Practice Perfect - Sept/Oct 2017

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PRESS

THE

SEPT/OCT 2017

2-344 North Rivermede Road, Concord, Ontario L4K 3N2

www.practiceperfectemr.com

UNDER DEVELOPMENT: REDEFINING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT HOW PATIENT SELF-BOOKING AND THE

Patients can now fill out their intake forms in the clinic lobby on a tablet device, or if you want to be even more proactive, patients can complete their intake forms from your website before they even set foot in your clinic! This game-changing integration will be taking place in three distinct phases. 1. In the first phase, completed forms will be emailed directly to your clinic’s email account. You may then take these forms and store them directly in each patient’s document library. This is now available.

NEW FORM BUILDER WILL ENHANCE YOUR CLINIC’S PATIENT ENGAGEMENT

When providing a software as a service, routine updates and small bug fixes are quite common. But we work in a rapidly changing industry, and it’s more important than ever to not only keep up, but to get ahead of the curve. Today, we know that the industry’s thrust is toward patient involvement — and these two new features are going to revolutionize the way your clinic engages them. Online booking allows clients to schedule appointments at any time. They don’t have to remember to call on their lunch break or put off scheduling day after day because they forgot to call you during business hours. Instead, clients book appointments at their convenience, even in the middle of the night. For many people, being able to easily schedule an appointment might be why they choose your clinic over your competitors. Despite the obvious perks, many clinics shy away from online booking for one big reason: It seems complicated to set up. From syncing calendars to coding a web page, launching this level of software is very intimidating. That’s why Practice Perfect has done all the heavy lifting for you. Our new patient self-booking software is currently available, free of charge,

to all Practice Perfect users. All you need to do is contact the support department and tell them that you’d like to enable this feature. Patients can book appointments, choose the provider they want to see, select the duration and more — and it all integrates in real time with your Practice Perfect schedule. We are also working feverishly to enhance this offering by allowing patients to learn about and book specific services, learn your pricing and see biographies of your clinicians. Users will also be able to customize the appearance of their patient self-booking panel with logos and backgrounds to match your clinic’s website and maintain your clinic’s brand. We’re even adding the ability to have automatic “clean up” time added between appointments, based on the services provided. We will continue to enhance our self-booking functionality to meet the ever- changing needs of our clients — and yours. In other news, Practice Perfect is nearing completion on its customizable intake form feature. With the help of this exciting new add-on, therapists won’t have to twiddle their thumbs while they wait for patients to complete their forms.

2. In the second phase, completed forms will

seamlessly be uploaded to your patients’ “Activity by Documents” screen.

3. And in the third and final

phase of this integration, the form (and the information entered on it) can be used to create a brand client profile automatically — without admin staff having to perform any double entry of information already provided.

We’re looking forward to offering you these exciting new features, as we truly believe that they can give you the edge on your competitors and save you valuable administrative time.

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RANSOMWARE: A REAL THREAT How Cloud Backups Guard Your Clinic From Hackers

Ransomware attacks are making headlines more and more. 2016 statistics are startling: More than 4,000 ransomware attacks occurred daily. Ransomware is popular with cybercriminals because it works! It is now a billion-dollar industry and growing. Ransomware infects computer systems in two main ways: 1) A user clicks on a legitimate-looking attachment or URL within an email. 2) A website is seeded with a malicious code. Once the infection hits the system, the malware begins encrypting all data that resides on the computer, including data within the network. The victim can no longer access their files, and they receive computer messages demanding the ransom in exchange for the decryption key. It’s important to note that authorities do not recommend that a victim pay the ransom.

One may never be completely protected against an attack; however, listed below are some key steps to help prevent it and prepare for the worst. Implement a training program for office staff on the threat of ransomware and how a system can become infected. Firewalls, anti-virus, anti-malware and anti- exploit security programs should always be up to date. Schedule scans to be automatic. • • Perform daily secure backups of critical data locally and off-site to a reputable cloud backup provider. Cloud backup is crucial in fighting ransomware. Practice Perfect has partnered with DataHEALTH, the leading provider of cloud backup for the health care industry. DataHEALTH is PIPEDA compliant, plus, it’s the only cloud backup provider to be both URAC HIPAA Security Business • Always upgrade your operating system, software and firmware to the latest version. •

Associate and NIST FIPS 140-2 encryption certified. Take advantage of a 30-day free trial along with a waived annual licensing fee for the first year. Pricing starts at $9.95 USD. Contact DataHEALTH today at 888-656-3282 (ext. 280) or visit datahealth.com/practice-perfect-emr. Offer expires Friday, October 13, 2017.

FIND YOUR FLOW How to Get in the Zone Everyone has days when work just seems to fly by effortlessly. You feel laser-focused and hyper- productive. In short, you are “in the zone.” This proverbial zone, though, can feel elusive when distractions are plentiful and time is at a premium. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Chick-zent- mee-hal-yi”) has spent his career investigating this state, which he calls “flow,” and his insights can help you harness your most productive self.

Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal work, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,” asserts that finding flow doesn’t just increase your ability to accomplish tasks, it also raises your happiness level. “Whenever the goal is to improve the quality of life, flow theory can point the way,” he writes. According to his research, a state of flow is reached when skill and challenge are balanced against one another. When the challenge is too low relative to skill, boredom follows. When it’s too high, anxiety overwhelms the ability to reach flow. Just the right proportion of challenge and skill, and your mind becomes totally engaged in the task at hand.

So, how do you get yourself into flow state? The first step is to set clearly defined goals. Once you know what you are working toward, it becomes easier to maintain the focus required to reach optimal flow. The next step is to eliminate distractions that will divert your concentration. Flow is easier to maintain than it is to build up to, and you don’t want your flow broken by something that could’ve easily been put off. Use smaller activities as a way to break up larger ones, and you’ll find a more consistent work rate.

Autotelic means that you view what you’re doing as an end in itself and find the work intrinsically rewarding. If you find meaning in the activity at hand, rather than relying on external motivators, it’s easier to throw yourself into a project. The next time you find yourself going through the motions or watching the clock at work, don’t write it off as “one of those days.” Instead, take a step back, plan out your task list, and approach your assignments with vigor. Flow doesn’t strike you like a bolt of lightning; you have to work for it. Once you find a routine that puts you in the zone, stick to it, and great work will follow.

Another important component of flow is what Csikszentmihalyi calls the “autotelic experience.”

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THE PRACTICE PERFECT ORIGIN STORY How I Went From Tinkerer to Expert to Founder

I’ve been working with computers for almost as long as I can remember. At 15 years old, I was curious about all the new personal computers that had everybody abuzz. So, I stepped into my local computer store — one of the first ones around — to check it out. There, in front of me, was the Tandy TRS-80 Microcomputer System, complete with a full QWERTY keyboard and a whopping 4 kilobytes of RAM. If you look it up nowadays, I’m sure you’ll laugh. It’s a bulky hunk of grey plastic that couldn’t even display lowercase letters, much less actual graphics, but to me, it was a revelation. I picked up the manual for the machine and started playing around with it, gradually learning the ins and outs of its complex software systems. Right away, I was hooked.

to fix problems, along with various programming jobs. We ended up getting hired by an owner of a local rehabilitation clinic who needed some extremely specific programming work done for his business. Though that kind of test was new to us, my team and I learned as we went and built the solution he required. Later, the owner merged his company with a bunch of other rehabilitation clinics, which were all later swallowed up by an even larger company. Throughout all the transitions, I was kept along for the ride. So, there I was, director of admin and IT for 65 rehab clinics. But suddenly, in the late ’90s, a massive corporation moved in and started shaking up our processes.

Programming is an incredibly daunting skill to beginners. Back then, especially, it was anything but easy to accomplish even the simplest tasks on a computer without experience. But from the outset, it was clear I had a knack for it. I spent hours and hours navigating the system, using the archaic and arcane BASIC programming language. I’m grateful to have gotten into the field so early. When you’re working with such a rudimentary language, you really need to

master your fundamentals. Whenever I could, I would hone my skills. After a time, I was working alongside the computer shop’s owner here and there, doing odd programming jobs. What was once a hobby evolved into a passion. I had an affinity for the work, and a few years down the road, I found myself operating a small computer repair shop. We’d repair people’s machines and dive into their operating systems

“Throughout every step of my career, I’ve coupled my technical expertise with a knack for working with people.”

Unfortunately, this particular company didn’t have the best reputation, nor was I a big fan of the new management or the general direction we were going. So, I committed to getting them through the changes of Y2K and parted ways shortly after. I founded Practice Perfect, and I’ve never looked back. Throughout every step of my career, I’ve coupled my technical expertise with a knack for working with people. Today, my favorite part about the work I do is the clients I get to interact with. I get to learn about their situations and find unique solutions to their most nagging problems. It’s been a long journey to get where I am, but I’ve loved every step of the way. Each day, I get to come into the office, alongside a team I’ve known for years and communicate back and forth with clients to overcome new challenges. I couldn’t ask for more. -Steven Presement

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

2-344 North Rivermede Road Concord, Ontario L4K 3N2 support@practiceperfectemr.com

Redefining Patient Engagement

Ransomware: A Real Threat

Find Your Flow

The Practice Perfect Origin Story

Practice Perfect Pasta

Take a Break

PRACTICE PERFECT PASTA TAKE A BREAK

INGREDIENTS

• •

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups) 1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (2 cups) 2 tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 3/4 cups reduced- sodium chicken broth 1 cup dried whole grain elbow macaroni 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• •

Kosher salt

• •

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

Ground black pepper (optional) Snipped fresh basil

• •

Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion and garlic. Cook, uncovered, 7–10 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. 2. Add beans, broth, pasta and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 7–10 minutes more or until vegetables and pasta are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; top with basil and Parmesan cheese and serve. Recipe courtesy of midwestliving.com.

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