Graeme Gibson
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When I joined my family’s chiropractic office in 2001 I felt overwhelmed learning the procedures of the office, which ranged from the intake forms, patient files, and ideal workflow to properly help each person who entered our office. Over the next few years the paperwork became extremely tiresome and monotonous so I began to explore other options to help our clinic.
This exploration lead to our office being one of the first fully networked chiropractic offices in the state of Washington. We were now free of the majority of extraneous paperwork and any literature or patient data we needed was available in every room. However, in spite of the many benefits a serious unforeseen problem did occur.
With each patient interaction, we found that we were no longer fully and effectively engaged the way we were when we had paper files in our hands. It seemed that with the introduction of the computer system in each room, our backs were facing the patient as we entered information, and this limited our ability to effectively communicate. As a family operated office we also found it down right rude to be discussing a pertinent health issue while being seemingly distracted by a computer. Not only this, but our attempts to take and enter the information from a through history, physical and neurological exam was now taking us longer than it did when we had paper files.
At this point I began to look at options to bring in tablet personal computers into our office. Due to the astronomical cost of each unit, and the limitation of our office management software at the time there was no practical option for us. It was extremely frustrating, and our relationship with each patient suffered because of it. At this point we briefly changed to a Palm operating device with failed miserably.
While we were able to work our many of the kinks of procedures to make them maximally effective, the recent improvements of tablets and e-readers has been a game changers. It seems that our office was just a little ahead of its time, and now that our practice management software includes support for tablet computers, we have been able to complete our transition to a fully networked, paper free office.
Now that I have been in full time practice as a chiropractor in Seattle for over a decade, I realize how amazing the change from paper files, to computer, to a tablet has been.
The way we now interact with a patient while using a tablet PC has given us the ability to:
1. Easily and comfortably take in patient data.
2. Communicate more effectively with each patient.
3. Accessible and immediate messaging with colleagues and staff.
4. Diagnostic imaging data right in the palm of our hands.
5. Create a stronger relationship with each patient by effectively listening in face to face meetings.
What many health care providers may not realize at this point is that they are now under the gun as they are federally mandated to switch their patient data to Electronic Health Records by 2015. If this forced upgrade to certified Electronic Health Record technology does not occur, they may be fined 1%-5% reimbursement of various health programs available to U.S. citizens. This also means that each hospital, medical clinic, and chiropractic office will face the same communication breakdown that we did.
In a time that many have become used to people multitasking with their smart-phones, iPhones, and iPads, the last this people want is their health care provider doing the same. However, if each professional takes the time to invest in an appropriate tablet, Ipad, or e-reader, the transition can occur without noticeable consequence, and give the patient the face time they so desperately want when they are in need.
About the author:
Dr. Graeme Gibson is currently in full time practice at Queen Anne Chiropractic Center in downtown Seattle, WA. In addition to being a Seattle chiropractor, he loves to spend time with friends, family, and playing sports. If you would like to read more from Dr. Gibson please visit his regularly updated chiropractic blog.
Literature lovers collect copies of exclusively autographed bounded books and treasure them as precious jewel. Each book with the signature of their special favorite author who wrote their favorite tome holds a special place of honor on the book shelves. Technology has launched the most fascinating introduction – eBooks!
eBooks have become more viable form of literature in today’s world. eBooks and the devices used for reading this digital medium are being improved and upgraded continually with the aim to serve the readers. eBooks is becoming more convenient and affordable form of literature which can be easily accessed to endless amount of books without moving in the comfort of your home. But these eBooks readers were having the limitations of not able to get their eBooks autographed by the author of the fascinating story in those lilliputian eReader devices. People have a sentimental charm for paper books and value them more especially when they hold the autograph of their favorite author’s signature. When you stand in line of hours to meet an author to have them write a custom message for your books, has a huge allure about it. This made Mr. Waters, a senior consultant for United States Special Operations Command Headquarters to come up with something.
Gone are the days when people used to carry heavy bounded books but now they are holding tones of their favorite books as library in their fascinating iPad, Nooks and Kindles. And this piece of technology is going to break the limitations that the eBook readers were experiencing. The pain of not having to get the personalized signature of the favorite author in his or her own ebook is going to be erased with the amazing invention that is going to be introduced by Mr. Waters at the Book Expo America in New York in the month of May – Autography!
Autography is an amazing tool that allows inserting a photo which is signed by the author, in to the eBook itself. Let us see how this works -
If you are the fan of the author and desperately want to get the autographed eBook, then you need to first take a picture with the author, and the image automatically appears on the iPad that the author holds in his or her hands. The author signs on the photo with a stylus and if they want to personalize it more, then they are allowed to add a little message. Then the author will press on a button that will send an email to the fan’s id with the link to the particular autographed image. The fan can easily download this link to his or her eBook. The personal message is then inserted into the fresh new copy of the fabulous eBook that the fan has purchased and transmitted then to his eReader device. Then the ebook downloaded by the person is replaced with the new copy along with the notification that it has been now signed. All this autography process will take merely around 2.5 minutes. Isn’t that awesome!
The author can have a privilege tour around the globe and start providing his digital signature by just sitting on the couch in his sweet home. This device will create comfort to both the fans and the author incredibly. This application can be used also to sign on anything such as the photo of the comic book, baseball card, concert and much more.
To learn more about Autography check out their website.
Health Care Providers Need a Seamless Transition to Tablets
Posted by: Graeme Gibson | Comments (3)When I joined my family’s chiropractic office in 2001 I felt overwhelmed learning the procedures of the office, which ranged from the intake forms, patient files, and ideal workflow to properly help each person who entered our office. Over the next few years the paperwork became extremely tiresome and monotonous so I began to explore other options to help our clinic.
This exploration lead to our office being one of the first fully networked chiropractic offices in the state of Washington. We were now free of the majority of extraneous paperwork and any literature or patient data we needed was available in every room. However, in spite of the many benefits a serious unforeseen problem did occur.
With each patient interaction, we found that we were no longer fully and effectively engaged the way we were when we had paper files in our hands. It seemed that with the introduction of the computer system in each room, our backs were facing the patient as we entered information, and this limited our ability to effectively communicate. As a family operated office we also found it down right rude to be discussing a pertinent health issue while being seemingly distracted by a computer. Not only this, but our attempts to take and enter the information from a through history, physical and neurological exam was now taking us longer than it did when we had paper files.
At this point I began to look at options to bring in tablet personal computers into our office. Due to the astronomical cost of each unit, and the limitation of our office management software at the time there was no practical option for us. It was extremely frustrating, and our relationship with each patient suffered because of it. At this point we briefly changed to a Palm operating device with failed miserably.
While we were able to work our many of the kinks of procedures to make them maximally effective, the recent improvements of tablets and e-readers has been a game changers. It seems that our office was just a little ahead of its time, and now that our practice management software includes support for tablet computers, we have been able to complete our transition to a fully networked, paper free office.
Now that I have been in full time practice as a chiropractor in Seattle for over a decade, I realize how amazing the change from paper files, to computer, to a tablet has been.
The way we now interact with a patient while using a tablet PC has given us the ability to:
1. Easily and comfortably take in patient data.
2. Communicate more effectively with each patient.
3. Accessible and immediate messaging with colleagues and staff.
4. Diagnostic imaging data right in the palm of our hands.
5. Create a stronger relationship with each patient by effectively listening in face to face meetings.
What many health care providers may not realize at this point is that they are now under the gun as they are federally mandated to switch their patient data to Electronic Health Records by 2015. If this forced upgrade to certified Electronic Health Record technology does not occur, they may be fined 1%-5% reimbursement of various health programs available to U.S. citizens. This also means that each hospital, medical clinic, and chiropractic office will face the same communication breakdown that we did.
In a time that many have become used to people multitasking with their smart-phones, iPhones, and iPads, the last this people want is their health care provider doing the same. However, if each professional takes the time to invest in an appropriate tablet, Ipad, or e-reader, the transition can occur without noticeable consequence, and give the patient the face time they so desperately want when they are in need.
About the author:
Dr. Graeme Gibson is currently in full time practice at Queen Anne Chiropractic Center in downtown Seattle, WA. In addition to being a Seattle chiropractor, he loves to spend time with friends, family, and playing sports. If you would like to read more from Dr. Gibson please visit his regularly updated chiropractic blog.