For the month of March we're spending a lot of time on the blog talking about profitability in your practice, and ways to help you reach your "pot-o-gold". And we know that running an eyecare practice doesn't come cheap, so every penny counts!

With Vision Expo just around the corner, you might be thinking about making a few big purchases whether it's optometry software, new tools and instruments, or a new inventory of frames. So we thought it would be a good time to re-visit our total cost of ownership worksheet. We created this worksheet to help practices evaluate the costs of different practice management and EHR systems. But, it could also be used as a template to help you evaluate other big purchases for your practice. And, if you like the total cost of ownership worksheet, you should check out the whole eBook, Selecting a Practice Management an EHR Solution. 

What's The Total Cost of Your Optometry Software?

For those of you who are starting with Meaningful Use this year, some of these might sound familiar:

But what do all those acronyms mean? We’ll give you a clue… They are all related to the government entity in-charge of the Meaningful Use Program. We’ve picked out these four acronyms because understanding these basics will help you get a clear picture of what Meaningful Use is all about and why it is important to the healthcare industry. Most importantly, it’s a great place to get started before you look into how to fulfil the meaningful use criteria for optometrists.

We understand that making a big change in your optometry software can be tough, and sometimes even daunting. With hundreds of different technology options available, it can get confusing to realize which option is the right one for you. But the only way you'll know is if you take the time to see what all is out there! We can't make the decision for you, but one thing we can help you with is understanding all the hardware and IT costs associated with certain types of practice management and EHR systems.

Costs to Think About When Purchasing an Optometry Software

Am I In Charge of Installation and Maintenance?

If you're planning on purchasing a new practice management solution, you'll need to factor in the costs of potential IT support that you might need to install and maintain your system. If you purchase a client-server system, not only will you have to install the software on each computer, but you'll have to setup and maintain a server in your practice. Server setup and maintenance requires a lot of technical knowledge that might require you to outsource the work to an IT consultant. This is where the costs can add up. With cloud-based practice management your software and servers are hosted and maintained outside of your practice by your vendor, so maintenence isn't an extra cost you would have to worry about.

If you are looking for a new practice management and EHR software, among the many things that you have to consider, picking out third party solutions might be one of them. A lot of practices use a variety of solutions, such as clearinghouses and ePrescribing, to manage their practice. And a lot of these tools do not come with the practice management and EHR solution. That’s where many practices look to integrate their third party tools. But that isn’t the only option. Today’s post will break down the difference between integrated and embedded tools and you get to decide which will work better for your practice.

Integrated vs. Embedded Tools: Differences They Can Make In Your EHR Software

Integrated

When it comes to software in your practice, integrations are the process of bringing together more than one software system into another and ensuring the systems work seamlessly together. It’s essentially combining two separate systems to work as one. You will have to purchase each software separately, and then deal with the process of getting them set up to work together, which includes installing the software in each computer in your practice, usually through a CD. The interfaces will look different and you might have to login another time, even though you are already in your practice management software. Also, by using third party solutions, you are paying extra and managing separate agreements for the integrations on top of the practice management and EHR you are already paying for.

Embedded

An embedded tool is an application that is already built into a software, instead of being purchased, integrated, and managed separately. Instead of purchasing tools as a separate software that you have to integrate with your system, some practice management and EHRs already come with embedded tools. This means that you can cut the additional third-party fees from your monthly spending and there is no need to deal with manual integrations. With tools already embedded into the software, you are able to use it all seamlessly without switching interfaces, or having separate logins. Many practice management and EHR software in the current market do not have embedded tools and those that do, might not have what you want. So it might help to make a list of tools that you already use before you start shopping around.

Embedded vs. integrated tools is just an example of terms that are similar and yet different when it comes to purchasing your next practice management and EHR software. So we've created a handy dictionary to help you differentiate between terms and acronyms you need to know before you start your buying process. Download our eBook to find out more!

When it comes to meaningful use and optometry EHR software there are a lot of terms and acronyms thrown around. Some you might know and understand, others you might not. So we want to break down the basics of a few terms that are important for you to know and understand when moving forward with Meaningful Use. Today, we're going to break down the differences between EMR and EHR, and modular and complete EHR certification.

Understanding the Basics of Optometry EHR
and EMR

EMR

EMR stands for electronic medical record. EMRs are medical records that include all health documentation for one patient covering all services from only one provider. As an OD, you have would an EMR for one patient, and that patient's primary care provider would in turn have a sepreate EMR for that same patient, and so one for each of that patient's specific healthcare providers.

EMRs allow you to track data over time, identify patients for screenings and check-ups, check how patients are doing against certain parameters, and monitor and improve that quality of care within your practice.