A sure-fire way to empower patients is to provide them information relevant to their treatment. It's such an important tool that the government mandated that, to be certified under the Meaningful Use program, an EHR has to provide a platform for offering those resources electronically.

And that's exactly what we've developed: a simple way to send clients links to useful resources such as research articles, video clips, or newspaper stories. You can select what links to send in two ways:

1. Identify resources through your personal web searches or a library of articles your clinic might have collected; or
2. Navigate to a form in ClinicTracker that, based on search criteria related to diagnosis, medications, or lab results, will take you to relevant articles in Medline/PubMed

Rather than requiring you to print or email this information (which are still options), your resources will be instantly made available through the Patient Portal. Identify the links you want to send and your patients will see them the next time they log into the Portal. You can even check if they've clicked on any of the links you identified.

Patient education is another important clinic function that ClinicTracker automates for you. Immediate access to 35,000+ articles and a vehicle for selecting and transmitting them through the system makes the process easy for your staff.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule governs the extent to which providers must safeguard a patient's privacy. A major tenet of those regulations is that only individuals who absolutely need access to a particular client's record should have it. In HIPAA parlance, this principle is known as the Minimum Necessary requirement (learn more about the HIPAA Privacy Rule).

Other EHR software programs can only limit access based on a staff member's overall role in the agency. For example, an administrator might be able to say, "All front office staff can have permission to modify demographic information, but they can't gain access to patient notes." But what if a certain administrative assistant needs access to some other parts of the record for clients in a particular subspecialty clinic? The average EHR won't let you manage those contingencies.

In typical fashion, ClinicTracker exceeds most programs in letting managers tailor features to exacting criteria. Its superiority derives from limiting access based on specific client characteristics, not general staff roles. With ClinicTracker, that same administrator can tell the program, "This staff member can have read-only access to clients in the Chemical Dependence unit who are in the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Group" and "Another staff member can have full access to the chart, but only for patients assigned to her caseload."

With ClinicTracker Connect you can make sure that only the right people with the right privileges at the right times can gain access to a client's personal data. You will always know you're able to comply with  the Minimum Necessary requirement.

Here are just a few examples of how you can use ClinicTracker to control access to protected health information:

• Limit or grant access to client records based on patient group and/or place of service
• Grant a particular clinician permissions to see only the patients that have been assigned to him or her
• Specify each users' access level to various areas of the client record

ClinicTracker can enforce all of the HIPAA security requirements, even the more complex sub-rules that force differential access based on multiple patient criteria.

ClinicTracker's high-powered Scheduler has all the functionality of a Microsoft Outlook-type scheduling solution, but with far more features tailored to the nuances of a clinical setting. Having the Scheduler tied into an all-encompassing practice management and billing system means that all the information flows from one part of the system to another. Point to a scheduled event and begin documenting the appointment and writing your progress note. No need to re-enter any information about the patient, date, time, clinician, or service code. An integrated solution lets you select a scheduled patient and gain access to contact information, open balances, payor mix, and the full range of clinical information.

With ClinicTracker's Scheduler you can:

• Manage schedules for staff, patients, rooms, and groups
• View multiple schedules side-by-side
• Receive pop-up alerts on-screen when your patient is checked in
• Grant specific users read-only or full access to your schedule
• Use advanced recurrences (e.g., every third Thursday)
• Use the Find Available Appointment feature to locate open time slots for other users
• Use color-coding to distinguish different event types
• Customize your settings and create multiple favorite views that you can retrieve on-demand
• Manage a check-in sheet that shows which patients are in your office at any given time
• Track travel time and distance

Conflict Checking

One of the many powerful features of the Scheduler is its ability to check for appointment conflicts:

• Prevents/warns against double-booking staff
• Prevents/warns against double-booking an office location 
• Prevents/warns against double-booking a patient or even having multiple appointments with the same service code for the same day (which might make one of the appointments non-reimbursable)
• Warns if you schedule an event outside the hours set for the staff member or the agency as a whole

The system displays a fully-detailed warning if it detects a conflict. You can then decide whether to go ahead with scheduling the event or explore other options. 

Integrations

The Scheduler works seamlessly with two software solutions:

• Google Maps for real-time routing and tracking of case miles for off-site work.
• Appointment Reminder Call Service (an optional ClinicTracker module) that generates reminder calls based on scheduled appointments

ClinicTracker records all client encounters. BillingTracker generates claims and records payments. But what if you want a full financial analysis of your operation? 

BillingTracker integrates with two powerful and award winning accounting systems:

1. Abila MIP Fund Accounting (Community Brands) is the award-winning tool for managing payables, receivables, grants, complex allocations, projecting budgets, tracking funds, and forecasting cash flow. A tight integration with Abila MIP Fund Accounting makes converting your billing data into valuable accounting information a simple and transparent process.
2. Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge NXT is the first cloud-based fundraising and relationship management solution. It's smart, all-inclusive, fully-integrated, and built with nonprofits in mind. This fundraising software, with its advanced technology, will help you grow your constituent base, cultivate new revenue streams, and expand your organization’s impact like never before.

Create Direct Integration Links

1. Connect BillingTracker insurers to funding sources
2. Link ClinicTracker sub-specialty programs to programs or reporting units
3. Associate insurers with receivable/revenue accounts

Simple Import/Export Process

1. Filter export files by program and date range
2. Review export files in Notepad or our viewer utility
3. Process your import files by logging directly into Abila MIP from BillingTracker or import them through Blackbaud

What is Fund Accounting?

Commercial organizations have accounting systems that measure product, division, and company performance by gain and loss of profits. Accounting systems for nonprofit organizations (and sometimes governmental agencies) only begin by measuring incoming and outgoing monies—they must do much more. Nonprofits have social and legal responsibilities that extend beyond the balance sheet. They must also carefully track and report on separate sums as they move though their programs in the forms of funds. Major donations and grants are commonly given with a set of specific and unique requirements, restrictions, and responsibilities. The associated funds are either restricted or unrestricted. Failure to demonstrate that restricted funds have been used correctly can have some serious organizational consequences, including termination of executives, loss of funding, and worst case, loss of tax-exempt status. 

*Abila is part of the Community Brands family.

Abila MIP Fund Accounting

Cut hours or days off of your reporting cycle by creating the reports you need within the system. No more manipulating data with external spreadsheets or fighting with complex, external report-writing tools.

• Customize the chart of accounts to access data quickly and easily for more efficient tracking and reporting
• Automate transaction entry with a variety of tools including memorized and recurring transactions, preset distributions, and entry defaults, to boost productivity and reduce errors
• Use the dynamic drill-down analyzer to review individual transactions that make up balances on reports
• Make it easy for auditors to verify the accuracy of financial statements by maintaining a clear audit trail

United States Abila MIP Fund Accounting Reseller Partners

• Northeast: Brisbane Consulting
• Maryland and Surrounding Area: Applied Business Services, Inc.
• National: JMT Consulting
• Hawaii, Oklahoma, and Alaska: Finley & Cook, PLLC
• New England: Soft Trac and The Technology Group

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

• All the capabilities of the world’s leading, most widely adopted nonprofit fundraising software
• An intuitive, role-based interface that understands how nonprofit teams work
• Built-in analytics that proactively serve up recommendations for how, where and when to prioritize your efforts
• Advanced fundraising and relationship management capabilities that help you grow your constituent base, cultivate new revenue streams and expand your organization’s overall impact
• Real-time and user-friendly accessibility from any device
• Complete integration with other Blackbaud solutions, including Financial Edge NXT, the most advanced cloud accounting solution designed for and available to the nonprofit community
• The insight of the largest nonprofit community and more than 30 years of research and development by the world’s leading technology provider for nonprofits
• A forward-looking plan to connect you to the entire philanthropic community

Healthcare providers nationwide are waking up to the substantial benefits of electronic claim submission and reconciliation. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), tools like the electronic remittance advice (ERA) are saving medical practices approximately $10,000/year for each physician in the group.

The ERA (commonly referred to as the ANSI 835 file) is the electronic equivalent of a paper Explanation of Benefits (EOB). It indicates how much the insurer paid on the claim and identifies reasons for any denial of benefits. Prior to the ERA, staff would have to spend hours reviewing each claim, posting payments, and reconciling any errors. Now that entire process can be automated with the 835 ERA module from BillingTracker. This feature saves office staff from having to collect mail, file paper documents, manually post payments, and adjudicate claims with payors. Another advantage is that insurers pay electronic submissions faster, which improves your cash flow.

Maximize Your Time

Because working with paper remittance reports has always been a painstaking chore, agencies have been jumping at the opportunity to automate. According to studies on the benefits of using ERA, you will recoup your investment in just a few months, at most. In addition to the inevitable boost in operational efficiency, you will also eliminate errors, reduce staff time devoted to adjudicating claims, and improve cash flow.

Further Reading:

• http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/practice-management-center/knowledge-center/practice-management-toolkits/electronic-transactions-toolkit/remittance-advice.page
• http://medical-billing-blog.blogspot.com/2012/12/edi-functionality-in-medical-electronic.html

We have partnered with TransFirst to offer a service for processing credit card charges directly though ClinicTracker Connect. No more wasting time entering the information manually or through a standalone terminal. With a single card swipe, ClinicTracker acquires the credit card data, transmits the transaction to the payment gateway, and applies the payment to the patient's account. Patients can also pay their bills online through the Patient Portal.

Convenient Access System-Wide

You can collect copays and process credit cards at several different points within ClnicTracker:

• Patient Dashboard 
• Demographic Record
• Scheduler 
• BillingTracker
• Patient Portal

Payment Process

Wherever you access the payment system, you use the same method: On the Collect Copay screen, enter the amount due, payment method, reference number, and any comments you might want to store. When you swipe the credit card through the card reader, the card holder's name, card number, and expiration date will automatically populate the appropriate fields. If you are accepting a payment by phone, you would simply key in this information. The system automatically applies the specified payment amount to the patient's account.

If the transaction is approved, the patient receives a receipt by email. You can also print out a paper version immediately or suggest it be printed at home through the Patient Portal. Your clinic can also keep records of patient payments by running reports based on credit card transactions. 

Benefits

• Simple implementation and electronic enrollment process with no contract terms
• Makes it more convenient for the patient to pay bills
• Reduces the time staff spend collecting copays and processing post-adjudication balances
• Minimizes desk clutter (the card reader is compact)
• Eliminates redundancy and reduces errors by keeping the process entirely within ClinicTracker
• Assures transactions are processed using the latest digital security in a safe and secure environment
• Help is just a call away with TransFirst’s in-house, on-shore, 24/7 customer support

Integrated Credit Card Processing Saves Money

• Record keeping and reporting are easier because transactions are posted to your bank account before any fees are charged. Service fees are deducted in one lump sum at the end of the month
• Faster payment posting (two days versus the three-day industry standard)
• No charges for declined transactions because TransFirst waives declined authorization and batch header fees

As an added benefit, TransFirst offers potential customers a complimentary Efficiency Analysis that compares your current costs for processing credit cards with what they would charge. This analysis comes with a Meet or Beat promise - they will not charge you more than you are paying now. TransFirst's commitment to meet or beat pricing means that your payment processing will be more efficient and cost effective.

With BillingTracker, you can submit claims directly to a payor so you can cut out the middleman and save money. However, many of our clients prefer using a clearinghouse for claims processing. To address that need, we developed a relationship with industry leader TriZetto Provider Solutions (formerly Gateway EDI). Thanks to a direct flow of data from ClinicTracker, TriZetto can manage the claims process and provide you with full reporting capabilities regarding claim status and your accounts receivable. Their revenue management solution monitors every transaction, identifies errors and underpayments, and automates the appeal process - saving you and your staff time and money. In concert with BillingTracker's full-featured reporting capabilities, you will enjoy a comprehensive view of your entire billing process.

Check out an informative inforgraphic from Trizetto entitled: Beware the Hidden Costs of Free Clearinghouses. 

ClinicTracker is designed to streamline and integrate every aspect of appointment management. Between a high-powered Scheduler and the Appointment Reminder Service, you'll always know you have complete control over the process. Now add to those tools the ability for your clients to manage their appointments online (through the Patient Portal), and you've gained yet another way to make sure appointments happen as scheduled. Clients don't need to call your office to ask about upcoming appointments, as they can just check online whenever it's convenient for them. This both empowers the patient with access to important information and reduces the call volume at your agency.

By navigating to the My Schedule section of the Patient Portal, clients can see their upcoming scheduled appointments. If the appointment is within a certain (configurable) number of days, they can click a link to confirm or cancel their appointment. Whatever actions they take are logged immediately into ClinicTracker's Scheduler.

Research has demonstrated that providing clients with this type of access to chart information decreases a clinic's no-show rate. ClinicTracker paves the way for you to implement a system that offers everyone access to critical information when they need it.

Update: Patients can even schedule their own appointments through the Patient Portal. Click here for more information.

Many of your clients have come to expect online access to their medical records, scheduled appointments, and financial information. That’s how the patient-practice relationship has evolved in recent years (with ample encouragement from the government via HIPAA and the Meaningful Use program).

ClinicTracker's Patient Portal is designed to make it easy for your clients to interact with you and your agency securely over the web. When clients log into their portal, they have 24/7 access to information they can use to facilitate their treatment. They will also feel more connected with your agency. While improving patient engagement, you are simultaneously reducing routine phone calls, lowering your no-show rate, and improving your collections.

All aspects of the Patient Portal integrate seamlessly into our EHR. Through the portal, patients can:

• Register as a new patient and complete a registration packet your agency defines
• Access significant parts of their medical chart, including appointment history, medication lists, allergy information, and lab results
• Schedule an appointment
• View, confirm, or cancel upcoming appointments
• Attend telehealth appointments
• Complete forms your staff requests
• See the balance due, including insurance and patient responsibility
• Pay their bills online with a credit card (and print/email a receipt)
• Send messages to members of their treatment team or support staff
• Take advantage of educational resources clinicians can post
• Generate a portable medical record to view, download, or distribute

New Patient Registration

A Patient Portal embedded in an agency’s home page presents a rich opportunity to market clinical services and engage potential clients efficiently. By enabling them to register demographic information and schedule their first appointment online, you’ve made it simple for patients to connect with your services at any time. Patients who have stigmas about disclosing their health condition verbally or handwritten to your staff will benefit from the added privacy of the Patient Portal. You’ve also made it easier to enter required information in a way that’s guaranteed to provide legible data that flows directly into ClinicTracker EHR. Before the client arrives for that first appointment, you’ve got everything necessary to proceed with the intake – even insurance eligibility verification.

Scheduling

Because patients can see available openings in real time, they can make choices based on location, clinician, service, date, and time. Scheduling across time zones is possible too. Once the patient selects their preferred slot, the system automatically sends notifications to the clinician and appropriate members of your scheduling team. The patient will also receive an email confirmation. Patients can confirm or cancel upcoming appointments, search for new appointment availability, and choose to receive appointment reminders by phone or text message. Online scheduling allows patients to feel connected to your office, while eliminating unnecessary phone calls with your staff.

Form Completion

Clients can complete forms, tests, rating scales, and surveys whenever your staff requests. You simply send the patient a notification using the Secure Messaging system. When patients log into the portal, they will see a list of forms to complete, along with your notes and instructions. Clicking a link brings them to the form which they can then complete, revise, save, and submit (even with a digital signature). The information they provide goes directly into their patient record in ClinicTracker. The system also notifies the appropriate staff members when the data arrive.

What’s unique about ClinicTracker’s Patient Portal is that it can transmit forms that you can build using our powerful Form Builder utility. That means you devise just about any form you want for clients to complete via the web. Staff and administrators love that they can create a whole new world of possibilities for data gathering, tracking, and patient engagement – all seamlessly integrated into the ClinicTracker platform.

Online Bill Pay

ClinicTracker's built-in credit card processing significantly streamlines payment collections. Online Bill Pay takes it one step farther by allowing patients to pay their invoices online without any staff intervention. Clients appreciate this feature because it's private, convenient, and easy to follow. Here's how it works:

1. Log into the Patient Portal and click the My Account link
2. Review account status (including aging and insurer balances)
3. Press the Pay My Bill Online button
4. Choose which invoices to pay, either in full or in part
5. Enter credit card information and press the Submit button

The system will send an email receipt to the client (or authorized representative) and notify designated office staff. The payment is recorded immediately in both the Patient Portal (where the patient can view it or generate a receipt) as well as within BillingTracker. The process is completely automated.

Communication

Boost client engagement with modern client-office communication. Your patients can send and receive HIPAA-secure messages while interacting with their treatment team. When a new message arrives, the patient will be notified by email that it’s available on their portal account. For the staff’s convenience, messages from both patients and colleagues are organized in the Unified Messaging System within ClinicTracker. Composing a message to a patient is simple, with no email addresses to remember or complex security procedures involved. The system will also let you coordinate communications with the patient’s authorized representative.

Agency Branding

The Patient Portal also will improve your agency's branding. Clients will appreciate your dedication to making their lives easier and empowering them to take a degree of stewardship over their treatment experience. You can even style the portal with your own logo, color scheme, and contact information. It's a tangible way of upgrading your approach to client engagement.