medmerid

Referrals.

The truth is, there are about 220 software products currently available for Medical Practice Management, and there is no clear market leader. On top of that, there exists no objective resource to review the massive amount of products, and that can present a seemingly daunting decision process.

It doesn’t have to be as time consuming and risky as you think.

Ask your colleagues. Trust your colleagues.

If you whittle down those 220 to only those that are used by tens of thousands of medical practices, you are left with only a handful.

Your first decision: there are two types of PM software. A billing only solution or a full practice management suite that handles patient billing, insurance claims, appointment scheduling, reporting, and staff management.

The elephant in the room.

A couple of years ago, there was a second choice to make when switching from paper claims to electronic. The decision was whether to include an Electronic Medical Record solution, now dubbed “Electronic Health Records (EHR),” with the new Practice Management software, that traditionally handled only billing issues. Most doctors opted out. While continuing studies show the cost and care benefits of switching to electronic records, most doctors have been reluctant to invest in the switch.

That luxury no longer exists; federal regulations are imminent.

When choosing a Practice Management software, you must also be aware and approve of the EHR solutions that integrate with that choice. Even if you are not ready to rid yourself of your paper library, you have to choose between:

1. A PM solution that integrates with a third party EHR software.

   Consider whether the software manufacturers approve of each other, by certifying that their products work in conjunction with one another.
   Do NOT pair a PM with an EHR unless you know someone who has successfully done so and gives you a positive referral.

   or

2. A complete PM/EHR integrated package, written by one developer.

   Deceptively more costly, but without the IT headaches of data interchange problems between two different software manufacturers.

Consider the problem like you would consider an automobile purchase. You could either a) buy an older car that has little upfront and ongoing costs, but will present costly, random headaches down the line or b) buy a brand new car that has greater up front and ongoing costs but will have no maintenance issues. Managing your practice, like buying a car, will always cost you money.

Third, decide this. Client/Server environment, or Web-Based Solution?

A client/server environment means you will have an office network, powered by a server and workstations. Smaller operations can get away with doing this all on one machine, but the bottom line is that you will need to invest in a hefty server to power your in-house needs; and this will be a continual investment. New government regulations and new software features always mean upgrades to hardware down the line. It goes with the territory. The benefit is that everything is under your control, and in the hands of your own IT staff.

One workaround to this setup that medmerid has come up with, is a Remote Desktop environment, where minimal investment is made on the workstations (e.g. the front desk, billing and nurse computers), as those workstations are used merely as portals to access a more hefty server that will run the Practice Management software for all of its users. This powerful server is a big initial investment, and will need to be maintained and upgraded over time, however the workstation startup costs are minimal, and they last forever! Because your Practice Management software will not be installed on your workstations, they will never need to be upgraded, and depending on the design, can minimize virus threats, data integrity and security, and most importantly, IT costs.

What if I don’t want all that? Is there another choice?

In the last year we have seen a huge trend of doctors saying ‘enough’. Every new government regulation forces new software upgrades, and new software feautures mean new hardware upgrades. Doctors are tired of hearing that it is time to upgrade their expensive servers, and the new trend of web-based Practice Management has emerged. These solutions offer endless benefits. In exchange for one fixed monthly cost, and a low intial setup fee, you will no longer have to invest in hardware, software upgrades, software backups and IT costs. You will ALWAYS be kept up to HIPAA compliant standards, and remote management means virus-free, theft-free, terrorism-secured data integrity.

So what’s the catch? Those doctors that have been reluctant to switch to web-based technologies have cited two concerns.

1. Ownership of data.

   Doctors are fearful that their data will be hijacked if they want to switch solutions, or if their software provider goes out of business. But current government regulations protect your ownership of patient records, and all good providers now allow you to download your data at any time.

2. Dependency on the internet.

   If the internet goes down, your business is down. This can affect practices in more rural areas with spotty access to the internet; while urban offices can usually have two sources of access to alleviate these concerns.

Bottom line. Which concerns you more? Having your internal network go down, leaving you with the reigns to bring it all back? Or having your internet connection go down, forcing your business on to paper until it comes back?

Decision Four. Consider the user.

Consider who will actually be using the software the most. Your biller? Front desk staff? The nurses? That person’s input is just as important as your referral. Do not purchase a PM/EHR solution without downloading a trial (or getting a demo) and having your user try it themselves. If they cannot navigate their way through the menus and screens, your productivity gains are immediately negated.

Five. A second opinion.

If you are picking one of the major products, this will not be an issue for you, but make sure you have access to your data. One of the biggest headaches encountered when switching PM software is data conversions. If your chosen solution uses a major database, like Microsoft SQL Server, as its backbone, you should have little concern for future changes to your practice.

While you should make your own decisions about your practice’s roadmap, and referrals are your best source of  intelligence regarding software solutions, these little details are why consultants exist.

In summary.

• Billing only or full practice management?
  • Billing only: best for single computer billers or small, low volume, 1 doctor practices.
  • Full PM Suite: Typical 1-5 practitioner small business practices.
• Pick an EHR. You may not feel ready, but you will be forced to switch soon.
• Consider web-based solutions if you don’t have access to great IT (or don’t want to pay an IT staff), and you have decent internet access in your office.
• Have your end user approve of your choice.
• Make sure all your bases are covered. Use an independent consultant like medmerid, that offers multiple solutions, to give you an unbiased recommendation.