CMS Frequently Asked Questions
How easily can I adapt the xwave CMS-ASP to my practice?
CentricityŽ Practice meets the needs of your practice regardless of its size, organizational structure or specialty. Currently, more than 35,000 U.S. clinicians have adopted this solution within their practices. It is considered the most widely-used electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management (PM) software in the U.S. While other solutions require you to adapt your practice to the technology, CentricityŽ Practice adapts to your practice.
Can xwave's CMS-ASP save money?
In comparison with paper-based systems, the enhanced efficiency of an EMR provides numerous opportunities to save money. These range from the space saved by eliminating paper records, to improved time management of staff who no longer have to pull and file paper records, to better documented patient encounters and more efficient billing. In comparison to local EMR solutions,
xwave's CMS-ASP service is competitively priced.
Is my data safe?
Your patient data is stored in two redundant state-of-the-art data centres at the
Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA). Dedicated specifically to supporting healthcare-information needs, the data centres help protect the privacy of the information so that it is accessible only by physicians and by people physicians have authorized to view it.
How does xwave's CMS-ASP perform beyond other solutions?
To start, the CMS-ASP is an Application Service Provider (ASP) solution. An ASP model allows doctors to adopt and benefit from the technology without having to invest significantly in a stand-alone ‘in-office’ solution, which in turn requires that they become experts themselves to use it. An ASP approach also ensures ongoing support and automatic upgrades. It eliminates the need for extensive technical expertise within the practice, as well as the need to implement complex, costly servers and related back-up.
The
xwave solution is an industry-leading Clinical Management System (CMS) that provides full Ontario practice-management functionality, including multi-site/multi-physician scheduling, billing, financial reporting, and patient registration. It provides leading-edge clinical functionality with over 600 clinical templates to help automate patient encounters. It is the first system in Ontario to surpass stringent requirements set out for ASP-based solutions by OntarioMD.
Moreover, as Microsoft Certified Partners,
xwave and GE Healthcare provide a full complement of development and support expertise.
xwave operates a Microsoft Practice that includes more then 170 Microsoft Certified Professionals, while CentricityŽ PM is the result of GE's direct collaboration with Microsoft's Healthcare division. In addition,
xwave has over 300 professionals in its healthcare practice who focus specifically on clinical productivity. Practitioners who use CentricityŽ Practice software report improved efficiency, better documentation, accelerated cash flow, reduced expenses and improved staff morale.
What about training: Is the CMS-ASP easy to learn?
The
xwave CMS-ASP offers an intuitive design, user-friendly interface, comprehensive support and, consequently, a relatively short learning curve: users are comfortable on CentricityŽ Practice software in days rather than weeks or months. Soon after installment, they are able to accomplish multiple tasks quickly and easily, and show improved productivity and morale.
xwave's knowledgeable experts facilitate adoption and ensure continued, customized, round-the-clock support. Personal training, computer-based training (CBT) modules, and context-specific online information all serve to accelerate the learning process. The CBT modules are particularly useful: at the touch of a key, physicians can get interactive, highly specific help within any screen or menu.
After installing xwave's CMS-ASP, what kind of support can I expect?
The xwave CMS-ASP offers exceptional support, with several different options available, both over the phone and the Internet. Online, the Centricity PM Knowledge Base addresses commonly asked questions 24/7. In addition, a wide range of support packages allows physicians to choose the one that best suits their practice needs. There's also a full CentricityŽ Practice maintenance program that helps physicians comply with current regulatory requirements, such as those associated with the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Health Information Protection Act. This single point of contact is designed to diagnose, isolate and resolve any problems a physician would encounter using the system.
Few industries evolve as rapidly as healthcare; how can I be assured the CMS-ASP will remain current?
With services, fee-structures, and medicine itself continually changing, healthcare information systems must readily adapt. Earlier practice-management software was designed simply to print an OHIP form, thereby requiring regularly installed software patches to keep in-office systems up to date with changes from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. With
xwave's CMS-ASP service, all necessary updates are automatically incorporated in the system to ensure timely receipt of information and accurate billing and administration.
GE Healthcare has committed ongoing research and development to continued improvement and flexibility of CentricityŽ Practice. Physicians can therefore expect the product to evolve. They can also be assured by the fact that
xwave has developed the CMS-ASP in close collaboration with Ontario's
Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA) and the Physician IT Program; these efforts have also resulted in the well-received OntarioMD.ca, created for the Ontario Medical Association.
Can the xwave CMS-ASP run on the Internet?
Yes. The solution operates via the Internet as a fully-functional and highly secure system that is built around award-winning clinical management software, and provides anytime, anywhere access to information.
How do I make the transition to the xwave CMS-ASP?
Start by contacting
xwave at 1-866-241-7849. If you're currently using Microsoft Windows products for other office tasks, you may already have much of the necessary equipment and training.
xwave and GE Healthcare together have the combined technical expertise and proven adoption practices to promote an easy, cost-effective transition to integrated, automated practice management.
What are the benefits of the CMS-ASP being ‘Designed for Microsoft Windows XP’?
Hardware and software products displaying the ‘Designed for Microsoft Windows XP’ logo have been tested for compatibility with Microsoft Windows operating systems through use of Microsoft-provided testing procedures. These products have been thoroughly tested to ensure quality, consistency, the most advanced features, and the greatest ease of use.
xwave has many years of Microsoft expertise: the organization is a Microsoft Certified Partner, and operates a Microsoft Practice that includes more then 170 Microsoft Certified Professionals. Their support enhances already much-acclaimed CentricityŽ Practice Management solutions, which themselves have been Microsoft-certified since 1995.
