Evolution in Cost Control

For the small to mid-sized practice, it can be especially difficult to balance the desire to increase patient care with necessary office cost controls. Full featured practice management and electronic medical records software, hardware, and servers can drain reserves, causing delay in vital medical equipment purchases and demand a high cost in time and staff. Technology innovator Benchmark Systems recognized this early, and has developed its MD-Navigator® ASP solution with these challenges in mind.

Benchmark reports that more than 50% of their new system sales feature the ASP model, and the percentage is increasing. They feel that part of this growth is a result of more accurate identification of the diverse needs of a practice and specific interests of the staff. In addition to lowering overhead expenses, practice administrators most often seek workflow efficiency, administrative simplification and seamless integration with existing software. Physicians additionally desire solutions that result in better patient care, increased accessibility, higher revenues and result in improved staff satisfaction. Benchmark’s MD-Navigator® ASP is uniquely designed to address these diverse priorities.

MD-Navigator® can help reduce staff stress, and payroll expenses, by automating routine processes and freeing vital personnel for patient care, and other more important tasks. WebEDI®, a component of MD-Navigator® ASP, allows the practice to send HIPAA compliant 837 format claims directly to payors. With a color coded summary, tracking numbers and claims scrubbing, rejections and other issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. MD-Navigator® manages patient workflow with integrated advanced features; Managed Care, Advanced Scheduling, Insurance Eligibility, E-prescribing, Reminders, Unpaid Claims Follow Up, Electronic Lab Results, Document Imaging, Electronic Encounter Forms, Inpatient Management, and more.

With MD-Navigator®, billing staffs can prescreen patients prior to their appointments, avoiding denials and possible delays in treatment. Integration between Advanced Scheduling and this eligibility information can reduce costs substantially. The practice also gains immediate access to important billing information regarding referrals and copayments. Scrubbing data and editing invalid and missing information to ensure clean claims, maximizes return. A nightly EDI transmission by Benchmark Systems ensures consistent and timely cash flow.

Most time expensive processes, such as creating reports to review missed appointments, scheduling changes, and recalls are handled by the system. With the CodeCorrect® feature of MD-Navigator®, accurate coding is promoted with very little staff training needed. This savings in training time reduces the expense of staff turnover. Other data critical to claims payment is kept up to date automatically. The staff can now make decisions before validating transactions, which further saves in claims turnaround times.

MD-Navigator Clinical® (EMR) has advanced flexibility with physicians in mind, maintaining a complete electronic patient chart based on input screens that can be easily tailored, and accessible from just about anywhere, anytime. Multiple choice “pick lists” streamline entry. An address book and contact manager keeps important referral information readily available, and scheduling can be displayed for further convenience. Workflow management streamlines work, significantly improves communications, and organizes the day by presenting appointment and to-do lists. It can automatically populate lists with lab results, un-signed chart notes, unreturned phone calls, and other follow up items. Manual entry of ICD-9 and CPT code changes is eliminated, and is always up to date. The Charge Export feature means no re-keying of data into Charge Entry, saving valuable time. Digital transcription tapes can be uploaded directly, or use voice recognition software to integrate with MD-Navigator Clinical®, further reducing office overhead.

The features and benefits of the MD-Navigator® ASP solution and Benchmark Systems’ support and service standards is perhaps best described by the hundreds of satisfied clients they serve. Benchmark strives to develop a personal relationship with each and every practice, and this is evident in the comments received during follow up interviews the company conducts to further maintain this connection. Benchmark provided this interview as just one example of this relationship:

MD-Navigator ASP – A Client Story

JT Potter, MD, PC is a dynamic two-physician family practice in Norton, Virginia. In the fall of 2005, they wanted to make progressive changes and called on Benchmark Systems to assist. Having moved into a new office building, they decided to upgrade their MENDS software to MD-Navigator, and utilize Benchmark’s web-based Application Service Provider (ASP) option for their practice and clinical management technology solutions. As they prepared for the move, Benchmark Systems was able to orchestrate the transition by performing a site survey, installing new equipment, and seamlessly migrating all of their existing data from one server and software package, to another.

Betty Witt, Office Manager, states the two main reasons for considering an upgrade to
MD-Navigator ASP from their legacy system was minimal downtime, and no data conversion. And now, after a year with the new system, she affirms that their decision to utilize
MD-Navigator ASP based on features such as user friendliness, no manual backups, and automatic updates, was a good one. She further explains that her experience with Benchmark
Systems and their products spans over eleven years, “…I knew there was no question about which system we needed to go with.”

With regard to MD-Navigator Practice Management, Betty also reports a notable improvement
in the office’s efficiency, “electronic billing is faster and electronic statements save a ton of time”. She also notes that MD-Navigator Clinical Management (EMR) allows the practice to trace allergy shot records, offers convenient electronic charts, and enables their doctors to access patient records from any location. Betty also notes that MD-Navigator Clinical has also greatly improved their workflow for patient care, “because you have all the patient info at the touch of a button.” Also important to the staff was the Windows functionality, “they did not require any additional training after their initial session.”

Betty Witt and the practice of JT Potter, MD, PC are very happy with their choices. MD-Navigator Practice Management and Clinical Management ASP have saved their staff time and helped their office to run more smoothly while the staff focuses on the patients rather than on the charts. Dr. Potter reports that he rates MD-Navigator Clinical “high” on user friendliness, and Betty rates Benchmark Systems’ services, support and training as a 10 across the board!

“…there was no question about which system we needed to go with.”
- Betty Whitt, Office Manager

Benchmark Systems has been a key provider of technology solutions to the healthcare community for almost 30 years. Their reputation in the marketplace is built on providing the highest quality products and services available today. Benchmark’s healthcare products range from medical specialty specific Practice Management Systems (PMS), Electronic medical Records (EMR/EHR), Document Management, and Telephony Systems. Their Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Clearinghouse has grown to be a major provider of electronic claims, remittance and patient statement services in the United States. Currently, they process over one billion dollars in claims each year.

MD-Navigator® ASP

• Focus on Medicine, Not Computers
• No Computer Server and Software Costs
  
• Expandable for Any Number of Users
  
• Eliminates System Upgrade Costs
• Secure Hosting - Automatic Daily Backups
• Full Claims and Remittance Package
  
• Hardware & Software Support
• Appointment Scheduling
  
• Managed Care
  
• Electronic Patient Statements
• Insurance Eligibility
• Full MD-Navigator Features

MD-Navigator® Practice Management

• Customizable Options
• Real Time Unpaid Claims Follow Up
• Work Past Due Patient Balances on One Screen
• Mail Merge Feature for Collection Letters
• Follow-Up Reminders
• Complete Account History
• Better Information Work Flow
• Efficient Collection Process
• Pre-Submittal Screening
• Easy Screen Navigation
• Full Windows Functionality
• One Screen Functionality for Most Tasks
• Easy to Use SEARCH Features
• Send and Store Prescription Requests
  
• Easy View of the Status of Patient Requests
  
• Audit Trail of Patient Communications for 7 Years
  
• All Messages are Date and Time Stamped
  
• Store Insurance Card Information Online
  
• Store Patient Authorizations Online
  
• Multi-User Viewing Capabilities
  

MD-Navigator® Clinical (EMR)

• Complete Patient Chart Information 24/7, Anywhere
  
• Work Flow Management
  
• Scheduling
  
• Prescription Writer and Faxing
  
• Customizable Templates, Input Screens, and Forms
  
• Address Book & Contact Manager
  
• ICD - 9 & CPT Coding
  
• Charge Export
• Automated Transcription
  
• Superbill/Encounter Form Module
  
• Stores Patient Education
  
• Wireless Compatible
  
• Appointment & To Do Lists
  
• Automatically Populate Lists with Lab Results, Etc.
  
• Make Selections from Multiple Choice "Pick Lists"
  
• Include Images, Documents and Scans
  
• See More Patients
  
• Eliminate your Dictation Backlog
  
• Improve the Quality of Care
  
• Maximize Reimbursement Levels
  
• Reduce Staff to Patient Ratio
  
• Save Time with Prescription Writing and Faxing
  
• Significantly Improves Communications
  
• Organizes and Streamlines Your Work