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Frequently Asked Questions1. Is Medical Net Systems ENCOUNTERSUITE an ASP? What is an ASP?
Yes, Medical Net Systems ENCOUNTERSUITE is an ASP, or Application Service Provider. When you subscribe to an ASP, you access the software by simply connecting to the Internet. As part of your subscription fee, Medical Net Systems maintains the system, constantly adding new features to the service and upgrading the servers and other hardware, etc. You only need to be online. Your subscription to Medical Net Systems provides you with the latest technology and innovations for your medical history. Large institutions may prefer to have the source code on their server. This could be arranged.
See Getting Started. No, you do not need a Web site. To connect to your medical history site, you simply use the URL (Web address) Medical Net Systems gives you.
MNS ENCOUNTERSUITE does the utmost to protect patient confidentiality. MNS ENCOUNTERSUITE uses industry standard encryption via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections, the same data security widely used for transmitting sensitive data such as credit card numbers. These transmissions are virtually impossible for outsiders to break.
How is the Patient Generated Medical History different from present history taking? Up to now, there have been two basic methods of taking a medical history: the interview process and the patient questionnaire. In the interview process, the health professional asks a question and based on the patient's response, asks a series of follow-up questions. This method can produce a comprehensive history, provided the health professional has the time to ask the appropriate follow-up questions. The problem with this method is that it is very time-consuming and therefore costly. When the health professional has limited time or forgets to ask all the pertinent questions, then the quality of the history suffers. The patient questionnaire is filled out by the patient; the health professional is not involved in the process. However, the questionnaire produces a very superficial and poorly organized history. Usually the patient will check his or her symptom(s). There is no in-depth exploration of that symptom. For example, if a patient indicates he or she has diarrhea, the additional dozen follow-up questions about diarrhea are not asked. If all the appropriate follow-up questions for each symptom and disease were on the questionnaire, the questionnaire would be hundreds of pages long. Finally, the completed questionnaire provides the physician with a disorganized list of checks scattered throughout the questionnaire. MNS PGMH combines the best aspects of both history taking methods into a revolutionary new paradigm. The patient completes the medical history prior to seeing the physician. The questions are self-explanatory and can be answered by most people. Unlike a questionnaire, MNS PGMH allows the patient tell his or her story, fears, and concerns in his or her words, thus giving you better insight into the patient. When a patient indicates he or she has a symptom or medical condition, MNS PGMH will ask the appropriate follow-up questions, just like the health care professional would. Thus a comprehensive medical history tailored to the patient's complaints is generated. Finally, PGMH displays the patient's history in a well-organized, concise report.
Is ENCOUNTERSUITE an electronic medical record (EMR)? Yes, MNS ENCOUNTERSUITE is an electronic medical record. An electronic record is a system that compiles the various aspects of the patient's history, physical, laboratory, consulting reports, etc. into one digital entity. MNS EncounterSuite does this and more. If a patient stops in the middle of doing the PGMH, what happens? If a patient is interrupted, he or she can go back later and pick up where he or she left off. So you can interrupt a patient and view the history he or she have already entered. The most germane items for the visit, the chief complaint, medical diseases, and medications, are completed first. Then after you're finished, the patient can go back and complete the history. If it takes a patient with several illnesses about 30-40 minutes to complete a history for the first time, won't that tie up my schedule? A patient completing the PGMH can be interrupted, returns to it later, and pick up right where he or she left off. Thus you can see the patient when you are ready and not have to wait for the patient to complete the entire history. 1. Implement using the system gradually. Plan to use it initially on a limited number of patients. This will allow your office staff to get accustomed to integrating the PGMH into your workflow. 4. Be sure you have enough computers to accommodate the number of patients you anticipate using the history at the same time. Some of my patients are computer phobic. What can I do with them? There will be some patients who will not use MNS PGMH. It is important to realize the real power of the MNS PGMH: Getting a comprehensive, pertinent medical history without any effort on your part. If the patient and his or her relatives are unable to complete MNS PGMH, consider having an office assistant with little or no medical expertise help the patient. This will still put you way ahead of the game. Remember that investing your staff's time in completing the first history pays off in subsequent visits when the history just needs to be updated, which is generally a very short process. Can patients complete their PGMH at home on their own computer? Yes. In order to save time in the office, reduce the number of office computers required, and increase patient satisfaction, the PGMH is designed to allow the patient to complete the history questionnaire at home. This also allows the patient to enter his or her medications at home, where the medication names are readily available to them. This can be done one of two ways:
Can MNS ENCOUNTERSUITE work in a multi-specialty clinic? MNS ENCOUNTERSUITE is even more powerful for a multi-specialty group. All the patient has to do is answer why they are in the office today, and update the medical history. |
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