While practicing medicine in the military, Dr. Nallamala realized the need for a better way to document patient encounters to improve upon the traditional paper-based charting system. During his last year and a half of service, he began to research his options and, upon moving to Huntsville, Alabama and opening his practice, was certain that he wanted his practice to utilize electronic medical records (EMR). He initially decided to implement one of the more economical choices, but after using it for some time, came to realize its limitations, prompting him to look for a more robust product.
Challenges That Needed Solutions
Dr. Nallamala was already convinced that the cost and time to document by dictation or paper was a distinct disadvantage of the non-electronic record. "My main concern with being a solo Internal Medicine practitioner was to maximize my efficiency while seeing complex patients," he comments.
Searching for an EMR Solution
His previous EMR lacked a number of critical elements that were important to him. "I sought an EMR that was built on an easily accessible and maintained database, had an easy and intuitive interface, excellent customer and technical support, and responsiveness to real time problems. I was interested in an EMR that would allow me to move away from paper charts, prescribe electronically, integrate inter-office communication with ongoing documentation of phone calls, refills, and any other patient-care contacts."
"Using FlexMedical allows me to show documentation that can be used for new Pay-For-Performance bonuses..."
FlexMedical's Benefits
Dr. Nallamala credits FlexMedical with making his office more efficient and streamlines many of his processes:
Eliminating The Need For Extra Staff
"I'm able to minimize my staff using FlexMedical. Using it has replaced at least one employee at a fraction of the cost. No extra staff hours are now needed for pulling and filing charts, faxing paperwork (e.g. prescriptions) and handling incoming reports and letters."
Saving Time
"Every patient encounter is handled electronically which allows a complete medical record and maximum reimbursement by accurate documentation. I am able to quickly see all past encounters, the plans, and the implementation. That allows me to quickly ‘get up to speed’ with a patient and handle the next problem."
Greater Reimbursements
"I am able to quickly and accurately document every encounter and follow preventive maintenance benchmarks easily. Using FlexMedical allows me to show documentation that can be used for new Pay-For-Performance bonuses given by third-party insurers and Medicare."
Conclusion
Dr. Nallamala offers this advice for those looking at EMRs: "FlexMedical is a robust, dependable, easily customizable, powerful EMR for a very reasonable price. The return on investment is exceedingly high. Compare any other EMR you are considering to FlexMedical before you make a purchasing decision."