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At 24, Marcail Webb has worked in the Katmai Oncology Group (KOG)
nearly half her life. Having taken an early interest in
computers, she started helping out as a youngster at the medical
oncology practice founded and directed by her father
oncologist/hematologist Dr. Dale Webb. Marcail returned fulltime
in 2004 as KOG’s IT manager. The practice had grown
considerably, yet it still used paper charts and outsourced its
medical billing. “I saw how electronic systems could streamline
the practice and cut our reliance on paper,” she recalls.
Increasing
Efficiency and Expanding Accessibility
After an extensive search, KOG selected IMPAC’s
oncology-specific electronic medical record (EMR) system with
integrated practice management capability. Recognizing the
value of being able to download lab results directly into the
oncology EMR, the practice subsequently purchased IMPAC’s
laboratory management solution.
Before implementing IMPAC, the clinic’s pod layout meant staff
spent valuable time walking charts from the central office to
outlying treatment pods. Today, thanks to IMPAC’s
single-database EMR, charts are available instantaneously
throughout the practice – at staff computers and on wireless
laptops. The IMPAC EMR allows oncologists to view CMPs, CBCs,
and tumor marker levels as well as other vital data in real-time
to expedite clinical decision making. “We see a dramatic and
continual improvement in our productivity,” says Webb. No
longer needing to wait for print-outs of lab results before
administering chemotherapy, nurses and doctors now
simultaneously view results by separately accessing patient EMRs
from the nearest laptop or computer and conferring on the phone
about treatment. Expedited treatment decisions help patients
start therapy promptly and shorten the length of patient visits.
Gaining
Control
When KOG outsourced its billing, it had limited access to and
little control over patient financial records. “Now that we use
IMPAC, we can answer patient billing questions instantly, print
out
additional statements upon request, and view schedules in so
many different ways,” says Webb. “IMPAC improves our workflow
both at the front desk and the back desk.”
KOG is now considering IMPAC’s ANALYTIQ™
data visualization and analysis tool, which offers
myriad options for manipulating and modeling data. “IMPAC
designs its systems with medical oncologists in mind,” says
Webb. “Now that the KOG staff knows how the system works, they
want more from it. We’re working on putting everything in the
EMRs, and we can’t wait till we’ve reached that goal.” |
