Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Office Ally EHR!

I recall hearing about OA writing an online EHR... today I logged on to upload some claims and there is a demo!

Search google for "office ally" then check it out. It costs $30 dollars a month.

I'm going to call them and find out more about it.

It looks interesting. Looks like they have all the pieces together for a fully functional EHR. You probably will want to print out a hardcopy (or a softcopy) of all medical records produced as the ASP is available only while you are subscribing to the service. This may be the low cost ASP option for those comfortable with an ASP model.

Not to be critical or anything, but doesn't it seem a bit disingenuous to advertise other EMRs on Amazing Charts' message board?

Yep, and is EXACTLY what's wrong with the ASP model. It's YOUR data, not THEIR data, and YOU as their physician are obligated by law to maintain it. Like the dope dealer, the first taste is ALWAYS free...

We used to use Logician Internet.. and one day this big bad company called General Electric bought them and turned them off.

The difference between an "Electronic Health Record" and an "Electronic Medical Record" - at least as far as I've been able to tell based on all the hype - is that an EHR the record belongs to someone else (it's SUPPOSED to be the patient - but what happens when/if THEY don't pay the bill?) and an EMR record belongs to the doctor's practice.

People, I WILL NEVER use a medical recordkeeping system where the data isn't on a server that I can not directly put my hands on, or on paper.

Still.. do they have any good ideas we can steal? .. I mean be inspired by and implement in AC?

V.

I'm not advertising their software... I'm simply pointing out a fact. Besides, I like Vinny's attitude... what sort of good ideas do they have that could or should we want to see in Amazing Charts. Without competition, there is stagnation... the winner will be us, the users.

If Apple didn't exist, we'd still be typing on text terminals and computers wouldn't be more than 640K (stab at Microsoft intentional).

I participate on this discussion board as I find the users of this board honest and open about a variety of issues. If discussions about other products were not allowed on this board, I would not participate. Why? It would be essentially the same thing as insurance companies placing GAG clauses preventing discussion about other insurance options with patient.
I don't see scslmd's post as advertisment, but as genuine excitement about another low cost alternative available to us working stiffs. That's newsworthy.

I knew this would get some respoonse.

@sclsmd Fair enough

@Roy We will have to agree to disagree here. Talking about other products to compare and contrast and give good points etc. is one thing. Speaking only of it as recommending it to others on another's message board would be like my staff handing out business cards for other practices. Just my opinion.

If Apple didn't exist, we wouldn't have the iPod or the iPhone, but somehow I think Redmond would have figured it out. : )

I don't think it's even close to the same thing.

Hi Folks,

Great, Office Ally has an EMR. Heck, everybody and their brother wants to have an EMR. There's no harm in going to look.

I may go look at them.. no harm in it, and if they have good ideas that could be applied to Amazing Charts, lets think about incorporating the good parts into Amazing Charts. If someone demos their EMR and its a better fit than AC is, then I wish them well. I don't see posting that another product exists as advertising.

Regards,

V.

Speaking of ASP models and control of patient's records and protecting our own @$$#$, just where do we all stand with that little thing called an EULA??? Are we all halfway between here and nowhere ourselves???

It would be nice to know that both ours and our patient's rights are well respected and understood. Obviously there are a number of users here who all basically feel the same way about these protections, I would hope that the mothership is listening and looking down at those of us who care to protect ourselves and our patients with respect and understanding and not with resentment.

Hey look guys,

If we want to rip the EULA, hey I'm right there. I will bash AC on many things. Especially not working with the little things instead of the big things. Freedom of speech, freedom of the boards. I'm all for it. I have no issues with talking about other EMRs. Hey Logician has great coding, but it sucks over all.

BUT, and hey this is my opinion, I don't think it is right or fair or ethical to post on JON'S BOARD about another EMR.

As in, "Hey everybody, eMDS now has a great EMR. You should check it out. Much better than AC." (which I know it wasn't written that way. But, start your own board and should about other EMRs.

um.. I didn't see any "it's much better than AC" in the post in question.. did I miss something? I didn't even get that reading between the lines with my magic glasses :-) .

If someone checks it out, and they have some good ideas, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEM.. heck, if they're really good ideas, nothing says we can't present them to Jon for inclusion in AC.

V.

Yes, from my perspective, you missed something. As much as everyone thinks they had their right to their opinion, I had mine.

Hey, I just heard of a great EMR called Logician. Check it out everyone.

Wow, AdvancedEMR just updated their EMR. Looks great! Check it out. May be even better than Amazing Charts.

PracticeEMR looks promising.

Praxis may have an update on their Processor (name escapes me). May want to look at that AC users.

Chartware is good as usual. I think the price is coming down.

NONE OF THESE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH MODULES OR IDEAS AC CAN USE.

Everyone has their opinion. Noted. I have mine. Figured this would go this way.

One way to make this board silent is to impose a rule that we cannot talk about another EMR.

I believe other EMRs were mentioned by various posters in the past and I'm curious as to why there is outrage about this particular EMR.

AC could benefit by having a billing and practice management incorporated into the software. I, for one, agree with Vinny that ASP models are to be avoided unless one plans on having a paper copy of everything. I also worry about information that could be extracted from the web (and the liability surrounding that).

Paul has a good point about the EULA. Is AC's EULA essentially the same thing as having a ASP. Is AC a subscription? If that is the case, there may not be much legal separation between AC and ASP modeled EMR.

Nobody is inducing people to switch away from AC (now, that would be unethical).

Unbelievable. You guys crack me up. Chill out a bit. Outrage generally implies more than one. I am the only one taking this side.

Once again. I am not talking about EULAs or ASPs or anything. What I am referring to (and if you want to aree to disagree fine), but simply getting all excited about an EMR that is competing with AC is unethical FOR JON'S BOARD. If I were sclsmd (sp?) and Roy and Vinny and anyone else, I would forget arguing your point with someone as stupid and closeminded as I am and post in threads that have more meaning like riding in Paul's jeep and an anti-EULA thread.

Yes, I think you are correct.

If you get a chance, maybe you may want to mediate what is quickly becoming an out of control disagreement. I am having a difficult time holding my own against five people.

I never thought anyone would take it that serious. As you know, except for one take back, I will go down with the best of you guys taking down Amazing Charts when it falters. I believe just as strongly that it is Jon's board and we shouldn't blatantly advertise other EMRs, a little as may have been. Just my stance. Unfortunately, everyone's implying that I don't believe in free speech.

http://tinyurl.com/2kafus

Guys,
I think that Roy has hit the nail square on the head here. One, yes that was exactly my point about the EULA. Roy you said it quite nicely and tightly packaged too. Thanks.

Two, there is nothing like serious sensorship to quiet all good discussion. History is full of such examples. Let's keep this an open, positive and supportive place for the discussion and exchange of ideas.

But even I, the loud mouthed defender of civil liberties, see Bert's point too although I'm not sure I see too much of it. But I think the title of the thread with the "!" is what might have caught Bert's attention. I kind of had a small twinge of the same thought when I first saw the title, but not enough to say anything at the time.

And I think Vinny has a great perspective on this too. In many situation although I am brand loyal to a product or a company line, I still look at other products on the market and see if there are interesting designs and features that would make a nice addition to my brand or product of choice. And lastly, it is the competition of ideas that keep both sides in such a market honest and striving to improve. So a little conversation about what the other side is doing and how they are doing it is quite healthy too.

I am very particular about my brand and type of skates, they are not even manufactured anymore. I am seriously considering starting a company to pick up where the old company left off. I am a very strong supporter of Mopar brand ala Jeep and Dodge. But that doesn't stop me from looking at both the other major car and truck manufactures or the manny aftermarket companies that support those other brands for good ideas and what I might even be able to co-opt or adapt over for my rides and brand.

As a matter of fact in the old car hobby, Mopars have regularly been treated as the odd man out and number three. So we have regularly pushed and suggested that Mother Mopar needs to "get with it" and give us brand loyal folks similar advantages, technology and support. There was quite a long period of time when Mopar basically was completely out of the rear wheel drive, sport and muscle car side of thing. So our tech was very out dated and only now is really starting to catch up and surpass the other majors. And Mopar was always the type of company that was based on engineering and tech verses simply making cars that had mass appeal with little under the wheels or hood. That is why we Mopar heads are so brand loyal, it's not just blind faith like many brand-Xer's. So again, looking out, on to the other side of the fence seems very natural to me. We have similar discussions of "our" brand verses the other guys in these circles too.

I could bore you all with tech details of viscous coupler designs and failures in t-cases that were weak and many of us are now performing the swap the factory never offered as a proper option for the V-8 magnum based Grand Cherokees, but I think you can see the point. Keeping any eye out on all sides of an industry is just plain smart and in keeping with staying abreast of the changes in any given topic or field.

Look at it this way....Does anybody here think that Jon and his folks don't walk around the convention room floor to keep an eye open on the competition themselves? Do you think that they don't watch the other guys' advertising and marketing campaigns? Of course not, that would be so stupid. Macy's is watching Bloomingdales and visa versa. And so when looked at and approached in this manner and context I think such looking around is quite normal and healthy. But bert's idea of sort of respecting AC and Jon within certain limits here on this board is also worthy of consideration.

There did this sports official handle all the discord here in a diplomatic enough fashion???

I'm always checking out the competition, and honestly, there are plenty of programs that look cool to me. If somebody makes a better and more affordable EHR, then go for it. I don't have problems discussing the competition.

The key there Jon is affordable. AC is excellent and affordable. Others may be excellent but not necessarily in the same ballpark economically, Frankly, I get tired getting 10Mb of records for a patient who is healthy and six months old simply because they have been charted on Logician.

Yeah, there's a doc in this area that uses Practice Partner, and his printed records read like an endless sea of grey "filler", set in 12-point Courier.

His printed notes have no formatting to set important information apart visually; you can't ever find what you're looking for, although you know it must be there somewhere. It gives me a migraine to review his notes.

(Incidentally, many of the patients who transfer from him to me do so because they are annoyed by him typing and looking at the computer screen while they're talking).

Vinny and I were reminiscing about an ASP (probably the first), Logician Internet -> Medscape Encounter. Had some issues besides going under, but man what a note!

I desingned a couple of progress notes about eight years ago. They weren't full blown EMRs or even close. The second one utilized a program called Hot Docs with a medium learning curve. It's basically for lawyers. Uses a lot of built-in scripting. Microsoft came out with something similar called ActiveDocs, but I guess it went past the wayside, because I haven't seen it in 2007.

Oops. I guess I thought this was being posted in a PM.