Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Amazing Charts and Locum Tenens

I am thinking about using Locum Tenens Physicians while I am on vacation. I wonder if anybody has similar experience. I could create a <Locum Tenens> user in Amazing Charts and allow the Locum Tenens Physicians create notes under this username, but some of them may not be computer savvy for EMR. Alternatively, they could write their office visit notes by hand, and I could scan them to Imported Items. Something to think about.

I am concerned that if you add a Locum Tenens as a user, you may be liable for payment of the Locum Tenens. That is assuming that AC can phone back information and tattle that you have established another user on its database. It is my suspicions taht AC has some capabilities to "phone home".

This is what I do.

I have the Locum tenens sign on as if it is me.
In the chief complaint section I create a template: "SEEN BY Dr. L. TENENS" to mark that L. TENENS had seen the patient on the chart. I instruct the Dr. Tenens to leave the note in my mailbox. I review the notes carefully and add at the end of the plan section that "This evaluation/visit was performed by Dr. Locum Tenens who covered for my practice from 2/1/08 to 2/4/08. My electronic signature signify that I reviewed this chart note."

I make this into a template, too. If the Locum wishes, he or she can affix his/her signature on a paper copy.

Hope this is helpful.

Here is a point to consider. I have a "Provider" account set up. I am Importing a massive amount of data, old paper charts. So in order to prevent ALL of the old paper charts from populating my Inbox, my staff uses the Import feature while logged in as the Full Provider called "Scan Scan." They have permission under this user to simply import, and I don't have to sign off on these documents.

However, when they import new documents like labs and CT, they do so under their own name such that it's copied to my Inbox. AC cannot "see" another provider under my license.

However, if for some reason they could find out that information (by either reading this post or by somehow spying on my computer), and if they further ask me to spend $200 for a provider account....I think a simple explanation as to what I am doing and why I'm doing it will suffice and they wouldn't charge the $200.

I further believe that the poster of this thread could make a new Full Provider account and call it "Dr. L Tenens." Let your few Locums per year use this account. I hardly doubt AC would charge you $200 for this. If they could even see it, which I don't believe they can.

I believe their update feature simply checks which version of the AC program you are using, not WHO is using it.

Therefore, I wouldn't worry about it. Do whichever is easiest for you.

Better yet,
If this will be a regular thing you do, strongly consider purchasing the extra license for any once in a while stand in with the understanding that you will be creating multiple log ins for each and every one. I think Jon would be willing to sell you one single one that would cover a few "subs" from time to time. It is a regular part of this business and he would hopefully apperciate the honesty on your part.

We only have med students shadowing, not charting and treating, but if we had a host of residence floating thru this is what I would do...
I think it would be best for you and your practice to create a user any time there is a new doc or provider on site treating people. This way the system will properly document and record who saw and did what at any given time for any given patient. Your malpratice carrier would probably like this too. If the sub screws up in your absence it is their carrier not yours who will shoulder most of the blame and again the record should clearly record that. It would be well worth the extra few hard to part with bucks from where I sit. But that is the PM watching out for his doc in me talking. Good luck...

Sounds like the easiest way to avoid adding extra AC user and assure proper documentation is to let locum tenens make paper notes and scan them into imported iems.

How do we bill for locum tenens?

Is it enough to add modifier -Q6 to the office visit,
put my group NPI in 24J and locum tenen's UPIN in 19?

Apricot!!!
How the hell are ya??? Where the heck have you been hiding? I posted the message before yours here almost a whole month ago. I seem to remember that perhaps you were having some "Issues". I hope everything was smoothly resolved. Anyway, welcome back.

Paul

Hockeyref,
I am not hiding, I just have been working really hard. Besides taking "work home" (i.e. using VPN to finish my notes) I take care of the business issues on daily basis. I don't have an office manager, so in addition to seeing patients I take care of payroll, bookkeeping, payroll taxes, maintenence, order supplies, got prn employees when somebody calls sick, resolve billing issues, keep all computers running, etc. Lots of work, but I like it. Plus I workout on daily basis.