The Technology Needed to Run a Smooth Practice
In this section, we’ll talk about some of the apps, gadgets and tools you can use to make sure your clinic runs as smoothly as possible. Without HIPAA holding us down, Direct Care practitioners have the freedom to embrace technology more fully – and in more creative ways.
As the role of technology grows in medicine, the value of time will become even more apparent. Of course, social media is an effective way to connect doctors’ expertise with patients in a timely manner. So make full use of technologies like Skype, Facebook, and text messaging.
Many Direct Care practices take a more progressive stance – one that might better serve patients. You know, something like: Why am I a concierge doctor? Am I now trying to provide the best care possible? And if so, why not make use of the best communication possible?
Exactly. Used responsibly, the benefits of social media will outweigh the risks. Obviously, there’s much to figure out about the social graces of social media. So here are a few guidelines to act as a guardrail for you.
We have one in mind…
We’re partial to the one we’re recommending because we built it with our own hands. It’s the EMR built for Direct Care providers by Direct Care providers. If you haven’t already checked it out, be sure to investigate the Atlas.md EMR over here. It’s got all the features you need to run your clinic like a boss without all red tape and distractions of a system built for traditional healthcare. We asked DPC docs what they wanted, incorporated that with what we wanted, and are working hard to fit the DPC workflow every day. We announce new feature releases frequently, and we’re extremely open to feedback and feature requests.
All the features you need. None of the features you don’t.
One of the best things about the Atlas.md EMR is that it was built for Direct Care practices by Direct Care Doctors. And in the interest of simplifying things, we didn’t include a bunch of features you probably won’t ever use. We’ve made it easy for you to do your job day-to-day, even though you’re not an accountant or marketer. But cluttering up your interface with a bunch of buttons and extras is not something we’re interested in — and we know you’re not, either. The idea is to leave all that clutter in the dust anyway! You can’t knock it ‘till you try it, so we suggest going for a test drive. Want to see what a day in the life of a Direct Care doc who uses the Atlas.md EMR is like? Give it a shot for 30 days – it’s free.
The essentials include…
Note tracking. Communication logging and tracking. Billing. Prescriptions and inventory. Connectivity to email, your patients’ fitness and social media information, calendar organization, and more.
Your practice can live inside the Atlas.md EMR, which is exactly how it should be.
What's next?
We’ve talked about the physical aspect of running a DPC clinic, but now it’s time to talk about fundamental aspect. Most DPC clinics don’t accept insurance because they prefer to work directly with patients on payments – which winds up saving them tons of money. But is that your only option? Do you have to decline insurance? Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of health insurance in the Direct Care model.
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