Useful resources for Oscar EMR users | The OscarHost blog

Having trouble remembering how to set up a new provider in your Oscar instance? Or maybe you just need a quick refresher on how to create a new schedule for a part-time doctor. Looking for a particular eForm, but not sure where to find it? Here are some incredibly useful Oscar resources that can help you solve these issues and more!

The Oscar Manual

One of the most extensive resources available for Oscar users is the Oscar User's Manual. The Table of Contents provides an overview of what's available in the manual and links to various sections that have information and step-by-step guides (screenshots included!) to Oscar features and options. If you're looking for some help or just some more information about what Oscar can do, this is a great place to start.

OscarHost Video Tutorials

If you're more of a visual learner, make sure to check out the OscarHost YouTube channel. We've uploaded a number of tutorial videos to help our customers with basic Oscar setup and use.

eForms

Another great resource on the Oscar Canada site is the eForms section. This is where you can find lists of eForms that have already been built and are shared with the Oscar community. If you're looking for a particular eForm, especially one that is quite common such as a lab requisition or imaging request, this is a good resource to bookmark. The eForms are sorted into categories, often grouped by province or specialty, and offer variations for different regional health authorities. If you find one that fits your needs, just let us know and we can upload it into your instance right away (or find out how to create your own with help from the manual or our video).

We're also able to build custom eForms for you if you can't find exactly what you're looking for. We will need a PDF of the form in order to create it. Please note that our regular custom work rates will apply.

User Lists

There are also Oscar Discussion Forums available to subscribe to if you'd like to be part of the Oscar conversation. You can sign up for the general discussion list here.

OscarHost Support

As always, you can contact us for information or help with Oscar and we'll be more than happy to help. We're currently working on setting up a new support portal for OscarHost customers that will have access to common issues and their resolutions, as well as other sources to help you get the most out of Oscar.

We hope you'll find these resources useful. If you have any questions or need more help navigating through Oscar, let us know!

Until next time,
the OscarHost team

Why it makes sense to switch to an EMR | The OscarHost blog

Using Electronic Medical Records for Billing Benefits Health Care Professionals, Patients

The health care field is constantly evolving as physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals strive to meet the ever-changing needs of their patients. Effective practice management is essential for superior care, and one vital component that any medical office needs in order to accomplish this level of care is to make the switch from paper records to electronic medical records (EMR). Not only do these integrated patient records allow health care professionals instant access to an individual's complete health care history in seconds, but they also benefit the patient, as a number of physicians who are involved in their care can share information more efficiently and no information is omitted. This cuts down on wait time during medical appointments, medical insurance can be applied and processed more efficiently, and front office claims and billing procedures can be completely integrated and streamlined.

EMRs Increase Efficiency

Medical offices that make the switch from paper records to EMRs will increase their efficiency by combining a patient's personal and medical information with their billing data. Offices that use paper records usually keep this information separate, which results in front office technicians and those who handle billing being required to create two separate records and enter them into different systems. A fully integrated EMR system is an all-encompassing tool that will streamline the billing process by storing this data all in one place. As a result, health care professionals will not only be able to access a patient's medical history but also view the dates of previous services rendered, the amount that was billed, what insurance adjustments were applied, and view real-time current balances to ensure that all services have been paid for.

Bill Pascal, chief technology officer for the Canadian Medical Association, believes that when it comes to Canadian doctors adapting EMRs over paper files, the process is slow, but more and more doctors are eventually making the switch. Pascal notes that "When you look at how far countries have moved towards a broader vision of electronic health information capability, Canada is not doing too badly." Khaled El Emam, Canada Research Chair in Electronic Health Information at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, agrees with this observation and adds of EMRs, “Integration into workflow takes time, is likely to have a short-term negative impact, and requires good change management practices to be successful.”

Instant Accessibility for Practitioners at Any Time

Physicians who use web-based medical billing software will have an edge over those who use paper records, as they will be able to enter a secure portal from almost any computer, tablet, or even their mobile phones to view an EMR in real time. Since these records are instantly updated across the board when information is entered, any medical professional who has access to the system can view or alter the records as needed. For example, if a physician is seeing a new patient at his or her medical clinic but is currently working out of a hospital or other clinic, any important insurance changes or other information that will affect billing can be viewed from a computer at the physician's current location. The changes can then be viewed by those who handle the billing for the office so that the patient records are updated before the appointment takes place. This ease of accessibility not only allows the physician and billing personnel to work together seamlessly, it also avoids wait time for patients after the appointment is complete, as billing is processed at a much faster pace.

Medical practitioners who use EMRs offer their patients a superior level of care that cannot be matched with paper records, as they offer health care professionals a powerful tool that allows them to combine patient data with billing data for a system that provides them complete information with the touch of a button.

Love OscarHost? Spread the word! | OscarHost referral program | OscarHost blog

Are you enjoying your OscarHost service?

We hope the answer is yes! If you've found our service an asset to your practice, please help us out by participating in our new referral program. Spread the word to your friends and colleagues about what OscarHost can do for them and we'll reward you with a $200 credit!

Want to refer your friends?

Referring is easy and you can do it in many ways. Here are some of the favourites we've seen:

1. The classic word of mouth. Having coffee with a doctor friend? Are they interested in getting started with an EMR service or are they using one that isn't quite doing the trick? Let them know about OscarHost and give them some reasons why you went with us! Perhaps you didn't want the hassle of buying or installing new hardware in your office. Or maybe you love that we offer training and support. Whatever it is, let your friends know about OscarHost!
2. The mass email. If you'd prefer to tell lots of friends about us in just a little bit of time, using email is a great way to communicate. Simply cc info@oscarhost.ca when sending an email to a list of friends that might be interested and we'll take it from there!
3. The info package. If you want something a little more substantial, we can provide you with some information sheets to pass around either online or at monthly medical meetings you might be attending. The info sheet is a quick one-page overview of what OscarHost has to offer and has all of our contact information included.
4. The link. You can also send your friends and colleagues our way by simply adding a link to our site on a blog, newsletter, or website you might be a part of. Or maybe you know someone that puts out a medical publication or some sort? We're always looking for more exposure so let them know to get in touch with us and we'll be more than happy to answer any questions for an article or feature and provide them with any information they need.

Feel free to use any of these approaches or whatever works for your busy schedule. If you like OscarHost, we're sure your network will too!

How it works

We keep track of all referrals to ensure that you get rewarded for your support. We've added a new "Referred by" field to our sign up form so make sure to tell your referred friend to fill our your name or the name of your clinic in that area. That way we can attribute their sign up to you and apply your $200 credit! Please note that we will only apply a credit for customers who come on board and will use OscarHost past the free trial period. 

If for some reason you're unhappy with the services that OscarHost has provided, please let us know and we'll do our best to solve your concerns. 

OSCAR - Making its Way into Canada's Maritime Provinces by Jordan Visco, President & COO of Cloud Practice, Inc.

 If a couple of maritime provinces are any indication, OSCAR may be picking up speed in its spread  among community medical practices throughout Canada. While most current users of OSCAR are located in Ontario and BC, an increasing –albeit slowly – number of medical professionals in other regions appear to be adopting the free EMR Open Source Technology, a full featured practice management web application that includes scheduling, billing, prescriptions and more. Two of the more recent medical communities to start using OSCAR are those in the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

For relatively small physician communities like those in New Brunswick and Newfoundland, OSCAR definitely makes sense. For years, New Brunswick in particular only had one electronic medical record system (EMR) and apparently many physicians were not all that happy with it. They needed an alternative and with OSCAR, they have one.  Initially developed for Canadian physicians by staff at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, OSCAR is ideal because it’s free to download, install and use in whatever capacity a medical practice wants to as it works best for them; as opposed to paying user and service fees and very likely being locked in to an EMR service that may not work for a particular practice.  Plus, for a small local practice that may have limited resources it always helps to be able to secure reliable technology and services for limited cost whenever possible. That is a huge benefit that OSCAR offers a medical practice.

At Cloud Practice, providers of OscarHost.ca, www.oscarhost.ca we see this move into New Brunswick and Newfoundland as exciting progress for influencing more Canadian healthcare professionals to get on the OSCAR bandwagon. OscarHost.ca is a service provider for physicians who want to run on the OSCAR EMR platform without managing their servers, back up and security.

Physicians in the maritime provinces and elsewhere who are interested in learning more about OSCAR and downloading it for their medical practice, can view the official website at http://oscarmcmaster.org.

What is an Oscar Service Provider…And Why Do I Need One? By Jordan Visco, President & COO of Cloud Practice Inc

So you’ve finally made the decision to adopt the Oscar electronic medical record (EMR) software system for your practice or clinic and you are on your way. But you may be wondering ‘what is the best course of action to get this system installed, and up and running?’ And you may be thinking, ‘Should I do it myself or with the help of my colleagues and staff?’

The short answer is: you should seriously consider an OSP, or Oscar Service Provider.  An OSP is an independent, private company consisting of tech professionals who will come to your medical practice, install the Oscar EMR software, and provide tech support and maintenance as needed. OSPs do charge varying fees to install and provide tech maintenance support but they cannot sell licenses for Oscar software. There are about 17 OSPs throughout Canada, including oscarhost.ca, with the majority of these located in Eastern Canada.

Most medical practices in Canada do secure the assistance of an OSP which, for most medical practices often makes the most sense. Because the fact is that unless you are an expert in server administration and security, getting Oscar operational once you have it can be challenging. Not to mention that if you are not a ‘techie’ you could be taking serious risks with your practice’s medical data and professional liability. In this kind of situation a ‘DIY’ approach may end up costing your practice more time, money and aggravation if Oscar EMR is not installed properly with the end result being unexpected technical issues.

Just within the past couple of years, the number of Oscar users has grown to over 1,000 physicians across BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and PEI. Overall, the largest numbers of users in Canada are in Ontario and BC. The system’s appeal is obvious – it’s a free-to-download Open-Source technology, intended to reduce paper, save time and money, provide easier access to patients’ medical data, and facilitate communication among medical professionals.  It’s pretty much a ‘win-win’ for a medical practice. As long as the managers of that medical practice understand that securing the Oscar technology is one thing; getting it installed properly is another, and is a job best left to OSP specialists.

So better than risk the aggravation of a potentially faulty installation, a medical practice would be better served by identifying an experienced and reputable OSP that will be a valuable partner in getting their Oscar EMR installed, online, and ready for use efficiently – saving a medical practice ‘DIY’ hassles and potential frustration.

myOSCAR Personal Health Record - Good Practice for Doctors and Patients by Jordan Visco, President & COO of Cloud Practice Inc.

A lot of physicians I interact with tell me that their patients often have copies of their medical records and related documents organized neatly or maybe not so neatly somewhere in their home – like tucked away in a closet or drawer perhaps.  And too often some document from that patient’s medical paper trail gets misplaced or accidentally tossed out; the patient only realizes that when he/she starts frantically searching for the missing information.  Then the physician often gets called for a backup copy.

It can be challenging, and sometimes annoying for patients to maintain paper copies of their own medical records let alone keep track of appointments and medications, especially if they have more than one physician. Consider how a patient’s and a physician’s life can be simplified by being able to access those records in one place, electronically with a smart phone, tablet or laptop; as long as an Internet connection is available. An electronic personal health record (PHR) like myOSCAR makes this possible and is a beneficial alternative for both patients and physicians.

A PHR is an electronic health information storage tool that gives the user complete control over their medical information, pretty much anytime and anywhere. A patient can send to and receive all kinds of timely information from their physician and/or medical office including lab and x-ray results, any side effects from a medication, use of supplements, or test diagnostics.  A patient can also set up their own network filter so that only those people who the user grants access to can see the information that the user wants and needs them to see.

Since myOSCAR was launched several years ago, it has been the mission of my company, Cloud Practice, Inc. to introduce this tool to medical practices and their patients because it makes the benefits of electronic medical records so easily accessible.  Installation of myOSCAR-which integrates with a medical practice’s existing OSCAR electronic medical record (EMR) system- is a service that our team at Oscarhost.ca recently launched and the response so far has been extremely positive from physicians and their patients.  The time to incorporate it into your professional and personal health plan record-keeping is now.  It’s definitely where personal medical information storage is headed as more patients and healthcare professionals try it out and realize how liberating – and efficient- it can be compared to all that paper!