gloStream
 

Doctors Deserve Control, Flexibility and Choice

For doctors who practice orthopedic medicine, electronic medical record (EMR) software can be a tremendous asset. This technology can help you improve operational efficiency and productivity, decrease costs and generate more revenue. But with hundreds of EMRs now available to doctors, finding the right one can be difficult.

At gloStream we believe that you deserve control and flexibility through personalized EMR solutions. Our Microsoft-based products, innovative implementation processes, and local support – delivered through technology partners – is how we bring that vision to life.  These are also the reasons that doctors throughout Texas trust gloStream for EMR technology.

Product (Microsoft Office-based)
gloEMR from gloStream is the only EMR on the market that comes with Microsoft technology such as Word built right in. Since the vast majority of individuals and businesses already use this software, our solutions are familiar to most doctors and office staff. This means that training and implementation times are significantly reduced and doctors get up to their full patient load quickly. We understand that for doctors, time is money, and so we're focused on ensuring that your EMR implementation does not overwhelm your business. Amanda Wood, a Practice Manager using gloEMR, had this to say:
 

The fact that gloStream uses well-known Microsoft technology also means we can innovate quickly and that's helped us prepare for and successfully achieve Stimulus certification. gloEMR 6.0 from gloStream was one of the very first EMRs to be ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certified through the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). Our EMR is Stimulus-ready and doctors using it can be confident they'll be using a product that will help them achieve meaningful use status. For those who are skeptical, gloEMR comes backed by a Stimulus Guarantee. Doctors using gloEMR who are unable to show meaningful use will have the purchase price of their software fully refunded.

gloStream clients also are protected by the gloStream Data Portability Promise should they ever need to move their data. We can offer this type of protection because we're using familiar Microsoft standards as the backbone of our EMR. Thousands of technology partners across the globe understand and support this technology and have the capability to access the data. In contrast, it is both difficult and very expensive to pull data from proprietary systems used by many competitors since support options are limited.

A final reason our use of Microsoft technology is so important relates to cost. Your total costs are far more than just the purchase price of your software. Total cost includes training fees, support, the time it takes to complete a patient note, and the time to create new templates, to name a few. With gloStream, all of these costs are lower than competitive offerings because our software is familiar and easy to learn and use.

Process (gloDNA)
At gloStream we have a very unique implementation method that we call gloDNA. It stands for gloStream Detailed Needs Analysis, and it's a step-by-step process that allows us to gather subjective and objective information about a practice so that we can create and deliver the personalized EMR solution that matches how the doctor practices medicine. gloDNA is a proven roadmap that has given gloStream a near perfect implementation success rate. This is quite an accomplishment when you consider that 30%-40% of all EMR implementations fail.

The gloDNA process starts with a Practice Scan. During this phase we ask the practice a series of questions so that we can learn about their expectations, hopes and fears when it comes to implementing an EMR solution. Next is the Practice Scan and during this phase we gather quantitative data and details about practice workflow so that we can build a customized proposal for the practice. Development of a proposal, which is phase three, includes a customized plan of action that provides a clear picture of the technical, team and financial requirements necessary for a successful implementation.

We call stage four, also known as the implementation stage, Protocol, and this is the moment where we use all of the data gathered during the Scan and Consult phases to successfully transition a practice from paper records, or another EMR, to gloEMR. The final stage of gloDNA, Wellness, is an ongoing process. It consists of the actions, activities and support the practice receives to address any issues that may have arisen during the implementation phase.

One of the largest benefits of the gloDNA process is that gloStream is able to get practices back to their full patient load, after EMR implementation completion, very quickly. In fact, we guarantee that if we can't get your practice back to full patient load within 15 days of your EMR implementation completion date, we'll provide a full refund for all gloStream software and services. The gloStream 15-Day Money-Back Success Guarantee is the first and only guarantee of its kind.

Partner (Local Support)
From gloStream's very inception, we made the decision to be a Partner-centric organization and today we are the only 100 percent partner-driven EMR company. What this means is that our products are always sold and supported through gloStream's nationwide community of local partners. gloStream partners are trained and certified so they understand how to successfully implement gloEMR software and then provide ongoing training and support, as needed.

Since an EMR is a vital part of your business, support is critical. We believe you should always have access to onsite help from a trusted expert who lives in your community and understands your particular hardware and software setup, and overall needs. With gloStream you can rest assured that if you need assistance, help will be there quickly. Practices should think carefully about whether they want to call a generic support line instead of a trusted neighbor who lives in the community.

Conclusion
Deciding to change the way a practice does business and shed all of its paper records is a difficult decision and one that can have significant implications. For that reason, practices should consider the type of product they are getting, the process for implementation and the support model.

At gloStream we believe that our Microsoft Office-based products, which are powerful, flexible and easy to use; our innovative gloDNA process which has given us a very high implementation success rate; and our nationwide community of local partners represent the best options for orthopedic specialists in Texas.

To learn more about gloStream products and solutions, including important tax benefits associated with an EMR purchase, contact gloStream at info@glostream.com or 877-456-3671.

gloEMR 6.0 from gloStream is ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable certification criteria for eligible providers adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. gloEMR was certified on Sept 30, 2010 for the following clinical quality measures: NQF 0421, NQF 0013, NQF 0028, NQF 0041, NQF 0024, NQF 0038, NQF 004, NQF, 0012, NQF 0032.  This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

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Greenway Medical

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The ITeam

Click here or on graphic to watch the webinar!

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simplifyMD
 

The Golden Rule of EHR in Orthopaedics
and Three Things You Better Do

The Golden Rule in the utilization of technology in an Orthopaedic practice is not to do anything that slows you down for any portion of time.

It sounds simple, but there aren't too many EHRs in your market that promise not to slow you down.  Having automated thousands of doctors with EMRs over a decade, I'm often asked – what is the biggest thing to consider.   The response I deliver often surprises to people:  Don't believe a word the sales person has told you, and be very sure that you've met someone using the technology you're evaluating.   Considering my role as partner in a highly ranked EMR firm and a technology advocate let me explain myself.

What doctors do is very complicated.  Yet, the business model is very simple.  It's important to understand the limitations on the income side of your practice:

Most businesses other than medicine can increase prices or make investments to increase the number of goods sold to offset increases in costs.   You can't.   The INCOME side of your business is basically fixed and that's very important to understand:

• Patient Volume – Most physicians are already maxed out and can't put a few more patients in the day.  Even if they could, the overtime paid to staff would eliminate the net revenue.

• Reimbursement – Medicare and the commercial payers aren't exactly handing out raises.   

In the meantime, your costs will continue to rise and the treadmill of seeing more patients to offset the costs will become increasingly unsustainable if it isn't already.  You don't need an MBA or a consultant to understand that any NEGATIVE effect on productivity is a direct hit to your take home pay.  This is why I tell doctors not to believe a thing the sales person tells you.  Here are some surprising facts:

• "Medical practices reported decreases in physician productivity of up to 15 percent, usually lasting a year or more."  This is from the largest study ever done on EHR installations was funded by the US Department of Health and conducted by the University of Minnesota, Department of Public Health.  Survey findings,"   Those findings were reported late in 2005 (MGMA Connexions Magazine, David N. Gans, October 2005 "Off to a Slow Start.")   In the five years since it was performed, not much has changed.   The confusion over the stimulus halted development of EHR for two whole years and few innovations made it to market.   The major players are still and their products merely have different version numbers on them.     

• Office-based physicians in particular may see no benefit if they purchase [EMR] – and may even suffer financial harm."  Congressional Budget Office of the Congress of the United States.  2008, May. Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology [A CBO Paper], 3

• "There is a large gap between the postulated and empirically demonstrated benefits of eHealth technologies" Black AD, Car J, Pagliari C, Anandan C, Cresswell K, et al. 2011 The Impact of eHealth on the Quality and Safety of Health Care: A Systematic Overview. PLoS Med 8(1): e1000387. oi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000387  This comes from the UK where they've been struggling with nation-wide EHR implementation across 3 different vendors for nearly a decade.   

Back to the golden rule and how it should drive your decision making process and evaluation of investment in your practice:  Don't buy anything that will negatively affect your productivity or be a net increase to your costs for virtually any period of time.

Your limitations on the income side of your profitability equations, prevent you from offsetting losses so  productivity declines are devastating and exaggerated even more if you're committed to a long-term high cost EMR.  If something is confusing enough to you, the one who got into medical school, it will be doubly so for your staff.   Think about the break room as much as you think about the exam room.  It has to work for all of you.   How will you know if you'll be negatively affected?  Productivity enhancements are usually immediately self-evident. Think back to the demo, did it seem like something you could pick up and begin using right away?  Are there other physicians you know using it?  What do they say?

Here are three things you should do:

INSIST ON REFERENCES and VISIT them – ones that you can visit without the sales rep present.  Insist also that you not receive ANY paid references.  Paying references is a common practice by vendors with poor products but it defeats your purpose.   The reason for the visit is to see with your own eyes and see if the practice runs anything like yours.  If you have a large worker's comp practice, ASC, or PT practice does the reference provided?   While it may be expensive to leave the office for half a day to visit a reference, understand that it is nowhere near as expensive as making the wrong purchase decision. 

HAVE AN "OUT CLAUSE" – You'd never buy a car without a test drive right?  Why should something as important as Mission Critical software like EHR be any different?  Don't lock yourself into long-term pricing arrangements, leases, etc.  One positive thing about the ARRA Stimulus Act is that the $19 Billion being thrown into healthcare will drive a lot of innovation.  While clinical technologies such as MRI, and robotic surgery are cutting edge, most of the EHRs available to you in the market are well-over 15 years old!  This market will change dramatically over the next few years and you'll want to be in a position to capitalize.  Have an out clause that refunds at a minimum the license revenue you paid and relieves you of any and all future obligations.  If a vendor can't guarantee their product will work for you, you shouldn't pay upfront, or have to guarantee that you'll pay for it.

BUY CERTIFIED - The staged reimbursements by the ARRA Stimulus Act shouldn't necessarily be a major factor.  The Year 1 reimbursement of $18,000 for 90 days attestation translates into $30 an hour.   The year 2 reimbursements translate into only $6 an hour.  So, it's not the carrots that translate so much into the recommendation to buy certified, it's the sticks.  Beginning in 2015 and each year thereafter, Medicare will reduce your reimbursements by 1% each year until you are compliant on a certified technology, up to 5%!  This is on top of the reductions that Congress kicks down the road each year.

In Conclusion, remember that anything that negatively affects your productivity will financially nail you to the wall.  Productivity enhancements are typically self-evident and so are distractions.  Market hype or pressure shouldn't over-rule your common sense.  The presence of a computer in your hands will not materially make you a better doctor.  Before you invest your money, be willing to invest your time to see the product you're considering in action at a practice that is similar to yours without the sales person accompanying you.   Long term financial commitments may hinder your ability to dynamically adapt to a market that is likely to change given the multi-billions of dollars the government is spending.  Do invest in certified technology to avoid penalties.   

Many orthopaedic surgeons in TX use simplifyMD every day.  Let us introduce you to one if you don't know one already.  methington@simplifyMD.com

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Abraxas Medical Solutions

Selecting an EMR is not Easy!

With the promise of electronic medical records (EMR) software to boost revenue, cut costs, and save time, augmented with incentives offered by the government to adopt and use a certified EMR, the move towards a digital office is becoming an inevitable choice for most orthopedic practices.  Yet, the process of selecting the right EMR software can be a daunting task in itself.  Abraxas Medical Solutions makes this choice simple by providing a unified software solution specifically designed for the orthopedic specialty automating the clinical workflow of orthopedic offices as well as their financial and administrative tasks.

Choose Orthopedic-Specific
Abraxas EMR-Orthopedic edition comes with orthopedic-specific clinical pathways.

Abraxas Medical Solutions is dedicated to serving the EMR needs of orthopedic practices by delivering orthopedic-specific EMR software, intuitively developed in collaboration with orthopedic specialists across the country, loaded with Orthopedic-specific clinical pathways that are symptom-specific, condition specific, or body part specific.

Choose Certified and Stimulus-Ready
Abraxas EMR version 4.1.7 is ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), as a Complete EHR to support Meaningful Use for the purpose of the Stimulus incentives offered by CMS for Medicare and Medicaid healthcare providers.

Choose Power of One
Abraxas EMR-Orthopedic edition is unified with Abraxas PM to make ONE application using ONE common MS-SQL database.  This single application/single database design eliminates any need for the use of multiple EMR and PM software from one or multiple venders, and avoids the inherent problems associated with integrating data among multiple software modules, as well as multi-vendor support issues.

Choose Intuitive, Comprehensive, yet Easy!
In general, an easy software application is one that is simple and limited in features!  With Abraxas, you would not have to decide between "easy and limited" versus "difficult but feature-rich." No matter what functionality you are using in the Abraxas software, looking up the calendar, charting a patient, ordering lab work, electronic billing, etc., you will notice the intuitive nature of the software as well as the consistent look & feel of the screens. Therefore, although Abraxas application is very rich in features and functionality, the intuitiveness and consistency make it a very easy software application to learn and to use.

Choose Superior Implementation
At Abraxas, we believe that a software product is only as good as the company behind it and the implementation it receives.  To ensure a successful implementation, Abraxas project managers carefully examine the existing workflow and plan the entire implementation process accordingly, followed by a combination of online and on-site training and support from our US-based team of software experts.  All software training, support and project management is performed by Abraxas' own highly-trained employees.

Choose Abraxas
Abraxas' Texas office is prepared to bring you the Abraxas suite of EMR and PM software solutions so that you can experience the Abraxas difference in flexibility, ease of use and advanced functionality.  Ask us about our attractive leasing options, and the special 2011 tax deduction benefits.  Call us at (877) 777-6500, visit us at www.abraxasmedical.com, or email: info@abraxasmedical.com.

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