Hi everyone, sorry for the radio silence but I had to prioritize getting AC back to functional before I start in on Athena.
When I contracted with this ACO two years ago, they said, "We chose Athena because it sucks the LEAST."
It has LOTS of bells and whistles that AC couldn't even think about. But it is not as intuitive, and some features are maddeningly inflexible.
LOVE:
-cloud-based
-flags pop up to prompt quality care measures
-workflow is clearly visible to everyone in the office in real-time (patient checked in > patient in room > patient ready for provider > checked out)
-separate inboxes for admin/clinical/refills/authorizations etc
-templates can be easily created, shared, and charted
-choice between pre-populated dropdown menus and free text for documentation (dropdowns are designed for optimization of documentation for coding and reimbursement)
-faxing from EHR is WAY easier than AC
-faxes are sorted AUTOMATICALLY in Athena (come in already attached to patient's record, and sorted into separate inboxes e.g. "clinicals" (consults, etc), "labs/imaging," "orders/rxs/auths"
-referrals are UNBELIEVABLY easy compared to AC
-database of providers/pharmacies/imaging facilities/labs is VERY good
-communication between everyone in the office is pretty easy, AND there is also a feature called "AthenaText" which is essentially an intranet within Athena where we can discuss admin items that don't belong in the medical records
-Virtual Visit platform is easy and wildly popular with patients
-clinical photos can be put directly on patient charts (rashes, wounds, moles) at the point of care
-all orders are matched with a diagnosis code (or several)
-labs and vitals can be viewed as a flow chart that's much more user-friendly than AC
-patient portal is way better for communicating with patients
HATE:
-letter writer is stupid and awkward in different ways than AC--but on a par!
-confusing that "orders" include: referrals, DME orders, labs, imaging orders, prescriptions
-in the end, the printed or faxed visit notes look TERRIBLE; the formatting is just dumb
LOVE/HATE:
-the administrative workflow WILL NOT proceed if you skip a step, so if someone shows up without their insurance card, we have to reschedule them...ultimately, this is a good thing for getting paid, but it makes it very difficult for front office
Let me know if you have specific questions!
