How to minimize dictation and filing costs?

ComChart has a standard history and physical form which will enable you to create a comprehensive initial history and physical without the need for extensive typing. It also includes >many template progress notes< which can be used to create comprehensive follow-up progress notes, again, without the need for extensive typing. These template notes are user specific. Further, there is no limit to the number of template progress notes a user can create. The user can even string together a series of these template notes to create one large progress note.

There are two types of template notes. The first allows the user to create a full progress note, or sections of a progress note, that can be assembled in pieces, by clicking on the name of the template note, as shown below. The second set of templates allow the user to assemble a customized H & P by clicking on individual items (physical findings, positive and negative ROS) to create a truely customized and comprehensive progress notes.

Screen shot of one user's set of template notes.

If the user had selected the "H&P: Hyperlipidemia" template note from the above listing, they would have created the progress note shown below.

Created History and Physical

Alternatively, the user can create a truely customized progress note by selecting options shown in the next 4 screen shots: History & PMH, Habits & FSH, ROS and Physical exam. In addition, all of the options which appear in the ROS layout and Physical exam layout can easily be modified by the user.

History and PMH layout

Habits & FSH layout

ROS layout

Physical exam layout

Using the above layouts, a customized progress note that is similiar to the one shown below, can easily be created and entered into the patient's progress note.

Created History and Physical (Top of progress note)

Created History and Physical (bottom of progress note)

Other options to reduce transcription cost:
Besides using the template progress notes, dictation costs can be further minimized if progress notes are dictated using an independent speech recognition program such as IBM's ViaVoice(Mac & PC), MacSpeech's iListen (Mac) or Dragon System's NaturalSpeech (PC.) These dictated notes can then be automatically filed by ComChart,(this feature does not require the purchase of a custom written filing module and is included in the free ComChart single user version.) In addition, dictation costs can still be further reduced if the user chooses to type some of their progress notes directly into ComChart during/after the office visit. Thus, through the use of the template progress notes, speech recognition technology and the judicious use of typed progress notes, transcription costs can be markedly reduced.

ComChart will automatically file all your lab results, radiology reports and dictated notes into the patient's chart.

This will obviate the need for your staff to pull and re-file a chart every time a piece of paper comes into your office. It will also obviate the need for your staff to type the test results into ComChart. To utilize ComChart's automated lab and radiology filing feature, you will need to receive your test results in ASCII format, as an email or as part ot a word processing document such as Microsoft Word and a customized "Filer" module will need to be written to "recognize" you lab's data format. Once this is done, you will be able to file all your test results at the click of a button.

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