Excellent points, Bert.
I do believe that the lack of a good practice management solution is probably one of Jon's biggest sales obstacles right now. However, it seems to me that the process of developing an integrated PM system from scratch is fraught with peril.
For one thing, many present users do not use the billing capability of Amazing Charts at all, and they don't want to, ever. They don't want to pay for an extra feature that they are never going to use. What these users would really like is an option to make the billing and coding dialog boxes go away
forever.These people include:
- Cash only clinics.
- Commercial on-site clinics.
- Practices with an outside biller.
- People who have long-term contracts with other billing software companies (NextGen, etc).
Many other present users have a practice management program that they are already using which they are very happy with. It would be a big deal to change to "Amazing Charts PM", and they won’t do it until they find out that "Amazing Charts PM" is a lot better or cheaper than the one they are currently using. These people just want a decent interface with their current program.
These are people using programs like:
- eMedWare
- MediSoft
- Lytech
- Office Ally/Practice Mate
Furthermore, if AC's practice management module is not markedly superior, people are going to continue to use their present method, and badmouth Jon's program. And yet, Jon will still have diverted precious time and money into developing these capabilities.
I wish Jon would just pick one or more of the existing Practice Management solutions listed above, create a truly seamless interface with Amazing Charts, and an excellent conversion tool to port people's accounts over from the other popular programs.
This is the fastest means for providing Amazing Charts users with an excellent practice management solution.
- This would reduce the time to market dramatically.
- Jon could leave Practice Management to a company that is geared to solving those problems, and concentrate on perfecting the EMR, which his company is obviously best suited for.
- People could use programs they are already happy with, and used to.
- This would result in an immediate increase in sales.
- Users who don’t want a PM system would not have to pay for it.
