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Dr. Alan Malouf Increases Productivity and Business Outcomes With Help From the Intelligent Ophthalmology EHR System, EMA®

Published Date
Author Aaron Stoklosa

Case Study

 

The Challenges

  • Difficulty reading handwritten charts and notes
  • Scanning paper charts to PDFs
  • Keeping up with compliance changes
  • Concerns with thorough coding and documentation

Key Benefits Experienced

  • Ophthalmology electronic health records (EHR) system
  • Helpful training, resulting in little disruption to workflow
  • Suggested automated coding helps save time
  • Ease-of-use saves time and generates thorough documentation

How eliminating paper charts and transitioning to ophthalmology software helped his practice.

 
 

“I see between 40-50 patients per day without the use of a scribe. EMA anticipates my next move, allowing me to focus on treating my patients without interruption to my workflow.”

‒ ALAN MALOUF, MD

 

Background

After over 25 years of handwriting his patient notes, Dr. Alan Malouf made the decision to implement an EHR system for his ophthalmology practice located in Bowie, Md.

Dr. Malouf shares, “We had been scanning our paper charts to digital PDF files and my handwriting was becoming harder to read, not to mention this was a time consuming task. Also, we didn’t want to be disadvantaged moving forward with compliance issues by the government so we decided it was time to make a change.”

“A colleague of mine highly recommended Modernizing Medicine’s ophthalmology EHR system, EMA, so I attended a state meeting where a company representative was presenting. I saw a demonstration and was blown away by the ease-of-use and sleekness the system offers. Given that EMA was built by ophthalmologists, cloud-based and not cost prohibitive, I saw no downside to implementing it into my practice. EMA was the first ophthalmology EHR system that we had seen that was so well designed for an ophthalmology practice. It was an easy decision to move forward with EMA for our solution.”

“In October 2015 we went live with EMA and the transition was unproblematic. We participated in online trainings for a few weeks, and then made the smart decision to have a Modernizing Medicine educator visit our practice for two days of on-site training. We followed the protocol she suggested which established good habits using EMA from the beginning. The training and education we received were so thorough that we were able to continue with our existing patient flow and did not need to decrease our productivity.”

An Ophthalmology EHR Built by Ophthalmologists

EMA was designed by actual ophthalmologists to cater to an ophthalmic workflow, which is key to Dr. Malouf increasing efficiency and improving productivity.

“There is no question that EMA has raised the bar for ophthalmology EHR systems. Since implementation, we have increased productivity and EMA has made us more efficient. Our practice also looks and feels more like a true ophthalmology practice,” shared Dr. Malouf. “Before I even walk into the exam room, EMA is populated with the patient’s information. With a few taps on the iPad EHR, I input the exam, ePrescribe if needed and finalize my note before the patient leaves the office. It’s that quick and easy. I see between 40-50 patients per day without the use of a scribe. EMA anticipates my next move, allowing me to focus on treating my patients without interruption to my workflow.”

Ophthalmology Documentation Done Right

The structured data that EMA collects generates is used to generate suggested ICD-10 codes, which helps Dr. Malouf have the documentation to back up his coding decisions.

Backed by a Team of Experts

“We have found EMA to be a remarkable, thought-out product and haven’t experienced many issues. If we do need support, the Modernizing Medicine team is responsive. I would recommend EMA to anyone who is considering an ophthalmology EHR system for their practice; it was the best decision we ever made.”