Cardiovascular Business - January/February 2008 - (Page 19)

› Choosing the Right Hardware an eMR is not a standalone solution. optimization requires the right mix of hardware. evan steele, Ceo of sRssoft, provides some guidance for cardiology providers. Most eMRs are client-server solutions. a “plain vanilla” Windows server offers a sufficient base, says steele. Practices with multiple offices should consider outfitting each site with a server and replicating data at each office. The multi-server configuration allows the practice to retain access to critical information if the internet goes down. on the connectivity side, point-to-point T1 lines offer a solid pipe for transmission of eMR data. some practices choose fiber optic transmission. The primary electronic chart enabler is the exam room workstation, says steele. “Right now, the fixed workstation is the gold standard. everyone seems to want Tablet PCs, but physicians are often dissatisfied. Tablets are higher maintenance than fixed workstations. They’re plagued by speed and connectivity issues, can be lost or broken and require frequent recharges.” on the other hand, fixed workstations are economical and lower maintenance. as far as numbers and siting of workstations, steele says practices should plan for access to the eMR anywhere clinical staff view charts—that means exam and consult rooms and central nursing areas. The end results are well worth the time and investment as the eMR delivers improved efficiency, reduced costs and enhanced patient care. it also contracted with DirectPointe to outsource its IT services. Prior to the EMR implementation, DirectPointe completed a thorough needs assessment to determine the practice’s hardware, network and server needs. Cardiac Solutions added three Citrix servers, a fax server and a Microsoft Exchange server to facilitate a paperless, wireless environment. Office staff no longer call cardiologists; instead they communicate via email and Blackberry to update schedules and procedures. In addition, BlackBerry devices are equipped with mobility software, which allows physicians to submit charges through the handheld. Consequently, all charges are submitted electronically at the end of the day—leading to faster turnaround time on charges. Other cost-savings are expected, too. Duvall predicts that the practice can reduce office staff as the new approach enhances productivity. Finally, the combination of voice recognition and Tablet PCs lead to enhanced continuity and communication as notes can be shared with referring physicians before the patient leaves the building. And because physicians always have access to the patient record, Cardiac Solutions reports fewer duplicated services. advice from the trenches → IT should accommodate a wide variety of physicians. Make sure the EMR can handle transcription, scanning and file uploads. → Be sure to thoroughly evaluate various solutions, and remember a mistake can be costly, says Krichmar. A user-friendly interface is critical to the success of the deployment. → Aim for a gradual adoption. IT should amplify, not change, work style, says Karlsberg. CVMG built its EMR gradually as cardiologists accumulated medications and problems. → The key to success is planning. Form a planning committee that represents the interests of all stakeholders in the practice. → Set a realistic budget and realize it will probably cost more, says Hendler. → Recognize that internal ROI can be elusive and not immediately apparent. On the upside, Medicare is evaluating programs to partially mitigate IT costs. But don’t spare a dime on workstations. Investing in a fast central server, beefy workstations and hefty storage devices sets the stage for a successful implementation, says Joe Rubinsztain, CEO of gMed Inc. → Tap into lead staff to acquire IT knowledge, particularly if the practice uses external support only. At Cardiac Specialists, multiple staff members have acquired IT know-how to troubleshoot basic issues. Other practices, like South Florida Cardiology hire a dedicated IT staff person to manage IT infrastructure. benefits and beyond An investment in an EMR is an ongoing process. Practices should realize key benefits such as reduced costs, improved efficiency and better patient care with the move to electronic patient records. At the same time, systems can be viewed as a work in progress. Practices that continue to tweak their investment, interfacing and integrating it with other systems often report additional gains such as computerized billing and a one-stop-shop for all patient data. The upshot? The EMR is a must-have for office-based cardiology practices. CardiovascularBusiness.com Cardiovascular Business 1 http://CardiovascularBusiness.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cardiovascular Business - January/February 2008

Cardiovascular Business - January/February 2008 Contents The Ticker: Quality Pays in Several Ways Cover Story: The Proof: Why Evidence-based Medicine Improves Cardiac Care Clinical Study Digest: Co-payments and Cath Labs Cardiac PET/CT Fills in Gaps Left by SPECT Tapping into IT to Improve the Office-Based Practice SPECT–Proving Its Value Cardiac Images in the EMR: Just a Click Away The Top 20 Ways to Market Your Cardiac CTA Practice The Big Picture: Medical Displays for Cardiac Images Statins Work But Pharmacoeconomic Caveats Abound Driving Data Protection: Opting for Storage On- or Offsite News & Views Calendar Reader’s Resource

Cardiovascular Business - January/February 2008

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