Posted by: AtlasMD

November 19, 2013

Despite EHRs, Healthcare Still “Buried In Paperwork,” Says Survey

We’re curious what the paperwork verdict’s going to be with the recent ACA enactment. Assuming that people can sign up and that fee-for-service docs accept the new plans, will doctors be overwhelmed by additional paperwork? According to this survey from Anoto, who develops digital pen and paper technology, respondents said that “paper is still too embedded in the culture, that technology adoption is too expensive and that switching to an electronic system requires too much training and disrupts care delivery.”

Interestingly enough, these same survey respondents believed that the paperwork burden would increase once the Affordable Care Act was enacted.

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 19, 2013

How Will Atlas.md EMR Help You Run A Direct Care Practice?

How Will Atlas.md EMR Help You Run A Direct Care Practice?

In a recent post on Cure MD, the common EHR blog-lytizing was in full effect. As usual, the site claims, “An Electronic Health Record (EHR) system helps a practice in more than one ways [sic].” Then we see the common empty signifiers — improved workflows, improved cash flow, improved patient flow, and, our favorite red tape phenomenon, Meaningful Use! All of this to quote, “Sav[e] time and meet[…] regulatory requirements.” They then list out some more benefits that EHRs offer the fee-for-service doctor. But notice, they never mention what kind of doctor. Just, doctor.

That’s one of many points of comparison we’ll draw with the competitors versus our direct care EMR, Atlas.md. Right off the bat, our product is made for a specific doctor, a direct primary care physician operating a cash-only facility.

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 16, 2013

We Rolled Out Another Atlas.md EMR Update

We Rolled Out Another Atlas.md EMR Update

Direct care’s EMR is constantly evolving. Let us know what you think about the software in the comments section.

Here’s what’s new in this software update.

Resume Patient Enrollment
Some people were losing their data during the online enrollment process. Now if you leave and come back to the enrollment form, you’ll see a  “Resume” button. It will bring you back to where you left off.

NOTE: We’re in the process of making this feature compatible with all browsers. If you’re still having trouble, send us a message and let us know how you’re accessing Atlas.md

New “Finish Form Later” Feature
During any page of online enrollment, patients can opt to come back later. All they have to do is enter their email address. They’ll receive a unique link in their inbox which will let them return to the sign-up page.

SIGN UP FOR YOUR BETA TRIAL OF ATLAS.MD EMR

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Atlas.md EMR — Tutorial Video — Tasks

Drs. Josh and Doug demonstrate the Task feature of Atlas.md. You can create tasks, set due dates, add notes and more. Return to Tasks to check current action items and mark items as complete. Also, Atlas.md can assign tasks to specific patients; that way, when you view a patient profile you can quickly check if there are outstanding items related to them.

VIEW NEXT ATLAS.MD EMR TUTORIAL VIDEO > CALENDAR

Have more questions about Atlas.md? Send them to hello[at]atlas.md …

Want to try Atlas.md EMR? Sign up for free at Atlas.md/signup.

Atlas.md EMR — Tutorial Video — Doctor Profile

Drs. Josh and Doug show you how to customize your doctor profile. Leave a default sign-off when sending Rx to pharmacies, sync your Twitter account, set up your phone services, upload a profile pic, and more.

VIEW NEXT ATLAS.MD EMR TUTORIAL VIDEO > TASKS

Have more questions about Atlas.md? Send them to hello[at]atlas.md …

Want to try Atlas.md EMR? Sign up for free at Atlas.md/signup.

Atlas.md EMR — Tutorial Video — Search

Drs. Josh and Doug teach you how to find what you need in Atlas.md. The smart search lets you find patients, prescriptions, keywords, types of interactions, and more. And all of this can be done across the app, or within a specific doctor or patient file.

VIEW NEXT ATLAS.MD EMR TUTORIAL VIDEO > DOCTOR PROFILE

Have more questions about Atlas.md? Send them to hello[at]atlas.md …

Want to try Atlas.md EMR? Sign up for free at Atlas.md/signup.

Your Patients Want To Hear From You

Finally, some good news in the healthcare realm — this report from Mobi Health News outlines the extensive results of a survey related to digital communications. This section is most telling:

“Asked to list ‘most welcomed messages,’ respondents named three health-related messages. Sixty-nine percent welcomed a reminder about an upcoming appointment or vaccination, 57 percent mentioned a notice to reorder or pick up a prescription, and 39 percent would be happy with a message reminding them to schedule an appointment.”

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Prepare Yourself for the Fork in the Road

Prepare Yourself for the Fork in the Road

We found a great blog post from The Happy MD that clarifies a schism that’s likely to develop here in the American healthcare system. With an influx of patients gaining insurance through Obamacare (assuming those exchange websites finally work), primary care docs have essentially two directions they will be pushed in:

  • One group of docs will be part of the patient mill, who due to the inherent volume of patients coming through a clinic will only see the very sick; here the doctor will spend a majority of time in a management position, overseeing nurses and physician assistants who actually interact with patients.
  • Another group of docs will be part of the concierge medicine/direct care movement, and will see all of their patients for longer durations; here the doctor will free up this time by removing the red tape and operating their practice with limited assistance.

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Atlas.md EMR — Tutorial Video — Clinic Features / Sidebar

Drs. Josh and Doug walk you through the themes of Atlas.md EMR. On the left you’ll first see icons that let you quickly access common features like dashboard, inbox, tasks and more. The sidebar’s icons change, though, as you move through different themes: Accounts, Patients, Prescriptions, etc.

VIEW NEXT ATLAS.MD EMR TUTORIAL VIDEO > SEARCH

Have more questions about Atlas.md? Send them to hello[at]atlas.md …

Want to try Atlas.md EMR? Sign up for free at Atlas.md/signup.

Will Medicine Be Walmart-ized?

In his new essay, David M. Cutler prognosticates an intriguing, yet impersonal healthcare future. He says, “the idea that technology will change medicine is as old as the electronic computer itself.” And we agree with his proposal.

However, there’s a lot of information out there, and for the most part, it’s not made available at the right time. Think about it: how many times do we hear about a patient receiving an incorrect dosage or a drug that causes an allergic reaction? And, as more docs “get wired” and adopt EMRs, there will be even more parties contributing to the collective consciousness of medicine. Just look at the numbers. Since the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created the HiTech program, billions of dollars have been allocated for doctors and hospitals to purchase EHR software/systems. According to Cutler, “Since the program was enacted, rates of ownership of such systems have tripled among hospitals and quadrupled among physicians.”

Okay, but what happens when all of medicine gets connected?

Cutler says healthcare will be delivered in a more standardized fashion, with less overall cost, but less of a personal touch.

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