“Updox lets me serve my patients better and run my business quickly and efficiently.”
As an independent provider, running a streamlined business with efficient workflows is essential to William Cromwell, MD. His practice, Lipoprotein and Metabolic Disorders Institute, in Raleigh, NC, launched in 2010. Dr. Cromwell practices part-time and also travels and lectures across the nation. He sought a way to streamline professional workflows but didn’t anticipate the way it might impact him personally.
Independent providers rely on a variety of technology solutions to streamline their overhead and support the administrative side of their businesses. There are options for voice mail vendors, email programs, and scheduling software. “Trying to do all of those things was very daunting when you run your own business,” says Dr. Cromwell.
Through Practice Fusion, Dr. Cromwell heard of Updox and was intrigued by the options for HIPAA-compliant communications that interfaced well with his EMR. “I saw that Updox would be a great way to streamline operations. Once I started using it, the training was very helpful. I had a personalized onboarding session, watched a few training videos for additional help, had a follow-up one-on-one session and was able to get started quickly,” said Dr. Cromwell.
Dr. Cromwell uses the Updox collaboration platform for document management and patient engagement. He estimates that Updox saves him approximately 20 hours a week for his part-time practice. That time savings frees him up to be more available to his family. “When it boils down, Updox gives me better quality of life. It helps with work-life balance. I didn’t want to be an administrator. Updox lets me serve my patients better and run my business quickly and efficiently,” he says.
Now, he has referrals and consultations routed right to Updox. When he gets a 50-page medical record, he can send it right over to his EMR without printing anything out. “Before Updox, I used to have to sort through those pages, review them all, save the ones I needed, scan them into my system and then shred them all. Now, I never touch a piece of paper.”
He especially appreciates the tagging feature within the inbox to be able to see tasks at a glance. “There are so many forms, plans and paperwork in healthcare. It’s can be a disorganized, frustrating mess,” he says. “Updox puts that all in a common hub where you can act on items immediately. It really helps me better manage my time and requests.”
Video Chat Use Cases
Video Chat has also been a recent addition to his patient engagement strategies. “It’s been really well received by patients. I use it as a means of providing second opinions or following up with patients and it makes that service convenient for them. They don’t have to miss work or rearrange a schedule for an appointment. We can connect easily via their phone. It lets me be helpful to my patients while they are living their lives.”
One of Dr. Cromwell’s patients has quarterly interactions with him to monitor a chronic condition. She’s retired and travels frequently. “She can be anywhere in the world and check in with me, thanks to Updox Video Chat. It changes the quality of my ability to help her and manage her care without impacting her life,” he says.
Secure Text Connections
His most common way of interacting with patients has been via Secure Text. “Patients really like the idea of texting versus phone calls and it’s so much more convenient for me. Phone tag slows down the process so much. A back-and-forth exchange with voice mails might last several hours or days. I can text a patient, get information or a question back and follow up in just a few minutes. It allows us to connect, no matter where we are.”
Being able to attach documents to a secure text is also imperative for his type of practice where patients regularly send surveillance reports for monitoring and review.
Dr. Cromwell appreciates that Updox lets him create a better experience for his patients. “Being able to offer convenient options like text or video chat really lets me distinguish my practice for patients. I can offer a personal touch with easier access and quicker care.”
His words of advice for anyone considering Updox would be to look at practice workflow and see where you are spending the most time. “If you are juggling between multiple platforms that aren’t integrated, that is time taking you away from your patients. Updox fixes that.”
Learn more about how Updox partners with Practice Fusion for better patient engagement, productivity and care coordination.
