Home Forums Discussions Problems leaving Updox

Had a staff meeting today. What used to be great reports now is all complaints about updox. Faxes not sent, facts not received. Tech support not fixing the problems. I think I will try Efax unless there ate other suggestions ....

Try a fax board (Mainpine). If you can print to a printer, you can send a fax.

I haven't had the scope of problems that NY2GA reports and do like the portability i.e. work on faxes from wherever I have internet access(home, hotel room, etc.) and then import direct into patient chart or sign and fax back or trash as needed.
Does a fax board allow direct import into AC?
Would I be considered lazy if I don't feel like opening a patient chart in AC then search for a fax to import?
Does working from Remote desktop slow that process considerably?
Updox currently costs me $80. a month and about 60-90 mins day dealing with all the faxes.

I'll stick with Updox. Installing several hundred dollars with of hardware and a half dozen software programs to recreate Updox functionality isn't my cup of tea. My staff gets pretty whiney at times (so do I!), so this changeover might just cause a different set of complaints.

I have many more issues with AC than Updox.

If you need to receive and send faxes... you can try HYLAFAX a free fax server. I have been using it for sometime without any problems. You will need your IT guy to set it up if you do want to spend time messing around with it.

Roger,

My nurse and I are the only ones in my office that manage my Updox, although I have a third user who will help on occasion with sending records to and fro.

I use the assigned 888 fax # Updox gave me for everything, and if a fax comes in through the old fax #, my nurse will contact the entity and not respond until they send to our 888 fax #.

So with that being said, I have not seen missed faxes or unsent faxes occurring, nor has my nurse had an issue. We did have a situation where a local cardiologist's faxes came across on half pages, but after several days back and forth I think Meg at Updox tracked it down and got it figured out as a problem with the cardiologist's fax machine.

I have found emailing Meg at Updox is the best way to get things done through the help button on the main page.

However, the intersection of the e-faxing, 727 active portal users, scheduling, AC, telephone at one person's fingertips is fantastic as long as she is good and not sick a lot. It could be disastrous with a sub optimal employee.

So, my point is, I have not seen any recurring issues impacting my practice negatively with Updox, but in fact the opposite is the case. I think if you asked my nurse the last application she would do without would be Updox.

I do not have any suggestions on alternatives to Updox. Sorry.

Hello All,
I am in ABQ, NM, have a totally solo home visit practice (ie: no office or staff) - some could call me pathologically solo !
I've been using AC + UD for nearly 10 years, am 98% paperless, and have only occasional problems w UD, which Meg, UD's excellent go-to tech, deals with rapidly, or she gets help from higher level UD techs.
Other than the occasional annoying 'wet-signature-required' documents which is outside the scope of ANY software, the functionality that UD gives is stellar, almost all I could wish for, esp the edit function for forms -
I wish for that edit function to include copy/cut/past and a bit more freedom of movement w the cursor, would also like an 'out-of-office' auto-answer - but in the total scheme of things I remain happy w both AC & UD - both intuitive programs that aren't offshoots of any of the notorious 800 lb gorillas now striding our landscape - and, off the topic of UD, have to say that Mr Squires rapid response to the EULA issue is notable from a company the size of Pri-Med.

regarding the office staff that had issues w faxes, etc, I wonder if that staff had been updating their rolodex, wonder if they were working off an ad-supported proprietary contact list, ie the Blue Book, which in my experience is sadly abt 5 years out-of-date on over 1/3 of their listings - also, is that practice locked into sending to practices still using dinosaur desk-top fax machines, those ancient electro-mechanical devices which reject if the last human being to leave the office failed to minister to it's various aging necessities, much like the intricacies of caring for any/all 90 yo !

ricardo ortega md
Geriatric Home Care & Hospice

We have both a fax board on our main printer and Updox. Incoming faxes to Updox have been totally reliable. 99% of outgoing faxes are done via our ElCheapo Deluxe manual fax machine. Very few outgoing faxes, it seems, have a purely electronically based component, and the fax printer requires maintaining yet another address book. It is also cumbersome to use. Yes, if I can print to a printer I "can" use a fax board, but I just feel I am doing it so I can claim to be paperless For some things it just seems much easier to have a paper intermediate step.

Both MainPine and Brooktrout fax boards are about $650.00. But, well, 12 times better than a plain U.S. Robotics modem.

Sandeep convinced me to change to MainPine. But, I do have a $600 Brooktrout fax board sitting around on the cheap. Would probably need Sandeep to help fix it up.

Not sure what it's worth, but I am an objective observer of Updox. And, it just seems it has got worse and worse. (Again, this is from the bleachers). I'll shut up now. Wow! Bert shut up. Miracles never cease.

Paperport

Not EVEN going there. Hi Leslie. Was that pointed at me, lol?

Suggest snappyfax.com

Rick

Brother MFC Copier ( includes Paperport) works well.
That being said, Updox works fairly well for most people, it might be less trouble to figure where the ultimate problem is lurking, and keep Updox.

Oh, Bert....You know I have been coined "The Queen of Paperport". And Wendell is the King. And oh how I wish I could use it now or any document management program. Pitiful.

Leslie,
Our hospital uses Epic, and I have "read only" access. I took a mini-course, but I am still pretty lost. I am just trying to find stuff, not put anything in. Is there some trick to printing out notes or labs? I try to print a CBC and I get about 6 choices, at least 5 of which I don't want.

Jon,

Beats the heck out of me! I just ask my staff to print it. I hear the hospital version is much easier and less bloated than the out patient version. If you go to "Chart Review" click on the "Lab tab", click the lab you want and then scan down all the crap until you see "Print Lab Report". It is ridiculous all the links and crap that you have to wade through just to find something.

Leslie,

I have now been dubbed the "Princess of Paperport" to carry on your work since you were not with us in San Diego.

Yea, you miss one Royal Ball and they want to take your crown away

No, no, you are still the Queen, but I am your trainee! To carry forth in your absence.

I dubbed her the Princess, you my dear Leslie will always be the Queen

You guys are watching too much Game of Thrones.

You all can keep your heads.

I have used updox for 3 years without a single problem. It is completely reliable and great response from Updox when I have a question. Something is clearly not right for you. I would email Tobin directly at tobin@updox.com

Good luck

I would also like to add that with UpDox there are often several ways to accomplish the same task. Even after several years with it, we periodically find a better way of doing something we thought we already knew. I second what Bill says; get with Tobin, and figure things out. It is a really great service.

Thanks everyone. My staff is not the most technically adept and I had a feeling they were not using it properly, so I will have them duplicate all their issues for me instead of taking their word for it.

Roger,

Our offices are rapidly getting computerized and software dependent. Unfortunately the staff, mine included are not capable to grasp these changes in work flow, even if it makes their work flow easier.
We as physicians have been changing rapidly and adapting to these changes.
Of course one cannot compare a physicians IQ with one of your staff.
(they would take our Jobs)
Often your involvement on the nitty gritty end, solves the issue.
I have definitely seen this on my end and recently had this experience with the X link software.

Roger,

E-faxing is a nice feature of Updox, but the added feature of being able to edit and mark up documents, and then the capacity to send the same document to multiple end points with a click of one button is quite helpful.

But even more helpful is sharing the same Updox workspace with one really good trusted employee, it really has been a paradigm shift in how my office functions.

But the best and potentially most underutilized aspect is the patient portal of Updox, and the added efficiency this has brought to the office is calculable for me, when running my numbers recently my overhead percentage is lower than 20 years ago, in the lower 30% range. I am only bringing this up because having one employee managing the intersecting applications with the patient portal has been nothing short of revolutionary for me.

I really do feel in control of my destiny again and the outside factors of the multiple soul sucking, overhead escalating, practice destroying daily impediments become manageable.

The technological gadgetry has to become integrated with simple solutions, and for me it has been a very good nurse managing the Updox workspace, with the portal system at the crux of the operation. If I did not have AC with Updox with all its added features, I would have to have at least 1.5-2 additional staff members with all the costs that go with that scenario.

I certainly do not claim to have all the answers, but I am having fun again even with all the daily crap we have to deal with.

I agree. Once one of my MA's told me our updox incoming fax number was not working .... Well look at this SHE was giving out the WRONG FAX NUMBER.

I was trained to look at the simple things when our interventions with patients are not working, like that kids sat is not increasing despite being on 100% O2 ; Well lets make sure the O2 is on and the tubing is plugged in.

Anyway, I have demanded that staff show me when UPDOX is not functioning, so I can trouble shoot the issue

You really don't want to get me started on the competence of the people who are rushing to go to all of these Medical Assistance programs. This tends to be your staff. We had 2-3 good ones, but most aren't (we used to have them intern with us so we could see how they took to the learning curve first).

I actually had a couple tell they could not figure out how to print something from, well anywhere in AC since I hadn't specifcally shown them how to print from that specific screen. When interviewing them, in response to my question of how to compute (I said "figure out") how many inches tall is someone who's height is 5 feet 7 inches, quite a few has stated that "they didn't teach us mathematics in the medical assistance program." I actually received this response after asking "how many inches are in a foot."

So, I guess your assistant didn't even check that she was giving out the correct fax number before stating that it wasn't working. Sadly, I'm not surprised. That happened to me too.

Murphy's first law of electronics: It works better if it is plugged in.

I would like to define what I mean by sharing the same Updox workspace.

I keep the Updox application inbox open at all times on my right hand dual monitor screen during working hours. I watch the e-faxes coming in and out, my patients messages and nurse's responses to these messages going in and out. Also appointment and medication forms coming in. I can sign forms and scripts or edit items in the Updox inbox as well.

My nurse does most the heavy lifting and sends the messages by copy and pasting to my inbox to sign off and respond to, so as can be part of permanent AC record. Takes care of appointments by phone or messaging, sends requests of refills to AC inbox, so I can take care of, and messages back to patient when completed.

So it is a way to monitor and participate in the activity on the Updox inbox work area.

I am explaining this to folks who may not be familiar with Updox so they can have a better understanding of what I meant above.

Roger,

One other additional perspective, and this is hard to articulate, and is a bit ethereal.

17 years of hard work in the hospital and office, with multiple nurses till I stumbled into obtaining the nurse I have now.

Shortly thereafter, went out patient only and did away with hospital toil, went from paper to AC, then Updox.

I realize a bit of this has to do when the stars align just right at the proper time.

So, the tools are available to elevate one's efficiency in the office significantly, but there also is a component of the intangible that has to be present for things to come together just right.

I apologize if this is painfully obvious but after re-reading my posts above, I felt a slice of humble pie was in order so I do not come across as minimizing your problem and wish you well and continued success.

Spot on Jimmie. Exactly the same here. The stars will align, given diligence and patience, plus some tolerance for risk. Perseverance furthers.