Ahoy all. As several of you know, I am in the process of convincing the decision makers in my office to change our emr and pm software to OpenEMR. We are almost there, but they would like to know who in the great state of North Carolina is using it today in a primary care practice. In particular they want to know how folks become efficient using the “clunky” interface and if OpenEMR can successfully generate claims accepted by the fickle (and widely despised) Medicaid system - NC Tracks.
While it would be most useful to recruit a 1) willing, 2) satisfied, 3) N.C., 4) primary care practice endorsement, I plead for any combination of the above four. In return, I will be your eternally grateful friend for life. Vendors or users, please contact me in this thread, or off line at jc at afp4 dot com.
It may be indelicate to write the following, Hickory is only 90 miles away. Its seems that practice would be an obvious resource. If that is not the case, elaboration is unnecessary.
“Clunky” or suave is rather subjective. Proficiency in any endeavor comes from repeated use. “Practice makes perfect”. If the associates want streamlining or additional features, professional support would be more than willing to accommodate them. The funds not paid for OpenEMR can be used for customization.
Medicaid, irrespective of the state, must have a mission statement to pay as little as possible and make claim submission as difficult as possible. Given this reality, as long as the billing software and the clearinghouse are good, Medicaid annoyances are kept to a minimum. OpenEMR and Office Ally have worked well for a number of us.
A medical practice, whether Family Practice or Ophthalmology, needs to efficiently schedule appointments, document visits and obtain reimbursement. We have been able to do all three over the past 1 1/2 year.
Most EHR’s including OpenEMR have been created with Internal Medicine in mind, because you have the greater numbers; therefore it’s the other specialties that require tweaking of the software.
Should your practice decide to attest to Meaningful Use, it’s easier for you than it is for us.
Sound like a poem! This statement could be the new anthem of OpenEMR. Who will write the music for this text? Any volunteers capable of creating the OpenEMR opera…
Unfortunately Dr Bowen does not use OpenEMR for billing, he is slowly working his way there. I have a large client in NC (52 facilities) that WILL be using it for billing and job one is to make sure we can work with Medicaid - NC Tracks.
The rumor is that they recently updated to the X12 standard formats, so it “should” be easy …
P1. Indelicate? Short answer is: Took a field trip to Bowen Urgent and Primary Care in Hickory with my partner, office manager and insurance guru, about 4 years ago. This was the last time I lobbied the practice for a switch to OpenEMR. Sam (whom I considered the captain of the OpenEMR cheerleader squad) was very gracious and gave us a demo of the software. He was not using the software to prescribe, he was hand writing scripts then entering that into the computer. He was not using CAMOS or other included forms, preferring to “report” past visits to the screen and then cut and paste a note. As Tony noted, he was (is?) using a legacy DOS program that he liked for billing and insurance. My sales pitch for OpenEMR was over after that experience. Sam is a wonderful man who is competent, compassionate and generous to a fault, whom I consider my friend. Sam, let me know when you integrate OpenEMR billing.
P2. “Clunky” is subjective because I don’t have the time nor desire to objectify that adjective by recapitulating here the myriad “areas for improvement” in OpenEMR usability. You can practice your speed and efficiency all you like on your Radio Flier bike, I will beat you over the Sparta hills on my 15-speed Schwinn. Just my subjective opinion. When we get OpenEMR in our office, usability will be a priority item for our contracted vendor.
P3. “as long as the billing software and the clearinghouse are good, Medicaid annoyances are kept to a minimum.” You clearly have no experience with N.C. Medicaid’s NC Tracks software. When the state changed their software and claims filing requirements July 1, 2013, it turned M-caid reimbursement on its head. It caused month after month delays in Medicaid payments and caused the closing of many practices that were heavily Medicaid dependent such as pediatrics. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9354545
There is class action lawsuit against the state because of the debacle: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/01/16/3538471/doctors-sue-state-over-medicaid.html
Our practice is getting paid reasonably only because one of my staff must go online daily to verify the status of Medicaid claims (30% of our claims), especially crossover claims to Medicare and BCBS. Frequently the crossover claims are completed by hand.
P6. I thought it was easier for us because we don’t have to spell stuff like pterygium, pinguecula, and coloboma.
I would love to hear a comment from Dr. Bowen. I remember those days when he was active in the Forum and he was able to convince me of so many good thing available in OpenEMR. And Yes I do like OpenEMR very much, but I seem to be the only one on Curacao. And translating a good product into a local situation takes effort.
Having some ugly MSAcces under XP and NOT multi-system and often ending in CTR-ALT-DEL to restart the Software, it still works, and still does the job. (Since 2007) Keeps me from finalizing and using OpenEMR. But when XP will not be reliable any more there might be a convincing moment.
BTW. Jack C. are you talking about fsgl or OpenEMR?