Chiropractic Software by SOAPe

BIG Changes for SOAPe in 2011

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:04:15 +0000

We are proud to announce that SOAPe will be launching our latest version in the first quarter of 2011. This latest version will provide Chiropractic offices with complete practice management. We will be posting our release date shortly, and can be found on our main website at www.soapenotes.com

Happy Holidays From SOAPe Chiropractic Software!

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:47:43 +0000

Happy Holidays

I haven’t updated this blog in quite a while and figured what better time to do so than the holidays. First off, I would like to wish everyone a happy and most importantly, healthy holiday season. The cycle of mass consumerism has already begun and is in full force. Obnoxiously cheery holiday music is piped through the speakers of retail establishments and candy canes line the shelves. Love it or loathe it, that’s the way things are. The only dilemma bigger than the obligation to purchase a gift for everyone we’ve ever met (and seem to run into just after the holiday) is how to pay for it. If you’re like most Americans, you’ll put it on a few credit cards and run up a bit of debt. Rest assured, you’ll be stretching the joy of gift giving over the next 12, 24 or even 36 months as you continue to get those monthly statements.

It is clear that American consumers and businesses are embarking on an era of thrift this year until the economy shows clear signs of improvement. Businesses are expected to spend less on technology goods and services this year as a result of the global recession, according to a recent report. The report expects the biggest decreases to come from companies cutting back on computer equipment like servers and storage devices, as well as services like IT consulting.

Despite these reports, many chiropractic software vendors continue to increase the cost of their software, or require the purchase of additional hardware costing thousands of dollars. Since our inception in 2001, it has been our mission to offer the best chiropractic documentation software at the lowest possible price. I believe that we have succeeded in doing so over the past 9 years as evidenced by our continued growth and the high rate of satisfaction amongst our clientele. What we don’t offer is fancy software boxes, 100 page user manuals, brochures and high pressure sales people, all of which lead to increased costs which eventually must be passed onto you, the consumer. If you’re looking for a superior product at a great price, than SOAPe Platinum software is for you! With SOAPe software, you can create Initial Reports, Progress Reports, SOAP Notes and Narrative Reports in just seconds! I can assure you that SOAPe will save you hundreds of hours in paperwork each year and thousands of dollars in copy and storage costs as it has so many other chiropractors worldwide.

As a celebration of the holiday season, we are currently offering SOAPe Platinum software at our lowest price of the year. Order SOAPe Platinum software by December 31, 2009 and save $200.00. The total cost of our software is only $495.00. That includes 30 days of free support and 90 days of free updates. I encourage you to visit our website today and download the free 14 day trial. I’m sure you’ll agree that when it comes to chiropractic documentation software, SOAPe Platinum can’t be beat!

SOAPe Platinum Travel Card Has Arrived!

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:30:37 +0000

When SOAPe chiropractic software was launched in 2001, we included a printable travel card for clients who wished to document their notes on paper prior to entering them into the application. The travel card was an integral part of the software application until 2003 when we discontinued its use. Recently, a growing number of clients have requested that we once offer a travel card that is compatible with SOAPe Platinum software. Well, the wait is finally over!

We understand that no one travel card will ever suit the needs of every client. In fact, the reason we pulled the original travel card back in 2003 was because too many users complained about the card. Some clients felt it contained too much data while others felt it lacked enough detail.

This time around, our intention was to design a card that would suit the needs of most clients. Our design team came up with an attractive and easy-to-use travel card, that includes plenty of room for additional notes throughout. Patient visits can now be documented on the card and entered at a later time into the software application. This method eliminates the need for an office network since only one computer is required for data entry.

We encourage you to offer your suggestions for the next travel card update in the comments section below. We ask that you try and limit your suggestions to those that will be of benefit to the majority of users. In other words, suggesting that we incorporate a list of homeopathic remedies into the card is probably not a good suggestion…

Click the image below to download or print a copy of the blank travel card.

SOAPe Platinum Travel Card

Better Documentation – Better Reimbursment

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:59:56 +0000

Though Shakespeare’s character Hamlet never asked, “To document or not to document?” this question should be answered in your office as soon as possible. And here are two reasons why: Can you say “medical necessity” and “over utilization”?

Here’s another question to ask yourself, “Do you have a compliance program in your office?” Such words are the chosen language of the new millennium. If you haven’t started a compliance program in your office yet, now is the time. A program of self-monitoring and self-audit works to ensure that federal and state mandated issues are complied with in your office.

Two important compliance issues and reasons for frequent third-party review and possible audit are proper documentation and proper coding. I will share with you below why and how to initiate a compliance program properly and begin a new era of business in your practice.

Recently I visited a chiropractor who, like many D.C.s, was being audited by a major insurer and had realized that the “travel card”—the 1970s version of “documentation”—was insufficient to verify necessity of chiropractic care.

Many of you may be asking, “What’s with having to prove medical necessity when I went to school to become a chiropractor?” Here’s a “mindset” tip: Simply substitute the word “chiropractic” for the word medical, but understand that you still must prove necessity of care for the third-party payer. Don’t get emotional—get smart!

Due to insufficient and improper documentation, the audited D.C. was charged with practicing under the standard of care and “over utilization,” the buzz phrase of the late 1990s. The next step in the audit process was a reimbursement, this time by the D.C. back to the insurance company for all those so-called unnecessary visits. This occurred because insufficient notes did not back up necessity. Making matters worse, the insurer then advised the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which notified the state Board of Chiropractic, who then charged the doctor with improper documentation according to state laws and rules.

Here’s an immediate suggestion: Designate travel cards for internal use only. You should have a system in place that allows a more complete documentation of what took place on each visit. We suggest a full narrative for that first report in complete detail, whether the patient was involved in a trauma or not. Make sure that if you also take X-rays, that the narrative also includes complete details of your radiological findings. If you take a single X-ray, do not just write down subluxation listings on the travel card and call that your report.

Being compliant in your office in regard to documentation basically says that no matter how the patient is paying for care, complete and proper documentation will take place. It’s not to say some travel cards are not sufficient; perhaps some may be provide more in-depth data than others. Here’s the rule: Patient care and proper documentation go hand in hand.

Your first step is to exchange some of your old techniques with some updated ones. You can still make use of the SOAP notes format, but those abbreviations and making circles and check marks have to go, unless they are for internal use only and more complete notes are being recorded to bring your office up to compliance.

There is an interesting note on the use of the travel card. What it was designed for and what it has turned out to be are entirely different things, and it is perhaps the most outdated procedure in chiropractic. Are you still using the same travel card copied from the D.C. who inspired you to pursue a chiropractic career? Do you still make use of the same abbreviated circles and check marks with the capability of 20-25 visits on two sides, and then consider these your notes? In all likelihood, using this system of documentation can only lead to a red flag and a 30-yard penalty!

The travel card used in the above way is as outdated as purchasing a steel square lunch box for your child’s upcoming school year. In the “old days,” the travel card had a different purpose. Chiropractors provided their patients with a small card, the perfect size to be placed into the pocket (especially when traveling) and on it were the patient’s X-ray listings. Another D.C. in a distant town could refer to this small card, thus allowing a patient to receive care from a chiropractor wherever they were.

Then came the super duper version of the travel cards, probably brought on by third-party insurance and the beginnings of documentation. This card had all those abbreviations where you circled either 1, 2, 3 or 4 for the amount of pain the patient is in, not taking into consideration whether it was pain down the arm or a burning sensation in the lower back. All subjective symptoms had no names or description; they were simply numbers 1, 2, 3 or 4. Now we know what it must feel like to be salami waiting to be called upon at the local supermarket. And then you simply circled Y or N on whether the patient was treated during their visit. Forget what procedures were performed. The main thing was that something was done on that visit.

The point is that if there’s no key explaining every abbreviation, initial, circle, check mark or number, and your chiropractic assistant can’t understand it, can you imagine what thoughts an insurance adjuster might have? How about your state Board of Chiropractic, or worse, a plaintiff attorney in a malpractice case against you?

Here’s the problem: If you were audited by your state board and asked to review your file on a particular patient, that file would be incomplete and “non-compliant” in regard to medical necessity and proper documentation with the use of an inadequate travel card. Without proper documentation backing the necessity to see the patient and use procedures on the patient, it would be deemed “over utilization,” a phrase that you do not wish to hear from an insurance company or your State Board of Chiropractic.

The Office of Inspector General has recommended that all health-care providers create self-audits and self-monitoring procedures. They state that causes of investigation from regulatory boards and third party insurers likely would arise from:

proper coding and coding;
services that are reasonable and necessary;
documentation accuracy; and
avoidance of inducements and kickbacks.

If you do not wish to take the time to stay code compliant with regard to proper documentation for medical necessity, try calling upon one of the many fine chiropractic suppliers of documentation technology. Some D.C.s have hired a chiropractic assistant to follow them from room to room to just document a patient’s entire visit. But what about re-exams? Do you have to create documentation for that, too? If you did it, then there must be a report of your findings in your file. Here’s a tip: Your care plan and proper documentation go hand in hand. And no matter how the patients are paying, there must be proper note taking.

Chiropractic Software Selection

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:32:10 +0000

As you are probably aware, you have many choices when it comes to software selection for your chiropractic office. Just enter the terms “chiropractic software“, “chiropractic EMR” or “chiropractic billing software” into any search engine, and you will get thousands of results. When selecting software for your office, you should not only consider price, but features and product support. Chiropractic software can range in price from as little as a few hundred dollars, up to several thousand dollars. It’s important that you set a budget before you begin to shop around and not allow some slick, fast-talking sales person to talk you into something you really can’t afford – no matter how attractive their financing options may be. One thing you’ll notice is that most software vendors conceal their pricing from prospective clients. They do this because it forces you to contact their sales department. Of course we all know what happens at this point. When you price out a particular software product, be certain to learn the total cost of ownership. This not only includes the upfront costs of the software, but also includes any additional hardware and mainanence fees.

Prior to shopping for chiropractic software, you should also establish the features that are most important to you. Do you really need all the “bells and whistles” or are you simply looking for the essentials? Keep in mind that those extras all add to the overall cost of the product. These features may sound exciting, but are they really necessary for the day to day operations of your office? Will they really help to improve the efficiency of your office? Establishing a list of essential features prior to shopping for chiropratic software can help to reduce the likelihood of being talked into something you can’t afford.

Last but not least, when shopping for chiropractic software, you should inquire about the vendor’s support for the product. All vendors offer some level of support for their product, some better than others. Some offer free support for a limited period of time, while others may charge several hundred dollars per year for support or even worse, impose mandatory maintenance fees on clients. Make certain that the sales staff explains their support options clearly to you prior to making a purchase, otherwise you could be in for some unexpected surprises when calling for product support.

SOAPe Platinum chiropractic software has always been priced fairly. In fact, we have always been priced several hundred dollars less than our competitors. Not only do we offer the lowest pricing in the industry, but we also give you all the essentials coupled with some extras found on systems costing thousands of dollars more. Our support department is also second to none. We offer 24/7 online support, and toll-free phone support during normal business hours. We encourage you to try SOApe Platinum software today if you haven’t already done so. We offer a free 14-day trial.

We have never been afraid of our compeition. Below you will find a comprehensive list of chiropractic software vendors. We are certain that after browing these vendors websites, you will quickly see what a great value SOAPe Platinum software really is. You can also find comprehensive reviews of chiropractic software products at ChiroMonkey.com. Additional information can also be found on the Capterra Chiropractic Software directory website.

Chiropractic SOAP Notes – Documenting Medical Necessity

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:44:06 +0000

One of the most challenging obstacles we face as chiropractors is documenting medical necessity, especially as a patient’s care progresses beyond the acute phase. If you are unable to document medical necessity, it is unlikely you’ll be reimbursed for the care you are providing or be approved for additional visits by an insurer. Ultimately, this can lead to a significant loss in revenues for your practice and patient dissatisfaction. Chiropractic care is considered medically necessary when your documentation can show that your treatment is expected to significantly improve or resolve a condition and when continued care will result in functional improvement. Once the clinical status stabilizes, without expectation of additional objective clinical improvements, further chiropractic care is considered maintenance.

Setting Goals

One of the best ways to document improvement is by establishing both short-term and long-term goals. These goals should be clearly defined in the Initial Report. You should also establish a feasible timeline in which to achieve these goals. The biggest mistake chiropractors make is setting goals that are not objective, quantifiable, or functional. Your daily chiropractic SOAP notes should intermittently reflect your patient’s progress in relation to the treatment goals that were established during the initial visit.

Short-term goals are set to provide an immediate, achievable target. Short term goals might constitute daily, weekly or monthly achievements. Long-term goals are set to help patients understand what they can expect from the care you are providing and where they can expect to be in several months. It’s important to use the long term goals as a means to help motivate a patient to achieve their short term goals. The goals may be changed if people become unwilling or unable (financially or otherwise) to continue or if they progress more slowly or quickly than expected.

Examples of short -term goals might include the following:

Reduce pain and restore normal joint function and muscle balance.
Improve lumbar range of motion by 20 degrees each month.
Improve hamstring flexibility by 5% each week using PNF stretch.

Examples of long-term goals might include:

Restore full lumbar range of motion in 12 weeks.
Improve hamstring flexibility by 50% in ten weeks.
Restoring functional independence and tolerance to normal activities of daily living.

Your monthly Progress Reports should address progress toward the patient’s goals, otherwise insurers will view the treatment as medically unnecessary and refuse reimbursement. Simply stating that “the patient’s range of motion has improved” is not sufficient. A more appropriate statement would be “The patient has successfully achieved the short-term goal of improving lumbar range of motion by 20 degrees in 4 weeks. We will continue to work towards full restoration of the patient’s lumbar range of motion over the next 8 weeks through the use of chiropractic adjustments, modalities and therapeutic activities and exercises.”

SOAPe Platinum software can help chiropractors to streamline the process of documenting medical necessity. Our point and click interface makes it simple to establish both short and long-term goals for your patients, and document their progress adequately. We continue to improve SOAPe Platinum software to meet the growing needs of the chiropractic profession while boasting the lowest pricing in the industry.

Chiropractic Billing: Outsourcing vs. In-House

admin — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:26:01 +0000

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is if we plan to add a billing and claims module to SOAPe Platinum software. At this time we do not have any plans to do so. We feel that it makes better sense to outsource your billing to a professional chiropractic billing and collection service. A major problem with in-house billing is the human resource management. Human resource management problems arise from two primary areas – employee turnover and practice growth. Outsourcing your chiropractic billing and collections can help to eliminate these problems and help to improve office efficiency.

Reducing Employee Turnover With Chiropractic Billing Outsourcing:

While you may be have been lucky enough to have had loyal employees who have been with your office for years, the fact remains that they will eventually leave. If your office is like most chiropractic offices, you’ve likely experienced a high employee turnover rate. In either event, once an employee leaves, you are forced to fill the vacancy immediately or your cash flow may be compromised. This often means hiring someone with lesser or very little experience with chiropractic billing and claims management. Hiring an inexperienced billing specialist can lead to errors that cost you money or that seriously delay reimbursements. New hires also require training and close supervision. As a chiropractor, do you really have time for this? Your time is much better spent focusing on your patient’s well-being and marketing your practice.

Outsourcing your billing and collections can help to eliminate these problems and the headaches and financial loss that comes with them.

Growing a Professional Practice:

As your practice grows, your revenues will grow and so will the chiropractic billing and collections workload. Your employee costs are fixed costs, while your billings and collections are not. So, when your practice has grown to the point where the workload overtaxes the current billing personal, you will need to add another chiropractic billing specialist. This leads to an abrupt increase in fixed costs, because now you are – in effect – overstaffed, as the volume of the workload has not as yet caught up to your newly-expanded billing capacity. Outsourcing your chiropractic billing and collections can change billing related expenses from a fixed cost to a variable cost and improve your ability to manage your chiropractic office. When you outsource your chiropractic billing and collections, your costs vary directly with your billings and collections. If your billing and collections drop, your costs also drop. If they go up, your costs do not increase disproportionately.

Less Paperwork and Lower Employee Costs With Chiropractic Billing Outsourcing

If you do your chiropractic billing internally, salary is typically only about 70-75% of your employee costs when you figure in payroll taxes, FICA and insurance. Not to mention that added paperwork cost of administering them. Plus, when your billing specialists are sick or on vacation, you’re still paying them for not working. When you outsource your billing, the overhead and paperwork is not your responsibility.

Below are some of the expenses associated with hiring an in-house chiropractic billing specialist.

Employee salary
Employee benefits
Worker’s compensation insurance
FICA
Healthcare insurance
Vacation time and sick leave
Performance bonuses
Computer hardware/software upgrades and maintenance
Clearinghouse fees
Postage
Stationery
Physical (Office) Space
Training and re-training
Recruitment costs
YOUR time

As you can see, outsourcing your chiropractic billing and collections makes good business sense. The cost alone is a great reason why in-house billing/collections isn’t worth it. Outsourcing your billing and collections will help to improve your office revenues and allow you to focus on what matters most – providing quality chiropractic care to your patients and marketing your practice.

SOAPe Platinum software simplifies the task of outsourcing your billing and collections with our electronic records transmission feature. SOAPe Platinum not only creates complete and detailed reports in just seconds, but also documents the CPT codes for the services rendered for each date of service. The entire week’s notes can then be sent instantly with just a few clicks of the mouse by fax or email to your billing and collections company for processing. It’s really that simple! Ask a sales representative today for additional details about outsourcing your chiropractic billing and collections.

Below are a few companies offering billing services for chiropractic professionals. We do not endorse any of the companies listed but provide them as a reference for our readers. It is best to contact several chiropractic billing services to find the one that is right for you.

Chiropractic Billing Services, Inc.

Pacific Chiropractic Billing

Outsource Management Group, Inc.

Pro Claim Chiropractic Billing

Clinic Doctor, Inc.

Enhanced Support and Training

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:39:03 +0000

Over the past several months, we have taken steps to help ensure that our clients continue to receive the highest level of support and training in the industry. In March 2009, we introduced remote support sessions for all clients. This technology allows our support team to connect to your computer remotely and quickly resolve any problems you may be encountering. Prior to implementing this technology, clients would have to call and explain the issue to a support specialist who would then attempt to walk the client through the necessary steps to resolve the problem. This wasn’t always the most efficient way of handling things as you can imagine.

In April 2009, we also introduced our Flash Video Learning Center which can be found on the “Free Support” page of our website. Within the Learning Center, you will find a complete series of video tutorials covering a range of topics including:

Software installation
Creating chiropractic reports including narrative reports and SOAP notes
Importing documents and converting your office to a paperless office
Backing up your patient data
And much more…

We encourage you to visit our Learning Center if you haven’t already done so, and see for yourself how SOAPe Platinum software can help to simplify your life.

We continuously strive to improve the quality of our product and support. If you have a suggestion or feedback regarding SOAPe Platinum software, we would love to hear from you. You can either call our office at (877) 447-6273 or email us at sales@soapenotes.com

Choosing The Right Chiropractic Software For Your Office

admin — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:29:18 +0000

As a chiropractor, you know that the business side of your practice is critical to your success. A growing number of chiropractors are now using some type of chiropractic software to boost efficiency and accuracy. If your looking to compete in today’s business climate, a chiropractic office software solution is no longer a luxury. If you already have chiropractic billing software or chiropractic reporting software, is it time to upgrade, or would you be better off starting from scratch with a new software vendor? To find out, do your homework carefully up front to avoid costly mistakes.

Type in “chiropractic software,” “chiropractic office software,” or “chiropractic billing software” on any search engine, and you’ll get hundreds of results. How do you find the best software for your chiropractic office?

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

First, think carefully about your needs. Do you need just software to create chiropractic reports such as Narrative Reports and SOAP notes, or do you also need software for scheduling and billing? Selecting software that does not suit the needs of your office can be a costly mistake.
Compare pricing—but know what you’re getting for that price. Find a price range that seems reasonable for your budget, then contact the software vendor to ask about specific features and benefits.Do not be fooled into purchasing software with features you will never use or use on a limited basis. Remember, you are paying for these features whether you use them or not.
In any software purchase, there may be hidden costs. Ask the sales representative if any special hardware necessary to run the software, and if so, what costs are involved. You should also ask about the cost of software upgrades and any additional fees such as support and maintenance fees.
Some chiropractic office software is based on the Internet, which means you can access your records from any location and you don’t need specific hardware to run it. Compare the benefits of online software versus software you install on your own computers. Keep in mind that when you purchase software for your computers, you actually own that software. When you utilize web-based chiropractic software, you are committed to paying a monthly fee for as long as you continue using the software.
For any new software purchase, the learning curve can be huge. So ask yourself: How easy is the software to learn and use? How good is the support offered by the software provider? Excellent support can save you hours—even days—of frustration and lost time.
If you type in “chiropractic software reviews” on a web search engine, you can find several review sites that may help. Check to make sure a review is actually unbiased before you act on the reviewer’s advice. And consider also that some excellent software solutions may have escaped the reviewer’s attention.

No matter what your chiropractic office needs are, there’s a software solution that will work for you. Investigating the options carefully may seem time-consuming, but making the best choice will save you hours of frustration and thousands of dollars in the long run.