With MedInformatix Patient Portal, Indiana Eye Practice Sees Increased Traffic Ahead

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With the addition of the MedInformatix Patient Portal Module to its Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) platform, Price Vision Group anticipates its patient capacity to increase by more than 15 percent in 2013. Using the secure portal, patients can answer questions about their medical history well before the visit, eliminating the need to fill out responses on a clipboard upon arrival and reducing the overall time they spend in the office.

Price Vision Group, which is owned by Francis W. Price Jr., M.D., a cornea subspecialist who trains ophthalmic surgeons from around the world at the site, is the leading standalone U.S. practice for cornea transplants, logging more than 600 procedures annually. Through the portal, the practice aims to enhance the patient experience through education, making available streaming video of procedures such as various cornea transplants and cataract surgery.

Once installed by May, the MedInformatix Patient Portal will provide patients with an online questionnaire that is attractive and easy to navigate, unlike the practice's existing one-size-fits-all product that requires patients to click cells against a gray interface and answer questions not necessarily designed for ophthalmology. The new portal will complete a triad of MedInfomatix products, enabling patient data to be entered and shared seamlessly, in a line-for-line match, from one module to another.

Timing for these streamlined processes couldn't be better given cost pressures due to reimbursement cuts and rising overhead. "We need some way of expediting patients," said Tony Sterrett, Practice Administrator. "Introducing the new portal not only makes life easier for the patient, but also it helps us."

The MedInformatix Patient Portal enables patients to initiate and complete routine administrative tasks from home computers or mobile devices without the worry of privacy breaches. The module features encrypted transmission and is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The portal's capabilities include the following:

• Appointments – Patients can describe their medical condition, select an option from available appointments and submit an appointment request online.
• Insurance – Patients can select their insurance carrier in a dropdown menu, update information and make payments online via credit card.
• Prescription Refills – Through integration with the MedInformatix E-Prescribing Module, patients can request refills and upon approval by the practice, have the request routed to their preferred pharmacy for pickup.
• Patient History – Before appointments, patients can complete family and medical history and demographic data, and list active medications and dosages on the portal.  A practice physician later reviews the information with the patient in person to confirm accuracy.

Other components of the MedInformatix product suite, the EHR and PM, provide ample support to the busy practice that sees 18,750 patients annually and a stream of eye surgeons who sharpen their skills by watching Dr. Price or by working on human tissue in wet labs. The modules automate a bevy of key tasks from patient charting to tracking physician productivity to distinguishing Level II and Level III procedures for custom financial reporting.

"Price Vision Group has always focused on utilizing the latest technology to provide the best possible care to our patients and MedInformatix helps us achieve that goal," Sterrett said.

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's 25 years of workflow expertise. MedInformatix's suite of products is 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 serviced specialties, MedInformatix accommodates their needs. MedInformatix can turn the dream of a paperless, integrated practice into a reality.

MedInformatix Version 7.5 is now certified to meet 2011-2012 criteria supporting Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment act (ARRA) as a Complete EHR by the Drummond Group.

This Complete EHR is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

MedInformatix, October 22, 2010, Version 7.5, 1022201024238, Clinical Quality Measures: NQF0013, NQF0421, NQF0041, NQF0024, NQF0028, NQF0038, NQF0059, NQF0061, NQF0064. Additional software used: TrueCrypt v2.0, email software, spreadsheet software.  

SOURCE MedInformatix