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2004 has witnessed a staggering interest and growth in electronic medical records (EMRs) in the eyecare industry! Since the introduction of ExamWRITER 5.0 at SECO in February nearly half of all OfficeMate sales are ExamWRITER. Why such an accelerated level of interest in EMRs?
“Efficiency and organization” top the list of motivators for our early adopter ExamWRITER clients. Integrated EMR technology can now increase patient flow, eliminate hard-to-read handwriting and lost charts, and provide real-time patient clinical data throughout the office.
A very important aspect of ExamWRITER implementation is the integration with the latest digital instrumentation. To date, ExamWRITER is fully integrated with digital refraction systems from Marco, Topcon, and Huvitz, as well as the Optomap retinal scanning ophthalmoscope. ECPs can literally save up to 5–8 minutes per patient using ExamWRITER integration with the newest digital refraction systems.
ExamWRITER is the repository or “hub” capturing and storing all of the patient clinical data throughout the office. From the autorefractor and lensometer data in the pre-test area to Optomap and digital refraction data in the exam room, a simple press of a button populates ExamWRITER's custom exam templates quickly and accurately.
Referral letters to PCPs or specialists is quick and simple too! Hundreds of hours of dictation can now be minimized with ExamWRITER's “autoletter” feature!
It's time for you to start migrating your practice to a “paperless” environment. Hundreds-and-hundreds crowded the OfficeMate booths at SECO, AOA Congress, and the Vision Expo electing to get started with ExamWRITER. Now, it's your turn!
We've made it easy for you to preview ExamWRITER! Dr. Ian Lane, our VP of Professional Services, has a pre-recorded demo on the OfficeMate Web site at http://www.officemate.net/EWiTrains.asp. Alternately, Dr. Lane will also be conducting live Internet demos. Take your pick, but start now!
Have a great fall and look for our next OSSNews edition before the holidays!
C. Edward Buffington, Chief Executive Officer
ed@officemate.net
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We can probably describe Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, NV, in one word—unprecedented. Everything about the show exceeded our expectations including the look and feel of our new booth, high attendance, positive feedback regarding OfficeMate Software Solutions, and the enjoyment gained from having the opportunity to meet with existing and prospective clients.
OfficeMate booth attendees experienced first-hand the “practice of the future,” which included electronic medical records (ExamWRITER 5.0) and diagnostic equipment interfaces that integrate into practice management software (OfficeMate). Other technologies on display included virtual try-on tools, automatic data backup software, and automated patient communication systems.
From a sales standpoint, it is obvious that the word is out that ExamWRITER 5.0 leads the pack for being the most powerful, intuitive, and comprehensive electronic medical records (EMR) choice. Orders and interest in ExamWRITER were at an all time high, validating our high (although admittedly biased!) opinion of the strength of the software program. The groundswell of EMR acceptance and integration is building and OfficeMate and ExamWRITER are leading the way.
We also want to take a moment to impart a sincere ‘thank you' to all of you for making this year's conference such a success. It is through your loyalty, suggestions, and participation that OfficeMate Software Solutions is able to maintain its status as the most valuable and widely accepted eyecare business solution company. All in all it was a great show and we look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas in 2005!
Vision Expo West Attendees gather in the OfficeMate booth.
OfficeMate staff show Vision Expo West attendees how OfficeMate and ExamWRITER can help them streamline their eyecare practices.
Bill Hatch, Director of Sales & Marketing
bill@officemate.net
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Fourth Quarter 2004 Show Schedule
Show |
Start |
End |
City |
| EastWest |
Oct. 14, 2004 |
Oct. 16, 2004 |
Cleveland, OH |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology |
Oct. 23, 2004 |
Oct. 26, 2004 |
New Orleans, LA |
| American Academy of Optometry |
Dec. 9, 2004 |
Dec. 11, 2004 |
Tampa, FL |
Stop by our booth and visit us!
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If you are a current OfficeMate client and want to invest in ExamWRITER, our new electronic medical records software, you may be eligible for a Marchon MVP discount! Check with your local Marchon sales representative or call OfficeMate sales to determine your MVP level and discount.
Marchon also allows you take a rebate against your Co-Op dollars that apply to the software license portion of your OfficeMate investment. You can save up to 50% on your investment—a great reason to buy more Marchon frames throughout the year! Ask your Marchon representative for full details on MVP and Co-Op. |
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Suggestions to help protect your data in your office computers are listed below:
Backup your OfficeMate and ExamWRITER data files on a regular basis! A full database backup is the best way for you to make sure that you can recover your OfficeMate and ExamWRITER data files in the event of a hardware or software failure, computer virus attack, fire, theft, or natural disaster. For more information on backing up your data, see the Data Backup Best Practices document. For more information on automatically backing up your data using DataHEALTH, see the OfficeMate Mall article below.
Install the latest operating system service pack and OfficeMate and/or ExamWRITER program update on all computers. These updates ensure that you have all the current system software updates and avoid problems with your computers and data corruption.
Consider purchasing new computers for your office if they are more than two years old. Older computers may prevent you from using updated products that interface with OfficeMate and ExamWRITER such as Dymo Label printer, examination equipment, and other OfficeMate Mall products. Older computers may not have enough disk space or memory to run OfficeMate and ExamWRITER effectively and efficiently. Review our current System Specifications document to verify that your computers are up-to-date.
To manage your computer systems and assist with your backup and software installation, contact your Microsoft certified MSCSE hardware and network technician.
Getting Support
Do you need a quick answer? Tips for quickly finding an answer to your OfficeMate or ExamWRITER question are listed below:
- Use the F1 function key within the OfficeMate and ExamWRITER programs.
- Review the OfficeMate User's Guide and ExamWRITER Getting Started Guide. To access these guides from within OfficeMate and ExamWRITER, click “Help” on the main window.
- Review OfficeMate and ExamWRITER iTrains 24/7.
Go to http://www.officemate.net/OMiTrains.asp to view OfficeMate demonstration and training videos. Go to http://www.officemate.net/EWiTrains.asp to view ExamWRITER iTrains.
Do you have possible data corruption or difficulties running your OfficeMate or ExamWRITER program? Contact our Client Support department via e-mail or phone:
- Send us your support questions via e-mail at support@officemate.net. Your support questions will be answered by one of our knowledgeable Client Services team members.
- Call the support line at 800.942.5353 and choose option 1 to reach our Client Services team Monday–Friday 7am to 5pm. PST. Your calls are answered live by our knowledgeable Client Services team who will assist you with your support issues.
OfficeMate considers our Client Services department the backbone of a successful, positive relationship between our company and you, our client. Our goal is to continually enhance the level of service provided by our Client Services department. Your feedback is always welcome. If you have any suggestions to enhance your support experience please contact Violet Baker at violet@officemate.net.
Violet Baker, Director of Client Services
violet@officemate.net |
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As fall classes around the nation are preparing for midterm exams, OfficeMate Software Solutions University (OSSU) is busy training users on how to use the functions and features in OfficeMate and ExamWRITER.
OSSU offers WebEx virtual classroom training classes for both OfficeMate and ExamWRITER. You see exactly what our trainers are doing on your computer monitor while listening to their live, step-by-step explanations over the telephone. Training classes are included with every OfficeMate Suite product purchase. We strongly suggest that your office take advantage of these classes; they will help make your transition into implementing your new software smooth and easy.
As a supplement to the WebEx classes, our iTrain prerecorded training classes are available 24/7/365. If you cannot attend a live, instructor lead Internet group training course, or if you have new staff members who need to learn OfficeMate or ExamWRITER, the iTrain recorded training sessions are an ideal training solution. To view the iTrain course selections, go to http://www.officemate.net/OSSUiTrain.asp. You must have a high-speed Internet DSL connection or a 56k or higher dial-up connection and computer speakers in order to successfully view iTrain classes.
On October 31, 2004, we are offering two separate onsite training classes in Ohio and California for ExamWRITER users. These courses will shorten the time that you spend transitioning from paper to electronic medical records. For more information on these classes, call us at 800.369.3666, ext. 5004.
OSSU now has its own e-mail address! If you have any questions, suggestions, or need to schedule a training class, you can quickly and conveniently e-mail us at ossu@officemate.net .
It's back to school time at OfficeMate and there's a lot happening at OSSU!
Marci Miller, Director of OSSU
marci@officemate.net
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| We want to hear from you! What features of our software are you using? What features do you like and use daily? How can we improve OfficeMate and ExamWRITER? Would you like to offer any other suggestions to enhance our business and services?
Let us know what you think at feedback@officemate.net.
Your input is valuable in guiding the direction of OfficeMate and ExamWRITER in the future! Thanks for your input! |
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Medical record documentation guidelines encourage eyecare professionals to document everything during every patient encounter. If you ask patients' questions and they respond that they are in excellent health, you should write down that information.
But in today's busy world, how do we accomplish this high level of documentation and keep up with a heavy appointment schedule? Read on for an answer!
For example, while reviewing a patient's systems, the patient reports that he is generally feeling well; the only significant health-related issue that he is experiencing is high blood pressure.
In ExamWRITER 5.0 you can document the patient's history and tell the program that the history is ALL OK EXCEPT Hypertension. ExamWRITER will automatically document the following:
ExamWRITER saves you time documenting all of the Normal symptoms; you tell it what is not Normal and it automatically documents both what is normal and abnormal.
In the above example, one click of your mouse documents all the Normal symptoms in the exam record. The WNLs and NADs are properly documented in black font and the Positive and Abnormal conditions are documented in red. This color coding makes it easy to scan and review the exam.
This elegantly simple documentation paradigm is used throughout ExamWRITER 5.0 in the Patient History (HPI), Review of Systems (ROS), and External, Anterior, and Posterior segment portions of the physical eye examination.
In the next edition of OSSNews I will explain how to document a posterior segment exam using the ALL OK EXCEPT method. Stay tuned!
Dr. Ian Lane, Vice President of Professional Services
ian@officemate.net
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Today’s computer and Internet technology offers so many opportunities to generate more practice revenues, make you and your staff more efficient, and focus your attention more on patient care and less on day-to-day role activities. The OfficeMate Mall division is exploring new, creative, and cost-effective ways for you to enhance your business using OfficeMate as the platform for integrating business solutions.
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DataHEALTH from OfficeMate Provides Continuous Data Protection and Peace of Mind
Your patient data is the lifeline of your practice, yet how secure is your lifeline? Can you be sure that your data security stands up to any crash, surge, electrical outage, storm, theft, or coffee spill? Can you really rely on staff members to remember to perform the necessary data backups? Can your practice afford the significant time and financial expense that PC theft, faulty disk drives, or computer viruses could cause, as well as disrupted cash flow, overloaded staff, interrupted service to patients, and potential liability?
With DataHEALTH, you setup your computer once and it automatically sends your data every day to a secure, state-of-the-art data center. You never have to worry about data backup again! Your data is sent via 448-bit encryption—the most secure encryption available—so it remains 100% private. If you ever lose your original data, you can restore it to your system with a mouse click, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For more information on this very affordable, HIPAA-compliant backup solution that will ensure that your data is automatically and securely stored offsite, contact Carol Wilcox at carol@officemate.net or 800.269.3666, ext. 5015.
Increase Office Revenue and Patient Loyalty with 4PatientCare for OfficeMate
Do you need a more effective recall solution that is absolutely automatic, highly personalized, and requires no staff time or effort? 4PatientCare from OfficeMate, the most advanced patient communication system available today, is your perfect recall solution! You can select clinically appropriate patients and communicate interactively. No need for stamps, labels, postcards, or staff time…
…. Just tell 4PatientCare
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Who to recall. 4PatientCare automatically finds patients in OfficeMate according to their
Last Recall Date
Last Appointment Date
Provider
Recall Reason
Last Time Recalled
Gender
Age
Insurance Type
- How to recall. Use 4PatientCare's Intelligent Escalation to initiate an automatic interactive phone call. Use more expensive paper-based postcards or letters only for patients who don't schedule their appointment within a practice-specified time period.
- When to recall. Send all your recalls at once or distribute them over the entire month to distribute workload evenly.
4PatientCare will fill your schedule, save you money, and help provide the best care for your patients. Try 4PatientCare services risk free with special pricing until November 30, 2004. Listen to a demonstration of 4PatientCare services at http://www.4patientcare.com/demos.asp. Contact Carol Wilcox at carol@officemate.net or 800.269.3666, ext. 5015 for more information or to sign up!
Carol Wilcox, Director of OfficeMate Mall
carol@officemate.net
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Microsoft has ushered in a new era of proactive security with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). This large upgrade (approximately 270 MB) brings with it much needed enhancements to Internet Explorer (pop-up blockers and increased security from unwanted downloads, although it still does not offer tabbed browsing), a new Security Center dashboard, and the biggest feature—a built-in, on-by-default firewall cleverly called ‘Windows Firewall.'
Windows XP has had a firewall for some time, but alas, it was not turned on by default. If it had been turned on, last year's Slammer worm and other attacks may have been avoided. The new Security Center allows the Windows Firewall to be configured beyond its default settings and turned off if it needs to be. In its default state, it should not hinder normal computing, and is fairly straight forward to customize.
Also included in SP2 are enhancements to block unsafe e-mail attachments (the #1 cause of viruses), better Bluetooth support, and finally—a simple way to configure wireless connections with the new Wireless Network Setup Wizard.
TabletPC users will be surprised to see that SP2 brings them a new operating system called Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. This version includes major improvements to the Tablet Input Panel (TIP); for example, the panel now floats next to any text box in any application. The new TIP also supports real-time handwriting recognition and correction. TabletPCs are going to be very hot in the EMR market because of these easy-to-use features.
Windows XP SP2 was much delayed, but it was delayed for the right reasons. Microsoft finally appears to be putting its users' needs first by taking this important step towards safer computing.
Rob Adams, Vice President of Development
rob@officemate.net |
Wireless networking, also called IEEE 802.11 networking and WiFi, is the cable-free way to network your home or office computers. In a wireless network, all of the computers in your home or office communicate information using radio signals.
A growing demand for easy and fast access to networks and the Internet has propelled many people to add wireless networking capabilities to their high-speed technological devices. Although the potential for 802.11b-configured tools are almost limitless, people have begun to realize that the advantages also come with some setbacks. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of adopting 802.11b wireless networking in your home or office.
Pros
Mobility
Within the past few years mobility has become the primary advantage of adopting wireless technology. When introduced, networking brought a powerful tool to users, allowing them to access a wide variety of information from the Internet and other computers. As time progressed and technological devices advanced, mobility became a key feature that networking creators strived to implement. With this technology now available, people are free to move about and still remain connected to their networks and to the Internet.
Cost Savings
Another critical advantage of wireless technology is its cost savings. Because no cabling is needed to connect a network, you spend significantly less money on installation and maintenance. After you buy all of the wireless devices that you need and set up the network, nothing else is required to maintain it—no more wires and no more cables. Network additions can be made freely and easily without purchasing more material.
Cons
Security
The glaring disadvantage of wireless technology today is network security. Although new measures are being taken to minimize the risks, 802.11b networks are not nearly as secure as their wired counterparts.
Reliability
Reliability is another issue that arises when using wireless networks because the network and Internet response time is usually much longer than wired networks due to the fact that data is continuously “lost” in cyberspace and retransmission is required. Today, users want to have instant access to networks and the Internet, but because of a wireless 802.11b network's inconsistency, many people are wary of it.
Signal Distortion
Many times the wireless signals our computers should be receiving are distorted or corrupted because of their reflections off of other objects. These reflections also cause time delays. Sometimes, due to interference in the wireless environment, the path to a particular 802.11b device can be completely lost and no data transmission can take place. This interference can also coincide with the interference of other systems operating on the same frequency. For example, if a radio or a cordless phone is using the same frequency as the network, the performance of the wireless network can be degraded or nonexistent.
Matthew Hodson, IT Manager
mhodson@ocls.net
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