Hi Adam,
I am a relative newbie to AC as well. Brian and Bert have been invaluable.
I have not always followed their advice and have regreted it most of the time.
I have been in pracitice for thirty years between emergency medicine and family practice. I currently hold a contract with a community college and take care of 460 full time employees and their dependents for a monthy stipend; it is the best job I have ever had. I began AC in September 2007.
I currently have my desktop server and three client laptops (one for my wife/receptionist/office manager and two for my two exam rooms). Each patient receives a printed "Summary Page" from AC as they arrive for their visit. The Summary Page includes everything from their picture to their diagnoses and current meds along with preventive items such as last colonoscopy, paps, mammograms and even cholesterol complete with values. I keep all of these under the "Directives" in the Demographic Page.
The patients love this and it gives them the opportunity to update their Summary Page with each vist (which keeps me current as well).
I initially dictated everything with Dragon Naturally Speaking (Bert had encouraged me to do everything in the patient room, but I ignored him initially). I have recently been completing my charts in the patient rooms with the patients peering over my shoulder and I forward them to myself to sign later. This is much quicker and my patients and I both prefer this procedure. I complete my Rxs in the exam rooms and print off the typed Rx and hand it to the patient. My receptionist can then fax it to the pharmacy for them or they can take it with them.
I am becoming more adicted to AC daily.
Welcome aboard!
Best,
Jim
