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I am considering AdvancedMD. Anyone using this web based software? If, so please share pros and cons. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

I advise against any product that you can NOT own your own licensed copy of the software that your data is entered and created in. Example, I presently own QuickBooks 2005, it's mine, I own it and all the data created in it I have access to and can continue to change and update. If CMS or the IRS has a question about anything in 5 years from now, I simply bring up the file or company and there is my data. But with these web based softwares you never can own a copy of the software that your data was created in. So if you have a falling out with the company or care to move on to another product, let's say Jon's soon to be released Practice Managment module, where are you??? Forever stuck on that other companies "taxi-meter" just to use the software and access your old data. What if you like the old product but don't like the new updates and changes??? You can't stay with the old product, you are forever moved to the next version. What if they want to change to Vista and you want to stay at XP pro or what have you??? Many companies promise the moon in terms of the ability to move, export, translate your data if you ever care to move on, but almost all of them are just "honeymoon" promises that will be hollow when the time comes to break-up and part ways. Always buy a copy of the product that created your data. You're a licensed owner of the software and nobody can deny your right to use the software or your data...period, short, the end.
I'm looking at using the x-link to connect AC with Altapoint...they have a number of VAR's who run web-services if that's your bag. I can't vouch for any of these VAR's, be a wise customer, but at least with these set-ups they actually insist on your buying a single user license as part of the set-up. SO Now even if the VAR who hosts your data and you simply log in and out as needed, goes belly up or you just don't see eye to eye anymore, or you care to take your stuff back in house, you always own your own copy of the software that created you data if and when that time comes,(and it always does, doesn't it) to go your seperate ways you still own and control your data.
These web based folks brag about things like 98% customer retention...Well guess why??? How can you get out??? They've got you and your data hostage because you can't use it without the program that created it now can you??? I gather most folks don't think about this when they go in, only on the way out. Just like here in our own practice, we own an old copy of Chartware, the program that Nancy charted on for the first year and a half...We no longer buy annual tech support, but those charts and encounters are ours and we can access them as we see fit. We "legally" own a copy of the software and nobody can tell us to stop using it as we see fit. We could even still create encounters in it if we wanted to. We probably look at those old charts a few times a week still. I feel your owe this to yourself, your practice and your patients...that's my two cents for what it's worth...
Paul

Paul,
Thank you for your salient points about ASP EMRs. We have an agressive ASP based EMR in this community that has been using a variety of tactics to get me to switch from AC to their ASP based EMR. I raised essentially the same points as you have and they have glossed over saying that the data always belongs to me. Thank you for your advice... it validates my impressions and I know that I'm not nuts for thinking the same way.
Roy

Excellent points. I do like "owning" my data such as with AC. Even though they claim you can have it if need be, it is probably in some unreadable file.

Any suggestion of a simple non-asp inexpensive pm software which submits electronically and accepts electronic remittance? I am not a fan of Medisoft, owned it previously. I have read about the officeally/ezclaim/quickbooks solution but it sounds like a lot of moving parts. Any solution would of course be temporary to JB's AmazingBills!

Yes we too have been looking for a short term PM solution to hold us over while we try and wait Jon out a few more months. I've been looking at Altapoint longingly. It seems pretty muscular and flexible yet understandable. But it's $995 single user and about $500 per extra user. Really makes you apperciate Jon and AC when you look at his, per provider, not user based charges...Thanks Jon. Plus Altapoint will need the $1250 (AC, Jon's price, $250 discount) x-link to make it work back and forth with AC. So it's not exactly cheap. But it seems to also be able to share data with QuickBooks which makes this Practice Manager happy. Gotta track the money and the business.
Lastly, I suggested to Jon that he design the AC PM from the ground up to be able to provide either, home office on your own server based usage or the ASP type set up with him insisting that the customer "buy" one good copy so they can always use their data, no matter what happens to relations later on down the road. Also making it sort of ideal for little Mom and Pop billing and practice managment companies. You can host or Jon and AC can host. Sort of in keeping with Jon's we'll be fair and won't screw you philosophy and marketing. "We want you to always be able to own and use your own data."
Suggestion Please: The reason we have state specific type Rx's to choose from in the set-up section is because lots of people let Jon know just how important that was to them and so he built it. The same can be said about the reminder system we should be seeing soon. I've said it before and here it goes again...Everybody who is dissatisfied with all the PM options out there that are waiting for AC/Jon's PM module, need to write him, write him regularly, that this is one of your biggest pressing issues and that we needed it now...
Paul