Frequently Asked Questions
- Exactly how does Impact.MD save money for medical
offices?
- Besides saving money, what makes Impact.MD superior to
the hard-copy medical chart?
- Is this electronic method faster?
- What is the difference
between Impact.MD and other scanning/organizing software
options on the market?
- What kind of information can be
saved in the Impact.MD patient chart?
- What about the possibility
of lost records? What happens when the system crashes or
a similar accident
arises?
- Since some information in a patient's chart
may be confidential, what steps has Allscripts
taken
to allow
only the correct
people to view certain information?
- Will medical
offices using Impact.MD experience any kinds of compatibility
problems?
- Will a user be able to import a Lotus or Excel
document into the chart?
- How does Impact.MD
utilize voice recognition technology?
- Will Impact.MD force
physicians to change the way they currently practice?
- What
about security for my documents?
- What if we have multiple
offices?
- Do I have to buy new imaging software
if my practice grows?
Q1.
Exactly how does Impact.MD save money for medical offices?
In
most practices, an increase in medical staff automatically
implies
higher
overhead costs
because of the need
for hiring additional medical
transcriptionist personnel. By automating
large areas of the record-keeping
process, Impact.MD gives medical
practices the
power to grow the
business without
growing the administrative support
staff.
In a typical medical office,
Impact.MD could support the
addition of three
doctors without
adding a
single transcriptionist;
saving the practice over $30,000
annually. For many customers,
the first-year
cost savings alone
easily
justifies the
price of implementing Impact.MD.
Q2.
Besides saving money, what makes Impact.MD superior to the
hard-copy
medical chart?
Two
things: First, Impact.MD
re-creates the traditional
medical chart folder
in an electronic,
'virtual'
form, only more
organized and much easier
to handle. Instead of thumbing
through stacks
of paper trying to find a
certain
piece of data, Impact.MD
allows the user
to quickly click through
the patient's
history for the desired information.
Second,
the traditional medical folder has a tendency to
get misplaced. With several
different
people
all looking for the
same file that may or may
not be somewhere in
the office, efficiency
is hindered and less
work gets
done. Impact.MD
can be used
to find, research, or change
any patient's chart from
one or multiple PC stations
in
an office. There's even
an option
that
allows remote access to
data -- for
example by a doctor working
from home.
Q3. Is this electronic
method faster?
Impact.MD's
speed is perhaps its
finest feature.
By
dramatically slashing
the staff time necessary
to transcribe,
file
and manage charts, the
office
frees
up large blocks of time
for other
responsibilities -- like
seeing more patients.
By
eliminating
the entire
manual filing
process all
together, a proficient
transcriptionist can
double or triple the
amount of
information processed
in a normal
day.
Q4.
What is the difference between Impact.MD and
other scanning/organizing
software
options on the
market?
Impact.MD
is the only scanning
repository
software specially
designed for the
medical community.
There are also many
general imaging solutions
available, but they
cost anywhere from
$80,000 to $100,000.
The customizations
necessary for the medical
field
may cost an additional
$20,000 to $30,000.
With those prices,
imaging
solutions
are out of reach
for the
typical medical
practice.
By contrast,
Impact.MD is a highly affordable,
industry-specific
alternative. By combining
the attributes of
high-end general imaging solutions
with
the benefits of an
EHR system, we
have created a scanning
solution in a class
all its own. .
Q5.
What kind of information
can be
saved in the
Impact.MD patient
chart?
Virtually
anything. The electronic
chart
is designed
to allow
the user to include
a wide
range of
materials -- including
all related paperwork,
x-rays, photos, insurance
cards,
even journal and
periodical articles
or research information.
Not only is this
data securely archived;
it is also accessible
to all appropriate
personnel.
Q6.
What about the possibility of
lost records? What
happens when the
system
crashes or a
similar accident
arises?
Our
most important
objective is to
ensure that vital
patient data
will
always remain
safe,
intact and
accessible. We
have
gone to great lengths
to ensure that
the information
stored
in Impact.MD
remains as secure
and accessible
as possible.
The software includes
back-up and optional
solutions
to further safeguard
data.
Q7.
Since some information
in a patient's
chart may be
confidential, what steps
has Allscripts
taken
to allow
only the correct
people to view
certain
information?
We
are very aware
of the importance
and
privacy of a
patient's chart
and we have
designed
a system that
allows
every folder
in a chart to
be 'protected'
through
the use of
a
required
password
or other authorization
before
it
can be accessed.
These 'rights-protected'
documents are
easily definable
and will
remain inaccessible
to
unauthorized
users.
For example,
clerical staff
members can still
get information
they
need for
their specific
tasks, but
the rest of the
chart can be
closed to them.
Impact.MD also
permits patient
information
to be blanked
out or have
specific pages made 'unavailable'
before
sharing a
chart with
another person. The physician
has full
control over
what can be
seen in
the patient's
chart,
and
can 'turn on
or off' certain
portions
of the information.
Q8.
Will medical
offices using
Impact.MD
experience
any kinds
of compatibility
problems?
Impact.MD
is uniquely
compatible
to almost
everything,
including
many
Practice
Management
systems.
We have written
the software
in such
a way that
not only
is
the information
in
Impact.MD
more manageable
and efficient,
it can also
be imported
to other
software
applications.
Users are
not
chained
to
the system
and always
retain the
rights and
ability to
utilize
their information
elsewhere.
We
should
also stress
the
non-proprietary
nature
of Impact.MD
in relation
to its
compatibility. Impact.MD
is based
on Microsoft
SQL database
software
(which
is
very stable
and widely
used).
Users do not
need a
Impact.MD-specific technician
to save
or
rebuild
their data in case
of
a dramatic
problem.
Virtually
any SQL
programmer can almost
always
retrieve patient
data.
Q9.
Will
a user be
able
to import
a
Lotus
or Excel document
into
the chart?
Yes.
In fact,
Microsoft
products,
WordPerfect
and Lotus
products
can all
be
launched
from
within
Impact.MD.
This
eliminates
the need
to switch
from
application
to application
to
get the
correct
information
into
the
chart.
In addition,
any
word
processing,
or spreadsheet
documents
created
are automatically
saved
in their
proper
place
in the
patient's
chart;
saving
additional
time
and
keeping
things
perfectly
organized.
Q10.
How
does Impact.MD
utilize
voice
recognition
technology?
We have
clients
presently
using
the
award-winning
Dragon
Voice
Recognition
System
with
excellent
results.
With
this
option,
a
physician can
speak
directly
into
the
Impact.MD
file
or
into
a
tape
recorder
(the
transcriptionist
can
later
play
it
back
for
text
translation
into
the
patient's
file).
The
added
value
of
the
voice
recognition
is
quite
obvious
and
will
enable
any
user
to
quickly
and
simply
enter
information
into
a
patient's chart.
Q11.
Will Impact.MD
force physicians
to change
the way
they currently
practice?
No.
Impact.MD is
so versatile
that physicians
will actually
be able
to choose
how much,
or how
little of
our program
they wish
to implement.
We provide
ways to
supply just
the documents
that they
choose and
still increase
office efficiency
and reduce
costs.
Q12.
What about
security for
my documents?
Impact.MD
offers three
levels of
security for
your documents,
including Windows
security. Our
system is
completely HIPAA
compliant.
Q13.
What if
we have
multiple offices?
Impact.MD
offers remote
viewing of
charts. With
the proper
security, on-call
physicians can
even view
charts at home.
Q14.
Do I have to buy new imaging
software if my
practice grows?
No.
Impact.MD is a
fully scaleable
imaging
package.
It can accommodate
the needs
of any size practice
ranging from one
provider to an
entire network
of providers.