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New optometry school plans to prepare students for EHRs
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 Christina Sorenson |
As we prepare to open the new Arizona School of Optometry at Midwestern University to its first class of students, we wanted to make sure that we were giving students the best education possible to prepare them to enter the professional environment. Part of that is educating the new generation of optometrists on the next generation of technology.
As we developed the program, it was important to us to integrate electronic health records (EHRs) into the curriculum so our students can confront the approaching deadline for EHRs with aplomb and provide exemplary patient care in both a cost- and time-efficient manner.
Need for customization
Due to the unusually large number of variables in a university setting, we needed practice management software that could be highly customized. After a thorough review period, we decided to use Compulink Eyecare Advantage and Advantage/EHR (Westlake Village, Calif.) to meet the needs of the eye clinic.
For an academic setting it is important that the practice management software is the complete package. Students need to be exposed not only to EHRs, but also to billing, scheduling, calendar appointments and data management. In addition, where a private practice may specialize in a few areas, a university clinic receives patients in a much broader array of subspecialties.
We started by first outlining everything we were going to need in the university practice management software. We then analyzed the functional templates provided by Eyecare Advantage to see how they would specifically be used within our clinic and adapted them to our workflow patterns or specific areas of emphasis.
For example, we needed to be able to customize the calendar function for a large number of providers and types of examination. Each provider may require a distinct examination length and each specialty has different types of examination.
Focusing on subspecialties
We also needed to include information for a plethora of subspecialties. In binocular vision alone we specified subspecialties such as sports vision, pediatric vision, traumatic brain injury and rehabilitative services. It is important to know all the different subspecialties your clinic will work with so you can customize your software accordingly.
In the electronic medical records portion, we customized the templates in each of the subspecialty areas based on what type of contact lens fitting could be done, what types of low vision devices we have and what other services we may offer. We tweaked dropdown menus to include all the different types of magnification systems available in low vision: the hand, the stand, lighted, electronic, video, telescopes and microscopes. We also incorporated nonoptical systems such as guide lines, lighting, working with distance and auxiliary lenses.
Billing reports
The billing area provides invaluable information for a university clinic or any private practice. Reports can be customized to reflect the entire institute or just a specific department. Finances, viability of certain functions, income generated and patient flow can all be analyzed.
We can assess how long a patient is in the clinic from check-in through check-out and evaluate where too much time is being spent, where too little time is being spent and if there are avoidable hold-ups. A successful optometry practice is a careful combination of patient care and business acumen, and this kind of software allows you to pinpoint where improvements can be made to find the successful balance.
Multiple users, interfacing with diagnostics
The academic setting also implies an unusually high number of users accessing patient records. Strict protocols can be put in place that allow both student clinicians and attending physicians to view records and make notes, while at the same time keeping the notes from the student separate from those of the attending physician. This allows students to get the practice they need while maintaining the patient under the watch of the practicing optometrist.
One of the newer applications of practice management software is the ability to interface with peripheral instruments. This allows images and data to be stored directly in a patient’s electronic file, saving time and preventing human error in the transcription process. We have found that most if not all companies are compliant with the Compulink Advantage system.
Going electronic in all aspects of the university clinic is an absolute advantage for our students, and our software choice gives us the full package. New students are exceptionally facile with all types of electronics, so encountering this system in the academic setting is just an extension of what they are already doing. Now they will leave the academic setting prepared to lead the next generation of optometric medicine.
- Christina Sorenson, OD, is assistant dean for clinical education and an associate professor at Midwestern University, Arizona School of Optometry. She can be reached at (623) 572-3900; csoren@midwestern.edu.
Editor’s note:
While this EHR system was the right fit for this application, some practitioners might find other systems better suited to their specific needs. We encourage our readers to perform a similar “due diligence” for their own practice prior to choosing an EHR system. – Michael D. DePaolis, OD, FAAO