“I was tired of wheeling around a grocery cart full of charts,” says Trevor Elmquist, DO, of Fort Myers, Florida. Electronic records seemed to be the solution to the hassles of juggling charts among three practice locations. “But I’m not a tech wizard, so the thought of moving to EHR was a little scary,” he admits. “There are people who love nothing better than digging into the nuts and bolts of a software program and playing around with it, almost as a hobby. That’s not me.”

The Compulink Solution
Stay Focused on the Patient – Let Compulink Handle the Paperwork
“As he transitioned away from paper charts, Dr. Elmquist decided to reallocate staff dollars to hire exam room scribes instead of file clerks. Compulink’s Ophthalmology Advantage^™ is flexible enough to adapt to the way he wants to work. “I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable clicking away on the computer with the patient in front of me,” he says. “With a scribe, I enjoy the freedom to just be the doctor, my staff has more fulfilling work, and the patient gets more of my attention than when I was making notes on a paper chart. It’s a win for everyone.”

Besides the ease of use and flexibility, Dr. Elmquist says Compulink’s long history in eye care was an important factor in his decision. “We have a busy retail optical shop, and we’re building an ambulatory surgical center, so I didn’t want to waste time finding multiple vendors and trying to make their products match up. It was critical to me that we choose an EHR partner with proven experience integrating practice management, ASC management, optical, and medical records.” And through it all, he says, the company has listened to his suggestions for further improvements. “I really feel that Compulink is committed to the success of my practice.”

The Outcome
A More Efficient, More Profitable Practice
Insurance verification through the Compulink system has had a big impact on the practice’s collection time. “Over the past year, the percentage of our accounts receivable aging >90 days went from 20% to 5%,” Dr. Elmquist says. “And automating our spectacle and contact lens prescriptions has noticeably boosted optical shop sales.” He also finds he’s spending less time on administrative tasks at the end of the workday. “My staff can leave messages and add items to my ‘to-do’ list right on the Advantage/EHR screen, so I can take care of them in between cases,” he says.

With the cash flow picture improving and EHR helping him work more efficiently, Dr. Elmquist says he’s been able to reclaim some of his personal time. “Being able to leave the office at 5:00p.m. to play racquetball makes me a healthier, happier person – and I can do that now that I don’t have to face a pile of charts at the end of the day.”