ModMed® Otolaryngology Helps Improve Work-Life Balance and Patient Engagement

Learn how Caring ENT benefits from using an all-in-one ENT software solution

Otolaryngologist Veling Tsai, MD experienced multiple EHR systems since 2008 and had yet to find one whose features were most useful. His practice, Caring ENT, had systems that did not communicate well, especially with outside billing vendors, insurance companies and Medicare.

In 2014, the practice adopted EMA^®, the award-winning* ENT EHR system from ModMed^® which helped increase efficiency in many aspects of the business. Last year, they added the Practice Management platform, and were happy to see more streamlined workflows and communication in the office. Dr. Tsai provides examples and shares insight into the benefits the ENT software provides. 

LEARNING MADE EASY

ModMed’s training is fairly straightforward because it’s web-based. If you have a browser, you’re able to go on the system and learn, which is especially valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Working on an intuitive ENT software system has also reduced the overall need for IT consults. With ModMed, I haven’t had the need to call for troubleshooting because a lot of it is self-explanatory.

AN ALL-IN-ONE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT SAVES TIME

My previous system required me to make a choice—chart in real time, or optimize patient care. So, I saved much of my charting workload for the end of the day and took it home with me. With EMA, by the time I finish seeing a patient, most of the chart is complete and all I have to do is enter my assessment and e-Prescribe. As a result, the ENT EHR has saved me at least a couple of hours of my daily routine.

Also, having an all-in-one system saves my staff and me time from reviewing next-day patients. Previously, I would have to click through separate programs to see who was on the schedule and confirm everything was ready, including scans, preoperative lab results and more. Now, when I log in to EMA, I can easily look at my schedule, see who’s having surgery tomorrow, click on that patient and it provides me a direct link to the chart. I can pull up their CT scans or pre-op labs to make sure everything is good for surgery.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT MATTERS

The key thing for me as a physician is seeing patients rather than charting. Patients not only see their physicians for a clinical diagnosis and treatment, but for compassion and personalized care. It’s more challenging to provide that one-on-one care when a doctor spends most of the encounter interacting with technology instead of the patient. If you spend more than a third of your time charting, that’s lost time seeing patients and actually providing good patient care.

Looking directly at my patients takes on additional importance and meaning. For example, a lot of my patients come in for hearing loss. So, if I’m not looking at them and talking directly to them, they may not understand my questions. Because EMA works seamlessly on an iPad, it enables me to spend more time face-to-face with patients. 

DIAGNOSIS-DRIVEN WORKFLOWS

We’re all taught in medical school to start notes with a history and physical, and then the assessment plan. It’s very chronological. However, EMA’s notes are diagnosis-driven, which improves the workflow and saves me time. Once the diagnosis is determined, I click on pertinent findings and the software auto-populates. This replaces a need for manual input for each anatomic system. As a bonus, the most common diagnoses and assessment plans appear near the top–not in alphabetical order–streamlining the process.  

I credit Dr. David Lehman, an otolaryngologist himself and one of the software coders at ModMed, for providing features and time-saving shortcuts that make life easier for ENTs.

CONTINUOUS EVOLVEMENT 

I appreciate that the ENT software solutions are flexible. ModMed is very receptive to feedback and the regular improvements to the software over time mean that the platform is constantly evolving.

After using several other systems, I’ve realized that what I need, what has made my life better and my workflow easier, is ModMed Otolaryngology. 

Disclaimer: The statements and conclusions contained herein reflect the opinions of Dr. Veling Tsai and not those of ModMed. ModMed makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of any such information.

*2021 Black Book^™