Medical Billing Software > Medical Billing Software Reviews
Suggestions for Billing Software
PMRNC:
--- Quote ---If a client insists on having an EMR, I emphasize that he should own it outright and have it installed on his own servers - for the reasons just discussed. I cannot in good conscience recommend that any provider put his client's data into an EMR provided by an SaaS company such as Practice Fusion, and rid himself of all paper charts. As fragile as electronic bits and bytes are, and as succeptible to bankruptcy and other mishaps as companies are, putting all patient data at the mercy of others just makes no sense to me.
--- End quote ---
Richard, I def agree with you on this one! Even with PM system, I have my clients sign all the agreements with them directly.
RichardP:
--- Quote from: tallmanusa on April 13, 2013, 05:18:48 PM ---PF integrates now with Nuesoft and CollaborateMD. You are correct that an integrated system is preferable.
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This is just a technical point, but it is important. An integrated system is preferable over a non-integrated system. But integrated means only that the systems can accurately pass data back and forth amongst themselves. At least in this thread, the point I was making was single database, not integrated. EMRs and PMs that share a single database are preferred over an EMR and a PM system that each has its own database. Unfortunately, not many single-database EMR/PM systems exist yet. Practice Fusion and Kareo each had their own databases, but were supposedly integrated. A great many posts on the internet testified to the many ways in which that integration failed. Had Practice Fusion and Kareo shared a single database, those problems would have been non-existant. Practice Fusion and its new partners may do a better job of integrating their data-sharing functions, but I believe they will still each have separate databases, not a common database that Practice Fusion and its partner can each access.
--- Quote ---... people have made hundreds of millions of dollars in this business ... , I assume they were not so afraid of " what if? ".
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That quote is looking from the perspective of the businessperson making money by leasing the system to providers. What is at risk for the businessperson if their provider client is charged with submitting claims for work that was not done and the data in the EMR is not available for the provider to use to defend himself? The total risk is to the provider, not the businessperson. So why is it relevant to us what the businessperson thinks?
--- Quote --- The current system is Godsend for savvy business people.
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There is no denying that this is true. And it will continue to be a Godsend until the moment it stops working.
What got me to thinking about what I wrote in my previous post above was physically standing one day by one of our ex-clients who had scanned all of his charts into his brand-new EMR and sent the charts out to storage. I can still see him standing in the examining room, laptop in hand, as he began the polite banter that takes place before examining the elderly man. His words were directed at the patient, but his eyes were scanning the screen on his laptop, as he began to familiarize himself with the patient's history. Suddenly, his internet connection went down, and his screen went blank. Patient in front of him, patient history at his fingertips for a quick review before questioning the patient, and then suddenly it wasn't. Doctor had nothing in the office he could turn to to review the patient's history. The doctor was dead in the water. He had to cancel patients for the rest of the day. Fortunately for the doctor, his internet connection was restored in time for the next business day.
In addition to my personal experience, I have read stories where there was a dispute over dollars owed to the software vendors by the providers. Providers believed they didn't owe certain charges, vendors believed they did, and promptly blocked access to the providers' EMRs until payment was made.
Both of my examples here prove the concept of a provider being held hostage by those providing the computer technology. In a paperless office, no access to the EMR is serious busines. That reality needs to be accounted for before an office goes paperless, no matter how much of a Godsend the technology might be.
tallmanusa:
Richard you write well.
There are EHR and PM that work on single data base.
At least three come to mind; MD Online, Mastermind MD, and Total MD,( in a few weeks). All of these are relatively inexpensive, about $150 per month for both.
It is my impression that in our business there is tremendous demand, the demand outstrips the supply of RCM companies. It is no accident that Athena Health has 30% annual growth rate. That being said the doctors are not going to hand over their livelihood to someone working out of their suitcases. The doctors are looking for full services, including credentialing, coding advice, meaningful use help, HIPAA compliance etc. Every time we have been contacted, it is because the doctor needed help with something other than just billing.
RichardP:
Thank you for your kind words. Office Ally and Practice Mate, the EMR and PM systems offered by Office Ally also work off a single database.
DMK:
"What got me to thinking about what I wrote in my previous post above was physically standing one day by one of our ex-clients who had scanned all of his charts into his brand-new EMR and sent the charts out to storage. I can still see him standing in the examining room, laptop in hand, as he began the polite banter that takes place before examining the elderly man. His words were directed at the patient, but his eyes were scanning the screen on his laptop, as he began to familiarize himself with the patient's history. Suddenly, his internet connection went down, and his screen went blank. Patient in front of him, patient history at his fingertips for a quick review before questioning the patient, and then suddenly it wasn't. Doctor had nothing in the office he could turn to to review the patient's history. The doctor was dead in the water. He had to cancel patients for the rest of the day. Fortunately for the doctor, his internet connection was restored in time for the next business day."
Awesome Richard! This is one of the most salient points made on threads regarding EHR software. This is the nightmare that most, if not all, providers have often. And for several reasons. Patients HATE when the doctor is looking at the screen and not them, and the information they have on screen is only as good as the data entry was. I've worked both ways, and have stayed with paper. I know we'll have to eventually start to put all the info into an EHR program, but I will retain the paper backup.
I will grant you that files can get misplaced, studies not filed correctly, and there have been disasters that have wiped out both physical and electronic files. When someone can figure out how to plan for ALL contingencies we'll all be better off. But for now, we do the best we can with what we have, and roll with what happens! I will say that the younger people coming into this field NEED to know how to do things manually as well as electronically and to understand WHY they need to know how to do things both ways!
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