![\"Wes](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/wes_strickling_codex_techworks.jpg\" "\\"Wes")
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Even the best systems on the market now \u201call have flaws and strengths,\u201d says Wes Strickling, founder of Codex Techworks, (www.codextechworks.com<\/a>), an IT support company based in Columbus, Ohio, that specializes in technology specific to eyecare practices.<\/p>\n “If 90 percent of your billing is VSP, for example, \u201cthen finding the package with the best VSP system is critical,\u201d he says. \u201cSome practices are more medically based. You\u2019ll want one of the systems that is better at medical billing. Not every one out there is right for every practice.\u201d<\/p>\n There are dozens of choices on the market, and Strickling points to four major players to consider: Compulink\u2019s Ophthalmic Advantage, OfficeMate\u2019s ExamWRITER, the MaximEyes system by First Insight, and OD Pro from EMR Logic. Going with a big vendor\u2019s product doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s the best one. But those firms will probably be more able to respond to changes coming in the next few years, as new industry standards\u2014and government-backed financial incentives to use EHR\u2014come into play.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important because the standards are coming,\u201d Strickling says. The standards for certification of EHR products by the Certification Commission for Health Information (CCHIT) are still changing, he says. As they do, the bigger vendors \u201cwill have the development staff in house ready to go, and they\u2019ll start making those changes\u201d to their systems.<\/p>\n Two more key points to consider: Make sure the EHR system you choose can really deliver on the promise to integrate all the equipment you use or plan to acquire. Vendors will talk about system integration, but what do they mean? Pin vendors down to explain exactly what they mean. \u201cWhen doctors go shopping they don\u2019t always know to ask that,\u201d Strickling says. \u201cAfter they spend $30,000, they\u2019ll wish they had done it.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, make sure your staff is involved early in choosing a system. Don\u2019t pick one just because you like the part of it that you see, such as the exam module. The rest of it might not be so swell. \u201cDoctors\u2026 are spending less time in the system than anybody else,\u201d says Strickling. \u201cIf you\u2019re buying a package for the few minutes you spend entering data, you\u2019re missing the efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n Paperwork is not what Dr. Tamara Kuhlmann, OD, had in mind when she went into optometry 27 years ago. It ate up too much time as she and staff members filled out forms by hand or hunted down patient records. Paperwork also allowed too many errors. read more><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The practice of Thomas J. Overberg, OD, in Fremont, Ohio (www.droverberg.com), has been paperless since 1996. Why did he make the switch so early? read more> <\/a><\/div>\n When it comes to practice management software and electronic medical records, change really is the only constant, says Kim Castleberry, OD, who runs a $2 million a year practice in Plano, Texas. read more> <\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By ROB Editors<\/p>\n\n\nPractice Profiles<\/h5>\n
Tamara Kuhlmann, OD, Powell, Ohio
“Stop Using Paperweights!”<\/h3>\n\nThomas Overberg, OD, <\/strong>Fremont, Ohio
“The Paperless Practice”<\/h3>\n\nKim Castleberry, OD, Plano, Texas<\/span>
“The Pace of Change is Accelerating for Electronic Health Records and All the Rest”<\/h3>\n\n\n
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The benefits of an EHR<\/span> system are clear: It can make your practice more efficient and profitable, and improve patient care. But experts will tell you, it\u2019s got to be a good fit.<\/h5>\n