Toys and Technology for the Medical Practice

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Toys and Technology for the Medical Practice

• Dr. Neil Baum
• New Orleans, Louisiana

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Why Technology?

• Have improved medical care by using technology to
  diagnose and treat medical conditions-now needed
  in the office practice
• Demonstrates you are on the cutting edge if
  your practice has the latest electronic equipment
• Improves the efficiency of your practice
• Patients are more electronically sophisticated
  and expect that you are, too

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Technology Used to Reduce Overhead Expenses

• Cannot increase reimbursements
• Can decrease overhead expenses
• Result is improvement in net profit

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Voice Recognition Software

• 65,000 word active vocabulary can be recognized
  (college graduate vocab. lt5K)
• Contains complete, current urologic vocabulary
• Vocabulary can be customized and updated

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Voice Recognition Software

• Can speak at rate of 150-250 wpm
• Can FAX referral letters from computer directly
  to referring physician and MCPs
• Supports CPT and ICD-9-CM codes

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Voice Recognition Software

• 95 accuracy
• Can use templates for most common letters and
  forms
• Can dictate from remote locations
• Can dictate real time using hands-free technology

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Voice Recognition Software

• Can FAX prescriptions directly to pharmacy
• Electronic signature applied to the prescription
• Personalized precaution and interaction
  information for medication.

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Voice Recognition Software

• Can incorporate x-rays, ultrasounds or other
  images within the note.
• Can insert a graphic or diagram of an organ, or
  system and then annotate it to show areas of
  treatment or pathology

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Voice Recognition Software

• Will print a hard copy of the note for the chart
• Can upload the note to EMR

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Voice Recognition Software

• Can audit the note to ensure compliance with the
  coding requirements
• Identifies missing information (e.g. review of
  systems) or to up code the visit if that is more
  appropriate
• Insures consistency between dictated notes and
  service level of each visit-can pass a HCFA audit

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Requirements for VRS

• Microsoft Windows 95, 98 Windows NT
• CPU-Minimum Pentium II
• 64-128 MB RAM
• Laser or high quality ink-jet printer

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VRS-User Friendly

• Fast training
• Initially requires 30 minutes
• Several hours to be familiar with the program

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VRS-User Friendly

• On-site installation
• Personalized training for each physician
• Complete customization for each physician.
• 1-800 and e-mail technical support
• Follow-up on-site training
• Updates are available through WWW

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Advantages of VRS

• Reduces overhead costs 500-1000\MD\month
• Referral letters reach the referring physicians
  within minutes

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Voice Recognition Software

• Medical Dictation Systems
• 502 827 8522
• www.medical-dictation.com

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Are you playing phone tag with your patients?
Solution Automated patient call-back program
Patient Response Network (PRN)
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Improving the Efficiency of Your Practice

• Patient Response Network (PRN)
• Every time some one in your office touches a
  chart it costs 3.00
• Telephone tag is an expenive game

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Patient Response Network(PRN)

• Average physician sees 100 patients a week
• 66 need a call back to report results of tests
• 70 of calls are for normal results
• Each call takes 3-5 minutes of M.D. time
• Automated call back program takes 25-35 seconds
  a call
• Saves each physician 8.6 hours a month!

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Heres How It Works
1. Patient receives 1-800 number and patient
identification code 2. Patient calls in 3-5
days 3. Patient can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week 4. Receives NORMAL report from physician in
physicians own voice 5. Physician receives
weekly report on patients that have accessed the
system
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Patient Results NetworkPRN
[phone]
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Too Many No-Shows?Solution

• HouseCalls by TeleVox
• Automated patient reminder program
• Interfaces with your scheduling program and
  contacts your patient the day before their office
  visit

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HouseCalls by TeleVox

• Regular telephone line and normal voice
• Response options 1. To confirm
  appointment 2. To replay message 3. Leave
  voice message

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HouseCalls

• Includes daily call results report
• Can adjust start and stop calling times
• Best is 5-9 P.M.

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HouseCalls

• Advantages
• Reduces no-shows
• Improves staff productivity
• Improves bottom line

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HouseCalls
TeleVox 800 426-6184
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Marketing the Hold Button

• The telephone - educate during the hold time
• Prerecorded messages related to your practice
• Do-it-yourself
• Marketing on Hold (713-522- 4333)

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Patient Education

• Dialog Medical DISCussion Software
  (www.dialogmedical.com)
• MDConsult(Lippencott-Raven Mosby-Yearbook)
• Mdconsult (www.mdconsult.com)
• Clinical Reference Systems (www.patienteducation.c
  om)
• Medifor (www.medifor.com)

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DiscussionTM Program

• Educates existing patients
• Improves efficiency of the practice
• Prevents malpractice cases
• Improves staff morale
• Provides value-added service to patients
• (May reduce overhead expenses)

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DiscussionTM Software Program

• Consents for all speciality procedure in urology,
  orthopedics, dermatology, cardiology,
  gastroenterology, invasive radiology, and
  radiotherapy
• Instructions for the most commonly ordered tests
• Drug information
• Patient education
• Patient instructions
• Commonly used forms

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DiscussionTM Software Program

• Easily customized for every practice
• Can be operational in 15 minutes
• Short learning curve
• 1-800 support available
• Updates to include new files on an annual basis

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DiscussionTM Software Program
Available at Dialog Medical 1 800 482-7963
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Internet and the World Wide Web
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Wants of Our Patients

• Want access to information- quick, accurate,
  customized and NOW!
• Want well-written educational materials-appropri
  ate font size
• Welcome to marketing on the Web

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World Wide Web

• Demonstrates you are on the cutting edge of
  technology
• Opportunity to provide useful information to your
  patients
• Showcases your practice
• Allows you to conveniently communicate with your
  patients
• Serves as an electronic brochure

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World Wide Web

• A segment of your patients have access to the WWW
• Indicates your cutting edge technology
• MAY have the ability to attract new patients to
  your practice
• Capture the trend that patients are thirsty for
  information

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World Wide Web

• Put Sparkle Into Your Web Site
• Make it interactive
• Read Designing Multimedia Web Sites by Stella
  Gassaway, Hayden Books
• Offer freebies
• Provide connections to other useful Web sites
• Online newsletter

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Web Content

• Photos of the doctors and the staff
• C.V. of the doctors
• Evidence of C.M.E. attended by the physicians
• Honors and accomplishments received by the
  physicians
• Articles written by the doctors, both journal and
  lay articles

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Web Content

• Articles written about the doctors and the
  practice
• Information on the areas of interest and
  expertise of the practice-this is where you make
  an effort to differentiate your practice from
  other practices in the community
• The office logo

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Web Content

• Interesting articles and useful information about
  your practice and your specialty
• A map to your practice
• Names of managed care plans and health care plans

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Web Content

• A history of the practice
• Online consulting with the practice
• Ability for patients to ask the doctor a health
  care question(s)
• Other useful web sites

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Web Content

• Testimonials
• E-Mail address for feed back
• Last time the site was updated
• A count of the number of previous visitors

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Web Content

• Ability to make an online appointment with the
  practice
• Online reporting of tests and studies using codes
  to ensure security and privacy
• Ability to conduct online chats

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Web Site Creation
www.urologychannel.com/neilbaum Urology Channel
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Internet and Web Site Development

• Survey of 2000 M.D.s
• 1101 dont use computers (58)
• 414 use computers, not WWW (22)
• 390 use WWW (20)
• own a Web site ( ?)

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Patient Tracking

• Tracker Software Program
• AMS

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Why is Tracking Important?

• Patients often do not receive effective treatment
  the first time
• Patients abandon treatment
• Ineffective
• Painful
• Expensive

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Facts on Patients Abandoning Treatment

• Sildenafil is ineffective in 35 of patients
  with E.D.
• 90 of patients with BPH on alpha- blockers will
  abandon therapy after three years
• 50 of patients on finasteride will abandon
  treatment at 5 years
• Incontinence- ?
• CaP-?

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Areas Covered

• E.D.
• BPH
• Incontinence
• CaP
• Other modules under development

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What Does the Tracker Program Accomplish?

• Creates a data base of patients with ED, BPH,
  incontinence, and CaP
• Enhances communication with patients and
  referring physicians using existing letters or
  customized letters

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What does the Tracker Program Accomplish?

• Use a dozen template newsletters
• Permits the creation of newsletters that are
  customized for the practice that can be sent to
  existing patients, new patients, and referring
  physicians
• Provides dozens of patient information and
  education handouts
• Managed care friendly

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Urologists That Benefit From the Tracker Program

• Large impotence practice
• Large incontinence practice
• Large CaP practices
• Practices that have large numbers of patients on
  medical therapy for BPH

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Electronic Medical Records
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Electronic Medical Records

• Logician by MedicaLogic
• 503 531 7000
• www.medicalogic.com

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Electronic Medical Records

• Current Obstacles
• Most are too rigid and not flexible for
  modification
• Software does not combine office computer with
  hospital, lab, pharmacies and radiology

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Electronic Medical Records

• Best guess
• A true (practical and affordable) electronic
  medical record for most physicians practices is
  at least five years away.
• Wall Street Journal, 10/19/98

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Transition to EMR

• Cross Pad

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Summary
The Chinese symbol for crisis is the same as the
symbol for opportunity Do we see the glass of
milk as half full or half empty?