Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations AC vs e-mds or ecw

Ok everybody. I NEED your help. I have had AC on my computer for over a year. I still have paper charts and have not started using any EMR. I can't seem to take the plunge. I am a solo FP with one receptionist and one MA. I have a billing person that comes in 1 day a week for 6% of collections. We currently use (not recommended) American Medical software for our PM. Paper appointment book. I want to go to EMR to create legible notes and referral letters, improve efficiency and workflow, improve and speed documentation, decrease liability (by tracking labs,referrals, etc. and avoiding drug interactions), improve reimbursement by better tracking of Quality measures (pqri)and other reasons I can't think of right now. I have it narrowed down to E-clinical works, E-mds and AC. I love AC for its simplicity and cost and this community but I am not sure it can meet my needs as mentioned above. I am also paralyzed with fear of bankrupting myself with the other 2. It is important to note that I am not a computer techie like some of you guys whom I envy. I want to do the right thing for my patients and myself and I want to get rid of paper. Please help push me over the precipice. Thanks.

Well, since you can try AC for free, try it out and see if it does indeed fit most of your needs. Then think, about what extra you can get with the others, and if you think it is worth the price difference.

Take the plunge! AC all the way. I have less staff than you describe and it waorks well. I can't even imagine a paper schedule and I love e-Rx.

Why not just start with scheduling. Get rid of the paper schedule book and start putting everyone in AC. I think you will see how great it is and what a timesaver it is. Then make up some templates for yourself of the most common things you see and begin using them. You can still print out those notes if you are nervous about it (I printed everything out for the first 3 years I used AC and now am about 60% paperless. I can barely stand to see a patient who still has a paper chart!!). I doubt it will take you long at all to see how really easy and intuitive AC is. And, you will be amazed at how flexible you really are...you can and will adapt to the EMR, changing your practice style a bit here and there. There is no product out there that will fit your current style 100% but you can change your habits to fit the EMR. I am not a techie either, although I have learned a tremendous amount on this board...so much so that my previous IT guy was intimidated when I stood over his shoulder and made suggestions. I agree with Bruce...take the plunge. Do it now, at your own pace, rather than waiting until it becomes federally mandated, which it will.
We are all here to help if needed as you dip your toes.

Leslie

I appreciate your thoughts! I like the idea of just starting with the scheduling. I need to get a new PM software anyway so I could get alot of the demographics loaded for both while I eased into my new life.

If I later decided I wanted a Ferrari instead of a Honda Civic, is the info exportable to a new EMR?

I believe that would mostly depend on the new EMR but you can export the AC demographic data to an Excel file. Another thought. If you are paying someone 6% of your collections do to your billing and you are not happy, consider the AC billing service as perhaps a bridge or a permament solution. I personally do not use it (as I have a PM program ) but, it might buy you some time until the PM module of AC is out. Then everything would already be in one place.

Leslie

I think Leslie is right on. Consider this. Your biggest expense will be the creation of your "intra"net (the stuff in your office) and you can use it for a lot more than AC and you will continue to use it with your new software if you move on to something else.

Embrace the EMR for what ever it can do for you, don't stress too much over the parts it can't do. None that I have seen are perfect, and ALL are an improvement on paper. (But beware, because some are an improvement, but remain unworkable, too slow to allow you to see patients, and stay and in business).

Use due diligence and really investigate the "AC billing service". It really isn't "AC", it's strictly a third party billing service (MTBC) that "partners" with AC. I feel like I am doing the billing (I am solo with no billing staff) and they are collecting the commission. I had to convince them that they hadn't even been sending out patient statements for balances due after insurance. There are lots of options out there so don't think that MTBC is unique in their ability to interface with AC.

Dear Bill, I was like you not starting the EMR, then when I started putting in the demographics, and then a note, it really showed me how much time it saved me to review a note. The office staff no longer had to pull the chart for anything and everyone could add something to the chart at the same time. It will take some time but think of all the time you will save.

thanks for your comments. I am trying to figure out what exactly I get with ECW for $15,000 plus about $2500/yr for support that I can't get with AC. There may be a few extras but MAN that's alot of money! So far it appears they can track some PQRI parameters for me and they have good lab, xray and referral tracking. They also have a very cool patient portal (for another $75/mo/provider after a set up and training fee). I must say I am leaning toward AC at this point. Just trying to do my due diligence. They also have a user forum but it has nowhere near the positive and helpful tone of this one.