Spotlight on Technology & Technique

EHR System Heads Outside the Office

By Samantha Stahl, Assistant Editor

There's no question that tech-savvy features in an EHR system can help make the daunting task of going paperless a little more interesting, not to mention more convenient. With many practices now pursuing ventures outside of the standard office setting—at nursing homes, community clinics or satellite offices—EHR systems such as Compulink's Ophthalmology Advantage, which includes mobile capabilities and highly adaptable data entry fields, are striving to meet the needs of itinerant doctors.

Going Mobile

For a multi-location practice like D'Ambrosio Eye Care near Boston, having the ability to view patient records on the go is a crucial feature.

“As the practice of medicine changes, such as the increased utilization of telemedicine, being able to view a photo of a patient taken from a satellite office is extremely helpful, particularly when our specialists may not visit that office on a regular basis,” says founder Francis D'Ambrosio, Jr., MD.

Michael Fu, OD, the main EHR technician at D'Ambrosio Eye Care, explains that their satellite offices are connected to Compulink via a T1 line, so all patient records are available at each location. Though he notes that there are periodic delays during high traffic times of the day, the connection works well. The software is installed at computer terminals in every exam room, tech station and testing room. While the software has voice, touch screen, tablet and iPad data entry options, Dr. Fu says that the practice's setup uses a standard keyboard and mouse to allow easy entry for high volumes of data.

To make the system even more mobile-friendly, Dr. Fu set up LogMeIn, an Internet-based connectivity program that allows users to remotely access a networked computer.

“When someone calls me when I'm on call, I can access the patient's record, which helps tremendously. I even have the LogMeIn app on the iPhone so I can access the patient records via the phone if I am away from a computer.” Dr. Fu warns that the program is a little cumbersome on the phone, so it might not be a great option for an entire day of data entry.

As the practice expands, Dr. D'Ambrosio says that they will also transition to cloud computing, making it even easier to access patient information from mobile devices.

Customizable layouts allow for greater flexibility.

Customized to Perfection

Dr. Fu says that Compulink's customization abilities are the software's most beneficial feature. With 15 doctors on staff, his practice needs a wide variety of custom tabs and layouts so that each doctor can view patient records exactly how they'd like. While smart fields can be programmed to automatically perform tasks in certain situations or generate reminders, he explains that it is important to designate someone in the office who is willing to learn how to take advantage of all the customizable features.

“I was the person in our office who took care of this,” Dr. Fu says. “Compulink allows a very high level of customization and we can make our charts look just about any way we want them to.” Having interfaced testing equipment also allows for instant access to visual fields, OCTs and photos.

Dr. D'Ambrosio says the custom fields are especially beneficial for his surgical patients.

“Choosing the right type of surgery for a patient requires knowing a patient's specific visual needs at work and at home,” Dr. D'Ambrosio says. “Some of the detailed questions we ask our patients demanded new fields.” Custom fields were created for refractive surgery patients, including pre- and postop exams and IOL calculations.

The CCHIT and ONC-ATCB-certified software supports meaningful use incentives and Dr. D'Ambrosio says that the system has improved chart documentation and provides useful reports on demographics, production and billing.

Of course, the most important consideration for implementing a new device or software into practice is whether or not the product will improve patient care. Dr. D'Ambrosio insists that Compulink does just that.

“We no longer have to look for ‘missing’ charts,” he says. “All photos and tests are scanned in the record. It allows us to look quickly at a patient's entire history and recognize trends that may have easily been missed with a thick, disorganized paper chart.” OM

For more information, visit www.compulinkadvantage.com.