Is Your Chiropractic Practice Management System Built Backwards? PART III - Compliant SOAP Notes
Most note systems are left to the doctor to configure.
Before purchasing the system doctors love this feature.
After purchasing the note system it may take months before they actually configure the note system to what they think will show medical necessity.
They may even love the notes they created right up until they get an audit and realize, what they thought showed medical necessity, did not.
It makes much more sense to have a pre-configured note system put together by audit and compliance experts, which can be added to or modified.
This way it will give you what you need to be safe but enough flexibility to practice like you want to.
In addition to this the system needs to be easy to use.
Here some important questions you should ask yourself before buying a notes system: 1.
Who built the system? a.
Compliance experts with audit experience? b.
Certified Coders with audit experience? c.
Attorneys with audit experience? d.
Some chiropractor who has not been audited? 2.
How long will it take you before you can use it to make compliant notes? a.
Days or Months? 3.
How will you stay informed of changes in documentation requirements and update the system you have? 4.
Can you make changes to the existing note easily from visit to visit to show improvement or exacerbation, new findings, effects on the patients daily activities and goals, and is your plan changing as well? 5.
Can you see 200, 500, 1000 patients a week and keep compliant notes in real time? a.
If the system is being used by doctors seeing 1000 plus visits per week it will probably work for you.
Get references.
6.
Can you sign off on your notes? a.
When a note is signed off it can't be changed and can be critical to surviving a post payment review.
If an insurance company knows you could have changed your notes after you found out about the audit they will assume you did.
7.
Will you have access from home? Summary of SOAP notes: 1.
Reconfigurable and amendable.
2.
Easy to use visit to visit at any volume.
3.
Web based access 24/7.
4.
Built and updated by compliance, attorneys, certified coders, and providers with audit experience.
5.
Ability to sign off.
Part IV Coming Soon
Before purchasing the system doctors love this feature.
After purchasing the note system it may take months before they actually configure the note system to what they think will show medical necessity.
They may even love the notes they created right up until they get an audit and realize, what they thought showed medical necessity, did not.
It makes much more sense to have a pre-configured note system put together by audit and compliance experts, which can be added to or modified.
This way it will give you what you need to be safe but enough flexibility to practice like you want to.
In addition to this the system needs to be easy to use.
Here some important questions you should ask yourself before buying a notes system: 1.
Who built the system? a.
Compliance experts with audit experience? b.
Certified Coders with audit experience? c.
Attorneys with audit experience? d.
Some chiropractor who has not been audited? 2.
How long will it take you before you can use it to make compliant notes? a.
Days or Months? 3.
How will you stay informed of changes in documentation requirements and update the system you have? 4.
Can you make changes to the existing note easily from visit to visit to show improvement or exacerbation, new findings, effects on the patients daily activities and goals, and is your plan changing as well? 5.
Can you see 200, 500, 1000 patients a week and keep compliant notes in real time? a.
If the system is being used by doctors seeing 1000 plus visits per week it will probably work for you.
Get references.
6.
Can you sign off on your notes? a.
When a note is signed off it can't be changed and can be critical to surviving a post payment review.
If an insurance company knows you could have changed your notes after you found out about the audit they will assume you did.
7.
Will you have access from home? Summary of SOAP notes: 1.
Reconfigurable and amendable.
2.
Easy to use visit to visit at any volume.
3.
Web based access 24/7.
4.
Built and updated by compliance, attorneys, certified coders, and providers with audit experience.
5.
Ability to sign off.
Part IV Coming Soon