I'm sharing the email discussion I had with an Amazing Charts Tech in reference to using X-link as an interface for transferring data between Amazing Charts and Medisoft(I had to cut and past so I hope this is not difficult to read):
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Fri, Sep 17, 2010 6:08 am
Subject: HL7
From Tech:
Hello,
Here’s the breakdown of HL7 and Amazing Charts
There is a cost for the Amazing Charts (AC) interface $500.00 – The interface for Medisoft With HL7 can be turned on under view/admin options/ interfaces / HL7 – Medisoft.
The AC interface reads in HL7 (patient demographics) files and sends out HL7 files (charges)
Medisoft has a communication manager that creates the HL7 files (patient demographics) files and pull in HL7 files (charges).
Both AC and Medisoft share a folder for outgoing and incoming files.
Medisoft Communication Manager is $1,200 or so.
Hope this helps!
Rose: Thank you for the info. A few more questions when you have the opportunity:
-How does x-link fit in with the HL7 senario described below?
Tech: X-link would provide the communication between AC and Medisoft w/o creating any files, sort of a hidden conversion (which is why it’s so “costly”) and may sometimes run into conversion problems.
Rose: I was planning to purchase x-link and then heard about HL7, what is the difference?
Tech: Xlink runs in the background, it creates a ghost conversion of documents from Medisoft to AC.
HL7 “physically” creates files to be sent in or out – depending where it’s coming from.
Rose: Also, an AC tech told me that HL7 was available for $1 a year vs. using x-link and that the tech had yet to have a service call for customers using HL7 to transfer data from AC to Medisoft but gets two to three support/service calls a day from customers that use x-link?
Tech: HL7 export (the actual file used to IMPORT information into AC ) is $ 1. 00 – when you compare this to X-link (they will charge $500 to export any file)
The actual interface (which is a program that creates a “delivery file” on your computer created by AC is $500.00 for both X-link and HL7), not all practices want the interface on, which is why we only charge $1.00 dollar to import data into AC from HL7 files. Unlike for X-link, they charge us (AC) $500.00 for any imports.
In short if you want the interface “on” on AC, for HL7 or Xlink you will need to pay 500.00 for either.
If you only want to import a file, you will pay $1.00 for HL7 or $500.00 for Xlink
In addition, we do receive more common issues with people that use X-link, not all problems are X-link conversions or X-link related. I would say that 2 out the 3 calls are from user-end issues (customer that mess up here or there on X-link files). HL7 is easier to use, there is no extra steps to take here and there in comparison to Xlink.
Rose: Based on your experience, is HL7 more effecient then x-link?
Tech: Both are efficient, you can say that HL7 has “less hiccups”
Rose: When you refer to Medisoft Communication Manager, are you referring to x-link?
Tech: No, im referring to Medisoft Software program.
Rose: Hello, Thank you, that is very helpful. I guess what is confusing to me is that my understanding is that x-link was designed because data could not transfer back and forth between AC and Medisoft without first being converted by x-link. In other words the two softwares could not communicate without x-link. However, my understanding based on your emails is that x-link is not required for AC and Medisoft to communicate. The only difference is that it does it works "behind the scenes" which I guess is more cosmetic than technical and also is good if you want data to automatically tranfer throughout the day. Is that correct?
Tech: Yes. Exactly right.
Rose: My ultimate goal is to transfer claim information (data) from AC to Medisoft once a day. As the Medisoft software is in a separate office from AC, I planned to remotely connect to the desktop of the server where AC is installed, pick up the claim information from a folder on the desktop (or wherever you recommend) bring it over the internet and transfer it into Medisoft. As I mentioned above, my understanding was that the data could not be transferred directly into Medisoft; that the data first had to go through x-link before Medisoft would be able to interpret and import it. However, based on your email, it appears I do not need to invest in x-link. Am I correct? What would you recommend as the most cost effective and practical way to simply get claim data from AC to Medisoft via the internet? I'm not as concerned about data transferring from Medisoft to AC; the only time I can think of that this would be important is when we first purchase AC and need to tranfer the patient demographics from Medisoft to AC.
Tech: Given the way you plan to use the transfer of information from Medisoft to AC, the easiest and most cost effective way would be to use HL7. There will be an upfront cost of $500.00/year to activate the interface on AC BUT if you’re currently or will subscribe to Guardian Angel tech support then the interface is included in the $500.00 tech support fee. aside from that I don’t know if there are any extra fees with Medisoft to get any imports from EMR’s.
Side note, practices that invest on Xlink normally have other interfaces that require X-link to be the middle man. So its cost efficient for them to pay one fee with xlink to work on several programs. In your case, you only have one program, so it would be more cost efficient to stick with HL7
