Is Your ENT Software Stuck in the Dark Ages?

ENTer the Modern Age With an EHR and Software Made for Otolaryngology

Successful otolaryngologists recognize when it’s time to update their practice software. Your patients are waiting longer, busy work is keeping you extra busy and there’s a vague sense that you’re not making the same money you once did.

Don’t fall behind your ENT colleagues who chose to modernize.

New ENT EMR, practice management and analytics software can add value for you, your practice, your staff and even your patients. Improving efficiency, streamlining your billing and enhancing your interaction with patients – yes, face-to-face – can boost your overall quality of life. A better experience for your patients from less waiting, easier appointments and stress-free follow-up reminders can generate more positive reviews about your ENT practice online.

How Modern Software can Drive Better Practice Management

See for yourself how intuitive EMA, the award-winning ENT EHR software, can be. Otolaryngologist Dr. David Lehman, a physician employed at Modernizing Medicine®, demonstrates how he can enter a chief complaint in the system in this 40 second video.

With ENT software this speedy, you can spend more time on your patient exams, especially when you access a cloud-based ENT EMR directly on an iPad. Less time clicking around a keyboard and navigating clunky software can really add up throughout your professional day. In fact, greater practice efficiency can spill over to after hours, freeing you up to focus on your life outside the office.

Sound too good to be true? Watch this brief video and find out how otolaryngologist Dr. Renee Walker got her evenings back after switching to EMA ENT software. She points out how the award-winning EHR system – ranked #1 in Black Book™ surveys for five consecutive years – gave her back free time she thought she had lost with her old system.

It’s not just about choosing an efficient ENT EHR. Many otolaryngologists search for a complete solution to increase the efficiency of their practices even further.

Fortunately, you and your staff can enjoy a seamless experience when you combine EMA and ENT practice management software. This strategy can improve workflow, increase financial visibility and boost your billing performance.

The all-in-one strategy also helps eliminate extra steps for you and your staff – streamlining the whole workday experience. For example, automated suggested ICD-10 coding can save time during each patient encounter as well.

Are you considering such a new ENT EMR and practice management combination? Smart move, especially if the technology is both mobile and cloud-based. This way, you can access your patients’ records from any secure internet connection and communicate across your practice much more conveniently.

Furthermore, consider a time-saving kiosk right in your office waiting room. When patients check in for an appointment, they also can verify their insurance and contact information right on the kiosk and confirm their primary reason for the visit. All this can save your staff valuable time at check-in.

Watch this brief video to see how an iPad-based kiosk system works, and how it can benefit you and your patients from the moment they step through your door.

You’re in Control

A modern ENT software system should tell you, in real time, how you’re practice is performing. You should be able to access data quickly that shows you are running efficiently. From the number of patients you see, to how quickly you’re getting reimbursed by insurance, you should see it all in at a glance or in flexible, customizable and comprehensive reports.

Find your room for improvement – use ENT analytics software to flag where you need to focus to make your practice more successful. Also check benchmark data so you know how you’re doing compared to your ENT peers. Do you practice in a competitive market? Keeping an eye on your efficiency relative to others in the otolaryngology field can help your business stay successful.

Make MIPS More Manageable

Didn’t enter medicine to spend hours meeting regulatory requirements? You’re not alone. For example, some physicians report spending a great deal of time meeting the standards for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

Again, the right technology can come to the rescue. Look for ENT software with advanced analytics that allows you to collect, evaluate and submit your MIPS data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Such a strategy can help save your staff time by obviating the need to submit MIPS data manually.

The right system can also show you your estimated score and performance based on your data in EMA, so you know in real time how you’re performing on MIPS. That, in turn, can help you to determine whether you’re meeting the otolaryngology MACRA criteria and doing what you need to demonstrate value-based care, or even give you information on changes you might want to make to keep on the right path.

Some software allows you to collect your ENT MIPS data during a patient exam, in real time. Also look for the capability to calculate your estimated MIPS composite score and score on individual measures – again, so you know you’re on track. Check your performance as a benchmark compared to other ENTs as often as you like, even daily.

Speaking of the ‘big picture,’ choose ENT EHR software that can dive deep into population trends, care utilization and quality measures. You can gain even more valuable insights to keep your ENT practice viable and competitive, both now and in the future.

Make sure your ENT EHR software comes with these essential features, so you can focus more time on your patients and less time with your head buried in data entry and regulatory paperwork.

So you can have advance practice analytics, keep track of your value-based ENT care, and – bonus – find out how you’re doing with your most important practice asset, your patients. An ENT software system that generates patient survey feedback for you, for example, can help you continuously improve how you interact with patients. This in turn can help keep your patients engaged in your practice and their own healthcare.

Choosing a new software platform and making the switch can seem like a daunting task. But it does not have to be. Don’t go it alone. Some ENT software vendors will work closely with you during the sales pitch, but essentially disappear after you sign the contract. Look for a vendor who will stick with you throughout the process – listen to your questions, help you customize the ENT software to your needs (not theirs) and offer ongoing customer support to help you optimize your new practice efficiency long after installation.

In fact, that is an important question — what are a vendor’s client services or customer support services like? A reputable vendor will gladly supply a list of ENT practices that already use their software system as references. Make a list of questions you want to ask them, including how satisfied are other otolaryngologists and ENT practice staff with their new software? How much time are they saving on data input and not working around outdated technology? How has the software changed the way the doctor and staff interact with patients on a daily basis?

Invest in Your Future

You’ve devoted so much to your medical education, training and ENT patient care – keep up the great momentum with a modern EHR, practice management system and more. While you’re considering your options, why not choose an ENT software system designed by otolaryngologists for otolaryngologists?

Consider how valuable your time and expertise are – and don’t short-change yourself with technology that was designed for all physicians, regardless of specialty or patient population. An off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all software system might seem like an appealing solution, but you could be sacrificing long-term success when you compromise on the specialty-specific features, the very ones designed to help make your professional life easier.

Prepare Yourself for Future Success

Also, when you’re ready to purchase your ENT software system, think ahead. Try to envision your needs as a successful practice that expands in the future. How scalable is the software you’re considering? Can you easily add a new provider, more patients or additional locations?

Also, like all of medicine, otolaryngology is constantly evolving. You may not know what you’ll need in 5 years, but you’ll rest easier if you choose a system that changes with your practice and the ENT field overall.

In other words, don’t just invest in your practice, your staff, your patients and yourself. Invest in your future success at the same time. Your future self just might thank you.

Still not sure which system is really right for you and your ENT practice? Read success stories from other otolaryngologists who’ve made the switch to more modern ENT software. Sometimes seeing how a colleague or two forged a successful path ahead can be reassuring, and help you decide it’s time to make the switch to a more modern, intuitive and easier to use ENT EMR and practice management system.

Learn More

Congratulations for doing your due diligence and getting this far in your online research of ENT software systems. It’s time to take the next step.

See for yourself how Modernizing Medicine can meet or exceed many of your ENT practice needs with award-winning software designed by otolaryngologists, for otolaryngologists.