Check the blog for your assignment this week: Compare and contrast 2 EHR companies. Pick the 5 most important issues you would face in deciding between the 2. Each group will designate a person to post the 5 on the blog. This assignment is worth 2 points and is due October 1, 2012.
We looked at Chirotouch and Econnect. Chirotouch was unique in the fact that it used the Dragon voice recognition software. This would very effective in getting notes done while the patient is in the room. Econnect is what everyone uses in the clinic and should be familiar to us. We realize there are features the school’s Econnect has compared to a clinic with one or two doctors. Certified Econnect is cheaper than Chirotouch. These were the five issues we looked at.
ReplyDelete1. Cost: Is the software you are buying cost effective?
2. Time: Does the software take a lot of time to learn and input?
3. Meaningful use: Does the software meet meaningful use so you can be reimbursed by medicare?
4. Cloud: Does the software have cloud capabilities?
5. Support: Is your software company going to be there when you have technical issues no matter what time of day?
group 3
DeleteGroup 11
ReplyDeleteWe compared Meditouch and the familiar Econnect. Meditouch overall has great reviews when compared with future heath's econnect. From what we have read the customer service is atrocious from future health sometimes taking 3 weeks or longer to get a response if you are lucky enough to have your call returned. Another downfall that future health has, is the cost. For a fully functional version of their software and technichal support it costs well over $6,000. The one nice thing about future health is that they claim they are willing to give you instruction on how to meet meaningful use requirements to get reimbursed by the government, from the reviews that we have read, this department is very hard to get a hold of just like their technical support division. Econnect was fairly easy to learn how to use but is not very user friendly. Meditouch offers training with their software and it appears very little training is required to be efficient using it. Another bonus we found with Meditouch is that it is a monthly payment system similar to Chirotouch, you can never outright own the EHR but that is a good thing because all updates are included in the monthly cost. Since this progam is on a monthly payment system there is no worry about sigining a long term contract.
The 5 issues we believe are important are:
1. Software cost and cost to add more users? What is the overall cost of the program after government reimbursement? What do updates cost if they do at all? Is training covered in the purchase cost?
2. Useablity: I am going to struggle trying to find what I need to while the patient is in the room?
3. Technical support: Are you going to be there if your software goes down? How long is it going to take for you to fix the problem? Do you charge for fixing your product's malfunction?
4. Meaningful use: Does the company provide help to the user proving meaingful use or is it already built into the software?
5. Storeage? How is the data I put into the system stored? Is it on a cloud, onsite server or stored on external hard drives?
Group 20
ReplyDeleteWe looked at Eclipse and Econnect. We all have been working with Econnect for about 2 years now and for the most part non of us like it. We decided a lot of it had to do with the way it was set up. It does not flow when you are trying to fill in patient encounters. Non of us have ever used Eclipse but we did some searching for EHR's and this one had great reviews. It is loved by chiropractic billing services and practitioners. We watch a video and it does seem to flow better but without using it there is still always that chance it will not function how we would like it too. After reviews both software systems these are the five things we found most important when deciding on a system.
1. Cost: Lets face it, if you cannot afford it how is that helping.
2. Functionality: It is cliche but time is money and if you cannot power through the notes quickly and efficiency it becomes a burden not an aid.
3. Meaningful use: It won out the third spot for us because if the software can make us money or even pay for itself that is a huge plus.
4. Support: This goes back to how the software functions. If there is a problem does the practice stop...no and there needs to be fast service to get the practice back up and running as if there was never a problem in the first place.
5. Safety: Our last concern to make the list is how safe is the software. It is great that there is one software program to run the entire office, but how safe is the information. It would be horrible to find out the software has weak security and information about our patients gets out. That is a black mark on our record and possibly cause the business to close which is the exact opposite of what EHR was created to do.
for this assignment our group compared EINSTEIN and Econnect. Obviously Econnect was chosen because its something that all of us are very familiar with. While Econnect is fairly simple to use there are many ways that we believe it could be improved. It takes too ling to enter in each and every little detail especially when one is trying to work on a physical. Also from what we have previously researched about the storage and price we believe that Econnect is less cost effective for what we are getting than we would prefer. EINSTEIN practice management software has received outstanding reviews from several different sources. They are completely dedicated to the chiropractic profession and the company is one of the only chiropractic software companies to use the ,NET technologies that are being used by most fortune 100 companies. EINSTEIN makes everything in the office much more simple by automating almost every procedure done in the office. They also make it easy to digitize and transmit paper documents electronically. The software is relatively cheap with no extra add on software to purchase and they offer unlimited phone support. After looking at both software types we came up with these five important factors.
ReplyDelete1. Cost: Shocker, I know but none of us are going to have tons of many any time soon and if we can get a good software at an affordable price than that is going to be big for our practice.
2 Meaningful use: without meaningful use there is not much of a reason to get EHR in the first place, electronic health records make it easier for a practice but the big reason to have it is to get some money back.
3 user friendliness: one of the big reasons no one likes Econnect is because it isn't very user friendly, why pay for a software that you aren't going to like using.
4 Storage: being able to store large amounts of data will be crucial especially when our practices grow. cloud technology is also very helpful with storage in case of a system crash.
5 support: one thing about technology is that it always seems to stop working at the wrong time. Having a skilled professional available for support is going to be crucial to keeping the system going and the doctor happy
Group 10
ReplyDeleteOur group also compared Econnect with Chirotouch. We chose Econnect because it is the software we are probably all most familiar with at this point. It is highly customizable with apps, macros can be applied in many cases to cut down on typing, and many key pieces of information that should be included in our notes are incorporated into the drop boxes and buttons. These can serve to save time when doing paperwork, but also result in patient notes that appear computer generated. Some features that were interesting with Chirotouch include (as mentioned by group 3) voice recognition software. Solid voice recognition software that allows dictation to supplement typing/writing is something we're probably going to be seeing become a prevalent feature of our EHR software over the coming years. Chirotouch also affords tablet compatibility, keeping our patient interactions more personal and face-to-face. Chirotouch is also highly customizable with applications.
5 factors to consider when selecting EHR:
1. Cost- Pretty much a no brainer. Can you afford it? Will it do everything you want/need it to do for a competitive price? What is included in the initial purchase cost (upgrades, etc?), and what is incorporated into your subscription cost?
2. Satisfies requirements of Meaningful Use- Since Meaningful Use is a big part of the drive behind the transition to EHR, it is pretty important that the EHR you select meets the requirements.
3. Utility- Is the software user friendly? Is it customizable to better fit your needs? Do you prefer the pushbutton/dropbox approach of Econnect? Or would you prefer a software that primarily leaves the descriptions you enter to a freeform format? If you can't use your software, it's not going to be effective.
4. Support- Technology will always have hiccups, typically at the worst possible times. What is covered when things go wrong? Do they have 24/7 tech support? Do they have a tech team that can be dispatched and at your office in a reasonable amount of time should tech support via telephone fail?
5. Security- How are files backed up? How is HIPAA sensitive material protected? The security of our EHR software can protect us from potential lawsuits.
Group 8
ReplyDeleteChirotouch vs. Eclipse
Chirotouch currently has around 1000+ clients, where as Eclipse has 10,000+ clients. The purchase price for Chirotouch is $13,500 as of May 1st and $5,800 for Eclipse. In addition, Chirotouch is $750/year for support and Eclipse is $900/year. So more for the initial purchase but less for the yearly support fee. Both are certified for Meaningful Use. Both companies use an office server rather than a cloud for storing the information. Chirotouch gives the option of automatic back-up with the server for $12/month, but Eclipse requires back-up on your own. Chirotouch has many options for patient sign-in, including a signature pad, barcode swipe, credit card or driver’s license swipe, or fingerprint detector. With Eclipse, you have to use paper sign-in or else a 3rd party company to facilitate a signature sign-in. Chirotouch also can schedule automatic credit card payments through a 3rd party, however Eclipse does not have that option. Chirotouch has included an option for scanned document storage, but with Eclipse data conversion usually costs $800-$1000 and can take 3-5 minutes. One advantage of Eclipse, however, is that you can export patient demographics to an Excel file. Overall, Chirotouch seems to offer more features but at a much higher initial price.
The five things that we considered to be the most important when deciding between EHR companies would be:
1. Purchase price
2. Support/updates fees (in the long run, a company may be a better deal even if it is more up front)
3. Certified for Meaningful Use
4. Cloud vs. Server based (this could depend on personal preference)
5. Company is reputable and provides reliable support
Obviously, there are certain features that we would each be looking for in our own offices that may differ. However, the above five features are important to all of us.
Group #21
ReplyDeleteOur group chose to investigate the likes of the clinic fan favorite Econnect and also the new age Chirotouch. Econnect software has been established within our clinics with mixed reviews from both staff and interns alike. Econnect offers many quality applications to help reduce wasted time when transitioning within paperwork and patient flow. The use of body diagrams and macro drop boxes create efficient note taking in half the time. Chirotouch provides similar applications however, integrates new age technology such as touch screens, voice recognition, iPad interfaces and epad signature along with magnetic card readers for patient check ins. Just by listing those items I feel my office flow moving faster.
5 factors to consider:
1. Cost- You have to be able to afford the product if you want to stay in business. Simple.
2. Third Party Payers- All the bells and whistles of EHR mean nothing if the software cannot meet the demands of 3rd party payers such as Medicare. One of the biggest complaints in healthcare is dealing with insurance companies so, why have a program that leaves you blinded to their nonsense. Make sure your program meets their requirements so you have a fighting chance.
3. Customizable- Some EHR can be integrated easily into a large practice but, you may only have a 8x10 shanty so, do you really need such integrated software? Many programs are customizable for a growing business and can help determine what you need in your practice at a particular time. Find the apps you're looking for and which you can also grow with, Do what works for you.
4. Support- Good luck with the learning curve with EHR! You will not be a pro from the get go with the product but, luckily for you there are professionals that can help you and thats why you weighed the support consideration before buying right? They best have 24/7 tech support too.
5. Security- You do not want to get sued. Make sure there is a back up of your back ups. HIPAA violations are no joke and you can be prosecuted. Do not let patient information slip through the cracks, find an EHR that can protect you and your patients.
Group 5
ReplyDeleteLike many other groups on this blog our group decided to compare Econnect with Chirotouch software. Obviously, our group is familiar with Econnect, using it daily in our clinical experience. Econnect is efficient and offers many programmable benefits that can make a clinicians life easier. Chirotouch also affords many of the same luxuries that we enjoy using Econnect, while offering integration with touch screen technologies and dictation programs, while also offering customizable options similar to Econnect. Considering EHR programs for use in a personal office is not a task that our group will take lightly. We decided on five key areas that we will focus on when choosing a program to run our offices.
1. Cost. Cost is an essential variable to consider whether you start a new business with limited capital or buy an existing office that has yet to employ an EHR protocol. It is important to keep your overhead down in both endeavors.
2. Support. Support could go hand in hand with cost. How much is it going to cost a month for support? Is it all done through remote access or will someone have to come to the office? Support is important whether it involves training on the program for you, or how fast can the company fix a problem when you need it.
3. Time consumption. The program must be efficient to keep the office flowing smoothly. A program that wastes time is hurting the office more than it is helping.
4. Security. HIPPA is a huge concern in the office. Information safety is valuable to the office and the offices bottom line from a legal standpoint.
5. Storage. Offsite versus onsite is important to consider. Is it more valuable to the office to have info stored on a private server with whatever maintenance responsibilities that comes with or outsourced? Storing information on an outside server comes with monthly fees outside of the realm of support fees and can come with more information security issues.
Group #12:
ReplyDeleteAs a group, we compared Econnect with Chirotouch. Chirotouch includes many products to support the chiropractor’s needs. These additional products include Best Chiropractor Soap Note Software, Patient records, Billing & Reports, Scheduling & Patient Flow, iPad Interfaces, Easy Transition, and an online database where you can access your patient files from any Wifi called MyChiroTouch. IPad interfaces allow patients to access, and fill out new patient information as well as Outcome assessments while in the waiting room. This improves the efficiency of practice and increases the allotted time given to each patient.
Econnect is a software that as students we are all familiar with. Econnect base software includes the following that is free: scheduling, documentation, EHR, billing, and patient documentation. The software also has free training, annual maintenance, support, and free installation. Another convenience is all billing can be done at the push of a button. The base software is free to use and Apps can be purchased separately. The software is user friendly, but at times the program has trouble opening and running correctly.
The cost of Chirotouch ranges from $11,250-13,750. The $11,250 software does not allow the user to bill Medicare and Medicaid. The software costing $13,750 does allow the user to bill Medicare and Medicaid. These prices are much more when compared to Econnect. The Econnect software offers costs around $6,000 and any additional Apps can be purchased separately. The user may want to purchase Technical support for Chirotouch, which comes free the first year and $750/year thereafter. Storage options for Chirotouch include personal external hard drive saved to server or CT Secure for $11.95/mo. CT Secure is an offsite server that stores patient file information. Storage size is 5gb.
Based on consumer reviews, although there aren’t many, the ones I did review says Chirotouch is very easy to use. Chirotouch offers many webinars to help Doctors ease their way into the new software. These webinars can be accessed at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/517186354 and based on their Facebook page, are offered free to all Chirotouch software users. Like all other software, the ease of using it comes from familiarizing yourself with the programs capabilities, which may take some time.
Our Top 5 most important issues when deciding on the two included:
1. Cost
2. User Friendly
3. Storage
4. Cloud capabilities
5. Support
Group 16
ReplyDeleteSimilar to most our group chose to look at EConnect vs Chirotouch. Both of these software companies offer options that will enhance the performance of any practice. However, subtle differences can be seen in each software system and therefore personal preference comes into play. For our group the following factors seem to be the most important:
1. Cost - this is probably one of the biggest factors for a new startup practice. Each system will cost thousands of dollars, however if a new company can forgo luxuries in the system, saving some cash may be beneficial.
2. Security - we all no that rules are becoming more strict when it comes to personal health records so our systems need to be air tight to prevent needless court dates.
3. Support - how fast can he developer fix any issues that you that you have? Is there a local branch that can send a technician to your office or will all help be over the phone or Internet?
4. Efficiency - will the system make he practice more efficient? It is one of the biggest reasons to get the software system and moving away from the paper world. It has to do more than satisfy insurance requirements.
5. Storage - will storage be in the cloud or will servers be physically in he office of the doctor. If they are in the cloud the security becomes an issue again. Howeve, it is physically on the property of the doctor, the risk of losing all information due to theft or fire comes into play.
Group 1 chose Eclipse and Eon systems to compare. Eclipse is a unique EHR system as it is founded by a married couple who are a chiropractor and a health care/software developer. What makes this company unique is the fact that a chiropractor has input directly into the system, so one could be confident that the program would be functional and applicable in a day to day practice setting. This is probably one of the most key factors in deciding what EHR system to use because in reality, they will all cost some amount of money but if it saves you time in the office, the end result will be saved money in your own investment. Eon systems seems to be a basic system with billing software, insurance follow up, document management and storage capabilities. The site seems a little out dated which only leads to question the actual functionality and relevancy of Eon systems. Overall when calling to compare prices and quotes, it seems that Eclipse has an advantage thus far. When calling to determine which company is best for your office, 5 key points to remember would be 1. Cost, 2. Functionality (try out a demo or free trial) 3. Insurance compatibility 4. Ease of transition to new system for front staff office (especially if they are the ones who will mainly be using the system) 5. Time consumption. (money is time and if it takes more time to enter anything into a system, that’s money and business lost) An Ehr system may cost you more in the beginning but it should save you more time and money in the long run. Any system that is capable of doing that is worth the extra penny up front. Quality counts and time is money.
ReplyDeleteGroup 14
ReplyDeleteOur group looked at the differences between ChiroTouch and Future Health eConnect. As we use eConnect currently in the Palmer clinic there is the automatic advantage of having some base knowledge of the system going into practice. Future Health has a free basics package and then the clinician can choose which apps they would like to have and are most relevant to their office specifically. ChiroTouch, on the other hand, prides itself on being easy to learn and use. It has a nice technology-friendly interface which allows better time management and cohesiveness from the time the patient checks in, and allows for easy-to-use ipad touch screens and voice recognition to maximize clinic efficiency.
The 5 aspects our group finds most important when considering the different software are:
1. Cost - as a beginning practice it is important that the benefits are in line with the cost of the product. Although Future Health does offer the basics for free, you would still need to pay for storage and anything else on top of it. ChiroTouch is a good product but ipads and other compatibile computers would need to be purchased.
2. Security - we want to be sure the private health records are secure and only accessible to those who need the information. HIPAA is the number one priority and we want to make sure we adhere to it through the software we use.
3. Support - how accessible is the software company for questions and/or concerns. Are there additional webinars offered to keep the clinic up to date with new developments and information?
4. User friendly - will we be able to easily access information as patients come in, ranging from SOAP notes to xray exams and future appointments. We want to be able to quickly find information without wasting too much time looking through records and tabs to find it.
5. Storage - will there be regular back up and information saved to a cloud or additional server should information be lost. Who can access this information and how easy is it to access.
Group 19
ReplyDeleteWe chose Chirotouch and Econnect. A nice feature that Chirotouch provides for its users is an iPad interface. This will help to make the note taking side of patient care run a lot more smoothly. Being able to maintain face to face time with the patient versus having to stand at a computer while taking notes will be very valuable. The voice command features will also help to cut down on time spent taking notes for each patient. Obviously, Econnect is software that our group is familiar with, so that is one thing that it has going for it. We like that it can be programmable to fit the way you want your office to function, which is important is choosing which software to use. The five questions that were of concern for our group are as follows:
1) Cost: if the benefits that we get from the software don't outway the cost, if would be hard to justify its purchase
2) Technical support: for those of us that aren't computer whizzes, we need to know that our software provider will be able to help us with any issues we may have
3) Meaniful use: if the software can basically pay for itself, why not purchase it
4) Useability: how complicated will the software be to navigate
5) Customizable: will we be able to set the software up to our liking, however we choose to do so
Group #2
ReplyDeleteWe compared Rapid Chiropractic Software Suite and Eclipse Software. Rapid Chiropractic Software Suite (RAPID) includes two software: Rapid Documentation and Rapid Practice Management, the latter helps doctors with billing: generates insurance claims, alerts on outstanding collections, and helps with coding. The RAPID EHR looks relatively easy to use. The coaching session lasts approximately five hours. A plus for this software is that reports created using RAPID can be viewed and edited with Microsoft Word. Doctors can choose either a multiple users or single user configuration. For single user doctor needs only one PC Windows operating system only 2 GHz processor, 20 GB storage. RAPID software does not offer any back-ups storage so that will be an added expense. RAPID EHR cost is around $4,000. In addition, healthcare providers can opt for a support plan that costs approximately $1,500 per year and if they want to optimize the software for tablet computer use will be an added expense of $2,000. Eclipse Software has been in use for the past 20 years at thousands of offices throughout the U.S. and recently upgraded their software to include electronic billing capabilities, electronic medical record (EMR), daily notes, an alerts system, security features, and is HIPAA compliant. A single-user license costs approximately $2,000. Additional user licenses cost extra. Support with all upgrades will cost the doctor $700 annually.
5 most important issues you would face in deciding between the 2:
1. Purchase price
2. Training and tech support provided
3. Ease of use
4. Meaningful use
5. Back-up storage
Group 13
ReplyDeleteWe chose to compare and contrast Future Health eConnect and Chirotouch. Some of the great features about eConnect are that you can customize which apps you want on your software, and you only pay for the apps that you use. Another nice perk is that they offer cloud storage for the patient files, which is a secure way to store your files. They also advertise that they will help you with the Medicare EHR incentive, which is an important aspect to any EHR system. Chirotouch provides apps that are similar, but they also integrate touch screens, an iPad interface, voice commands, magnetic card reader application for patient check in's, and epad signature capibilities. The Chirotouch software has a few more bells and whistles in our opinion, and they charge you more for these capabilities. That is where opinion comes in to play, is the added costs worth it? Is the cloud storage on the eConnect system worth the security while sacrificing lots of time to allow it to load? Which system is easier to use or can be customized to how you want the layout of your screen to be? Will both systems protect from identity theft? If the office is destroyed in a disaster, will the patient files on the EHR be backed up? If we have questions about the software, how fast and helpful will a support team be? How much does that support team cost and is the support worth it?
The 5 most important issues when deciding between the 2 were:
1)Cost
2)Storage
3)Security
4)Easy to use
5)Technical Support
Joshua Pattengale
Group 17
ReplyDeleteWe looked at 2 companies Chirotouch and Macpractice. Macpractic offers a much wider amount of customization. They can take almost any form you give them and create a template for you that will work on both a table and desktop. Chirotouch has a more standard interface that is extremely intuitive and easy to use if you are a full spine practitioner. If you have a specialty technique then it is not as customizable. Both offer local storage, options for backup, certification for meaningful use, and support.
1. Cost
2. Hardware required
3. Meaningful use
4. Customizability for techniques
5. Ability to run whole practice from schedule to billing and everything in between.
We looked at Chirotouch and ipatient. Our groups choose these two software companies because both are designed to be used in "small-to-medium" sized clinics. Both software companies have their perks such as; billing capabilies, certifications for meaningful use, web based back-up, patient reminder capabilities, etc. Our group mutual decided that we wanted our software to be able to make the clinic more efficient. Ipatient and chirotouch both have the capability of being ran from tablets, eliminating the paper trail, and being more "green". These are the 5 aspects that our group would consider when picking out our EHR system:
ReplyDelete1) Cost- An EHR system is an investment, that would allow the doctor to spend more time with patients, less time doing paperwork.
2) Meaningful use- If we would invest in EHR, we would make sure it would qualify for incentives.
3) Ease of use- The system would need to be user friendly to allow all staff to be proficient.
4) Backup- In the event of emergencies or accidents we want our data safe and secure.
5) Support- The company that the clinic invest in should offer training, or technical support whenever needed.