wants to choose an EMR that doesn't pay you?

Reddy

ArcticInferno:

I'll try to answer some of the questions raised by posters.

The reason for the spread sheet is to do financial stuff (reimbursements, etc.), not clinic stuff.  I don't need to export the spread sheet.

We use the Excel export capabilities for our financials with Excel pivot tables. We expect to begin using the Cognos EBO option once we upgrade to version 8, which will have even better financial modeling.

It is a favorable prognostic factor, that you feel that the financials are important.

Reddy

My name is Deborah.  Coconut is a screen name I chose for silly reasons.

Anyway, what we charge the EMR companies is confidential but, it is a cost that is completely outside of the EMR software costs.  If a group chooses an EMR that we do not work with (which is really unlikely seeing that we work with so many) then we refer the physician directly to the EMR company with all of the information that we gathered with them and wish them the best as we bow out at that point.

I will give you an example of how we work:

Lets say that a 2-MD office needs a specific EMR and they want us to install, train and support the EMR.  The EMR that they want would normally charge: (these figures are examples, not real)

$10,000 for each software license

$5,000 for software installation in-house for two days

$2,000 for training for two days

$2,500 for all travel costs

$3,000 a year for support

Total of $32,500.  This is simply for the software without interfaces, hardware and network.

AccuStat EMR would be paid "x" amount by the EMR company for selling their product and, AccuStat would receive discounts for selling the product.  Say that AccuStat received a 10% discount from the EMR company for selling this particular EMR to the client.  The cost to the client would be at MOST:

$9000 for each software license

$4500 for installation

$1800 for two-days training

$1750 for travel or less

$2700 for a year of support

For a total of $28,750

AccuStat can also purchase and set up hardware, network and interfaces where, most EMR companies simply have hardware recommendations and also expect a local IT company to do the network setup.

Coconut,

Coconut:

Anyway, what we charge the EMR companies is confidential but, it is a cost that is completely outside of the EMR software costs. 

Why should it be confidential?  The examples you gave are all professionals that have their fee structure up front and right in the contract.

Is it a percentage?  Thus making it in your best interest to sell a higher priced program?  

Or a fixed amount?   So NextGen pays you the same as Amazing Charts? 

Coconut:

AccuStat EMR would be paid "x" amount by the EMR company for selling their product and, AccuStat would receive discounts for selling the product.  Say that AccuStat received a 10% discount from the EMR company for selling this particular EMR to the client.  The cost to the client would be at MOS

 

AccuStat can also purchase and set up hardware, network and interfaces where, most EMR companies simply have hardware recommendations and also expect a local IT company to do the network setup.

This sounds like more like a re-seller and computer vendor than a consultant.

How on earth can you support 300 different EMR products, and do a halfway decent job? 

Reddy