Dr. Daniel M. Siegel is a man of many slides, 240 to be exact.
You would probably imagine a room full of glazed over faces at the end of a 240 slide presentation, but, in fact, it was just the opposite. He presented information on "techno pearls" for saving time and money in the office at the Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation (SDEF).
Dr. Daniel M. Siegel
He covered everything from EMRs to smart phone apps. But about half way through his presentation, he said listen up because "this tip alone will make the cost of the meeting worthwhile:" Consider open source software such as OpenOffice.org.
He noted that using Open Office can save your practice three figures per computer. And, yes, he said it does have AutoText.
Another cost saving tip he offered was using a free answering service. He recommend Google Voice. After signing up, a free phone number is given that can be forwarded to up to six phones and a a messaging service at the same time. Callers are able to leave a message on the system that can be retrieved not only by phone, but also online.
Moving on, he said, how many times do you get a call and need to check a chart but you're not in the office. He presented a solution for that, too: LogMeIn.com.
VisualDX is available through the iTunes store.
The program allows for remote file access from PCs, Macs, iPads, and even iPhones The LogMeIn iPhone app is around $30. It is both free and fee based depending on user needs. Paying a fee allows for file transfer and remote printing.
On the go and need a visual diagnostic aid? There's an app for that! One of Dr. Siegel's favorites is VisualDx, which is available through iTunes.
The app has thousands of clinical images and tips for treatment, as well as ICD-9 codes. It's a bit pricey because it requires a subscription but well worth it, according to Dr. Siegel.
His other favorite smart phone apps include: Epocrates (free and paid versions available); PubMed ($2.99); MedCodes-09 ($100 for complete database); HealthMap (free, tracks disease outbreaks); Blackbag (free); Stat E&M (free, helps with coding and documentation); and many more.
- Amy Pfeiffer