I have to type or select orders, select the person to carry it out, then print the order to be sent to the hospital (select printer, print, walk down the hall...). (Previously, used pre-printed sheet, assistant did all the work)
I guess it's hard to compare because of different work flows. For me:
- type in a lab (CBC) Print to my printer in the room. Hand to pateint. I have no reason to select a person to carry out an x-ray or lab.
Documenting is substantially more time consuming than picking up a microphone, identifying the patient and dictating a note. My practice does not lend itself well to templating (may too many unique problems, very few single common problems).
Can't compare. Never dictated. Too costly for me.
Fax and lab management... previously was written slip in the inbox, looked at it, initialed it, put in outbox. Now it is go to fax program, open fax, associate with patient, import and sign off, each step of which takes more or less time depending on the network speed at the time.
I guess I don't know your setup. None of that applies to me.
Don't see where network speed even at 10Mbs would have anything to do with it. I guess doesn't apply.
Prescriptions... I like e-prescribing, but selecting the pharmacy each time, finding the right one, or else selecting the printer, sending to the printer and waiting for the printer to print, then getting up and walking down the hall to the printer is much more time consuming than writing on a pad or telling my assistant to call something in.
First, got to get you some HP printers for your rooms. Second, why would you need to print a script. I think your staff would see that it printed anyway and have it ready. But, ePrescribe. Unbelievable. The pharmacy saves for every patient. It takes maybe 5 seconds to find it the first time.
Coding: I would highly recommend writing down the diagnosis and let your coder take it from there. That is what you pay the coder for. I am with you on that.
Again, forgive me because I am not in your shoes. It just seems like getting better with ePrescribe, don't use AC to send stuff to your staff except referrals, and get some small printers for your rooms.
