Click This! Help Desk Advice Check Out the Manual? With the recent upgrade of ProtoMED, came the birth of a long awaited feature - our new online help manual! Have you checked it out yet? You may not be aware that the manual was delivered as part of your 4.3 upgrade. As the trainer for ProtoMED, I wanted to take this time to announce that the manual is available and provide you some tips regarding its use.More...     Bow Tie Muse Rambling Thoughts From The Protoman Service - The "Old Days" I can remember what seemed to be an entire business culture based on superior service - "have it your way", "you deserve a break today", "the friendly skys", etc. I don't consider myself that old, but I can clearly remember a time when fast food franchises were immaculate, prompt, and courteous .. More... ProtoProfiles: "Dalita's Desk" Dalitta Rothstein - Asif Qadri, M.D. The desk of Dalitta Rothstein has been the billing epicenter for most of the eighteen years that she has worked for Dr. Asif Qadri, a solo internal medicine practitioner located in College Park Maryland. An interview of Dalitta is not complete without including Kathy Albertson, Dr. Qadri's nurse for the last eighteen years. These two have worked together for so long that one will complete the other's sentence! Kathy begins by telling the story of how the doctor suggested that he purchase a new computer desk for Dailitta. The doctor had seen these modern, spacious units with all there organizational cubbys and special slots for every imaginable computer gadget. It made sense that such an investment would provide a benefit to Dalitta, his billing manager. Dalitta's comment was immediate: "Spend the money on the computer instead of the furnishings". More... David & Goliath Stories From The Sales Team HIPAA This & HIPAA That! Every day sales is asked "are you HIPAA compliant?". The ONLY DEFINITIVE, AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER that ANY VENDOR can give you is: WE INTEND TO BE TOTALLY HIPAA COMPLIANT. We will soon dedicate one of our newsletters to compliance. I'm puzzled by the many vendors who have been advertising HIPAA compliance - way before the actual Privacy or Security standard was finalized! They get away with it because we are all left to judge for ourselves More..     ProtoNEWS First Web-based Upgrades PALM Wireless Testing ProtoMED VO Project

ProtoProfile: From The Desk of Dalitta Rothstein, Billing Manager, Asif Qadri, MD

The desk of Dalitta Rothstein has been the billing epicenter for most of the eighteen years that she has worked for Dr. Asif Qadri, a solo internal medicine practitioner located in College Park Maryland. An interview of Dalitta is not complete without including Kathy Albertson, Dr. Qadri's nurse for the last eighteen years. These two have worked together for so long that one will complete the other's sentence!

Kathy begins by telling the story of how the doctor suggested that he purchase a new computer desk for Dailitta. The doctor had seen these modern, spacious units with all there organizational cubbys and special slots for every imaginable computer gadget. It made sense that such an investment would provide a benefit to Dalitta, his billing manager. Dalitta's comment was immediate: "Spend the money on the computer instead of the furnishings". Her comment is music to my ears, since I can recall how nervous she was back in 1989 when we installed her first computerized medical management system. Protologics was a dealer for a PC-based west coast medical management product back in 1989. Our primary focus back then was Wang minicomputer networks running corporate accounting and manufacturing applications. While everyone had heard of Apple and IBM's new 'XT', PCs were generally an anathema to most of the public. Most practice management products were Unix based minicomputers running ASCII workstations.

Dr. Qadri knew that his practice had to get off the manual ledger cards and pegboard that served as his "accounting system" and Dalitta could appreciate the value in computer printed HCFA forms, but she was so worried about moving into the computerized era: "We had the pegboard. We couldn't do it by hand these days. I used to be scared to death of computers - I was really petrified of going to a computerize billing system. I figured I was too old to learn computers, but I've learned a lot from your staff. I still consider myself computer illiterate - your staff is very kind.". To go from the intense fear of computers that Dalitta had to her endorsement of computers (translated: ProtoMED) is a wonderful success story which gives her advice to the doctor to "invest in the computer" a profound quality that should be shared with other Physicians.

The investment has surely paid off for the Qadri practice. Over the years, the practice has increased its patient base by over 25%. Paperwork has more than doubled and the everyday demands placed on the staff has more than tripled. Yet, Dalitta remains the only billing person and Kathy remains Dr. Qadri's only nurse. The practice was able to grow without additional staff - a feat impossible without automation.

The practice was upgraded to ProtoMED in 1992 and has been on the leading edge of most of our upgrades ever since. Dalitta was quick to point out the financial pressures that solo practitioners have to endure these days and the importance of products and services that truly return value back to the practice. ProtoMED has saved the practice thousands of dollars in electronic claims processing fees over the previous MHIN fees of $150 per month. The "computer fear factor" came back loud and clear when we had proposed our single push-button claims processing using the Internet. "My first response was, Oh my God - the Internet - What are we going to do?", Dalitta revealed when we asked her about our new claims processing features. She was quick to add: "This one button business - I didn't believe it! I said it absolutely couldn't work. My gosh - it worked perfectly - I just couldn't believe it. Now, I use it everyday without even thinking about results. Medicare reports come back automatically during the transaction - no wait! My accuracy rate is "fantastic" - I rarely get rejections."

The practice continues to reap the benefits of ProtoMED. Our easy, monthly maintenance fees, our immediate response to support, and our new claims manager feature give Dalitta the edge she needs to stay ahead of claims payments and to insure that no claim is lost due to untimely filing or lack of a response. She not only manages all claims and payments, but she also initiates all charges. "Billing charges is so quick and easy with ProtoMED - it really doesn't take that much of my time". Dr. Qadri sees the results. He was quick to cite our "excellent service", "reasonable charges", the fact that our support team is "always available when needed", and that they are "very friendly and personable". When asked to comment about our the validity of our real-time support policy and support team, Dalitta could not be contained: "Real-time support - yes, your support is instantaneous. I rarely, if ever have waited for someone to get back to me. Not only that, but your support staff treats me so nicely - they understand that I am not a computer person and walk me through the necessary steps at my pace. I like your support staff, I admire your support staff ".

Our technical accomplishments mean little to this team - the impact that we have on their operation means everything - and we are grateful for their confidence. This practice is indicative of our more established accounts. They've seen us grow and they've come to trust in the services that we provide. From absolute fear and loathing over the concept of automation, to her recent advice about system investment over a new desk, Dalitta has traveled quite a path towards computerized medical management. Today, she says that her day would be "shot" without her computer. Dalitta ended our interview with the following comment: "I'm getting use to the modern world and ProtoMED has definitely contributed!" Dalitta, we thank you for your trust and goodwill.

-lrw

Click This! - Help Desk Advice

Have You Checked Out the New Manual Yet?

With the recent upgrade of ProtoMED, came the birth of a long awaited feature - our new online help manual! Have you checked it out yet? You may not be aware that the manual was delivered as part of your 4.3 upgrade. As the trainer for ProtoMED, I wanted to take this time to announce that the manual is available and provide you some tips regarding its use.

So, where is the manual found? It's not a publication that we've mailed out to our clients, but rather a part of the program that is easily accessible with the touch of a button. From the main desktop screen in ProtoMED, there is a menu selection entitled Help. Under Help, you will find the selection for the Online Manual. With a simple click, you will have access to a resource that you won't want to be without.

How can the manual prove to be an invaluable tool? What information can be found within the manual? First, the manual provides instruction on how to do almost everything in the program. If you forget how to edit patients, to remove appointments in the scheduler, or how to setup security, you will find informative instruction on these and many other topics. Also, the very first chapter in the manual identifies what's new in the upgrade and links you to the pages on these new features. If you get error messages, it even describes what certain errors mean and how to resolve them.

Like most other Windows manuals, our online manual consists of three tabs: Contents, Index, and Search. The Contents tab displays all chapters - each chapter can be "exploded" into the details provided within each chapter. The Index tab provides immediate access to reports, recommendations, key topics, and other information that may not be readily available from the table of contents tab. The Search tab extracts a list of references to any user supplied topic. Use the following example to familiarize yourself with the tab nuances:

Contents Tab - From the Contents tab, double click on the "Reports" section and notice how it expands into many report sections with little plus signs in front of them. Double click on the "Patient Reports" section and notice how it expands into the many reports available to display only patient information. Also notice that each report has no plus or minus sign - you've reached the actual report description. Now, click on the minus sign in front of the initial"Reports" section and notice that all "exploded" references are wrapped back into the original contents.

Index Tab - From the Index tab, type "ecs". Notice, you will see two references that have been keyed to "ecs" (Ecs Billing and Ecs Reports). Click on Ecs Billing and you will be taken to the Ecs Billing section of the manual.

Search Tab - Now we will explore the difference between indexed and search references. From the Search Tab, enter "ecs", then click on "List Topics". Notice the list of topics that appear. The list represents all occurrences of "ecs" within the manual.

If you haven't yet taken a look, make the time. It's well worth it. With the new improvements to version 4.3, all will surely want to review the features and how to use them properly. And as always, if you still have questions, call us at the Help Desk.

Tim Griffith
Support Analyst & Trainer

Bow Tie Muse - Rambling Thoughts From The Protoman

Service - Remembering the "old days"

I can remember what seemed to be an entire business culture based on superior service - "have it your way", "you deserve a break today", "the friendly skies", etc. I don't consider myself that old, but I can clearly remember a time when fast food franchises were immaculate, prompt, and courteous. I can remember a time when it was virtually unheard-of for you to personally fill your own gas tank because the station owner wanted his/her staff to attend to you and your vehicle - you weren't just filling your tank - you were purchasing an owner's service, an owner's attention and credibility. They called gas pumps "service stations" in those days - there wasn't even the slightest hint of "mini-mart". I was in a grocery store check-out line recently when the cashier stopped, looked at me incredulously, and screamed, complaining that one of the items that I was purchasing had no price on it. I didn't know the item was not properly marked, but instead of the employee apologizing for the store's marking error, she castigates me for their error!

Physician practices are one of the last bastions of service in the business climate of the new millennium. In most practices, patients are treated with respect and dignity. Attention is paid to each patient, not just by the physician, but by the entire staff. For its the staff that reflects the physician's credibility and attention to each patient's well-being. We feel you deserve the same respect and courtesy that you give to your patients. Your support calls are greeted by a friendly voice with a knowledge of your incident history and a quick link to a knowledgeable support team member. We remain the only medical management vendor to back our support commitment with a money back guarantee. Our nation's first real-time web-based support has yet to be replicated. While the standard for medical management vendors is voice mail queues and twenty-four hour response times, we insist on personal attention and real-time support.

I was pleased to hear the many references to our support team from Dalitta Rothstein during our ProtoProfiles interview. Ms. Rothstein has witnessed the evolution of our company - she understands the value of all the technology that we have to offer, but she wanted to make it clear that the accessibility, accountability, and amiability of our support team meant far more to her than our national firsts and cutting edge design. It wasn't just that we were there when she needed support, but she placed more emphasis on how she was treated. She doesn't feel like she understands computers enough (I think she underestimates her expertise), but she has always been impressed with the time, effort, and respect that has been provided to her by our support team.

As long as physician practices continue to provide the level of excellence reminiscent of times past, we will strive to maintain our level of support - a level of support that I hope meets or exceeds our client's expectations.

-lrw

David & Goliath - Stories from the Sales Team

HIPAA This and HIPAA That!

Every day sales is asked "are you HIPAA compliant?". The ONLY DEFINITIVE, AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER that ANY VENDOR can give you is: WE INTEND TO BE TOTALLY HIPAA COMPLIANT. We will soon dedicate one of our newsletters to compliance. I'm puzzled by the many vendors who have been advertising HIPAA compliance - way before the actual Privacy or Security standard was finalized! They get away with it because we are all left to judge for ourselves whether or not we comply with the standards that apply to us - that is until either the Fed or State questions a physician or vendors judgment on compliance. Protologics has taken compliance further than most medical management vendors.

We are in a unique position of offering single, turnkey chain of custody. Because you only need press one button to submit claims, you need not seek agreements from every payer. We submit claims in an encrypted environment that exceeds HIPAA specifications. Once in our system, we comply with other payer's specifications to submit and link in their secured environments.

Furthermore, since we are offering a clearinghouse function, we have applied for and received candidacy status from EHNAC (the nation's electronic claims standards committee) to be formally reviewed and acknowledged as compliant with existing standards.

Larry Walsh (our CEO) and Rick Greenberg (Marketing Mgr) have both participated in the Maryland Health Care Commission's EDI roundtable on HIPAA over the last two years. In fact, we are happy to provide a privacy workbook to our clients that has been produced by the Commission as a result of the input from these meetings. This worksheet is available on a WORD format and can be used by any practice as a reliable self-assessment tool to determine weak spots and general compliance with the HIPAA privacy specifications. The workbook provides the legal text of each section with working definitions and examples to make it easier for us to understand and comply. You can download this document by clicking DOWNLOAD HIPAA PRIVACY now! Hope you find this useful - let us know.

Harry Abramson
N.E. Regional Sales Manager

ProtoMED News

July-August 2002 - First ProtoMED Web-based Upgrade:

Congratulations to over 90% of our ProtoMED V4.2 installation base who took the plunge and downloaded the 4.3 upgrade from our client web page! Thanks so much for helping us accomplish our first major upgrade offered exclusively from the web. Within a matter of two weeks, most of you were able to successfully upgrade from V4.2 to V4.3 at times when it was convenient for you and with little or no input from us. Some of you took even a bigger jump from 4.1 to 4.3 (some of our 4.1 clients had yet to have Internet connections).

August 2002 - Wireless PALM Pilot Testing Complete:

The ProtoMAN took a vacation in the beginning of August and used his northeast coast tour to test the coverage area and feasibility of the PALM Wireless product. All major cities in the northeast provided full access to the PALM wireless network. Prior to commencing the ProtoMED Virtual Office project (mentioned below), we cut our teeth on PALM wireless design by transforming our web-based incident tracking system into a wireless tool for management. The ProtoMAN (alias Bow-tie-Guy) was able to take the office with him on his New England tour, literally in the palm of his hand! All incidents (phone or web) and all Emails were instantly available and responses could be made with no electricity, laptop, keyboard, or phone connection required!

This last test of throughput and coverage sets the stage for our ProtoMED VO product - allowing physicians to have their practice in the palm of their hands.

Footnote: coverage was lost anywhere that a spinnaker could be deployed or anywhere that a moose could be found!

August 2002 - ProtoMED Virtual Office Project Nears Completion:

Our ProtoMED VO is nearing BETA testing mode. Physicians will be able to redirect their schedule to a secured wireless connection that will enable scheduling, billing, and clinical records review from anywhere that has PALM wireless coverage. The ProtoMED VO consists of a schedule, a Virtual SuperBill (VSB) that has the same layout as the physician's ProtoMED superbill, and a clinical records area for review of the patient's clinical history. BETA testing is slated for late September - we'll keep you posted.