Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Frustrated!!!!!

Hi Bert,
Have read thru most of these replies and my brain hurts. Will get my IT guy on it & get back after we make some of these changes. I am truly humbled at how nice you all have been even tho I started out so snarky. Thanks.

The main thing was try hooking these computers up with an ethernet cable and see if the issues disappear.

The second thing would be to try the Hardware Acceleration Fix in my signature.

Thanks. It's good to be snarky every now and then. And, the irony is we have all felt that way about AC now and then. Well, maybe not that bad. Should have been around during the 6.09 days.

Amen to that!

Gene

I wanted to mention one thing... hopefully appropriate. The doc that I'm helping is currently using a custom software medical billing system. Very much integrated with local medical insurance, etc. And, very hands-on, always available support. But, he pays a bunch of money for this. This company also have a EMR system... but the costs are relatively prohibitive compared to AC. The doc found AC through a local doctor who has been using it. But, as he's come to discover, while AC is much less expensive, much is left up to him to figure out himself (thus, me now being involved). Whereas, if he went with his billing software provider, he'll get full support, training, etc.

Now, if I wasn't around, I'm not sure the doc could do this himself without getting very frustrated, mad, etc. But if he went with his current software provider, he'll be paying MUCH more, but he'll get the full support of the company.

So... as they say, I guess... "no free lunch"... and you "pay for what you get". So, docs who go with AC gotta have patience with support, learning, training, etc.

That's why THIS USER BOARD IS *SO* VALUABLE.

Les you are right on. This user board I think makes this software product--I haven't had this much fun in practice in years--or stress for the first 2-3 months of starting--
My IT guys have worked with multiple EHR's and they can't say enough about AC and would much rather work with it than others. So yes the more expensive EHR's offer full support but the docs are still calling the local IT guys --the full support may not be timely.

There is full support and there is full support. Personally, I would take the "support" offered by the users here. Once you get AC working, there is no reason you have to jump in all at once.

Tech support for AC are not there to make money. You pay an annual fee, but you do not have to. Some EMR companies FORCE you to pay for support during the "Go Live" stage, which John has already commented on.

Some of these other EMRs do have a two to three month learning curve. I watched it over and over with practices here.

One thing about AC is the progress note is so simple. You could start there for a month. Then add ePrescribe, then add orders. It's a lot like Word, you start with opening it and writing a letter and saving it. Maybe 1% of the product. I still use only 5% of the product, and I have never had to call Microsoft as I would if I tried to use the entire program.

It's better to use support that has familiarity with your systems. If a person knows your system inside and out, he'll be able to diagnose the problem much more quickly.

And be as specific as possible. PLEASE!

What is a local IT guy?

My definition is this--we have 2 in our office--the guys who do the hard wiring, wireless networking, hook up printers, scanners--or help in ones hard drive goes out, also keep our billing server and computers of the gals who do our billing functional--problem is that as more offices go electronic these guys are harder to track down --so downtime is often waiting to get one in the office quickly. Great guys to work with but they are just getting too strung out at times with all the disasters on a typical day that occur in their other clients--so probably what you are to your office Bert. Problem is I am a knucklehead when it comes to alot of these "mundane" things just to keep an office going. So it is worth it to pay these guys for their help.

No offense to your IT guys. Not really sure what you meant. I guess I wish when people said, our IT guys, they sort of qualified them. Someone who is good with computers or someone who has a lot of letters behind their name.

You likely wouldn't go to a John Smith, you would likely go to a John Smith, M.D. or DO, etc. Now granted most Microsoft MVP IT employees don't really like a P2P to work with, but they will.

My IT person (see earlier post on qualifications) always tells me he can't believe the number of doctors who don't hire qualified IT support. His analogy is easy. They wouldn't any more go to a premed student for hypertension than doctors should hire qualified IT. It's not something you can't afford, it's something you can't afford not to have. It's part of the small business just like accounts and leases and the computers themselves.

There are two ways to hire support. Pay as you go and contract. Contract is usually more expensive, but they generally will come out at 3 am and fix it in less than an hour. They can give advice and add to your network. Just to give an idea of the difference is one of the tools my IT guy uses. When he comes over, he doesn't have to unplug every computer and connect it to the server and use a new switch, etc. He just uses his Fluke Networks DTX-1800-MSO 120 DTX 1800 OTDR/LL KIT US Fluke Networks DTX-1800-MSO 120 DTX 1800 OTDR/LL KIT US. This one goes for $26,000 to $30,000. But, he will know the exact number of packets from the switch to the client and back to the switch. He will have an extra modem, router, switch, etc. and pretty much anything you will need on your network. He can detect chatter on the network and cut the end of an Ethernet cable and Box Mounts for RJ45 Ethernet cables. That may be all the problem is for a server or client.

So, if you have this type of IT coverage, your Dell overnight warranty and a call to Microsoft guaranteed to call back within two hours, you are kind of set. Do you know what Microsoft asks you when you call? "They ask if we call within ?? many hours, are you committed to stay until it's fixed. Not that they won't work on your server while you sleep. Sure, it's $257.00, but they WILL fix it. And, if they can't, you get your money back. And, if it is an Exchange issue, once fixed, it is covered for good. Email them back six months later, and they will fix it again.

No offense taken, but your points are well taken. I should know the credentials of my IT guys--but I don't.

Well, I didn't mean to go that far. If they are people you trust and friends, etc. and they do a good job, then I don't think you need to quiz them on their credentials. Generally, if they are MCITP, you will know.

Bert,
They may very well be MCITP, but I should really know, but like you say they are friends/patients now-- one has been servicing our office for +18 years and has kept our lytec billing up and running and rarely a glitch and the other one has been with us for about 7-8 years-and my only complaint is that once in awhile they are sluggish for the minor stuff but they have been johnny on the spot for the not so minor stuff. You do bring up excellent points and thank you once again for things that don't necessarily- but should pass between this ears of mine.