Spotlight on Technology & Technique

EHR System Simplifies Customization

By Samantha Stahl, Assistant Editor

The last thing a hectic ophthalmology office needs to add to its schedule is learning the ropes of a complicated EHR system that, despite an array of buttons and options, never seems to accomplish the task at hand in just the right way. MaximEyes SQL from First Insight aims to give practices a fully customizable program that keeps administrative work simple, and was recently CCHIT-certified to verify its ability to satisfy “meaningful use” requirements.

Efficiency Made Easy

Alan Faulkner, MD, of Honolulu first started using MaximEyes in 2003. He says the best feature of the system is the ability to individualize the program to the physician's practice style — especially handy for those in subspecialty practices. He explains that a practice can modify the screen and the flow of the program to fit the way they want it to work.

“You can put in user-defined fields and customize what happens within those fields,” he says. For example, when they started doing LASIK, they wanted to record pupil diameter in dim light. “In MaximEyes SQL the customization interface is built in, so it's really easy for the physician to do it himself, without asking First Insight to do it,” Dr. Faulkner says. “It's a sophisticated database that allows flexibility.” He says if there are any problems in setting up the system, First Insight will work with you to find a solution.

The program also has the capability to design correspondence, like referral letters, informed consent forms and patient instruction sheets, to a practice's exact specifications rather than make do with a generic template.

“You can add any information you desire into a letter by just including a data field in the appropriate spot in the referral letter template you design,” says Dr. Faulkner. Since the patient's information is already saved in the system, an administrative assistant can easily put referral letters together, eliminating the need for the physician to take time to dictate letters and worry about accuracy of the information. “We push a button on MaximEyes SQL and the letter goes through via fax or e-mail, whichever the referring physician prefers.”

One unique feature of MaximEyes is a drawing tool that allows doctors to mark areas of concern directly onto an image in the digital record.

Another button can document that a physician has gone over postop instructions and informed consent with patients. Dr. Faulkner's practice created its own unique LASIK treatment form and a cataract form sent to the surgery center entirely with MaximEyes.

He says the system's practice management side is equally efficient. “Billing codes are automatically transferred to forms, so it's easy for the billing person to work straight from that,” he says. Built-in coding compliance tools ensure that E/M coding is substantiated in the record.

A Fully Loaded Toolbox

Another one of Dr. Faulkner's favorite tools is the 3D precision draw feature. “For instance, you can go into a retina photo and draw lattice degeneration from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock. In addition to incorporating this into the drawing, the software places text on the patient's chart as well.”

He says the drawing feature is great for following anterior segment diseases as well — epithelial ingrowth, for example — and eliminates the need to take serial photos.

He recently installed Zeiss's Forum software, a program that makes it possible to sync the office's scanners and diagnostic devices to MaximEyes. “We can pull up images and most of the devices can transfer demographic data through the DICOM protocol,” he says.

He also integrated ePrescribe, a third-party system that allows him to send the majority of his patient's prescriptions right from the office. “It will pop up and tell you that a drug isn't on the patient's formulary and flags interactions with other drugs they're on or any allergies,” he notes.

“We do everything with MaximEyes. It handles our scheduling, medical records, correspondence, billing and image viewers,” Dr. Faulkner says. “It really covers all the bases.” OM

For more information, visit www.maximeyes.com.