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Physicians
are always looking for ways to reduce paperwork. One area
that has long been considered a burden is the billing process,
where timeliness and legibility are major issues for many
physicians.
Dr. Scott Sher, an anesthesiologist
practicing in Phoenix, Arizona, has developed a technique
for creating billing records using handheld PCs that provides
physicians with significant time savings compared to paper
forms. The new approach also provides physicians with their
own electronic log of billing records as protection against
discrepancies or errors.
Each time Sher cares for a surgical
patient, he must submit a billing form to his billing company.
The traditional method has been to physically write the
details on a paper form, which contains over 24 fields that
must be completed. The inefficiency was apparent, involving
repeated writing of standard details such as hospital name,
surgeon, and diagnosis. In addition, while this approach
creates records for the billing company, it did not provide
the physician with a log of billing records for their own
reference. "This screamed out for a database application,"
says Sher. "I was just slapping on the billing slips
and giving them away."
He wrote an application in Microsoft
Access that allowed him to keep track of billing records
on his desktop PC. However, this meant that he had to wait
until he came home before he could enter the information
and then print the billing slips. Since his schedule is
extremely hectic - routinely coming home at 10 p.m. and
waking at 5 a.m. - it was often several days or more before
he had time to sit in front of his PC. As a result, his
billing activity was falling behind.
Sher recognized the potential of handheld
PCs to assist with billing tasks by allowing him to capture
data at his convenience, even in the operating room. He
chose the Pocket PC environment because he found that large
database applications developed for the Palm operating system
had a tendency to crash. Sher purchased an iPAC Power PC,
which he selected because of its large memory and fast processor
- major advantages when running a database application.
He then had to find a program that would allow him to replicate
the billing form on his handheld device while synchronizing
with the master Access database on his desktop.
Application Development for Non-Programmers
He discovered a software tool called
Visual CE from SYWARE (www.syware.com)
that uses intuitive drag & drop controls to allow rapid
building of form and database applications on Pocket PCs
and Windows CE handhelds. Forms created in Visual CE form
serve as the front end for a handheld database that is also
part of the application. This database synchronizes with
Microsoft Access, allowing data to be readily exchanged
between handheld devices and the Access application running
on the desktop.
Sher used Visual CE to create a handheld
form to capture the data required on the billing record,
including patient information, diagnosis, surgeon, hospital,
procedure performed, and several check box modifiers required
by the insurance company. Drop down lists and other shortcuts
speed data entry while allowing all possible selections
to fit onto a palm-sized form. For example, Sher has worked
with over 110 surgeons since he started using the application.
To enter a selection in the Physician field, he taps a letter
from an alphabet keypad to get a list of names beginning
with that letter, and then taps the name he wants. The doctor's
name is then entered into the field without having to physically
write it.
Tapping through Billing Records
After
completing a case in the operating room, he enters the information
in the database entry form on his handheld. He taps his
way through the check boxes and drop down lists, creating
billing records in a fraction of the time required to fill
out forms by hand. "The time savings and convenience
are tremendous. I can enter data anywhere - in the operating
room, in a cafeteria over a cup of coffee, or even waiting
for an elevator."
When he gets home, he drops the handheld
unit into its cradle, and the handheld application synchronizes
with the Access database on the desktop. During synchronization,
case records created on the handheld are downloaded to the
desktop, and updated tables are copied from the desktop
to the handheld as content for drop down lists on the form.
Sher then double clicks on a desktop
icon called "Print New Charges", which automatically
prints all new billing records in the Access database. These
records are in the same format as the traditional billing
slip for submission to the billing company. "I print
the new billing records with a single mouse click, and they're
ready to go," he adds. "The billing company loves
it because it's incredibly legible, and every bit of information
is where they expect to find it."
Related links: SYWARE's
Visual CE.
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