LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 -- "At one time, women in our area who felt a breast lump had to wait six weeks for a mammogram," Phyllis Fulk said. "Now they can get one the same day—and have their results before they leave the office."
Fulk, administrator at leading Kansas City, Missouri-based radiology practice Imaging For Women, is proud of the breakthroughs in women's health that have been pioneered at her clinic. Chief among these are the operational efficiencies; despite the presence of just one radiologist, Imaging For Women is able to complete over 200 procedures per day, and in most cases have the report back to the referring physician within one hour.
"From the start of our practice in 1997, we knew that workflow, along with customer service, would be the key to our concept. Everything had to be efficient, from patient scheduling to claim submissions and report generation," Fulk recalled. To automate many of its processes, a Radiology Information System (RIS) was one of Imaging For Women's first investments—but as time went on, the clinic realized it needed an upgrade.
"We had been using a RIS developed by a local vendor. It was good, but as our software roadmap matured we determined it was time for a more complete package, one that could also be better customized to fit our business model," she noted.
After extensive search and evaluation, Imaging For Women selected the MedInformatix RIS. A comprehensive Radiology Information System that encompasses scheduling, registration, technologist and radiologist workflows, billing, EDI custom reporting and collections, MedInformatix RIS can be easily customized by the practice to suit its specific requirements and workflow. "We liked the way the Electronic Medical Record functionality married with the management pieces," stated Fulk. "It also had the ability to easily interface with our PACS system."
Imaging For Women installed the MedInformatix RIS in early 2008. "I'd been through five major software conversions throughout my career, so I was worried about the interface issues. The MedInformatix interface team is without a doubt one of the best I have encountered," she reported, adding that MedInformatix wrote the interface for the practice's GE ViewPoint reporting software. "The integration reduces our need for double-keying into our radiology equipment, transcription and dictation. Everything is auto-populated, and coding and keying mistakes are kept to an absolute minimum," she said.
MedInformatix' partnership with revenue cycle management company ZirMed has also made a
major difference. Because of the tight interaction between the MedInformatix and ZirMed systems, insurance claims are submitted within hours. Furthermore, Fulk states that the collections process is now almost hands-free.
"All we have to do is verify the claim before submitting for collection," she noted. "Best of all, our accounts receivable days haven't been over 24 days in the last year. In fact, we recently experienced a period when our A/R was at 19 days—our lowest ever. That's less than half the national average."
The MedInformatix RIS has admirably supported the practice's commitment to prompt, accurate and personal service. The clinic, for example, has set a 10-minute waiting room benchmark; if any patient is in the waiting room longer than the benchmark time, an administrator greets them and explains the situation.
"Our MedInformatix RIS actually has a survey capability that we use. Every month we mail at least 50 patient surveys at random, asking individuals about their wait time, experience with our facility, quality of service, etc. Occasionally we would receive 'below average' responses on wait time," Fulk said. "This is our first full year on the MedInformatix system, and we have been rated at 'good' or 'excellent' all year long."
Imaging For Women's mammogram count so far in 2009 is up 7%, and total procedures are up 3%. Paperwork has been cut by 50% and reporting errors are down dramatically. "We pride ourselves in being ahead of the game—and our workflow is now better than even we expected," Fulk stated. "With our new RIS at the core, our practice is calm, efficient and productive."
RSNA 2009 Exhibit
MedInformatix will be demonstrating its RIS product at the RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) 2009 Annual Meeting, November 29-December 4 in Chicago, from its exhibit at Booth 7336 in the North Hall of McCormick Place. For more information about the MedInformatix RIS, go to http://www.medinformatix.com/Products/radiology_information_system.htm.
About MedInformatix:
MedInformatix, Inc. (www.medinformatix.com) is a leading national provider of fully integrated Electronic Health Records. The products have been built around MedInformatix 25 years of workflow expertise. MedInformatix suites of products are designed on a single database using Microsoft SQL. Whether the client is a single physician who went live in 1994, a 13-location cardiology practice, the busiest radiology practice in Manhattan, or one of 15 other specialties it services, MedInformatix accommodates their needs. See why so many practices from various specialties choose MedInformatix. With 13 Microsoft nominations in 8 years and CCHIT certified in 2006 and 2008, MedInformatix can turn the dream of a paperless, integrated practice into a reality.
SOURCE MedInformatix
