Patient-Focused Practice Websites Patricia Brown, administrator, Summit Medical Associates, P.C. in Hermitage, Tennessee, and, J. Larry Shackelford, chief executive officer, MANA - Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas, in Fayetteville, tell how their practice websites make short work of administrative business, and assist patients - virtually. Patricia’s take Our website is our window to the world. It’s done great things - changed our position in the marketplace and enhanced our workflow. When patients around here search the Internet for a doctor, they’ll find us. It’s something we needed to do. We went with Medfusion, an experienced physician practice website provider, and launched in 2004. The start up costs were around $8,000. Our site gives patients all the pertinent information they need to know, from insurance plans to flu shot updates. We links to sites like the Mayo Clinic. Patients can log onto the secure website to preregister, and update their own email and address information. And it’s accurate. When patients enter their own information, they’re more likely to get it right. Online bill paying boosts our revenue cycle, and reduces the time and costs involved with mailings. We can set up monthly payment plans online, and charge the patient’s credit card. Ten years ago, I purchased a telephone appointment reminder system. With the website capabilities, I’ll save about $3,000 a year doing reminders by email instead. Medfusion did the grunt work, but we can go into the site and make our own changes. And I can always call Medfusion with questions. What we started four years ago is only going to accelerate. We just redesigned the website, gave it a sleeker design, at a cost of about $700. Eventually, we’ll turn on the appointment requests, appointment reminders, lab results, and prescription renewal features (which is huge, we get about 500 requests for prescription refills, per week). I’d like to put a kiosk in our waiting room to check in patients. And, add virtual office visits to the website – the patient is prompted by pop up questions to describe their ailment. The doctor reviews this information and decides how to follow up. Transferring patient medical records is something else I’m looking at, but it has to go through a secure portal. The website saves so much time, I can reduce staff. And because it also increases our efficiency, I can still fit in another patient that day. Multiply that, by all the physicians in our practice. There’s where the revenue increases. Connectivity is the way of the future. If you haven’t started, you’re already behind. The website for Summit Medial Associates is: www.smamd.com