Practice Excellence in Two Clicks of a Mouse

Optometric Management, Dec 2004 by Morris, Scot

Let high technology information systems empower your practice.

Compared to the first electronic medical records (EMRs) of years ago, paper medical records must have appeared efficient. But today, software programs perform complex tasks in an instant, including practice management activities such as billing, coding, marketing, audits, etc.

Driving this advance in medical office technology is an emphasis on cost-benefit analysis, outcome assessment and patient satisfaction. The medical industry is pushing providers toward electronic media, electronic filing and, ultimatcly, EMRs. (Vision Service Plan gives a credit for electronic claim filing and charges a fee for filing paper claims.) The reason: Unlike paper claims processing, computers process claims without significant cost.

With EMRs, we can now access vital information within seconds. These powerful tools are changing the way we practice by making doctors better business people.

Behind the name

EMRs are digital medical records. Many systems have integrated practice management software (PMS) with EMRs to increase efficiency and productivity throughout the office. With just two clicks of a mouse, these combined electronic practice management systems (EPMSs) - commonly but falsely referred to as EMRs - replace the hours of work for paper charts.

Marketing technology

Our society has embraced PDAs, TIVOs, DVDs, LCD TVs, etc. Patients expect you, their eyecare professional, to have state-of-the-art technology. From a marketing perspective, an EPMS has many advantages.

* You can enhance the day-to-day internal marketing that centers on patient care.

* An EPMS allows for more quality time, better service, higher perceived quality of care and less time scribbling notes.

* These systems can target specific patient demographics with detailed marketing pieces and track leads given by other patients about prospective new patients or businesses.

* You can even send thank-you notes by e-mail before the patient leaves your office.

Talk about a competitive advantage over your colleagues who haven't taken the next step!

Don't get me wrong - transitioning to an EPMS is a paradigm shift. You (and your staff) have to embrace the concept for it to succeed. It may not change the amount of time you spend with each patient, but it will change how you spend that time.

Clinical benefits

The most common use of the various EPMSs is in patient services and the clinical setting. Needless to say, patients value their time. With some systems, patients can register themselves electronically before they arrive at your office through a registration section on your Web page. While the patient is in the lane, your staff can schedule appointments, generate medical and optical scripts and even send standardized post-op or referral letters via e-mail.

All of these activities streamline each patient encounter and increase practice efficiency by cutting out various steps in the workflow process. EPMSs allow for automatic recall to enhance patient retention. Many systems can prevent life-threatening drug interactions with drug-interaction software.

You can even draw pictures just as you would on paper (except now they're actually legible). You can also import topography, visual fields, scanning laser ophthalmoscopes, autorefractions, keratometry, etc., which saves time as well as multiple print cartridges and reams of paper. You can also capture a short video of informed consent, if desired. Some EPMSs even compute service level codes based on the exam fields completed, thus optimizing the coding levels selected.

Optical benefits

From the optical perspective, imagine managing inventory or tracking glasses and contact lens orders instantly. Many of the EPMSs even have direct interfaces with the major optical labs, allowing for tighter quality control and quicker job processing. Many software systems can track a patient's previous purchasing habits and make suggestions as to possible patient preferences, which enables the optician to make better eyewear suggestions.

Administrative benefits

Other advantages to using EPMSs include less physical chart storage space, increased free time for doctors, reduced transcription and printing expenses, reduced staffing and improved collections. In addition, EPMSs allow for immediate access to personnel data including salary, benefits, paid time off, date of hire and performance evaluations. You can also access immediate snapshots of your finances. You can track provider productivity in terms of charges and collections by provider and/or by insurance company, etc.

Additionally, you can track number of visits by provider, accounts receivable, accounts payable, adjustments, etc. You can file claims electronically with Medicare and third-party payers. These activities save time, reduce documentation and transposition errors, improve efficiency and provide better care for our patients.

Assessing affordability

Perhaps you're asking yourself whether you could afford to bring an EPMS into your practice, but a better question is, "Can you afford not to?" Consider this: A staff member needs to pull a chart, insert a new exam sheet and then file the chart after the completion of the patient visit. This scenario may replay 10 to 50 times each day, depending on your practice size. This staffer has to perform similar tasks not only for today's exams, but also for patients who require a prescription refill, a referral or even an answer to a question. This process can take two to three staff hours each day. How much is this worth?