We finally had ACPM installed 2 weeks ago after a long 2.5 months of "implementation."
To this point we have not been able to take it into full "production" yet. We have only been entering in Pt insurances and then entering them into schedule in order to be prepared one day to do so.
First off I'll share my experience with the program.
Pros:
- Most payers are set up and I have been able to send some claims successfully and receive ERAs back
- Reports are aplenty and fairly straightforward to run
- Scheduler is very customizable and tracks cancellations/missed appt/reschedules very well (better than our old PM Medware)
Cons:
- All insurance information in the EHR is removed. We were not aware of this so while we re-enter it all into the PM (then it will reappear in EHR) you will not know what insurance your patient has and Orders will not print out with insurance information.
- Web-based software so if your'e internet goes down you lose the PM. Same if they lose connection. Basically like Updox.
- Eligibility is not-functional yet. This was a very appealing feature that made us switch. Apparently, the clearinghouse is holding up the process.
- Java-based interface is not intuitive. The screens for most processes require you to press Save multiple times and then Exit instead of just pressing a single OK/Save button once. If you Exit some screens before saving you lose everything you entered.
- Not keyboard friendly. Tabbing sometimes takes you to the next field. Many dropdown fields require the mouse.
- Receiving and posting EOBs/payments are very tedious processes involving multiple screens. Compared to our old PM it is not very intuitive.
- Signed-off visits in the EHR are not being properly transferred over to the PM for claim submission. Our IS is working on it but for the time being we are having to manually modify each claim in order for submission. Overall, the integration of the claim charges between the EHR and PM have been poor and it is unfortunate because its what they're advertising.
I'm not sure exactly how long ACPM has been around now but I would have expected these bugs to have been gone by now. I think its safe to say that we were unofficially given a Beta product which by AC's standard is unusual.
With time I'm sure we will get accustomed to the interface and workflow, but for now it is too prone to input errors and frustration.
My initial experience with my Implementation Support Specialist (aka Support) has been great. In my opinion they are understaffed for all of us currently signing up and those of us already implemented, so yes it is difficult to get a hold of them but they know what they are doing and will help you once you are having issues. I would much prefer support with the EHR to be more personal like with the PM. Its much easier to follow-up with the same person instead of having to explain your situation every time you contact support.
Unfortunately, but as expected, time is left to tell how well the PM functions once it is properly working.
