Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations family charting

I'm fairly certain that this has been addressed before, but............
In particular, in a pediatric practice, where there is usually 1 responsible party and multiple dependents residing at the same address, doesn't it make sense not have to laboriously re enter all the demographics for multiple family members? As a work around, perhaps we could have a way to globally copy and paste all the demographics that need to be duplicated.
Thanks,

That's a great idea. I have not gone with a third party like Phreesia ( http://www.phreesia.com/ ) yet, but I would really like an option for patients to go online and complete a database questionnaire that could be imported directly into the chart. There are other EMRs that have their own portal and allow the patients to enter demographics online, check insurance, etc.

What you are proposing seems like it would be fairly simple to implement, however. T

Chris,
If you use Updox with AC and enable the patient portal, patients can indeed go online and enter their own demographics. Both established and new patient can do so. Then, you get the option to import some or all of the information into the AC chart. I usually manually review each one before transferring as I'm very particular about how our demographics are, but you don't have to be as picky as me.
Amber

Smart move. I think If they leave things blank, it can overwrite what is already there with a blank. I'm pretty sure this happened to me. Also, patients don't always understand the insurance information box and will put incorrect data there...which then of course will overwrite the proper data you already have in AC if you import it.

Amber and wondering how you were doing this, are they entering into a form that you created? Is there some way I don't know about to automatically bring this into the database fields in the demographics?

Chris,
I did create a form, back when Updox didn't have all the bells and whistles, but the new Updox does it for you. They have their own "form" for the patient fill out. The patient then fills out the demographics and it sends it to us in our Updox desktop. We can then review it and choose if and what we want to transfer over. We can transfer the whole sheet, only the demographics, only the insurance coverage info, and so on. Whatever we choose to send, it will merge with the patient in AC and voila, updated. I personally do not migrate insurance information as the patient never puts it in the way I would like to see it, but I'll migrate the rest.
Amber

Okay Amber, this is very interesting. I too have created forms, but it is not clear how the 'new' Updox does this 'for you.' Can you explain how this is actually done?

thanks Amber
I'll have to look in to this. I haven't explored Updox till now, but it may be worth a look. Probably less than half of our patients are web connected, though.
Has anyone tried to create a template for front office staff to fill out, and then import data to demographics page in AC? Cant this be done?
Marc

Marc,
Yes, this can easily be done.
Better yet I have created a demographic template for the patient to fill out wherever they have internet access, can access the portal and send right to Updox workspace which is then imported to AC and my nurse puts into "other" section and labels Demographics. Then updates the demographic in AC demographic page--so some double entry but works slick.
Also, we use Lytec for billing and scheduling and one of our front office gals is a designated Updox user for me. As soon as my nurse finishes up with entering the demographics into AC sends the completed demographic template to our front office gal electronically thru Updox to update the lytec. So it helps fill in the gaps.
If you choose Updox it is nice to link the front office with your nurse especially if you use a different PM.

Jimmy
Thanks for your response.
Sorry if I wasn't clear, or if I misunderstood you. I'm looking for a standalone solution outside of Updox. If you have a template like that would you mind sharing ?
Marc

Marc,

I think I misunderstood you. The majority of our demographics are still handled when signing in with paper and scanned in or updated to lytec.
I do not know of a stand alone solution.
I think demographics and schedules can be directly entered into AC through Updox for an extra charge, so if one had a tablet of some sort and internet access, it may work if you do not find a stand alone solution.
It is actually a form (I called it a template earlier)and not template that I have created, so will see if I can get you one.

Marc,
Here is a sample of the demo form--


Demographic Information
Last Name x
First Name x
Middle Initial x
Gender Male
Date of Birth 08/19/2013
Address x
City xx
State xx
Zip Code xxx
Home Phone skipped
Cell Phone skipped
Work Phone skipped
E-Mail Address skipped
Best Way to Contact
Me
skipped
Name of Emergency
Contact
x
Phone Number of
Emergency Contact
x
Insurance Information
Primary Insurance skipped
Policy Number skipped
Secondary/
Supplemental
Insurance
skipped
Policy Number skipped
Name of Policy Holder skipped
Date of Birth of Policy
Holder

Okay, Jimmie is describing patients filling out a form, and a PERSON entering it into the demographics page. This seems very different from what got me excited: Amber's discussion of an automatic import into AC via some sort of interface! Please tell more about this!

Chris
I couldn't agree more. please share with us, Amber
Jimmy
thanks for response and willingness to help

Marc

Chris and Marc,
Here is a copy of what I get in Updox, with all the pertinent information replaced with a fake patient. Look at the sides and see the check boxes. These boxes mark what get imported and if not checked, what doesn't. At the bottom you'll see the import buttons.


Hope that helps.
Amber

To explain a little more...
The patient fills out this information in the portal. They can either a: log-in to their portal if already an established patient and update their information or b: request to be a patient and fill it out new
The one above is for a "new" patient. Notice the "associate" button. If an established patient isn't logged into their portal, they can still fill this out and then I can just pick them from my patient list and "associate" it with an chart in AC.
I then mark what boxes I want to transfer over and choose the appropriate button (it's slightly different if established pt), and voila, AC gets updated the next time Updox sends data. Usually within a few minutes I have all new phone numbers, addresses, etc.
It works pretty well and there is no human data entry, only button and check-box clicks.
Amber

Amber,

I recall getting this email message in mid July, but do you know the cost of this added feature?

http://updox.com/portalupgrade/

Jimmie,
I'm sorry, I don't remember the cost. I do remember thinking it was quite reasonable for the added features we were getting.
Amber

Thanks Amber, so this is a new feature to buy? I am wondering how you go about doing this for a new patient. If they were in my office, I would give them a paper form to fill out. If they call, I sometimes tell them to download the .pdf form from our website. Would you instead ask for their email, and then set up a portal for them before they are a patient... then send them the demos form?

Chris,
Actually, you would just give them the portal address and they can apply to be a new patient there. I have attached here the main page for our patient portal. If you'll notice, there's a "click here to register" button. The screen capture I put in above is the result of someone doing that, not an established patient updating from their personal portal. Once they register, the info gets sent to our Updox workspace and we can then choose what to do with it (reject, accept, or merge with a patient already established). So, you just give them the portal address and the patient takes it from there for what you're describing to me.

Amber

Thanks Amber. Mine looks the same but without the special feature of a new patient being able to register.