Essential Office Technology
Computers can be a very worthwhile investment. Many day-to-day operations can be managed by this technology. Web sites are a great example of cost effective advertisements that pay for themselves. My web site
http://www.urgentcarecenter.us/ introduces the staff, showcases the business, gives directions to our locations, and allows for communication between patients, and potential patients.
We also use our computers to submit our billing, generate letters to patients, transcription, e-mail, scheduling, and of course communication between "Advance" and myself.
I have not experienced the benefits of electronic records at this point, however will explore this logical step in advancement in the near future. This can potentially save you hundreds of dollars if not thousands over the long haul. Considering that my staff makes up over 30 new charts per week, which costs incurred includes staffing time, paper, the folder itself, stickers, and patient time to fill out these forms, is simply not cost effective in today's world.
You pay for the lump sum of money on the front end of the investment for electronic records. It is absolutely worth it!
I am currently limited to time to do the research on the different software that is available, however will be making time in the near future.
We are currently implementing software that my staff and I can dictate into that allows my transcriptionist to transcribe from any location that has a computer with an Internet connection.
An answering service is utilized 24/7 in my practice, that allows patient access in emergency situations to contact me for advice. My answering service calls my cell or my home phone to relay the message. A cell phone is invaluable doing this work.
It is difficult to imagine that just a few years ago that our technology did not even support pagers, cell phones, computers, etc... You can live without these things, however they sure make your life simpler in many regards. Then again, having this constant connection to you can get very frustrating after a day of many calls coupled with a very busy day! Keeping up with the competition has always been an art in business, and I don't see this changing any time soon.