Eyeworld

re you unhappy with your current EMR system? Maybe it's becoming costly to maintain, or it's diicult to use because it's not speciically designed for ophthalmology. You may not be satisied, but the thought of switching EMR systems might seem scarier than just muddling through with a product that doesn't fully meet your needs. You might envision months of disruption to your practice, lost data, or a transition process that causes more problems than beneits. But when practices choose to work with EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems, they ind that switching doesn't have to be painful. In fact, it's usually a virtually painless experience that leads to greater eiciency and ease of use for their practice. One major reason why is that EyeMD EMR understands ophthalmology. Its system was developed solely for the ophthalmology specialty to improve clinical worklows, functionality, and practice eiciency. Every member of the company's design and leadership team has worked in an ophthalmology practice at some point, so they know just what practices need when it comes to an EMR system. "Everything is exactly what you want, where you want it, and how you want it to move and low," says Orlando Cabrera, HR/IT manager for Eye Associates of Boca Raton in Florida, which switched to EyeMD EMR from a competing product that wasn't designed speciically for ophthalmology. "It's intuitive to the doctors, scribes, and technicians." Cabrera saw how easy it is to use EyeMD EMR's system when he tested it out with a sta‰ member who's not especially tech savvy. "He was able to do a workup just by looking at the screen without any training," he says. To help practices prepare for and carry out the process of switching EMR systems, EyeMD EMR has a multistep implementation plan it follows for every transition. That includes a data transfer process and robust training options available for all new users. Dr. Gerald Spindel, owner of Spindel Eye Associates in New Hampshire, admits he was apprehensive about the data transfer element. His practice had been on the same EMR system since 1998, so there was a lot of information that needed to move from his old system to EyeMD EMR's platform. "Before we signed on the dotted line, we spent a lot of time working with the EyeMD EMR specialist who does the transfer of data," says Dr. Spindel. "He promised us it would go smoothly and in a convenient way that didn't disrupt us, and he completely delivered. It was way beyond my expectations how easily it went." Training can be done online, on-site, or a combination of the two. Palmetto Eye & Laser Center in South Carolina did all of its training online. "I was a little nervous about not having anyone on-site, because we had never done anything of this size without someone hand-holding you," says practice administrator Jennifer Winstead. "But before we even did any training online, we were able to work through the system without any help. It's just that simple. And that speaks volumes when you have that user-friendly of a system." A practice considering a switch in EMR systems might worry about access to information or the ability to continue seeing patients during the switchover. But practices that have worked with EyeMD EMR have found that the transition moves quickly with minimal disruption to their daily worklow. "I've seen practices that have had to cut back for three to four weeks, and we cut back for about three days," says Winstead. "From a patient standpoint and a inancial standpoint, that is non-impactful." Transition time tends to be measured in a few months—or sometimes just weeks—not the year or even longer length of time that many practices might envision. "We expected it to be for the long haul, but it took four to ive months to do," says Cabrera. "It was a whole lot easier than I could have ever imagined." If a practice encounters any issues during the transition process, EyeMD EMR has technicians at the ready to address questions or concerns. "If you call, you will speak to a person right away," says Cabrera. "The support has been fantastic—on the few occasions when we've had to call them." "EyeMD EMR has the best customer service of any company I've ever worked with," says Winstead. "But you almost don't need it, because you don't have any problems. We have had minimal problems and actually have minimal contact with them, which is what you want." Once the transition has been made to EyeMD EMR's platform, practices don't tend to miss their old systems. "My life is better," says Winstead. "EyeMD EMR's system is so user-friendly. We don't have the technical problems we were accustomed to before. This is probably the best decision we've made in the past ive years. And I try to recommend EyeMD EMR as much as possible." Cabrera has seen the same kinds of improvements at his practice. "It's a whole lot easier than it used to be," he says. "I get a lot less questions and it's easier on the doctors." For Spindel, the EyeMD EMR patient portal is better than what he had before, and the system makes it easier for him to communicate with other doctors and send reports to the IRIS Registry. "It's a well-developed, more robust version of what we had before," he says. "And what we're most impressed with is the passion of the leadership of EyeMD EMR. They love their product and believe in it. We've recommended EyeMD EMR to several people, and the main reason why is that its leadership is excellent." SWITCHING EMRS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PAINFUL | By Beth Luberecki | "It was a whole lot easier than I could have ever imagined." Eye Associates of Boca Raton - Sponsored Content - This ad was independently produced by EyeMD EMR. EyeWorld had no part in its production. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board, or the publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld or ASCRS.

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