Chiropractic Office Software

Review of “Platinum System” Chiropractic Software

NOTE: Written by a former Platinum user.

Thorough the chiropractic software industry there are many different choices to choose from and each person has different needs. This review is to address the pros and cons of Platinum Chiropractic software.

Possible Pros of the Platinum chiropractic System:

1) Platinum System revolutionized the chiropractic note taking arena bring the competition to a new level.

2) Platinum chiropractic software has both front end of the office material such as note taking patient, check, room delineation for patient to keep patient flow going, and is basically another receptionist for you.

3) The Platinum System has back end functions such as patient ledger, billing, image loading, and good solid ledger functions.

Possible Cons of the Platinum System:

1) The platinum system carries a heavy price tag for me: it requires networking and “Special installation”. Computer parts etc can be $3000 easy. Then you must fly out a professional to train and install the system another $3000. The price of the software must be purchased and then there is a monthly fee that is upwards of $500.  (Please contact Vendor for latest pricing and up to date installation requirements).

2) The note pad system that is installed at the terminal seems to be a bit bulky and inefficient at taking notes.

3) The screens do not follow a logical sequence of events (relating to treating), and are hard to navigate through

4.) Require extensive training.

Greetings DCs!

We are now bringing back our monthly newsletters. These will cover many important topics in Chiropractic. My goal is to keep these short and to the point, and to keep the sales pitch to a minimum. This first newsletter will be sent next week.

If you are a DC and have information you wish to share with other DCs, please send it to me and I will evaluate for an upcoming newsletter.

Important EMR/EHR Stimulus Information

I do want to share an update on what is going on with the stimulus & federal requirements regarding EMR/soap notes/EHR (or whatever fancy term the sales person throws at you).

EMR (Electronic Medical Records) has become a huge topic and the changes this year are leaving many confused.

To help clear up confusion, I have posted some questions and answers below.

Am I required to become electronic for patient notes?

Yes…at some point. Currently only 2 states have mandated this for 2010 so I recommend asking your state board about your state’s rules for this year.

Will I qualify for the stimulus money that is being promised?

I wish there was a clear answer. The best answer is going to be ‘maybe’- and a big maybe at that. If you have enough Medicare volume, if you fill out your application correctly (keep in mind this doesn’t even exist yet) and if you are using a certified product, then I think you will be able to qualify.

Which companies/ software will allow me qualify?

Chances are likely that all of them will. Think back to electronic billing.  Are there just 2 companies you can use? No, you still have all the choices and all of them allow sending of E-claims.

If you are currently searching for software, then make sure to ask questions and to feel comfortable with the answers. If someone is promising you they will be certified, or guarantees that you will get the stimulus money if you buy their product.. then – BE CAREFUL!

If someone tells you they will work to become certified once the government makes the decisions, then chances are you dealing with an honest company who will take good care of you long term.

Why are some companies promising that their system will get me the stimulus money?

I wish I knew the answer. I think honestly they see it as a way to sell more software today. Will it bite them later…perhaps. But don’t let it bite you now.

Always be cautious and do your homework before buying a system.

Remember, If something seems to good to be true.. it usually is!

Should I buy a system now, or should I wait?

This one is a case by case. If you were already thinking of getting software for doing your notes, then yes, continue to look and when you find the right system for you- go for it.

On the other hand, if you are happy in the stone age (and I mean that kindly) and were not planning on buying a product for your practice, then continue the paper trail – you will be much happier. Perhaps 2011 or 12 or 14 will be your time to move electronic on notes.

I hope it helps to know you are not alone in the confusion at the government’s next move. I will share any breaking information on the topic.

Thank you,

Alex Niswander (owner)

Midwest Software

www.quick-charts.com

*** Now endorsed by Doctors John Brimhall & John Donofrio.

Throughout our y practice we forget to sit back and re-evaluate our practice and the proper functioning of it. Let look at a simple software log in system and how it can completely change your practice. Lets use a quickcharts chiropractic softrware as a example: It number one checks the patients into your office and then number asks them a number of questions.

What does this do some much more than you can imagine. Lets look at the the whole picture:

1)  Chiropractic software saves the office time by checking patients in. Lets say 30 seconds.

2) Software will take a history and subjective findings from the patient before they are even seen. Lets says it saves you 20 seconds.

3) It automatically charts what was found last visit so you only have to chart whats has changed. This  saves you about 70 seconds of writing in the patients chart.

So with simple math we can see how this is not only a chiropractic software, it’s a life changer. With each patient your chiropractic office can save about  two minutes; Hence, if you see 30 patients a day you save a whole hour everyday in which you could be doing something else. Never mind the time you save your staff saves tons of time not checking in patients all day.

Chiropractors ask me all the time. Is it worth buying chiropractic software? I  tell them you can’t afford not to.