Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Version 5.0

AC Tech Team has created instructions(with screenshots)on how to update to v5, along with some of the new/enhanced features: HM, Orders and Meds. If you would like a copy, please contact us via email at techsupport@amazingcharts.com or by phone 866-382-5932. We will continue to create additional instructions and hopefully post the documents where they can be downloaded at your leisure.

Trish

I just wanted to commend the AC crew by somehow making AC 5.0 CCHIT certified while remaining true to itself. I and my staff will still be able to use AC as before. Kudos. Simple, easy, and some aspects are greatly improved.

Hi Trish,
Thank you for your help.
Finally I got this database tuner going.
I had to use windows restore then I installed V4 again, optimized databases, installed V5 and run tuner and this time it worked without problems

Glad to hear and you're welcome! The Optimizer acts like a “database defrag" (for those who are familiar with SQL-this process is called "DBCC DBREINDEX") which rebuilds the table indexes to improve speed and performance. By running the Optimizer, you’re less likely to have tuner issues. For those of you who are experiencing the same issue, we would recommend running the optimizer prior to updating to v5.

Trish

Trish, is there a way to schedule the optimizer to run weekly? Or run it by command line?

Hi Benjamin-

Currently no, however; I will talk to the programmers on Monday and see if this is a feature that they can add in a future release. I will post their answer on this thread as soon as I can.

Trish

I think something like this might be helpful... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308569

Trish, Monday would be great. Thank you for asking. If not that's fine, I was just curious and didn't see anything when I looked.

Exactly what I was thinking Paul. If it can be done from the command line, then it can be added to the scheduler.

You can run any executable .exe with the scheduler. If you needed to do it from a command line you could easily make a batch file such as
"C:\Program Files\Amazing Charts\Amazing Charts.exe"
or Database Tuner.exe

Thanks for the info. I will pass this information along to our programmers and update this thread as soon as I can.

Trish

Question to tech support re ver 5: Does it change a GDI32.dll file? I had two computers crash after installing version 5, but not immediately and the problems pointed to this file. Only common thread was ver 5.0 and windows xp sp3. But...other computers not down. Anyone heard of this problem?

One thing that has changed. In V4 you could just click and make any letter in the current med box, it brought up the Rx box and you could add or delete meds without have to write them in the plan.

Now you MUST double click in the box. If you click and back space as I was used to, it will bring up the Rx box and when you close the med list will be empty.

IF you double click, you will bring up a box to modify or delete meds. YOU MUST put in the reason for discontinuation (you don't have to do this on the regular Rx writer.) there is no default that pt discontinued med and it will not accept a template.

Oh, the amazing utilities crashed when I tried to reset the database to another location. Both of these bugs have been sent on.

The method of clicking on the meds was designed to put meds in that the pt. got from somewhere else or started on their own so that they show up in the note but not in your plan - useful for ER meds, specialist meds, OTC, etc. I agree it is different but I use it for putting in meds/OTC that the pt. got since the last time I saw them but I did not prescribe. Then I use the write scrips button for ones I want to scrip out.

Oh, I agree, and use it for those very purposes. Sometimes I see a patient 6 months later and see that they still have amoxicillin on the list even though they stopped it 5.5 months ago. No point in putting in the plan d/ced amox. I would rather take it out in current meds.

It works, it now takes somewhat longer (because you MUST put in the reason) and works somewhat differently (can't use any key combo, must double click.)

another version 5 quirk: One tablet or capsule twice a day is not an option in the prescription writer

Yeah,
That's a major oversite. I hope you reported that one so it can be fixed in the first update.

When I try to save an order , I will "sometimes" crash with a runtime error ".

Is that happening to anyone else?

I also reported that we need an "AI" modifier to be used on cpt codes 99221-99223 when you are the admitting physician.

I'd like the system to just document in my plan when I order alab or test or referral.

Update: so far version 5 stable! Love the eprescribing! Wonderful addition and working great! Only one wish is that pharmacy numbers are on the list of pharmacy since sometimes hard to determine which city a pharmacy is in in a major metropolitan area! Other than that had a couple of non-specific crashes this week, nothing major restarted easily and both times not related to writing notes so never lost data!

Thouht the occasional crash with saving orders only occurred in pre beta versions - make sure you report that with bug report or e-mail to amazingcharts.

As to quick scrip writer - I do not use it as I am trying to hand type instructions so that when I print summary it will say "1 tab 2 times daily" instead of "1 po bid". This is hard to remember as we all fall into our lingo, but works better when giving list to pt - will send as e scrip, but does allow potential error as pharmacist has to enter instructions with potential for transcription error. Maybe someday we can get auto convert from 1 po bid to 1 tab twice daily in program so list for pt. is more readable. Just thoughts.

Jack,
Tell me if you would, how you are notified that a pt needs a refill via the eRx program. Does something show up in AC somewhere? thanks.

Currently to be notified of e refill you have to open the e prescribing window on AC main screen and click pharmacy on top. Then you have to open each patient's chart and click on manage using newcrop screen to refill. It is time consuming and a pain - This is because Surescrips requires the EMR to have you open that patient's full med list and look - so you won't refill something without looking at other issues. The software engineer in charge of version 5 is working on a workflow improvement - we talked about each refill request generating an e-mail to the provider in AC message box and you could open scrip writer from there, do refill, close chart. I am not sure what he is going to finalize, but it should be a real improvement.

They have been steadily improving the e prescribing and I am sure given a little more time they will get it much better. It is already much better than the old newcrop system and synchronizes well with the AC chart - coding allergies and meds are great start.

I have not gotten many refill requests (only faxes) sorry caannot help

I just saw Jon's narrated intro to V5... he should be hugged in effigy ... if that sort of thing is done.

I have had 3 months of assessing "upgrades" as my colleagues questioned if AC would be adequate for HiTech funding. I have listened to multiple sales pitches for other EMRs - gauging, misleading, and fearmongering sums them. And would the government screw things royally via the "meaningful use" clause? 556 pgs! I read pg 103 and got scared.

Jon's video was comfort food - I felt warm inside and smiled. AC "gets it" and is a serious contender.

I know there is more work to be done... but what a damn good start.

Absolutely agree! I cannot believe these companies are marketing such! I am shocked how well Jon has been able to integrate some of the nicest features that I missed when I changed practices from Allscript to AC. But he makes these features easier! And you don't need a team of "trainors" to pay $100000 to teach you to use a software that sshould be intuitive!!!

Hi Benjamin

I met with our programmer and he will consider this enhancement in a future release. No ETA or guarantees at this time. I will follow up with you once more information becomes available.

Trish

How long does it take to get the activation code for e-Prescribing once sent in?

I sent request on a Sunday evening and received the code early Monday morning.

Same

Hi Nathan

It can take up to two weeks to receive your activation code for e-rx. If you do not receive your activation code within two weeks, please contact tech support at 866-382-5932 or via email at techsupport@amazingcharts.com

Trish

Can someone tell me what you all mean when you say V5 has "lab tracking?" I just want to see if it is doing what I want it to do. I think I posted a wish list thing on this once.

Took me ten seconds to get the code. Seriously. But, now after two weeks, I still don't have an interface.

You know what would be AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME. And, I'll never ask for anything else ever.

Have an option that says: How many numbers do you want to show in the zip code by default.

I would choose three.

PLEASE!

I'm new to Amazingcharts and downloaded V 5 to work with at home before updating everyone at work and I've noticed that when looking at imported items, you can no longer view PDF files in the right hand screen like you could in Version 4. Has anyone else noticed this or is this just an issue with me?

Thanks, Di Faria

I have been viewing the pdf just fine. I don't know what might be the issue for you.

Hi Di Faria, you probably need to configure your pdf viewer to open within Internet Explorer. If you go through your IE options, then select something like 'open in internet explorer', then restart amazing charts.

HTH, post back either way, and someone will help solve this.

Installed today. It went very smoothly. I did speak w/ Joe at tech support before i started, and he had me optimize the database before-hand. The longest part of the install was when I used the backup facility for the first time (v4). I had it back it up to another computer on the network. Took 1.5 hrs mainly on the imported items folder. Will that happen every time I back it up to another computer?

Wayne, I must be missing something, sorry. Why would you need to back it up again?

Whenever we back up, our local file takes about an hour or so, and the AC back up takes on average 4.

Well Bert, I'd like to do nighly backups to protect myself from data loss. Like you and George and Hockey do.

I would recommend getting a couple of eSATA drives and make sure your Main Computer has an eSATA card. Then just back up to the external drives. Much safer and MUCH quicker.

Or if you really want to splurge, go with the Buffalo II 4 Terabyte RAID5 backup. Very nice. And, it's a network drive, so you can see it from everywhere.