By Alex Niswander

A big part of my ongoing newsletter is to get you thinking about things in a way you may not normally, and I like to think of things from the patient point of view. My family and I have had great Chiropractic experiences and not so great. Maybe you can learn from our experiences and think outside of the box. As a business owner myself, I find we try to be creative, but willing to invest in our business’ success.

If you are like most practices you fall into two categories. Either your staff is like a broken record asking over and over for patient referrals, or you simply never ask. Someplace in between is where you want to be, yet the reality is this is the right balance is hard to pull off.

There is no cut and dry method and not necessarily a right answer, however there are many things to think about before you begin your referral quest. Should you ask for referrals once a month, a quarter, a year? Should you ever ask? Another honest question to ask yourself, is does asking for referrals make you seem inferior to other specializes?

I think like any tasks there are right and wrong ways to do it. If I am the patient quite frankly “my doctor” personally asking for a referral would be a turnoff for me. If I liked my doctor, my progress and he/she did a good job for me, naturally I would send my friends and family to him/her and I wouldn’t enjoy being harassed about it if I wasn’t all so happy.

Now don’t misunderstand, asking for referrals is ok if done the right way and done by someone OTHER than the doctor. A member of the staff, the marketing person, etc is a much better choice to follow up with specifically designed questions to gauge their satisfaction as a new customer.  Either a phone call or a paper survey form would be best for this.

Want to give them the feel of being anonymous, yet be able to know which patient completed it? Try sending their pre-paid return postage and survey with a cleverly placed ‘random’ number so that you can quickly find out which patient completed the survey. Then in their chart list their random number. This way if they choose to ‘remain anonymous’ they can, but you can discontinue asking them for referrals if you feel they are not the best candidate based on their survey answers.

The above idea is great if you are opposed to becoming automated.

Today in the dawn of our “Facebook” era, automation has become a huge business tool. It would be safe to say if you didn’t at least investigate costs and solutions for automating patient referrals you would be doing your business a great disservice. In fact I feel strongly that patients even find automated referral processes more professional than your office staff calling to ask for them.

What if there was a way you could enter a patient into a system and then it would take over and automatically run a referral campaign? What if was designed so they could “LIKE” your service on Facebook, Twitter and even ‘Pin’ you on pinterest.com? Wouldn’t this take a lot off of your plate while continuing to grow your referral base?

The truth is people like to share their good experiences and we are at a point in our country where “wellness” is an IN thing. That means you should take advantage of this and let your patients do the marketing for you through their friends and family network. Of course you could do much of this yourself, however your time is better spent out in the community meeting people.

Remember, Automation saves you time, money and makes you appear more professional and with the times and IT WORKS.

Patient Value:
There are many ways to put a value on a single patient. My best advice is not to make it complicated – for best results with a potential buyer – keep it simple. I don’t think anyone would argue that selling a practice and asking for one year’s patient value as part of the overall asking price would be unfair. In some cases you could even ask for 2 year’s patient value – as long as you can prove it pays for itself in the Return on Investment worksheet.
Active Patients:
Active patients are the real meat of your practice’s value. The best way to come up with patient value is total revenue divided by number of active patients for last 12 months. To give an example, if we did $300,000 in total revenue and have 300 active patients, our active patient value is $1,000 each for one year.
HINT: This is also a great way to evaluate how well your practice is doing year by year. Form a baseline and then each year compare your ‘per patient’ amount to see how well you did that year. Larger companies commonly do a ‘per employee’ value, which is just another way to evaluate a company’s growth.
Inactive Patients:
For inactive patients (those you haven’t seen in 12-24 months), there is some value. They could be considered a glorified lead list and perhaps one step above buying a mailing list. You can argue this one either way. For our valuation purpose we will argue that inactive patients have a greater chance of coming back because they may have been feeling very well and didn’t think of coming back.
Using our above example, let’s estimate your inactive patients have a 10% chance of returning in the next given year, so we would give them 10% of the value of an active patient, so $100 each. If we have 100 inactive patients they are worth $10,000 for a single year valuation.
HINT: Estimate the inactive patient value and perhaps use a bargaining tool during negotiations.
Equipment Value:
For equipment you can ask replacement value for the items included with the sale. This would be your tables, desks, reception furniture, etc. The best approach is to research similar aged equipment and not ask new price on older items. Imagine what you would pay for the same item in the same shape from another practice and try to be fair.
Hardware/Software & Virtual Items:
For hardware value you should take only half the cost to replace all of it including your networking equipment (if professionally installed). If the hardware is just a few months old, you could consider asking more; however most of the time hardware is outdated as soon as you open the box.
For software value you can take full replacement value as long as you have current active maintenance contracts AND the software vendor allows you to transfer your license to a new doctor in the case of selling your practice. Some vendors will charge a fee for this and others will do this for free if you have an active maintenance contract. Software is typically billing/scheduling and EHR software if you have it.
A well designed website including patient interaction and search engine optimization shouldn’t go unnoticed or undervalued. You can ask the full replacement value based on creating the site today. You could ask for a quote from the website designer to have a realistic dollar amount.
Property Value:
If at all possible you will want to leave property left out of the business deal. It is best to treat it as a completely separate transaction and not related to the valuation of the business. If you own property outright then get an estimate of what you can sell it for in today’s market. If you still owe quite a bit on the building it might be best to wait a few years to consider selling the business and the building. Property values will never be where the once were, however they will improve over the next five to ten years.

Complete Practice Valuation Summary
Patient Value: $310,000 ($300,000 active patients, $10,000 inactive).
Equipment Value: $45,000 (A rough estimate for x-ray, tables and office furniture).
Hardware/Software Items: $25,000 (A rough estimate for a few computers/ server, up to date software packages and a great professional website).

Buyers Return on Investment:
Keep in mind that most buyers will look to see their investment back in 5 years. It would be helpful if you put together a return on investment document to show exactly how much their loan payment would be each month and what the total over the long term. If you can show how the cash flow (or projected cash flow) will pay off their investment, you are well on your way to a completed deal.
For a ROI sample you should use 10% annual interest for the loan. I have included a basic sample of this below to demonstrate how simple it should be. There is no need to make things complicated during this early process. Once you come to an agreement you can then involve your attorney to create a simple purchase of assets agreement. This will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Keep in mind the if the buyer can make their monthly loan payment and still make a reasonable profit; they are making a good investment – and you have created a fair value. If you cannot show a nice ROI, then the asking price should be reduced.
ROI Sample 1 – $250,000 Purchase Price:
• Monthly payment (60 months): $5,311.76
• Estimated Business Revenue (monthly): $20,000
• Estimated Business Expenses (monthly): $8,000
• Estimated Profit (monthly): $6,688.24

ROI Sample 2 – $500,000 Purchase Price:
• Monthly payment (60 months): $10,623.52.
• Estimated Business Revenue (monthly): $35,000
• Estimated Business Expenses (monthly): $16,000
• Estimated Profit (monthly): $8374.00

With our sample numbers above we would ask $380,000 for the practice (not including property) and we could easily justify and explain our numbers to the buyer and their lender. Often times we have a tendency to greatly over price the business in order to leave room for a buyer negotiating downward. A better approach is to price it fair and firm and be up front about that early on in the process to eliminate any negotiating.

A word of advice: When making business deals such as the sale of a practice, if you work to create a fair deal for both parties you will create a win-win situation and almost always come away with a done deal. If you are the seller, try creating a deal that you would do if you were the buyer and vice versa. When you take the time to consider creating a fair deal, you will save yourself a lot of time in the long run.

Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures. He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers. He is also the owner of Chiro QuickCharts EHR system.
To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:
Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr
888-978-5222

Proven technique for a successful transition

By Alex Niswander

The check has been written, your new EHR software has arrived and the hard part is over right? Well, if only plug and play meant that once installed you could stop using your paper charts the next day and begin full speed ahead with your new EHR system.

Oftentimes a doctor’s first question is, “How long will it take me to implement this EHR?”  There is no cookie cutter answer for this, as everyone learns a little differently and at different paces.  Some people may have a lot of experience with computers so they can forgo the extra step of just learning his/her way around their new PC or tablet. On the other hand, there are doctors who have barely touched computers, so would need a little extra time to figure them out first.

Over the past 10 years we have been fortunate enough to be part of hundreds of successful EHR software implementations. There are so many important parts from the hardware specifications to the network configuration; to completing (all) of the training, to the staff’s attitude and willingness to learn, to the doctor’s ability to put down the paper charts. All are important; however the single most important step is your implementation plan.

Without an implementation plan you would be less frustrated if you walk over to the trash and throw away your new software unopened.  The most common reason EHR software is still not implemented after a year is that either there was not a realistic plan developed, or the practice didn’t stick to the plan.

Before covering the plan, I think we should clearly define what we recognize as successful implementation of EHR software. In order to be 100% successful you must utilize the EHR software for each patient visit that you provide.

There are 2 plans for implementing a new system:

1. Cold Turkey- meaning we stop using the paper charts September 1 and start using the EHR.
2. Gradual Approach- meaning we do so many charts in the EHR every day and progressively increase the number over time to work toward the goal.

Both plans are successful, however the gradual approach is typically less stressful for all involved. Also remember that all staff members must be on board and everyone must be accountable. If you agree that every day of week one, 5 patient visits must be done in the EHR, then are you held accountable if you do only 4 patient charts that day?

Every office is different. Some prefer cold turkey approach and know if they do not jump all in, they will have a tendency to never make the jump. If this is your practice you must recognize and get your ducks in a row before your “go live” date.

Whichever style of plan you choose will have the same basic pre-check list so to speak. There is the setup (we call this implementation as well), and training (personal one on one training is always best). Both are very important. Without proper hardware and network, your system is destined to fail causing frustration in the product and company. Without proper training on the product you have about a snowball’s chance in hell of being successful.

Implementation: Hardware, Network oh my.

It is important that you are not trying to run your new software on hardware that is outdated.  Every EHR software package has what is called the ‘minimum requirements specifications’. The three most important specifications on these are the RAM, CPU speed and version of Windows that is supported. Try to think of minimum requirements as your first car. It got you to school and back but didn’t impress your friends and it sure wasn’t the car that your mom and dad drove.

Most companies will have what is called ‘recommended hardware specifications’.  This is more the hardware of today that would ideal for the given software. We recommend you stick with this or better yet, call their tech department and ask what they recommend for the best performance.

A few years ago at a chamber luncheon a guest speaker was talking about networking and I remember being impressed because he took a topic that was extremely boring to me and made it into a great presentation.  His main message has always stuck with me: “Without a properly setup infrastructure, you have created an opportunity for failure in the future”.  My translation is: “please let the networking experts setup the office, it is money well spent to ensure no wires are crossed”.

If you setup your own office network please raise your hand.  For those with your hands in the air, please strongly consider getting the network checked out. You would be amazed at how much damage an improperly designed network can cause EHR software in the future. It is worth the investment to have a solid infrastructure setup from the onset.

With IT and networking it is best to hire a company that has a good track record and handles many businesses. It is attractive to hire a single guy or your friend, however do yourself a big favor and hire a reputable company for IT work.

Training: But I already know how to run my computer, why do I need training?

Of course you are intelligent. You’re well educated, well trained and you have done more ongoing education that most people do throughout their careers. On the flip side is that you have been doing your charts the same way for a very long time. You are quite comfortable with the current method and it means any change is going to be painful. As a rule we run from pain. Because of this the more education you have on your new software, the better for your long term success.

You will need to know the ins & outs, how to customize, how to upgrade and apply patches. You likely need to know as much about the software as the person that trained you. Here is the big point: To be the most successful you need to know all of this BEFORE you begin using your EHR software.

Once your software has been installed you can and should start learning right away.  Most companies will have live trainings that can be attended, in addition to some on-line recordings or CDs that can be reviewed at your convenience.   There is usually a trainer assigned to your account and this person would be in charge of answering questions that may arise throughout your relationship.

Oftentimes, training sessions are broken down into small parts so that you may have some practice time before the next session.  This makes the learning curve more manageable and puts the time line control into your hands.  The more time you can spend practicing and the faster you complete all the scheduled training, the quicker your implementation phase will be completed.

It is important to commit to the project by devoting extra time to practice with test patients. If you skip this step during training it is very likely your implementation will be greatly prolonged or such a failure that you will be forced to start it all over again. Training sessions are great for starting, however most doctors quickly find that it is by using the software that they learn most efficiently.

Once the commitment is made the advanced computer user can have their entire system implemented in about two weeks.  The average doctor may take more like two months.  The less advanced could likely will take up to 6 months or longer.

Regardless of where you fall in the computer knowledge level, remember that forward progress is important and the very most important rule of implementing an EHR system is to have a plan and stick to it.

Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures.  He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers. He is also the owner of Chiro QuickCharts EHR system.

To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:

Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr

888-978-5222

My husband and I own Riverside Wellness. We have dealt with numerous vendors in our “previous lives”.

NEVER have we experienced customer service as prompt and reliable as we have with Chiro QuickCharts. The technical personnel at Chiro QuickCharts have surprised and delighted us time and again with their extremely prompt response to our difficulties and guiding us through the challenges of becoming a paperless (well, mostly!) enterprise.

Chiro QuickCharts has made documenting patient care rapid and comprehensive. Reports that used to take  1-1/2  to 2 hours to prepare now can be done literally in seconds using this software.

Any chiropractic practices considering making the change to electronic notes would be wise to place Chiro QuickCharts at the top of their list.

Sue Ann Sidell, DC – Riverside Wellness Center

About Chiro QuickCharts):

• Based in friendly Altoona, Iowa.
• Have more than 600 practices nationwide.
• Highly experienced & friendly staff.
• Company’s ONLY Focus is Chiropractic Software.
• ALL pricing is even listed on our website!

About the Software:

• Certified EHR – Billing / Scheduling
• Patient Check-in KIOSK
• Tablet / Touch / iPad Compatible
• Medicare / PI / Exam / Soaps

Click Here to View More Software Features

From their President:

We use the highest quality staff and work really hard. The end result is products that work well, and a low volume of technical support calls. We run ahead of schedule and are open and upfront about price and your specific questions.

Please let us know if we might take you through a tour of our software.

Thank you,

Alex Niswander (President)

Chiro QuickCharts

www.quick-charts.com

Chiro QuickCharts Information:

What Customers Say

Watch Short Videos

From Paper to Paperless (short video)

Customers receive full incentive (read press release)

Request a demonstration

What Customers Say:

• We have never experienced customer service as prompt and reliable as we have with Chiro QuickCharts. Chiro QuickCharts has surprised and delighted us time and again….. Sue Ann Sidell, DC
• It is easy to learn and customize, It has all the features that we need….. Brian Malzer, DC
• Their note taking system is ‘clean’ with big buttons and it is easy to navigate. Larry Kwan, DC
• Has a TON of features to cater to a variety of techniques… Chris Rizzo, DC
• The most impressive thing to me about Chiro QuickCharts is the support. James Schone, DC
• The product has a lot of great features and can be modified. Christopher Hammer, DC
• Chiro QuickCharts has given us superior support. Kari Lund, D.C.
• I would definitely recommend this product to any chiropractor, Christine Cook, – Apponaug DC

Read Entire Reviews Here

I had been looking for an EHR system to do my notes for the past few years and have ‘test driven’ quite a few of them. I finally came across the Quick Charts system. Their note taking system is ‘clean’ with big buttons and it is easy to navigate. Patients use Motion tablets to give us their subjective part of the notes in just a few clicks.

My CAs continues with a more descriptive note of progress and I follow up with assessment, adjustment and/or acupuncture points used and the note is done on the spot. A new patient fills in the ADL and disability indexes, my CA then can take the patient’s medical history, vitals and take their picture. I do the history and exam.

My treatment plan and long term and short term goals are done in a few clicks. Treatment effectiveness is measured by QVAS and various disability indexes that the patient fills out as they check in at the kiosk. My objective measurements are done and I can follow my treatment plan or just change a few things.

Larry Kwan, DC

About them (Chiro QuickCharts):

• Based in friendly Altoona, Iowa.
• Have more than 600 practices nationwide.
• Highly experienced & friendly staff.
• Company’s ONLY Focus is Chiropractic Software.
• ALL pricing is even listed on our website!

About the Software:

• Certified EHR – Billing / Scheduling
• Patient Check-in KIOSK
• Tablet / Touch / iPad Compatible
• Medicare / PI / Exam / Soaps

Click Here to View More Software Features

From their President:

We use the highest quality staff and work really hard. The end result is products that work well, and a low volume of technical support calls. We run ahead of schedule and are open and upfront about price and your specific questions.

Please let us know if we might take you through a tour of our software.

Thank you,

Alex Niswander (President)

Chiro QuickCharts

www.quick-charts.com

Chiro QuickCharts Information:

What Customers Say

Watch Short Videos

From Paper to Paperless (short video)

Customers receive full incentive (read press release)

Request a demonstration

What Customers Say:

• We have never experienced customer service as prompt and reliable as we have with Chiro QuickCharts. Chiro QuickCharts has surprised and delighted us time and again….. Sue Ann Sidell, DC
• It is easy to learn and customize, It has all the features that we need….. Brian Malzer, DC
• Their note taking system is ‘clean’ with big buttons and it is easy to navigate. Larry Kwan, DC
• Has a TON of features to cater to a variety of techniques… Chris Rizzo, DC
• The most impressive thing to me about Chiro QuickCharts is the support. James Schone, DC
• The product has a lot of great features and can be modified. Christopher Hammer, DC
• Chiro QuickCharts has given us superior support. Kari Lund, D.C.
• I would definitely recommend this product to any chiropractor, Christine Cook, – Apponaug DC

Read Entire Reviews Here

By Alex Niswander

When shopping for an EHR system there are many key factors every doctor must consider in order to best evaluate which solution is the best fit for his/her unique practice. Imagine going to buy a new car, but not knowing what brand, style, size, features, and maximum budget you need. In this comparison a 2-door sports car doesn’t work so well if you have a family of five at home. This would be a recipe for disaster when put into daily practice. You would end up trading, selling or suffering for your mistake. It is because of this we have an idea of what style, size budget and time line for the vehicle purchase. The same is true for your EHR system; you have to somewhat know what your needs are.

With the car example we learn from family, friends and even a good sales person will help us discover which car is be the best fit for our needs. EHR is not the same because the vendors typically have just one product to offer and their job is to sell it to you. That is why you must be cautious, take your time and do your homework!

Over the last decade I have been involved in over 5,000 EHR implementations. During this time I have seen too many systems shelved after frustration, lost investment and huge amounts of valuable lost time. With time as our most precious resource, it is so important that you select the best fit EHR system the first time and avoid following the same ugly path.  (For information on planning your successful EHR implementation, please review our article on Implementing and Training on an EHR System)

There are many key points you need to evaluate when shopping for an EHR. These will help you identify which of the EHR solution is the best match for your budget and your specific needs. I have developed a set of ten points, which will help put any practice on track for partnering with the absolute best product/company for your needs.

Although there are no two Chiropractic offices the same, this list of evaluation points will apply in some way to all of them. Keep a note book for notes on each point on the systems that you are reviewing so you can remember them in the future as you narrow your decision. Here is the list in no particular order:

Price /Budget:

Most DCs are small business owners and have to be acutely conscious of the bottom line. Before you begin shopping and doing demos, properly evaluate the maximum upfront or monthly (as most vendors have monthly financing plans available) which you can comfortably invest in your EHR system. In our market the typical range of cost on CERTIFIED EHR is $4,500 to $14,000.

IMPORTANT: Don’t buy a system based on a possible government incentive rebate. Be smart and buy based on your current needs and budget as if you were not receiving an incentive.

Compatibility /Interfacing:

It is very important that your systems “link up”. This means your new EHR software must be able to send and receive data from your existing billing system. The ability to interface with other software has been around almost since the beginning, so if a company cannot interface to your system, one of the two is outdated and one or the other (or both) should be replaced.

Software Platform, Web VS Local Client-Server:

Web based software means it runs on a web-server, meaning you can access the software through a web-page from anywhere online. The advantage to web-based is lower hardware costs (you wouldn’t need a server) and lower “buy-in” cost. You can begin using for a small down payment and so much per month based on which features you are using. The other advantage is you won’t require any extra software to login from anywhere on the internet. If you have many offices, or work from many places, this could be the best option.

The downside to web-based software is generally a higher long-term cost of ownership as you are ‘renting’ instead of owning the software. This could still be a good fit, but something to consider. Compare this to office space, sometimes renting is a better fit than buying. The other potential downside is that the web-based software has to function within an Internet browser which means the software may be more difficult to use compared to a like client-server system. Internet uptime has become very reliable, however if your internet is down, so is your EHR system. The last item to consider with web-based is what happens in the event you wish to stop using the system. Are you walking away with nothing or a text file of your patient demographics and billing? This is an important item to clarify with your sales person if you are leaning toward a web-based system.

Client-Server software means the software is physically installed in your office and you must have one ‘main’ computer (also called ‘server’). The main advantages here is costs long term could be less and the software is likely easier to maneuver.  Another advantage is that you own the software and can usually still use an older version if you stop paying the annual maintenance fees.

One downside is higher upfront costs and could require additional costs with ‘remote control’ (Gotomypc, Logmein or PCAnywhere) software to access your system from anywhere. Another downside is that you would need to keep updated hardware in your office to keep up with the demands of the software.

Complete EHR Certified:

With the government EHR certification in place the best approach is to only invest in a product that has already established Complete EHR Certification. The government has a website (http://onc-chpl.force.com/ehrcert/EHRProductSearch?setting=Ambulatory) where you can search by company or product name to verify a product has past the requirements for complete EHR certification. Beware there is a ‘modular’ certification which means a company has only passed part of the certification and may or may not be able to pass the complete EHR certification.

Product Customization:

With today’s technology an EHR system should offer a great level of what is called ‘end user customization’. This means once installed you can modify the software to have the wording and items you wish to use for your daily notes without the software’s programming staff having to make the changes. My best advice here is to ask your sales person to add /modify an entry during your demo. This will give you an idea of how easy it is to modify and if your sales person struggles, or shrugs off your request it should be taken as a red-flag for difficulty or non-ability to customize after the sale.

Specialty Specific Content:

Every specialty in healthcare has what is called ‘custom content’. This means that you see the things you routinely do like Low Back Pain, Neck, Shoulder, etc. (as having Podiatry or Optometry content wouldn’t really do you any good for patient documentation). During your demo keep an eye out for the things you do every day. I would encourage you to have a list of the top 5 or 10 things you do handy and ask to see them during your demo. If you are reviewing a Chiropractic specific system, you should easily see these items. If you are demoing a medical based system with a Chiropractic ‘module’ you will be less likely to see these things which means a lot more time customizing the system and in all reality could mean you end up shelving the system.

IMPORTANT: Be careful when considering a non-Chiropractic specific system. This means quite a bit of more time customizing upfront and may not work well for your work flow.

Ease of Use:

This one is a personal preference. That old expression here is true: ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’.  What I mean is that after seeing the demonstration you should have a feeling for how easy the system is to use. You probably know within a few minutes if you like the system. It could be color scheme and layout, but most likely you felt the system was easy and a good match for your needs, or you felt it wasn’t a good fit for you. I encourage you to make notes and go with your gut feeling on this point.

Speed of Product:

The speed of the product could mean many things. The way I mean it is how much time will you spend on your most common daily patient encounter? How does the system set you up to win in this situation? Does it provide you with a copy of the last visit and make a few changes in wording? Are you expected to click something to initiate this process? It is not uncommon to spend 2-5 minutes on a daily note in an EHR system, however it would be good to get a baseline for each system you are reviewing in case all other items are very close. Speed could become a deciding factor for you.

Technical Support:

Find out the details on the support department. How many techs do they have, it is in the United States, or are you going to be calling overseas? What are their hours, how long is the typical response time. How often are patches posted and verify these when you speak with an existing customer.

References:

This one is pretty self-exclamatory, but once you have narrowed your search to a few systems you really should check a few references. You might hear what you need to finalize your decision. Ask good questions when you speak with your peers such as:

• How long they have had the system?
• How long did it take to fully implement?
• Is there technical support and how good is it?
• How effective was the training?
• Are they being paid or receive anything free for talking with prospective customers?

After implementing these tips for researching your EHR options, I feel that you will be more successful in not only purchasing and but more importantly using your new software.

Good luck!

When shopping for an EHR system there are many key points you need to evaluate when shopping for an EHR. These will help you identify which of the EHR solution is the best match for your budget and your specific needs. I have developed a set of ten points, which will help put any practice on track for partnering with the absolute best product/company for your needs.

This list of evaluation points will apply in some way to everyone shopping. You might consider keeping a note book for taking notes on each point so you can remember them in the future as you narrow your decision.

This week let’s talk about the References.

References:

This one is pretty self-exclamatory, but once you have narrowed your search to a few systems you really should check a few references. You might hear what you need to finalize your decision. Ask good questions when you speak with your peers such as:

• How long they have had the system?
• How long did it take to fully implement?
• Is there technical support and how good is it?
• How effective was the training?
• Are they being paid or receive anything free for talking with prospective customers?

IMPORTANT: Don’t be lazy when it comes to checking references, at best what the sales person told you will simply be reinforced by happy clients. At worst… you could hear something that makes you take a step back.

Please stay tuned!

Thank you,

Alex Niswander

__________________________________________________________________________________

Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures.  He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers.

To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:

Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr

515-967-3002

www.quick-charts.com

When shopping for an EHR system there are many key points you need to evaluate when shopping for an EHR. These will help you identify which of the EHR solution is the best match for your budget and your specific needs. I have developed a set of ten points, which will help put any practice on track for partnering with the absolute best product/company for your needs.

This list of evaluation points will apply in some way to everyone shopping. You might consider keeping a note book for taking notes on each point so you can remember them in the future as you narrow your decision.

This week let’s talk about the Technical Support.

Technical Support:

Find out the details on the support department. How many techs do they have, it is in the United States, or are you going to be calling overseas? What are their hours, how long is the typical response time. How often are patches posted and verify these when you speak with an existing customer.

IMPORTANT: Check online for customer reviews specifically pertaining to technical support and how customers feel about it. This is a big clue on how well you will also like their technical support.

Please stay tuned!

Thank you,

Alex Niswander

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Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures.  He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers.

To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:

Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr

515-967-3002

www.quick-charts.com

When shopping for an EHR system there are many key points you need to evaluate when shopping for an EHR. These will help you identify which of the EHR solution is the best match for your budget and your specific needs. I have developed a set of ten points, which will help put any practice on track for partnering with the absolute best product/company for your needs.

This list of evaluation points will apply in some way to everyone shopping. You might consider keeping a note book for taking notes on each point so you can remember them in the future as you narrow your decision.

This week let’s talk about the Speed of Product.

Speed of Product:

The speed of the product could mean many things. The way I mean it is how much time will you spend on your most common daily patient encounter? How does the system set you up to win in this situation? Does it provide you with a copy of the last visit and make a few changes in wording? Are you expected to click something to initiate this process? It is not uncommon to spend 2-5 minutes on a daily note in an EHR system; however it would be good to get a baseline for each system you are reviewing in case all other items are very close. Speed could become a deciding factor for you.

IMPORTANT: Hardware makes a huge difference. Don’t expect that your 5 year old computer will operate cutting edge software. Old hardware will make any good software look terrible. Keep this in mind and make sure your hardware is new and fast!

Please stay tuned!

Thank you,

Alex Niswander

__________________________________________________________________________________

Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures.  He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers.

To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:

Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr

515-967-3002

www.quick-charts.com

When shopping for an EHR system there are many key points you need to evaluate when shopping for an EHR. These will help you identify which of the EHR solution is the best match for your budget and your specific needs. I have developed a set of ten points, which will help put any practice on track for partnering with the absolute best product/company for your needs.

This list of evaluation points will apply in some way to everyone shopping. You might consider keeping a note book for taking notes on each point so you can remember them in the future as you narrow your decision.

This week let’s talk about ease of use.

Ease of Use:

This one is a personal preference and something almost EVERY doctor I have ever spoken with wants. We all want something easy to use. However the old expression ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ really comes into play. Just one example is that one doctor will just love a template system (meaning you click neck pain and the system spits out a 4 page exam note) while others are completely against the idea of using a template system.

After seeing the demonstration you should have a feeling for how easy the system is to use. You probably know within a few minutes if you like the system. It could be color scheme and layout, but most likely you ‘felt’ the system was easy and a good match for your needs, or your feeling was that it wasn’t a good fit for you. I encourage you to make notes and go with your gut feeling on this point; chances are if a system didn’t ‘feel’ right to you during the demo, it is not a good fit for your practice.

IMPORTANT: Just because a system works well for your friends practice, doesn’t mean it would work great for you. Do your homework and go with your gut feeling!

Please stay tuned!

Thank you,

Alex Niswander

__________________________________________________________________________________

Author, Alex Niswander, is a soap notes expert with over 10 years focusing on clinical charting and proper noting procedures.  He has reviewed charts in hundreds of clinics throughout the country and continually reviews new requirements by Medicare and major insurance carriers.

To learn more about Alex’s products, please visit the company website:

Chiro QuickCharts – billing/scheduling/ehr/emr

515-967-3002

www.quick-charts.com