This past Friday, we held an advanced NexTech user training seminar. We had over 50 users from all over the country in attendance. We covered many aspects of the NexTech software. Everything from new features to NexTrack, Inventory, and Marketing was covered in the intensive one day seminar. In addition to those features, the afternoon consisted of breakout sessions where attendees could learn more about insurance billing or EMR.

Our team of trainers for the seminar included Meikin Clark, VP of client services, Melissa Allen, Technical Support Manager, and Hesham Butty, EMR Project Manager. All three trainers were excited to share tips and tricks that will help these clients use their software more efficiently and hopefully make running their respective practices a little bit easier!

In 1997, Dr. Kamal Majeed, PhD founded NexTech in Dayton, Ohio. NexTech was designed from the ground up to be Plastic Surgery specific software, and has now grown to include several additional medical specialties such as dermatology and ophthalmology. To help support this sustained growth, we expanded our corporate headquarters to a beautiful new building overlooking Tampa Bay. The larger headquarters accommodates our growing staff, and enhances the strong support we provide our NexTech family of physicians.

Above: NexTech Headquarters in Tampa, FL

With a client base of over 4,000 surgeons and physicians and 40,000 office staff members, NexTech is recognized worldwide. Throughout the past 15 years, NexTech’s in-house development team has worked closely with our clients to create the tools that efficiently manage their practices. As a modular system that is totally customizable, NexTech is the software that adapts to the way you practice medicine.

Above: The NexTech technical support team

“2012 marks our 15 year anniversary. We want to thank all of our loyal clients for our continued success. We commit ourselves to no less than the highest standard of excellence and always serve the best interests of our clients, employees and the community. We are excited to release many new innovations this year including a new, native iPad app,” said President and CEO Dr. Kamal Majeed, PhD.

Just this past week, Christina Majeed, our VP of Business Development, New Products & Technologies returned from a medical mission trip in Nepal. Our clients at the London Vision Clinic brought the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology to our attention a few months back. Intrigued by the work that LVC did in conjunction with the Himalayan Cataract Project and the cureblindness.org team, we decided to donate an ophthalmology specific NexTech EMR system to the clinic.

Located in Kathmandu, Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is the clinic run by the Nepal Eye Program which is a community based, non-profit NGO. Beyond the treatment facility where patients are seen at TIO, there is also a rural outreach unit, an eye bank for cornea harvesting, and a manufacturing facility for intraocular lenses. TIO also conducts extensive research and has an MD training program for residents.

Above: Christina Majeed and Tim Archer (from LVC) with some of the TIO staff.

Below: Speakers and guests of honor for the Himalayan Cataract Project – cureblindness.org

Christina spent the week training the physicians and staff to use NexTech EMR, shadowing doctors and observing the clinic at work.

Below: Here are some TIO staff members using the NexTech scheduler

Below: Professor Dan Reinstein charting in NexTech and discussing a plan of care

Below: Christina observing the surgeons perform the first laser eye surgery at TIO

Below: NexTech EMR hard at work in the OR

Below: Another happy patient post surgery with Professor Dan Reinstein

For more pictures of the trip, check out our facebook page!

Twas the night before EMR, when all through the building,

Each doc had lost their stylus, and considered abandoning

The templates were loaded into NexTech with care,

In hopes that the nurses would quit being scared.

The schedulers were frantic and looking for their meds,

While visions of lost charts danced in their heads.

With the boss in her office, and I needing a nap,

Had just settled our brains for a week-long of crap.

When out in the Post-Op there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my cubby to see what was the matter.

Away to the Check-Out I flew like a flash,

only to find that my nerves had prompted a rash.

Skin Care was wondering, “which way do I go?

The front office staff was in a heated row,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a NexTech training team with their troubleshooting gear.

With hands on the keyboard, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment we might have this licked.

More rapid than eagles the corrections, they came,

And we whistled, and shouted, and got on our game!

Now doctors! Now, nurses! Now, aestheticians and MAs!

Onward team! Onward, staff! There’s Breast Augs to plan!

To the top of the Medical Note! No more schedules on the wall!

Now chart away! Chart away! Chart away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

The docs picked up their iPads and started to sigh.

Up at the Check In, the Room Manager grew,

And suddenly, the consult notes were more than a few.

And then, in a moment I let out a hoot,

When I heard the tiny tapping of each wing-tipped foot.

As I opened my To-Do list, and was turning around,

A Surgery Booking Form came through with a bound.

It was perfectly filled out, tidy and neat,

And the Surgery Schedulers cheered at the feat.

The trainers came running to look at the Prac Yack,

And we knew that our Practice was sharp as a tack.

The training was over, it was a long and tiring week,

But everyone had learned, and is a little less meek.

This technological challenge was wrestled and won,

As we scanned our old paper charts, ton by tedious ton!

The docs all survived, and the rest of the staff, too,

And I laughed when I realized  what I already knew!

We are ready to go paperless, with a bright future ahead

And I reassured the boss she had nothing to dread.

The trainers spoke not a word, but went back to their work,

And we lifted the bottle and popped off the cork .

Feeding the dictation through the fax machine once more,

We celebrated the end of yet another boring chore!

I snuck away from my desk, gave the office a big wave,

And away to my house for a shower I craved.

I excitedly yelled as I drove out of sight,

“Happy EMR to all, and to all… don’t call me tonight!”

Virtually every practice comes to a point where they have to consider practice management and electronic medical record (EMR) software.  In addition to seeing patients and the usual workload that accompanies running a successful practice, researching software solutions may not always be given due diligence. It may be tempting to choose software based solely on price, going with the cheapest solution. However, in software, as in all things, you get what you pay for.

Instead of doing their homework and shopping smartly the first time around, practices end up choosing an inexpensive EMR software program, only to be plagued with problems later.  At NexTech, we have countless clients who have come to us after purchasing other EMR or practice management software, telling us that they made the wrong choice by going with a less expensive option.

Software that is fully supported by an educated technical support team, based out of America will cost more than an EMR who has little or no technical support available. If you need a report or are having trouble with a feature in your software, you are sure going to be happy that a live person is just a quick phone call away. What dictates the price of EMR is not just the cost of creating the software, but also a solid support structure and development team that can address the ever changing fields of technology and medicine.

Customizable software and the ability to edit on the fly is another desirable feature that any good EMR should have. A hard coded program will require a person to call in to the company, request changes, have the changes be approved, and then wait weeks for the changes to be reflected in the software. These changes may also entail additional costs that were not discussed or addressed during the sales cycle. Physicians, patients, and staff don’t just have weeks to wait around for changes to happen. If a drug, CPT code, or new visit note needs to be added, it needs to be added immediately.

Certification by accredited boards such as CCHIT or ONC-ATB is also extremely important in an EMR. The security, functionality, and overall ease of use of a fully certified EMR software program will be more than worth the price.

Settling for a program that may appear to meet basic needs of an EMR might seem like it would be worth it. It may be worth it in the short term. However, once problems start popping up, with no quick or easy solutions, when edits take weeks to happen, or when Meaningful Use reporting is missed, the value of that EMR is considerably lessened.

Do your homework! Don’t settle for basic software that isn’t going to cover your needs. Look for a fully certified, fully supported EMR program that gives you the ability to customize and edit templates on the fly, right in your office. The last thing you want to do is settle for software and end up having to eat the cost and buy a new program. Learn from countless numbers of NexTech clients – you get what you pay for, and you don’t want to pay twice!

Physicians that are hesitant about implementing EMR have a bevy of reasons that they cite as hindrances. Some are attached to paper charts, some don’t want technology interfering with patient encounters, and many are intimidated by the idea that implementation has to be some huge undertaking that consumes a lot of their time.

For physicians that assume implementation will eat up their time, we have news for you.

EMR implementation does not have to be a time consuming hassle.

NexTech has had many clients successfully use EMR right out of the box. They literally start using the software with patients the day it is implemented. The software is loaded with an optimal set of templates that include many of the common procedure and visit notes specific to the specialties of plastic surgery, dermatology, or ophthalmology, etc. While NexTech EMR is still fully customizable and can be edited on the fly, it can be easily used without any additional changes necessary. (All while still supporting Meaningful Use!)

Now those hesitant physicians are probably wondering why, if EMR can be used out of the box, they would bother with fully customizable software at all, right?

Well, the beauty of using NexTech EMR out of the box is that it drives the customization process. When using the preloaded templates, physicians will be able to clearly see which aspects of the software are working well, and which may need to be tweaked for efficiency. Some templates may not even be needed, while some may need additional details to be perfect.  Instead of trying to predict what a practice will need, using EMR out of the box allows modifications to occur organically.

So there you have it. Many clients are using EMR right out of the box with no changes, while others prefer to start with editing and customizing first.  NexTech EMR can be assimple or as complex as you want to make it!

Physicians everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief today following an announcement from Health and Human Services (HHS). The deadline for achieving Meaningful Use Stage 2 has been extended for providers that implement EMR this year.

“To encourage faster adoption, the Secretary announced that HHS intends to allow doctors and hospitals to adopt health IT this year, without meeting the new standards until 2014. Doctors who act quickly can also qualify for incentive payments in 2011 as well as 2012.”

To read the full press release from HHS, click here.

As always, information on Meaningful Use can be found on our website, here.

Our EMR specialists are also available to answer any questions you may have, so feel free to get in touch with us!

These days, practices are more technologically savvy than ever before.  From online patient forms to EMR, changes are taking place all over the board.

One of NexTech’s newest features is NexReminder – a text message appointment confirmation service. The idea is simple. Patients receive a text message a few days prior to their scheduled appointment. They reply to the message and then their appointment is seamlessly confirmed in the NexTech scheduler. Within seconds, the patient is reminded of their appointment and the appointment is confirmed, all without office staff having to take the time to make a phone call, leave a message, or manually confirm the appointment in the schedule.

With office staff personnel busy with so many important tasks during the day, automating appointment reminders is an easy way to simplify and streamline their day. Freeing up the precious time it would take to call upwards of 20-30 patients per day allows office staff to allocate their time efficiently.

Along with the transition to 5010, the medical field has to prepare for the transition to ICD-10 codes. If you aren’t familiar with the upcoming switch to ICD-10 codes, I’d compare it to the metric system.

How so, you ask?

Well, the rest of the world uses ICD-10 codes, and we in America have been slow to adopt them.

However, unlike the metric system, the switch to ICD-10 codes has a hard deadline that is mandated for all healthcare providers, October 1, 2013.

If you’re wondering why the switch is happening, there are a few reasons. One is that the rest of the world is coding with ICD-10 codes provided by the World Health Organization. Another big reason is that ICD-9 coding system is out of space. Each year, medical knowledge advances and new details about existing medical conditions emerge and change. ICD-9 contains about 17,000 codes, whereas ICD-10 reflects a much more detailed system with about 140,000 codes. Obviously, this means that preparation is key to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.

(source: AAPC web site)

Virtually everyone involved in health care has heard of the buzz surrounding the impending changes that 5010 will bring. With January 1, 2012 only 53 days away, it is more important than ever to make sure that both your office and your EMR vendor are ready for the change.

If you are using NexTech, you are in good hands. We have been preparing for the 5010 conversion for some time, and we want to make sure our clients are fully covered during the transition. We have tested our software both internally and with clients to ensure that everything from payment transactions, eligibility inquiries and responses, claim status responses, and facility claims are all running smoothly.

A seamless transition to 5010 is crucial because it is the groundwork that will need to be in place for the switch to ICD-10 codes, which we will discuss in Thursday’s post.