SUCCESS STORIES
Tech-Savvy Gulf Coast Chiropractor Cures Practice Headaches with RAPID Chiropractic Software
THE CUSTOMER
Dr. Joe Ferrantelli founded Advanced Chiropractic Associates, Inc. as a family practice which sees 150-200 patients in a typical work week.
THE PROBLEM
The doctor tried several solutions to avoid manual input of daily notes and convoluted report processes. All were hard to use; staff resisted.
THE SOLUTION
Acquiring RAPID chiropractic software enabled Dr. Joe to automate input of clinical notes using graphical helpers and check lists and to build sophisticated electronic patient records. Concise interim and final reports are now produced with a few keystrokes.
THE RESULTS
ACOM Health's clarity and ease-of-use brought instant staff buy-in. Addition of RAPID's Patient self-registration Kiosk further reduced front office labor. Efficiency soared, reimbursements accelerated; professional relationships blossomed. Delays, denials and audits: history...
BENEFITS
- Automated notes
- Instant reports
- Better referral relations
- Minimal training
- Fast staff acceptance
- Smoother office operations
- Better patient records
- Faster reimbursements
No stranger to computers and software systems, Dr. Joe Ferrantelli, D.C. tried a number of solutions in his office,
but nothing he tried had helped very much. He still had to scribe and key in daily notes, and paper-based reporting
process remained cumbersome.
Staff was resistant because software often was hard to learn and difficult to use, so the office routinely fell behind
on documentation. That impacted many things: productivity within the office; relationships with attorneys and
referring doctors; and ultimately, whether and how quickly claims were paid.
Busy, specialized practice
A graduate of Life University School of Chiropractic and Florida State University, Dr. Ferrantelli founded Advanced
Chiropractic Associates, Inc., a six-year-old family practice that emphasizes the structural rehabilitation of spinal
injuries resulting from automobile, sports and workplace accidents.
He specializes in procedures using the Clinical Biomechanics of Posture/Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) Technique,
which employs specialized devices to correct subluxations that underlie spinal and pelvic injuries, deformities and
the accompanying pain. Besides the doctor, the practice comprises an office staff of four, who also assist with
procedures, and a massage therapist. The practice sees 150-200 patients in a typical work week.
Automated notes; instant reports
Dr. Ferrantelli installed the clinical notes and reporting solution from the ACOM Health. He now records SOAP notes on a tablet computer during patient visits using interactive checklists and graphics.
What the doctor sees: graphical helpers and checklists enable doctors to reduce or eliminate scribing, automate
notes and build comprehensive, detailed electronic patient records.
RAPID makes it easy to keep detailed, accessible records because everything goes directly into the patient
file automatically. We can get information to attorneys and referring physicians quickly when they need it, which
encourages more referrals,” said Dr. Ferrantelli.
Each helper on his tablet has detailed, customizable associated text that the system uses to build highly organized
electronic patient files automatically. RAPID’s library of on-board formats allows doctors to produce clear,
case-specific outcomes assessment and final reports instantly, complete with coding and compliance support, with
a few keystrokes.
Two weeks to expertise!
Within two weeks all staff members were “expert” in using the system. “RAPID Documentation is the most user-friendly solution we’ve seen and the support we get is fast and comprehensive,” said Dr. Ferrantelli.
Further reducing front office labor, the Patient self-registration kiosk feature has reduced a one-hour job to 15
minutes and the data entered even inaugurates the patient file. Outcomes assessment reports and finals are
generated in either electronic or (occasionally) paper format, bulleted for easy reading and reference.
Dr. Ferrantelli amplifies his automated notes quickly via the tablet computer handwriting interface. In addition,
coding support prompts help identify all billable treatments and support demonstration of medical necessity.
The office functions more smoothly now: reports are consistently current; staff time has been diverted to treatment
support and revenue generating activities; attorneys and referring physicians refer more because of faster, better
query responses. Overall, reimbursements arrive faster, with virtually no delays or denials. And no audits.
“We recommend it to other doctors enthusiastically and we are building out our implementation to comprise the
whole RAPID chiropractic office suite,” said Dr. Ferrantelli.
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Next Steps
