Physicians Practice - September 2008 - (Page 69) first EMR in 1997. “The first one was a way to cut down on transcription costs, but I never fully used it, even though it was in place eight or nine years. I was only using 25 percent of the system. I was just using it for better documentation. … If we were audited, it was there. But the only money it was saving was transcription fees; it wasn’t really making us efficient.” Now with gMed, Krichmar is much more confident that he’ll see more savings because this new system requires the practice to change how it works. VOICE RECOGNITION PRAISED year, 19 percent of our respondents were using it. Forty-three percent said it only took them a day to get their software “trained” to recognize their voice, and 58 percent have entirely stopped using a transcription service. MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS NEED HELP Another handy piece of healthcare technology is voice recognition software. That’s software that transforms your voice into typed documentation. Only 18 percent of the physicians responding to our survey currently use voice recognition, but those who do use it, like it. Given the success rate, it’s surprising that voice recognition usage isn’t growing faster. In 2006, about one in five practices used voice recognition. Last For all the chatter about EMRs and other documentation-related technologies, it’s practice management where the biggest growth seems ready to hit. While 37 percent of respondents installed new management software within the past two to four years, more than a third are still using systems that are five to 10 years old — a veritable geologic age for technology. Another 13 percent don’t use any management software at all. And here’s the kicker: A full 60 percent of respondents don’t really like their practice management system. Most complain that their software doesn’t make it easy to generate reports that can help practices identify where things are going wrong. Others want a more intuitive interface or less expensive upgrades. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES USED LESS READ MORE ABOUT IT! Technology choices abound, and we’re here to help you sort through the good and bad options. Head to PhysiciansPractice.com to: • Browse “The Guide: Product Comparisons,” by clicking on the Buyers Guide tab at the top of our home page. These are comparisons of EMRs, practice management systems, revenue cycle management programs, and other technology tools. Many include pricing. • Use an online “request for proposal” to making shopping easier. Just visit the Buyer’s Guide area and click on the sort of product you are looking for. At the top of the next page you’ll see a link to get more information. Fill out what you want to know, hit send once, and multiple companies will reply. Given the complexity of coding, it’s interesting that only about half of all practices use technology to help select codes. Of those that do, 29 percent had revenue growth beyond 10 percent as a result. Another 20 percent also realized more cash, though less than 10 percent more. Physician-patient e-mailing remains fairly limited as well: Thirtyfour percent of practices do it, and the overwhelming majority don’t charge for it. And while 64 percent of practices do have a Web site, only 21 percent of them use their sites to interact with patients in any way, such as scheduling an appointment or requesting a prescription refill. TOWARD THE FUTURE? • Type “e-mail” into the Search Articles box for multiple articles and Q&As about physician-patient communications. Reluctance in adopting technology might be expected, given physicians’ general skepticism about such things. Most have a sense that the promise is a lot bolder than reality. Here are some typical, ahem, suggestions that readers provided to vendors: • Do not oversell your product. Be SEPTEMBER 2008 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM 69 http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://www.emrdream.com http://www.emrdream.com http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM
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