Key Points:

• Everyone knows that medical groups are not exactly searching out cutting edge technology for use in the office, but we have seen several technologies that are demonstrating great returns for the cost to a medical group.  

Preamble

Scanning/Imaging:  Costs of imaging system have dropped far enough so that any medical group can now afford to add imaging in their environment.  These systems allow scanning of paper into electronic files, thereby making costs of locating a particular document miniscule.  Everyone knows the huge cost to productivity lost charts cause, lost Explanation of Benefits (EOB), missing test result, missing consult reports and the like.  Scanning systems make it possible to have those images instantly available with only a few keystrokes.  Even more compelling for groups contemplating migration over the next few years to an electronic medical records (EMR), this is the logical first step and should definitely be undertaken before moving to an EMR.  For the business office staff, HIPAA will be mandating attachment of an image file (of the EOB) to a secondary claim to make the filing of secondary claims become completely electronic.  Learning the technology now will prepare the office well for its use in the future.

PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistant):  Many providers have already adapted to using a PDA. For those who have not made the leap or to broaden the horizon of those who only use the electronic address book capabilities, the PDAs of today can manage clinical measures of patients, access e-mail, track and compile billing, and automate CPT and ICD-9 lookups, house a Physician Desk Reference (PDR), write scripts and keep an electronic record of them.  This is on top of the more common address book and keeping of a providers schedule for the day.

Clinical Reminder Software:  Providers know what services they want provided for a given patient population, whether it be the immunization series for pediatricians, HbA1C schedule/referrals for diabetics or Mammography reminders for women.  When dealing in the real day to day world of a busy practice, the hundreds of these regular items get overlooked while addressing an acute issue, even though it the intent of the provider to complete them.  Often this leads to real loss of revenue to the provider.  Clinical reminder software will create a list of due services at each patient visit and after completed, be checked off until time again for the next cycle based on age, sex and clinical condition.  When providers ask how to differentiate themselves in their community as higher quality providers, what better competitive advantage could there be than the ability to measure, track and report (internally or externally) their own performance on clinical guidelines they select?

Response:  Every practice should be evaluating how technology can improve their practice.  The efficiency improvements are just too compelling.  The cost can be minimal or up to nominal if a capable consultant is used to assist in the adoption.  The improvements are far reaching and perpetual.

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