Well, we made the choice of AC based upon what was "Best" for our Provider to Chart well and easily first and foremost. And I believe that because most AC users are "Owner, Operators" might we say, Docs who own and run their own small practices they made the choice first and foremost upon what was Best for Charting and making that side of their doctor's life and practice work well... And for those who want an easy to chart, easy to learn, easy to teach non-medical like staff, and easy to maintain system AC made a WHOLE LOT of SENSE all the way thru 4.0 if not even most of 5.0....
BUT as medicine became more and more difficult to make a buck at and docs learned that they could not afford to leave not one last dollar on the table uncollected and unrealized, I think there was a growing need, realization that an "Integrated" PM made a whole lot of sense.... And then there are those who already think that way either because that is who they always were, or similar things experiences taught them such even if not as AC users, and so some or many (not sure how many, Jon Knows this best) made choices to buy in or NOT buy in based upon whether or not AC had a PM as part of itself....
I, WE originally bought in because AC used to Promote the Product as having PM Functions built in.... Later on a "Bug" was found in the math part, the Financial section and so Jon stopped promoting it as such.... That was a number of years ago now... So at least some of us have been waiting a good long time for this correction, improvement to be made... This is why the "Warning" pops up telling users that AC is NOT a PM and should not be depended upon as such, but that one is "Coming".... when you log into the financial side of the Admin options...
I personally have always thought that if someone could create the AC of BOTH Sides then they would have the Market practically to themselves as long as they could market it and get the word out well... Imagine a two side product like that for all of you who do both or have staff doing one while you doc on the other side and oversee their work. This is what some of the biggest players do... Take the visit from the frontdesk check in all the way to check out, co-pays collected and recorded and what have you, with the ability to give patients printed reciepts and perhaps even run or at least record a credit card transaction too.
I see the PM part as much like other interesting PITA to create and bring out of BETA options and features we have right now be it E-Rx, the MidMark Ritter that probably less people use than do use, Sync Function, just to name a few.... Make use of them if you want to and hopefully they serve their purpose for you... and if not then don't use them because you don't want or need to use your ECG that way let's say... But it's there as a choice and as a marketing side of the product. For those that want it, it is there and therefore it gains more market share from those that such a thing is nice or important to...
So use the PM and enjoy it, hopefully it will function well and help docs run their practices and keep more of the money they deserve to earn and keep.... and if that is not your bag or you already own a product that you like and don't want to change over, then that is your choice as well. And Jon and AC even have interfaces there so many of the well known products can sort of talk and work with AC to some extent... Again use them as you see fit.... And again each one of those choices are again a marketing tool, a potential new customer "Hook" because someone really likes or is otherwise invested in their own PM product... It's all good as long as it does not take away too much from the originaly product which is a great easy to use charting system....
But with Calenders, schedulars, the old previously marketed PM like functions, export of encounters to upload to a bill company for many years now, and interoffice email and other stuff, AC always WAS a PM to some extent and really just needed to be properly Finished and Completed. She sort of was, but was at the same time "Incomplete".... And so to me this is finally making good on what was once part of the product to begin with and was always half expected by us end users...
And I still think had Jon done the PM back in like 2007 or '08 he would have had such a Mega Hit on his hands that we would not even be having this conversation today... It would simply be "AC" that we all know and use regularly and just "Know".... I think he could have almost claimed the small practice side of this market as his own.... Nobody else would have even come close too all of that in this price and easy of use range....
Paul
