Amazing Chart - What's wrong with it??

[Pinetree]

I looked at AC from the down load version. Played with their templates. I was mainly wanting to see if their scheduling program would fit my needs. Ethomas scheduler alone is 2.5K, and having 2 location license cost 5K. Then their EMR product is 10K.

Medinote is about 7K, plus their schedule pro product is another 2.5K. Yearly maintenance is about another 1K for both.

So how can you not justify using AC if it is just for the scheduling aspect? It seems like the templates are a little rigid, and takes some getting used to. It seems that it is not flexible enough for non-typist medical assistant to handle.

Any other negatives that one can tell me??

[algosdoc]

Overall it is a great starter program ....
Negatives:
1. Does not work well with Dragon since when the word "in" is used in the dictation, the cursor changes to the "inches" box and further dictation goes into that small box.
2. Currently does not interface with billing programs other than the AC company program
3. Does not lend itself to SOAP notes well...the format for each note is an entire history and physical screen and that is the only screen available
4. Past sequential notes are not readily available without several clicks and cannot be displayed along side the current note requiring frequently flipping back and forth, or the current note can be saved on top of the old note thereby creating huge databases.
5. When databases become huge, the program becomes very clunky and slow
6. Currently you cannot get your patient data out of the program to export to another program. There is a bug in the program that prevents export of data in any usable form (no patient names are associated with the data). This is to be fixed on the next update in March 2006
7. The templates are on one level only (no nesting of templates to make them easy to access and find) therefore the number of templates on each screen can be so huge it is difficult to find the correct template.
8. Reports and letters are a bit stoic and it is evident to anyone reading them that it is a computer generated letter (including all the mistakes).
9. The "common" CPT codes may not remain selected as common ...therefore requiring searching for codes by memory. The code finder has some bizarre syntax. For instance reflex sympathetic dystrophy or RSD is found as neither under the search function: it is found as reflx symp dyst or something thereabouts...

Overall pluses:
1. Great support overall from their on line and off line systems
2. Easy scheduler to use
3. Yellow popup notes and addendum popup notes are great...
4. Excellent functional interoffice email on the system
5. One of the cheapest systems available and constantly improving

[Pinetree]

In term of system stability, is it stable, or unstable? It seems to be simple (no templates within templates), could that mean it is more stable?


When you say the program gets slow, is that for the search function, or for any functions. Will it be faster if you minimize adding images, PDF files, and other large files?

Apparently, they say AC will run with any OS which is MS 98 or higher. They did not have one preference or another. I wonder which configuration will run AC most stably and reliabily.

[algosdoc]

If you plan to run several PCs simultaneously, the best method is via a server with the database residing on the server, and an individual copy of AC on each client machine connected to the server. There is a way to connect several (up to 5) PCs together in a network using XP only without a server, but one of the machines would have to carry the database. With AC there can be only one database...all machines must connect in real time to that database. Therefore there is no sync function available to use a laptop off-site then sync the data input at the end of the day with the main database.
Stable: hmmmmm. My particular system locks up frequently (many times one cannot click on the name in the schedule and bring up the patient...it has to be typed in...), the AC system is unusable in certain computer default screen settings (due to the type being outside the field of view or inability to access the "sign chart" key, the system asks if you would like to resurrect a note that has not been saved then promptly notifies you that over a dozen errors have occurred in the past few seconds and jettisons all your typed input, and the program sometimes takes up to one minute to load after typing in the AC password. So in my configuration it is not terribly stable, but I use a wireless laptop for data input and those are known to be flakey. My secretaries have noted times when the entire system grinds to a halt and no one can enter data or access the database for a minute or so. Why the system behaves this way is not clear to my IT people nor to AC.
NEVERTHELESS, I do believe AC represents by far the best value for the money and for neophyte EMR users, it cannot be beat. You can always upgrade to an intermediate EMR later (we are upgrading to QD Clinical) or just wait for AC to continue their neverending advancements in their program.

[Pinetree]

Thanks a zillion, Algosdoc.

I've played with AC enough to see your points. I think I will use AC only for scheduling. And even if I were to use it for EMR, I would use a separate database for it.

I find that it locks up more when I use functions for EMR, and less so for the scheduling.

As a sheduler, it seems to be straight forward and uncomplicated. The added benefit as the scheduler, is that I can tweek it to tract reminders.

I send out reminders to my patients q3 mos, q 6 months, and q 12 mos. So I've made diagnostic codes based on the month, and frequency (ie Nov, April as 1102). So I can use the search function for diagnosis = April, and all patients flagged with 1102 will come up for reminder cards.

It is crude, but effective.

Keeping the EMR separate than the scheduler will mean that you have to double entry, at least name, dob.... but I think it will keep the front desk more stable.

What do you think about that as a mean to limit crashing of AC??

[algosdoc]

lol...well, that is a novel use of the program....and use of the scheduler will probably prevent crashes. You can also use the yellow sticky notes and the message board quite effectively to send interoffice memos. Once Jon gets the bugs worked out, I think the entire EMR will function marvelously, but we are on a short leash timewise and must convert.