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I am finally getting around to bringing up problems I am finding in V4.
Twice a year or more I run a search for all active patients whose last encounter was over 1 year ago...only those variables. In version 3 I always got a very accurate report. In version 4 the report is endlessly flawed, listing patients that I saw 6 weeks ago. It now makes the ability to search almost useless because I cannot trust the report. Anybody else seeing this?

Leslie

Yes, anything I do a search on brings up an erratic list that is not correct. For instance I did a search on all patients with a CPT code of 99307 and got a list that seemed ok, until I went through their history and found that half of them had never had a visit with a CPT of 99307. The search feature would be extremely useful if it worked. I also wish you could search for individual visits by code or place of service and not just get a list of patients.

I have talked to AC Central about that, and supposedly it is fixed in V5, but that does not help with V4.

Well, phooey.

I have to agree with Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Strouse.

As we were having issues with AC on billing ( finding 2 bugs) we also experienced some questionable searches.

It looks like we will have to wait for version 5 for the fixes.

I hope it will be soon.

Frank J. Paiano, DO
Internal Medicine
Leesburg, FL

This defect will have a significant impact on my practice. As I have relied on it in the past and set up my recall system based on the ability to SEARCH,I have been able to keep up with overdue patients, new drug labeling (e.g. Nexium and Plavix) and have managed to keep my patient flow consistent. I fear this may ultimately affect my bottom line, not to mention my ability to provide consistent and dependable care. Please, Jon, we need this fixed NOW!!

I have also been having problems with search and have posted before. I USED TO USE this function on a monthly basis to get a list of pts I have seen in order to provide my Medical Director with a list for his review. This is required for NP's in Texas. The list is no longer reliable and gives me very erratic lists and numbers of patients. Both single and multiple search are flawed. Now I have to go through each days schedule and count and make my list the very hard and time consuming way. I keep thinking with the next update that it would be fixed......so far, the powers to be do not think it important!

I too, use it for recalling patients who have missed shots as well as pulling lists for the residents in my office. I was very upset when I could not do this as smoothly as before.

I await V5......

I have discussed this with Jon on several occasions. The best answer I get is that it will be fixed in Version 5. I told him I did not think that was soon enough. This is a HUGE issue with me.

Leslie

As I commented in April 09, and spoke with Dan at AC office, he commented it would be fixed in a "week". He must be using a Biblical week (Moses was 900 yrs old). OK Jon, your turn.

I am beginning a new thread.....H1N1/Search

FROM THE AC HELP DESK.
Multi search option is not giving results that are accurate/very "off the wall" numbers

Call accepted by Dan.

Dan:
multi search still has an issue they are working
Peggy:
Dan, I believe I spoke to you in April about this, with the same answer. I need to be able to search age ranges as a request by the Texas Health Dept to provide numbers of vaccines needed.
Dan:
it should be resolved when version comes out in a few weeks
Peggy:
Can I quote you?
Dan:
sure
Peggy:
thanks. any work around for my problem now?
Dan:
not really

So, has this problem been resolved now? I still get scrwball reports when using the multicriteria search.

e.g., females between age 17-19 returns 3 patients ranging in age between 1 and 80. No help at all. Also, the 'last encounter' search returns wrong results. The search function appears to be totally unreliable.

Is this just my bug?

It's not just you, same things are happening over here.

Same here...totally useless. Trash reports. It worked beautifully in Version 3. I was told several months ago by Jon that it would be addressed in V5. I expressed my concerns that it was a critical bug and needed critical attention (He was not aware of the problem).

Leslie

You can run single reports and they seem to run OK. There is an occasional goofy response, but that was always there. It seems to be the multiple search function that is shot. It does not seem to work even when you run 1 search in the multiple section.

Unfortunately, many of the things you want to search for (even as solo search) are only available in the multiple search section.

For me this is the crucial shortcoming of V4.

I would like to see the bells and whistles and new toys in V5 and will probably use many and like them, but immunization schedules are hard wired in my brain, and most of the preventive med stuff comes automatically for me. Thus, the preventive med and disease management are less important than 9 month olds who have not been here in 5 months or asthmatics on advair not seen in 6 months.

The search function is where the EMR shows it's ability to manage populations and diseases in a way paper charts never could. This is a critical component that has been crippled.

And no, I am no b**ching.

searching and custom reports is another area of opportunity for an outside company to plug into AC's SQL tables. If those tables were exposed in something as simple as an Access DB with linked tables, a person could then create their own custom queries and searches for information. Another example where an SDK would be a great benefit.

The downside is that then when there is a problem with an app, tech support probably will have no control over that. Experience with paperport, with components licensed from Docucom, and Zeon teaches so.

I know you have heard from us that this will be fixed in version 5. I assure you that is the case. Unfortunately the search function has been frustrating for all using version 4, I apologize for this, and ask for your patience as we get version 5 ready for you.

-Eric

Wow, that will be great if the search is pumped up a bit in version 5. It will never be good enough, as we will get more experience and then want more complicated searches. Today I (predictably) was looking for Plavix and Prilosec hits. Some workarounds, (use the wild card to open the diagnosis to any stomach esophageal dx and then search the med, plavix) But ultimately I have 200 charts which hit on Plavix and I will just look in them. Still WAY ahead of my level of care in 2006.

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The search function is where the EMR shines. The ability to extract data is crucial and it truly separates it from paper and many of the other EMRs I initially looked at eons ago*.

I discovered my NP was billing flu shots incorrectly and was able to go in and search for "flu shot." She charts that way, I chart as Influenza, so it only brought her's up. Unfortunately it also brought up many old charts because I couldn't do a multiple search and exclude old charts, but hey, I found about 10 instances with manual searching of the results where it was not coded corrected. That's money, since it's early enough to bill for them again.

I suspect most EMRs have a search function and it is useful. I know it has always blown folks away that I could identify my premies, or asthmatics with a few clicks. I have been doing this long enough that I take that for granted. To loose that ability is frustrating. I look forward to V5, if for nothing else but to get my search on. (Who knows for what)

*(I have been with AC for 8 years but have looked until probably a couple of years ago, not so much to change but rather to see what they offered. Just don't have the time now.)