ACOM’s RAPID Complete is the Practice Automation Solution
at Iowa Husband-Wife Chiropractic Clinic
BACKGROUND
Both graduates of the Cleveland Chiropractic College,
Kansas City, the Wondras operate a family practice,
handling accident and workers compensation cases, sports
injuries, geriatric treatment and wellness programs, with
specialized services including mechanical traction tables
and electro-stimulation. Dr. Lauri is also certified in
acupuncture. The husband-wife team operates the practice
with the help of a part-time office administrator.
When Doctors Lauri and Tim Wondra opened Wondra
Family Chiropractic in the historic Mississippi River town of
Fort Madison, Iowa in 2004, they didn’t exactly immerse
themselves in technology, initially depending on
handwritten notes and reports and a PC-based accounting
and billing software solution.
PROBLEM
Within a couple of years, however, things had changed.
Clinic workflow was increasing nicely; Dr. Lauri had
recently joined the board of the Advantage Chiropractic
Network, a doctor-owned nonprofit affiliate of Ankenyheadquartered
Iowa Chiropractic Society, and there were
indications from many quarters – including third-party
payers and the Federal government – that electronic
medical records would soon be mandatory.
For recording SOAP notes, the Wondras employed a paper
form that allowed them to complete three sets of daily
notes on each side of a note sheet. In many cases, they
could simplify the notes process by simply circling
indications preprinted on the form. For some payers, such
as Blue Cross, they could submit the notes as-taken in lieu
of a more formal report. For others, including auto
insurance companies, the notes were typed up and
submitted as a report.
SOLUTION
As a member of the Advantage Chiropractic Network, Dr.
Lauri was privy to the negotiations that the network entered
into with various payers and the evolving standards that led
to more effective procedures and more favorable
compensation arrangements.
“There has been a strong movement within the Advantage
Chiropractic Network to make electronic records
mandatory so that the carriers they work with could
achieve claim-handling economies that in turn would result
in better compensation for network members,” she said.
“We had been in practice since May, 2004 -- less than two
years -- and were still in a fairly early stage of
development. So rather than wait for a mandate, we
decided that we would make the change sooner, rather
than put it off and incorporate a whole new way of doing
things after the practice was full-grown and we were very
busy. In retrospect, it was a good decision.”
“Importantly, the Advantage Chiropractic Network had
decided at about the same time to enter into a partnership
arrangement with the ACOM Healthcare Business
Division,” Dr. Lauri says. “As an ICS (Iowa Chiropractic
Society) member I had had seen the system demonstrated
at conventions. I was impressed with the system and the
direction it was taking.”
Continue to next page ---> |
Download PDF