I could expound positive compliments for pages about Direct Control and the advances it has helped us make in the way our business operates; I’ll do my best to be succinct:
We have 27 anaesthetists in our group. We had used the same software for 10 to 15 years. With advances in our hardware and volume of work, the program we were using would freeze and crash our server causing interruption and frustration constantly, we needed to find something that was well written, dynamic and would grow with our practice needs.
Written to be compatible with the Microsoft environment with its SQL data base, stable within our Windows terminal server platform and more than capable of growing with us as our practice evolves in size and complexity, our IT support company gave Direct Control the big green tick, saying it was a well written sound program. Direct Control was the perfect solution for our business.
When we took on Direct Control, we used the opportunity to overhaul our work practices. We decided to not only have the staff interacting with the program but also the doctors! The idea was met with a little trepidation. With Robyn’s exceptional teaching skills and enthusiasm we held some instructive training days and we had all the doctors and staff ‘logging in’ and skilfully navigating through the program in no time.
We challenged everything we knew about anaesthetic billing when we changed over to Direct Control, we restructured our work flow and the results have been remarkable;
Before, doctors would bring batches of cards in to the rooms; the cards had all the details on them for billing the patient’s account. The inputting and billing of the patient’s episode of care was all done post operatively, there were no time measures, thus it could, and often would be done weeks even months in arrears. Work would build up and up and there would be pressure to try and keep the work moving to keep cash flowing.
Now the patient data is entered prior to surgery, doctors enter their own invoices, accounts staff check and submit/issue the accounts, the Eclipse payments are automated the accounts are done daily. The entire ‘billing’ process is more efficient. We are able to measure and audit our processes utilising the detailed reports available with Direct Control. All accounts are up to date and the staff are able to concentrate on other areas of the practice we are developing.
We no longer have a paper diary (which was a massive big book which was on its own trolley to move around the room) we use Outlook with the Direct Control Addin, exclusively, as our diary. With Microsoft Exchange each doctor is connected to their diary with their iPhone/smartphone at all times.
Direct Control’s support and backup has been and continues to be helpful, accessible and professional.
Direct Control has completely changed what we do and how we do it for the better. I am confident that the relationship with this innovative program which facilitates effective work systems will continue well into the future.