I had hoped this thread would solve itself, as the thousands of other users who have had consistently great support would chime in and Osler’s issues would get resolved, but alas it is not to be, and I guess it is well overdue for me to address these concerns.
You are correct that we are in the throes of a “perfect storm” of (1) migrating to the markedly more robust - but markedly more complex - SQL Server database, (2) a “rush” on EHR systems due to all the recent hype surrounding the HITECH stimulus funds, and – most importantly – (3) our dedication to providing a truly affordable and usable system with no hidden fees or surprising charges.
The first issue is improving as we continue to learn from the unique issues of using SQL Server on various operating system platforms. We have over 3000 practices and there is many times this number of computers running Amazing Charts, each with its own programs, tasks, networking, viruses, anti-virus software, firewalls, etc. Yes, supporting all this is difficult and complex to say the least and we are constantly facing new problems related to Windows updates and software and hardware conflicts – but we work to solve each one, and are continually building on our experiences to facilitate solving similar issues more rapidly.
Add to that the recent rush of new clients, often much less technically savvy than the first wave of “early adopters,” who not only need help with learning basic Amazing Charts functionality, but also require help networking computers and configuring routers. Rather than do what most vendors do, and tell the clients they need to contact their hardware or software vendors from which the underlying problem emanates, our support people roll up their sleeves and dive in. We help everybody fairly, and only stop helping to assist “emergencies” where a practice can’t access Amazing Charts at all. Otherwise, we help our clients equally, even when a client yells louder than another or has issues that aren’t caused by Amazing Charts but rather effect Amazing Charts. As has been noted here – most of the issues aren’t Amazing Charts problems per se, but rather due to the complexity of Windows, SQL Server, and the myriad of hardware and software products being used. Yet we still take responsibility and strive to solve the problem, even though this sometimes can take time and multiple contacts.
Which leads to the third issue, cost. Despite striving to support our clients with whatever they need help with, we have also struggled not to charge any extra for this support. Keep in mind that our $500/year charge for “support & maintenance” pays for all our software improvements and enhancements. The CCHIT Certification we have completed as part of V5 is included. The Health Maintenance module that is now in alpha testing is included. Even our e-Prescribing has been reworked for usability and will be included in V5 at no additional charge to our clients even though we have to pay our vendors for access to the data, updates, etc. We do this because we feel it is not fair to charge physicians to write scripts. We do this because most of our clients don’t require us to spend hours sorting through unusual networks or configuration issues and so we can afford to do it.
And despite our low cost, and the impression from this thread that our support is lacking, our support is consistently rated higher than the vendors who not only charge ten thousand dollars per physician for a license, but also charge thousands a year for their support. In fact, a 2008 study of EHR users published in Family Practice Management showed that EHR users asked their “Overall Satisfaction with Support and Training” rated us higher than eClinicalWorks (eCW), eMDs, SOAPware, Healthmatics (now AllScripts), Centricity, Misys, and others. The ongoing AAFP Center for Health IT survey also finds that we are rated above EVERY OTHER EHR for quality, price, support, ease of use, and impact on productivity. And the October 2009 Medscape survey of EHR users also rated Amazing Charts higher than EVERY OTHER SYSTEM on 12 areas of performance, including vendor customer support. So for those considering Amazing Charts and reading these posts, please don’t mistake the fact that we allow our users to share their frustrations on an uncensored user board as meaning our support is lousy. It isn’t, and when the vast majority of users are asked about their experiences, it becomes clear that not only do we do a great job in general – we do it without gouging our clients.
All this may be terrific, but unfortunately it doesn’t solve the real problems that Osler and a few others have reported here. And while these experiences are not those of the average user, and while I also suspect there is a lot more going on with Osler’s set up than the average practice (since the vast majority of our users have never experienced anything like this), I do agree that the experiences he relates would certainly frustrate me too. So we need to find a solution for those clients who require a level of access and support beyond what the vast majority of our existing practices require. As dklehmannmd noted, she would be willing to pay more for an increased level of support, which is not currently an option.
So why haven’t we increased our annual charges? First off, as noted above, the vast majority of our clients never have support issues, or when they do they are immediately solved rapidly and well (it would be great if some of our users would actually chime in here). It has not felt fair to raise our prices across the board to support the relatively small (but outspoken) number of clients who have experienced something unusual.
I have also resisted instituting a “two tiered” system as I am concerned that most of the people who should have this additional service won’t purchase it outright, and then will get upset (and more outspoken) when they are advised that their expectations or problems aren’t “normal” and are required to pay more. But it sounds like that time has come and we need to offer a more intensive technical support option for people experiencing situations like Osler and dklehmannmd.
And while you may get the sense that I’m shooting the messenger with this post (and I guess I am a bit – sorry Osler and dklehmannmd), the bottom line is you guys are not thrilled with Amazing Charts. And that is not acceptable. Period. So the question is, how do we get there? Do we raise prices for everybody to hire and train more support people so our average “time to resolution” goes from under a day to under an hour? (Of course, as this thread proves, there will always be situations that are not easily solved, no matter what we charge.) Do we offer two tiers of support and require clients needing more help to pay more? I’m not sure of the correct approach and would really like to hear from other Amazing Charts users before making a decision.
Jon
