Articles

This week we have made a few improvements to enhance the efficiency of your workflow and billing.

If you’re not with EMSOW yet, visit our website, explore our services, and schedule a live demo or free consultation. You will see how it works (and even try it!), have your questions answered, and compare prices.

[#20852] Faster “End of month” report generation
We have optimized the “End of month” report generation. Now it takes less time than ever to get the report.

[#20830] Sending claims without a payer address
With this update, you can send electronic claims without providing a payer address in the insurance department settings. To make use of this new feature, double-click into the necessary billing connector (Setup → Billing → Billing Connectors) and enable the allow sending claims without a payer address checkbox.

Note that paper claims (HCFA-1500) must always include the payer address and this new feature only applies to electronic claims that you send via a clearing house service.

[#20808] Credit/debit card payment with Stripe
Now this one is huge! If you collect payments from your patients’ bank cards, you can now charge the cards right from your EMSOW and post the payment to the patient’s account immediately!
Add your Stripe account to EMSOW using our new Stripe Accounts module (Setup → Billing → Stripe Accounts):

After that, double-click the patient’s service record in Processing or Billing and select Operations → Post payment. When posting a payment that is paid by credit or debit card, this transaction will be processed via Stripe unless the Do not charge card over Stripe checkbox is selected:

Note that this integration is offered as an additional service. Please contact us for details.

[#20592] Access to prior reports of all studies in Document Management
Previously, the “Document management” window showed you prior reports only of the same studies as are part of the current service. Now you can find all prior reports for the patient regardless of the study description:

To activate this feature, please email our support.

[#20590] CPT modifier display in the “Edit service” window
Now you can see a study’s billing modifiers right in the “Edit service” window:

Note that these modifiers do not directly correspond to what you may see in insurance claims – learn how they work by looking at feature #19855 in our April’s newsletter.

EMSOW® optimizes your diagnostic imaging and medical billing workflows. We help hundreds of mobile providers all over the USA decrease their turnaround time, cut reading costs, and speed up the revenue collection cycle.

This week we have rolled out five updates to extend EMSOW’s DICOM and billing functionality and make our platform even more intuitive and user-friendly!

If you’re not with EMSOW yet, visit our website and explore our products and services. Contact us now to learn what bonuses and discounts you can get if you join the EMSOW nation as a startup!

[#20754] Arrange diagnosis codes on claims in the same order as they are entered

Previously, EMSOW did not keep the order of ICD-10 codes that were entered when scheduling a procedure, which caused problems with billing for certain procedures that require a certain diagnosis order. From now on, the codes will be arranged just as entered initially!

For example, here’s a case that was coded via Processing:

When you open the billing information by double-clicking the case, you will see the exact same order of ICD-10 codes, meaning that it will be kept intact on your claims as well:

[#20778] Measurements recognition for Mindray M8 Elite

With the latest update, EMSOW can analyze DICOM images coming from Mindray M8 Elite machines and import the measurements using optical character recognition (OCR). The recognized measurements are automatically inserted into structured report template fields. More automation for your sonographers—even without native SR support!

[#20804] Filtering by the place of service in the Billing module

Now you can search services in the Billing module by the place of service (PoS) code. For this purpose, we have added a new field to the search filter – PoS code:

[#20805] Added ability to use billing routes for eligibility

With this update, you can use a billing route to choose the necessary billing connector for checking eligibility. For example, if you deal with insurance carriers in different states, you may need to send your eligibility requests via different clearing houses (needless to say, EMSOW supports a wide range of those).

To use a billing route this way, double-click it and select the use for eligibility only checkbox:

[#20806] Filter by billing state in Payer Assignment

The search filter in the Payer Assignment module now has one more option to search by – the referring facility billing state:

Dear providers!

This week we have put out seven updates improving EMSOW’s billing, dispatching, and task management functionality. That’s what you’ll find in the latest version of EMSOW.

[#20668] Export data from the Dispatch module
The latest version of EMSOW’s Dispatch module allows you to export the necessary data to an Excel spreadsheet. Click the Export button on the module’s toolbar and you will see a pop-up window where you can choose what data needs to be exported. And finally, click OK to get your report!

[#20758] Improvements in the Referring Contracts module
We have upgraded the data grid in the Referring Contracts module – now it shows contract terms and discounts, thus sparing you from having to double-click into each contract to see the contract details.

In addition to that, the module now provides a search filter to make it easier for you to find the contract you are looking for, e.g. the one used to bill a specific referring facility:

[#20756] Changes to the fee schedule reimbursements in the Invoice report
In the Invoice report that is available in the Billing module, the column “As per fee schedule” has been renamed “Fee schedule”. And we have also added a new column “FS difference” that shows the difference between “Paid” and “Fee schedule”. As we mentioned two weeks ago, this new feature allows you to store standard procedure fees for future payment analysis – and now you can easily see the difference between the fee schedule and the actual paid amount for a procedure.

[#20682] Study discounts rules moved to the Referring Contracts module
Since the upgraded Referring Contracts module allows you to manage study discounts, the separate Study Discounts Rules module is no longer necessary and therefore has been removed from EMSOW completely.

[#20646] Notes in the Task Manager module
Now you can add text notes to tasks in the Task Manager module. Just click the note silhouette icon to open the note editor. Annotated tasks will have a light gray note icon.

[#20642] Option to not transfer secondary insurance information when sending a primary claim
With the latest update, you can choose whether to transfer secondary insurance information when sending a primary claim or not. This is set in the billing connector settings (to access billing connectors, go to Setup → Billing → Billing Connectors in the main EMSOW menu).

[#20300] Direct facility billing: ability to add credit
Now this is a huge one! Sometimes a directly billed facility will overpay and expect you to apply credit toward future invoices. To that end, we have extended the functionality of EMSOW’s Invoices module.
The new Post credit button in the facility billing details screen allows you to add ”credit” checks that can be used later to “pay” an invoice:

Now, when you create a new invoice or edit an existing one, there is the Apply credit field where you can specify how much of the available credit you want to apply to the invoice. The Apply button to the right of the field allows you to use the maximum possible credit:

When you post payment from the facility, the invoice credit will be displayed in the Post payment window:

Our team invested a lot of time in developing this new feature, and we believe our invoicing capabilities are now much more flexible. There is still room for improvement, so please get in touch to give us your feedback!

Dear providers!

This week we have improved EMSOW’s PACS, billing, DICOM, and task management functionality. Six updates, all requested by our customers! Thank you for helping us become better. We’re here to power up your business.

[#20749] Import of exam reasons from DICOM

We ❤️ interfacing and have helped many teleradiology companies connect with their clients via DICOM. This small update extends your options for DICOM tag mapping: now you can automatically populate the Reason for exam field in EMSOW from DICOM tag 0040,1400 (RequestedProcedureComments).

Note that the exam reason text can be mapped to our report templates as well, so that your reading doctors can avoid searching for the exam reason throughout the system.

[#20721] View billing tags history in Processing

Billing tags are a useful tool, but knowing who and when created a tag makes it even better. Now you can view this information in billing tags history tooltips.

Hover your mouse over a tag in the Processing module, and a tooltip with the name of the user and creation timestamp will appear.

[#20720] Referring doctor/facility information in EMSOW’s task manager

We have added the Referring column to the Task manager module. Here, you can view referring facilities/doctors and prioritize your tasks.

The corresponding search filters are located in the Referring section of the Options panel on the right.

[#20719] Load image series as separate viewports in the DICOM viewer

A new layout option in the DICOM viewer allows you to load image series as separate viewports. For example, if you work with MRI studies that contain axial, sagittal, and coronal planes (with two series for each, PD and STIR), you can load all six series simultaneously and display them on your screen side by side.

To start using this feature, click on the Options icon on the right of the DICOM viewer’s toolbar. Check the Load by series checkbox, open the Viewports Behavior dropdown menu and select Separated. Click on the Layout icon menu and select a layout in the dropdown menu (6 frames is recommended). For the changes to take effect, reopen the viewer.

[#20639] Status points for document views in History

Patient information security matters. Now you can see if other users have opened or downloaded patient documents. Click on the history link in the Processing module. In the window that opens, select the View files history tab.

Here, you’ll find the name of the user who opened the file, date, time, and action performed with the document.

EMSOW has all the necessary features to protect patient information and keep your imaging workflow 100% secure. However, make sure that only your trusted co-workers and clients are granted access to patient information.

[#20257] Direct billing: discounted rates for patients with more than one study

The latest version of EMSOW’s direct billing functionality allows you to bill facilities different rates for the first and subsequent studies of the same patient, if all of the studies were done on the same day. For example, you can charge $70 for the first exam of the patient, and $50 for the second and third studies. A good way to win your clients’ loyalty, isn’t’ it?

Go to Setup > Billing > Referring Contracts. Create a new contract or start editing an existing one. Click the Add new term button.

In the Fees section, fill in the Flat rate first study and Flat rate other study fields. Click Save.

Dear providers!

EMSOW would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe Labor Day. In observance of the federal holiday, our support and sales departments will be closed on Monday (September 7, 2020). However, all our systems will be up and operating as usual – and below are a couple of new things we have added this week.

Many of our customers limit their use of EMSOW to the cloud PACS (which includes a zero-install DICOM viewer, as well as built-in dispatch and scheduling capabilities). We would like you to explore our state-of-the-art billing module that covers all the revenue cycle management tasks – from checking eligibility and claim generation to automated posting of ERAs and direct Part A billing.

In the latest version of EMSOW, we put out several improvements to power up your billing – please see details below. And if you are not a billing user yet, feel free to get in touch to learn more and schedule a live demo!

 [#20709] “Fee Schedule Reimbursements” module

We have added a new module that allows you to store standard procedure fees for future payment analysis. To create a new record, go to Setup  > Billing > Fee Schedule Reimbursements.

Click Add new. Populate the CPT code, Component, Insurance, and Amount fields, then click Save.

Fee schedule reimbursements will be displayed in EMSOW’s Invoice reports in the As per fee schedule column (click Report > Invoice report in the Billing module) so that you can compare your paid amounts to a payer’s fee schedule. Note that the column shows the fee schedule amounts for primary payers only.

[#20707] Invoice aging reports

The latest version of EMSOW allows you to track the aging of your facility bills more efficiently. In the updated Invoices module, you can find the Invoice aging report button. Click on it to download the Invoice aging report as an Excel file.

When the report is generated, the download link will appear at the top of the browser window. Click on it to download the report.

Here, you can view unpaid bills data by facility and invoice age.

[#20683] Insurance Claim Number display

In the latest version of EMSOW, Insurance Claim Number (ICN) is displayed in the Transactions section of the Billing information window.

[#20619] Mark patient eligibility as “On hold”

Now your dispatchers can mark patient eligibility as On hold to show that it is under review at the moment.

In the Dispatch module, open the Eligibility dropdown menu and select Mark as “On hold”. The ball icon in the Primary eligibility column will turn orange.

Dear providers!

EMSOW would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe Labor Day. In observance of the federal holiday, our support and sales departments will be closed on Monday (September 7, 2020). However, all our systems will be up and operating as usual – and below are a couple of new things we have added this week.

[#20638] View service information changes in order history

We have improved our data management functionality so that you could track service information changes more efficiently. Open an order in the Processing module, then click History.  The “Modify” status points now will display details on what exactly was modified when you hover your mouse over “Details.” For example, you can see if someone changed a study description, as well as the identifiers of the previous and the current study type.

[#20594] Finalize reports from Rendering Provider Portal

From now on, practitioners with appropriate permissions can finalize reports from the Rendering Provider Portal, without transferring their notes to the Physician Portal first. Open a report in the Rendering Provider Portal by double-clicking a patient record. Make sure that the report is ready to be sent, then check the confirmation box as shown below to enable the Finalize/send button. Click on it to finalize the report. Depending on the report template, a supervising physician’s signature can be added to the report automatically.

Mobile diagnostic businesses, correctional facilities, and radiology providers take advantage of state-of-the-art PACS, a zero-install DICOM Viewer with a comprehensive set of report templates, as well as a robust system for patient scheduling, technologist dispatching, and billing. Image interpretation by a trusted radiologist licensed in your state is also a great opportunity we offer.

The latest updates will help you include discounts in your contracts, encourage your personnel to enter complete patient information and track TAT more precisely. Besides, we have made a minor improvement for correctional facilities.

If you’re not with EMSOW yet, visit our website, check out the services, and schedule a demo. You will see how it works (and even try it!), have your questions answered, and compare prices.

[#20605] Improved user interface to set up contracts for Part A billing

Now you can include discounts in your contracts in one window, without opening several modules. Go to Setup > Billing > Referring Contracts. Start editing a referring contract. Discounts are added in the Discounts section of the Edit referring contract window.

Set the required discount parameters, then click Save.

[#20589] New mandatory rule: Patient Email

Now you can make the Patient Email field mandatory. To set this rule, go to Setup > Rules > Mandatory Rules. Start editing a rule. In the Fields drop-down menu, select Patient Email. Click Save.

When this rule is enabled, the system will not allow users to save services with the Patient Email field left blank.

[#20554] Excel invoice for correctional facilities

In the latest version of EMSOW, you can send invoices to correctional facilities in the Excel format (previously, only PDF was available). To set up this option, go to Setup > Billing > Billing companies. Start editing a company record. Make sure that the company type is Direct. In the Invoice properties section of the General tab, select Excel (for correctional facilities only). Click OK.

[#20541] HCFA form modifications

Now you can copy the information from Box 33 to Box 31 and 32 of HCFA forms. To enable this option, go to Setup > Billing > Billing companies. Start editing a company record. Check the box: Use this billing company info for Box 31 &32.

[#19520] Improved “Reading turnaround time analysis” module

Turnaround time is essential, especially if you deal with STAT cases. Now EMSOW displays reading turnaround time in hours and minutes. To view this information, follow the path: Analysis > Reading turnaround time analysis.

In the latest version of our web platform, you’ll find a new reimbursement report and some improvements to the HL7 functionality. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

[#20297] HL7 Requests improvements

In the latest version of EMSOW’s HL7 Requests module, the Created column has been renamed as Received. Note that this column now displays a timestamp of order receipt (instead of just a date). Now you will know exactly when your client sent you an order from their EMR via HL7.

Also, we have added the Date of service column that displays the date of service for processed requests.

If you would like to learn more about our HL7 integration capabilities, please get in touch!

[#20172] Service payments report

We have added a new report to the Billing module – Service payments report. It is meant to be more condensed than the widely used “Payment analysis” report and displays aggregated payment information for each service ID (e.g. if one patient had an X-ray and ultrasound performed on the same day, the system will show the total payment for both of the procedures, including X-ray transportation payments, if any). For your convenience, you can also view a breakdown of payments from primary and secondary insurances, patients, as well as Part A facilities.

Service payments report is available for downloading in the Excel format. In the Billing module, click Report and select Service payments report in a drop-down menu. You will receive an email notification when the report is ready.

This week, we have put out a couple of updates to improve your billing workflow. These two were requested by our customers. However, you can also take advantage of them.

And yes, along with the billing system, EMSOW offers cloud PACS, dispatching, and even image reading on one simple platform and at a very attractive price. Check it out: https://emsow.com/welcome

[#50528] Add a supervising provider to insurance claims

Now you can select a supervising provider from your reading doctors and add their name to insurance claims.

To add a supervising provider, select a service in the Billing module, double-click on it, and start editing billing information. Use the dropdown menu in the Supervising provider column.

Note that the supervising provider information is not printed on HCFA-1500 forms. If you use this option, the supervising provider’s NPI will be added to Loop 2310D of X12 EDI electronic claims that you send from EMSOW.

[#20516] “Referring groups” search filter in the Billing module

We have added the Referring groups search filter to the Billing module. It is located in the Referring doctor section of the Options panel.

The Referring groups feature allows you to group referring facilities for easier search and sorting. To set it up, go to Setup / Referring / Referring groups.

We believe that any diagnostic imaging business of today deserves to have a state-of-the-art PACS, a zero-install DICOM Viewer with a comprehensive set of report templates, as well a robust system for patient scheduling, technologist dispatching, and billing. EMSOW’s customers take advantage of having it all (and actually much more) on one user-friendly web platform and at a very affordable price. Image interpretation by a trusted radiologist licensed in your state is also a great opportunity we offer.

However, we are always ready to go the extra mile to ensure your success. The latest updates will help your technologists get better prepared for exams, encourage your Part A referring facilities to pay you at the right time, and let you check the Medicare Part B enrollment of your physicians automatically!

If you’re not with EMSOW yet, schedule a demo. You will see how it works (and even try it!), have your questions answered, and compare prices.

 [#20507] Diagnosis codes in technologist email notifications

Forewarned is forearmed. The latest improvement in the Dispatch module helps your technologists get better prepared for exams. Now, when you dispatch an exam order, your technologist will receive an email notification with ICD-10 codes of the patient along with code descriptions. It’s always better to get a clue about the patient’s health problems in advance!

[#20506] Early payment period option

Timely payment matters. Now you can encourage Part A facilities to pay you in time by setting early payment discounts that are applied within a certain period after you send an invoice. Select the Early payment checkbox, specify conditions, and set the desired early payment period in the Study discount rule window under Setup / Rules / Study discounts rules.

[#20258] Medicare Part B enrollment verification

To perform outpatient services, you need to make sure your referring physicians are enrolled for Medicare Part B. Now EMSOW can monitor your physicians’ enrollment on a daily basis, thanks to our new integration with Medicare web services.

The Medicare Part B Enrollment checkbox will be selected in the Referring doctors module automatically for qualifying doctors.

Now, the practical part: the system will prevent you from dispatching a technologist to the physicians who are not enrolled. A warning will be displayed in the Problems column of the Dispatch module (currently hidden by default, but we plan to make it more informative soon!).

Have you ever experienced problems with unreasonably long collection times, high study interpretation and software expenses, inefficient workflow management, coding, and billing difficulties?

For more than ten years, EMSOW has been servicing imaging facilities to deliver a professional medical platform that covers all their daily tasks, from simple PACS and DICOM to automatic claim generation.

Below are some powerful updates aimed at improving your workflow management and billing. With EMSOW, your coding and billing processes can be as flexible and straightforward as you want. The latest version of the system allows you to make billing even more adjusted to your needs, thanks to a new ability to bill 3^rd party organizations, such as hospice providers.

If you are not yet with us, we would be happy to show you our system so that you could compare our offerings to the platform you are currently using and the price you are paying.

[#20462] Med A status condition in Study Discounts Rules

The Med A status field allows you to set the type of Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) in the Payer Assignment module, which is typically used to bill for Medicare Part A patients. Now you can use this new condition to provide your Part A customers with a special discount for these patients. Go to Rules > Study Discounts Rules. Create a new rule or start editing an existing one.

In the Condition section, select Any (set by default), Med A for skilled nursing facilities, or Other PPS for other kinds of referring facilities.

[#20372] Ability to send the “Reason for exam” field via DICOM

We are constantly striving to improve EMSOW’s abilities to interact with other healthcare platforms. We have used DICOM as a framework standard since day one, and many of our customers have taken advantage of our interfacing capabilities to send medical images to a radiology provider of their choosing.

Patch DICOM Metadata is a feature that allows you to export patient information to DICOM files. This helps you transfer the necessary data to your radiology provider in order to make sure their interpretations are based on the full picture (pun intended). This week, we have added the Reason for exam that you fill in the Dispatch module to the list of fields available for DICOM export.

Create a new reading facility record or start editing an existing one. Open the Send options tab and click the Patch DICOM metadata checkbox to select the information that will be exported from EMSOW to the DICOM images that are transferred to this reading provider. We use DICOM tag (0040,1400) “Requested Procedure Comments” to transfer this field by default, because this tag allows for longer textual content. If you need to populate a different tag with the “reason for exam”, please let us know.

[#20350] Account representatives for referring facilities

In previous versions of EMSOW, invoice emails contained information about the user who sent the invoice. Now you can assign account representatives to referring facilities. Their contact information will be included in the emails.

To set up this option, open the Billing tab of a referring facility record. Select a user in the Account representative dropdown menu and click OK.

Make sure that the user has contact information specified. For more information on user management, please refer to our manual.

[#20340] 3^rd party organization billing for hospice patients

Thanks to last week’s update #20313, we are now able to receive hospice benefits information when checking patient eligibility. Now, we have added the 3^rd party organization billing option that will allow you to bill the hospice provider, even if a hospice patient resides in a different facility.

Here is how you can do that:

1. Check eligibility for a patient. If hospice benefits information is received, you will see an orange eligibility icon.
2. Find the patient in the Payer Assignment module. Change the payer to 3^rd party.

3. The “3rd party organization” column will display the NPI of the hospice provider, according to the eligibility response. Click the (+) button to select this provider as the billed entity.

These steps will allow you to create a new direct invoice that you can send to the hospice provider, similar to how it is done with Part A clients.

For your convenience, you can also display only the 3^rd party organization patients in the Payer Assignment module. Select the corresponding checkbox in the Options panel on the right.

Do you think this feature would be useful to your business? Do get in touch with us and share your thoughts!

[#20235] “End of month” report improvements

We have updated EMSOW’s End of Month Report (EoM). Now you will be able to include the Patient No and Exam order date columns in it.

The Patient No column contains an MRN number (e.g. as received from an HL7 order), and the Exam order date shows the corresponding field value from the Dispatch module. To clean up the report, we have also excluded technical modalities (SR, PR, OT, DOC) from the Modality column so that you see just “DX” or “CR” for X-ray studies, “MR” for MRI, “US” for ultrasound etc. Report filtering is now easier!

This report is the most comprehensive way to export your data to an Excel spreadsheet, but we have many more. If you have questions on EMSOW’s analytics features, book a demo with our specialist to find out how our tools can help you track your medical business performance.

Along with state-of-the-art PACS, dispatching, and scheduling, EMSOW has a built-in billing system that allows you to check eligibility, generate claims, and automatically post payments. Many of our customers use it to cut software costs, eliminate double data entry, and streamline their workflow.

The latest version of EMSOW can help you extend the range of healthcare facilities you serve in terms of eligibility checking. Please see the detailed description below. If you’re not yet our customer, check out our website to learn more about how we can reduce your expenses and find affordable reads in your state. Or just book a demo and discuss the benefits with our manager.

[#20313] Display hospice eligibility information

We have extended our eligibility checking functionality. Now you can check hospice eligibility information since the latest version of EMSOW supports Service type code 45. The system retrieves hospice eligibility data from clearinghouses. To set up this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Billing Connectors. Open a billing connector record and select the Retrieve hospice eligibility checkbox. Make sure that the Supports eligibility checkbox is also selected.

When you check eligibility of hospice patients, EMSOW will display hospice benefit date and provider NPI.

If you click Show eligibility, the system will display detailed information.

Dear imaging providers!

EMSOW delivers full-cycle exam processing services, from dispatching and PACS to image reading at a very affordable price and billing. However, in the rapidly developing imaging industry, our customers demand more features to optimize their processes, especially now, when their businesses are recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.

This week we have added some improvements to facilitate your communication with your referring doctors and facilities. This can be done either within our platform or through other healthcare software, because one of EMSOW’s key features is its interoperability with other systems through the HL7 protocol. Below please see our latest updates in more detail. If you would like to learn more about our services or find credentialed reading physicians in your state, schedule a demo with our representative.

[#20315] Include image links in HL7 report messages

We have improved EMSOW’s HL7 functionality. Now you can add image links to HL7 report messages. Your referring facilities, referring doctors, or even patients will be able to view the images (X-ray, ultrasound or even MRI) in EMSOW’s DICOM Viewer, by clicking a secure link from their EMR, even if they don’t have an EMSOW account.

To enable this option, start editing a referring doctor or a referring facility record or create a new one, open the Report tab and select the Include shared viewer link checkbox.

[#20225] Document sender

EMSOW has great reporting functionality – from a customizable set of report templates to built-in electronic fax. But sometimes it’s not enough, and your referring physician may require additional information. For such cases, we have created a document sender to communicate any document via email, fax or SFTP, and track the delivery status.

Select the needed service in the Processing or Dispatch module and click the Documents button. Select the documents you need to send, and click Send selected documents. In the window that opens, select email, fax, or sftp, then click OK.

To track the delivery status, click on Medical records in the menu bar and select Files Delivery Tracking in the dropdown menu. EMSOW’s Files delivery tracking works similarly to the Report tracking module.

This week we’ve been working hard to facilitate the imaging workflow for reading radiologists, billing specialists, and nursing home providers. An updated insurance crossover option, enhanced functionality for professional component claims, and more intuitive experience, that’s what you’ll find in the latest version of EMSOW.

If you’re not our customer yet, but would like to know how we can optimize your medical imaging processes, reduce costs, find new customers, or reading physicians, just smash the link to our calendar!

[#20295] “Use response to detect crossover” as the default choice in insurance settings

We have changed the default settings for insurance crossover detection. Now the “Use response to detect crossover” option is set by default. When EMSOW receives an ERA file from an insurance company that automatically forwards secondary claims to additional payers, it can detect if the crossover transfer has been done by analyzing the EDI 835 message. To change the crossover setting, go to Setup > Insurances, double-click an insurance, Select Yes, No or Use response to detect crossover in the Crossover section of the Billing tab, then click Save.

Yes: EMSOW assumes the primary insurance forwards a secondary claim on its own, and no secondary claims are sent from EMSOW

No: secondary claims are sent from EMSOW

Use response to detect crossover: the system behavior depends on the ERA received from the primary insurance

[#20232] Referring facility info in Box 32 for professional component (26) claims

If you work with billing component 26 and PoS 32 (nursing homes), we have an improvement for your workflow. Now you can select what information will be entered into Box 32 of HCFA forms: the reading doctor’s or referring facility’s (in previous versions, the only available option was the reading doctor’s information).

To set this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Billing companies. Start editing an existing billing company record or create a new one. In the Claim/Statement properties section of the General tab, select Reading doctor or Referring facility.

Note that this option affects both printable HCFA 1500 forms and electronic claims.

[#20171] Mouse wheel zoom in the DICOM Viewer

Many radiologists find it convenient and intuitive to use the mouse wheel for zooming. In previous versions, you had to press and hold the Ctrl key to zoom in and out with the mouse wheel. Now, you can also click the Enable mouse wheel zoom button in the DICOM Viewer in order to use this feature. Click the button again to scroll through images.

Dear friends!

We hope this Independence Day brings you happiness and hope!

Please note that in observance of the holiday our Sales and Support offices will be closed Friday, July 3rd, 2020.

EMSOW software and services continue to be available 24/7. If you need assistance during this time, please send an email to support@emsow.com, and support will respond when we return on Monday 07/06.

This week has been very busy for our customers, who are gradually recovering from the crisis caused by the pandemic, as well as for our support and development teams. This time we have focused on improving the dispatching functionality.

If you would like to know how to optimize your imaging processes, integrate through HL7, and considerably cut your costs on exam processing and image reading, just let us know!

[#20259] Notes from Contacts in the “send report” window

If you deal with multiple referring facilities or doctors, this improvement is just for you. We have added notes from the Contacts section of the Referring module to the Send report window. Now you will be able to view a contact note before sending your report to avoid any confusion.

[#20247] Check mandatory fields when dispatching exam orders

Double-checking is an essential part of patient data entry, and in some cases, EMSOW can do it for you. Now the system will double-check mandatory fields rules before you dispatch an exam order to a technologist. This can be crucial if orders come to your EMSOW account through HL7, since such orders may lack important patient information. If you try to dispatch a service with blank mandatory fields, the system will return an error.

[#20222] Display service notes in the Dispatch module

If there is any additional important patient information your dispatcher needs to know, they will have it right at their fingertips. We have added the Notes column to the Dispatch module. Hover your mouse over the “note” icon, and the notes that are entered in the “Edit service” window will be displayed as a tooltip.

[#20206] “Disable selected” button in Mandatory Fields Rules

A diagnostic platform is not always a “plug-and-play” thing; it needs to be flexible and easily adjustable, since your conditions may rapidly change. Besides, sometimes you want to test these conditions. For these purposes, we have added the Disable selected button to the Mandatory Fields Rules. Select the rules you need to disable, click on this button, then click Yes in the Confirmation window.

Time to get back to business!

Finally, there’s good news! About 40% of our customers who were forced to put their business on hold due to the pandemic are back, and the others are on their way. Just during the past week, they uploaded to EMSOW 30% more studies compared to the week before. By the way, about a quarter of those were read by radiologists from the MDW marketplace, our trusted partners. Thank you for staying with us!

We keep our fingers crossed for you, but that’s obviously not enough to overcome the crisis. We are working as hard as never before to ensure your success. If you would like to learn about our services, discounts, and anti-pandemic packages, please book a demo.

But before scheduling the demo, you might be interested in what we have done this week to become more efficient and improve your diagnostic workflow. Wise choice!

[#20209] Automatic processing of HL7 orders

We have taken EMSOW’s interoperability and automation to the next level! As you may already know, EMSOW is integrated with numerous EMR solutions and we keep adding new integrations. Now our system automatically processes orders that are received via HL7 and creates service records that are ready to be dispatched to a technologist. Patient demographics, CPT and ICD-10 codes, as well as physician comments are imported automatically — and all you need to do to send your technologist to a facility is click “Dispatch”! Or maybe you wish to automate that too? Let us know!

If you would like to learn more about our HL7 capabilities to receive orders, please check our updated user manual.

[#20224] Updated formatting of amended reports

We have slightly changed the formatting of amended reports so that your referring physicians could easily identify them. Now, if a report was amended, you will see the date and time of new report creation under its heading.

[#20223] Overlay text on X-ray images

We have added the date of service, patient name, and image number overlays to X-ray images in the DICOM viewer.

You can turn the overlays off by unchecking the Display OSD box in the Options menu.

 [#15556] Auto-fill billing information for studies with reports only

We have added a new feature to ensure that imaging studies will not go to billing without an attached report from a reading doctor. Click Setup > Rules > Billing Rules, create new or start editing an existing rule, and select Received report in the Triggers dropdown menu.

If this trigger is enabled, the system will display an error message in the Billing result column of the Auto fill studies window.

COVID-19 outbreak led to a nation-wide business slowdown, especially in the diagnostic imaging industry. We have received hundreds of emails from our existing and prospective customers, who would like to make their companies mobile and paperless.

EMSOW has been around for 10 years, delivering full-cycle exam processing services to portable imaging companies, nursing home providers and teleradiologists, helping them decrease their turnaround time by up to 60% and finding trusted radiologists to read their exams as cheap as they never paid before (down to 70% of their normal rates).

As always, we’re committed to your success, so if you would like to save your money on image reading and exam processing, please get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you to keep your imaging business moving forward. We’re ready for customers who are looking to go mobile or want to optimize their workflow and cut expenditures, and if you feel that you need to handle the demands of this new reality sooner – just let us know.

Now, to our latest updates for your diagnostic business.

[#20217] A new condition for mandatory fields: “Reason for Exam or Diagnosis”

We have added a new condition to make data entry more flexible. Now you can make it mandatory to fill in at least one of the fields that store patient history, Reason or Diagnoses. Customers who do not always use ICD-10 coding may find this feature helpful because it will allow them to save the history information in a free-text form when diagnosis codes are not available.

To use this condition in your setup, follow the path: Setup > Rules > Mandatory Fields Rules. Open the Edit mandatory fields rule window and add Reason for Exam or Diagnosis to the Fields section.

[#20150] Display study documents as an image series in the DICOM viewer

Sometimes reading doctors need to refer to study documents while preparing their reports. With EMSOW, the doctors can easily retrieve any patient documents as PDF files from the Physician Portal, but this time we decided to make their work even more convenient and save their time.

Now you can convert study documents of particular types (e.g. tech sheets) to DICOM files so that your doctors could see them in the DICOM Viewer along with patient images. To enable this functionality, start editing a reading facility record in the Setup menu, open the Send options tab, and enter the needed document types in the File types field under Portal. The documents will be displayed as a separate image series.

[#20194] Insurance type filter for electronic claim submission

We have upgraded the electronic claim submission functionality. Now you can select a particular insurance type for submission: primary, secondary, or other. Open the Submit electronic claims window and select the needed type in the Insurance type field.

[#18924] Receive critical findings from MDW and get a reminder

We have improved EMSOW’s interoperability with Medical Diagnostic Web (MDW) – a radiology marketplace, where you can find a board-certified radiologist licensed in your state who can read your images at an affordable price.

Now you can choose a department or specific users who will get reminders if critical findings have been discovered in the studies you send to MDW for interpretation.

This new option can be essential for your referring physicians, as it can help them get information about any critical findings as soon as possible, prioritize their work, and even save lives.
To set up this option, please contact our support.

Of all of the business types affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, portable imaging companies, nursing home providers, and radiology services are among the hardest hit. In addition to companies reducing their volumes, there’s still a high level of general anxiety around the risk of visiting healthcare facilities.

While we at EMSOW® are committed to providing you with all the services you need to optimize your imaging workflow, save your turnaround time and money on reads and PACS, we also understand the need for flexibility based on your individual circumstances. To make sure you can work with confidence, we’re offering flexible setup waivers to startups and small businesses.

This week’s release is focused on Modality Worklist integration, study quality control, invoicing functionality and overall stability of the system to help your business optimize processes, which is essential during this pandemic.

If you don’t feel like going through a list of techy information, we welcome you to see our system in action and learn how you can streamline your workflow, improve your study processing, or find a trusted reading physician.

 [#20173] “Any document” condition in the Study Quality Rules

Study quality matters, that’s why we improved the functionality of its control and made it more adjustable to your needs. Previous versions of EMSOW allowed you to set a list of necessary patient documents with the “and” condition only so that all the specified documents would be mandatory to send an exam for reading. If any of these documents were missing, the system would not allow a user to send the exam.

Now, you can set a document list with the “or” condition as well, so that any document on the list suffices to transfer the exam for reading.

Follow the path: Setup > Rules > Study Quality Rules and open the required rule. Enter an or-conditioned list in the Documents (any) field of the Restrictions section.

For example, the rule below will allow sending exams that have at least a referral form or an insurance copy attached (but not necessarily both of those together) and will always require a consent form, a HIPAA form, and a tech sheet.

[#20180] Attach images based on the DICOM accession number

EMSOW has a capability to attach images automatically to pre-scheduled exam records. By default, it matches image uploads to the records you create in Dispatch based on a combination of conditions, including the patient name, date of service, and study description. From now on, technologists who use DICOM Modality Worklist (MWL) can opt to attach images based solely on the accession number generated by EMSOW. After a dispatch user has created an exam, its accession number is transferred to MWL, and when the images are uploaded, the system will simply compare DICOM tag 0008,0050 with the dispatch record and attach the images if the number matches. Note that EMSOW will not check the date of service if this option is enabled.

To try out this new feature, please contact our support.

[#20066] Add user signatures and c.c. users when sending an invoice

We have personalized facility invoice emails so that the receiving facilities could see who sent an invoice, including their contact information (first name, last name, and email). The person who sent the invoice will also receive a copy of the invoice email.

No one could have predicted how difficult this year has been. The imaging industry faces a pandemic and is still adjusting to its implications. Many businesses did not survive it, and we face an unprecedented decline.

All this makes us work even harder, and our developers are doing their best to improve the functionality of our platform so that your diagnostic business could overcome any new challenges. This week we have improved our PACS, DICOM, billing functionality, as well as compatibility with other medical software to help you focus on your patients and streamline your daily tasks. In this release, you’ll find just some of this week’s updates.

If you don’t feel like going through a techy long read, we welcome you to see our system in action and learn more about how you can save on reading and image storage expenses.

[#20153] Improved “Add Eligibility” option

We have improved the Add electronic eligibility option by adding the Authorization field. To check it out, select a service in Processing or Billing, and click Eligibility > Add.

Here you can select the authorization status: pending, not required, or complete. If the service contains more than one study, you can indicate which of them require authorization in the Note field. Please note that since we added a new field, we have renamed the Status field to Eligibility.

We have also added Eligibility and Authorization filters to the Billing module so that you could search services by these parameters. This feature can help you track services with inactive insurance and exams that require authorization and thus control denials from insurance companies.

[#20152] Default impression text for the “Sign and send” option

Previously, reading doctors had to enter an impression manually when signing PDF files, such as neuro and allergy tests. Now you can set the default impression text and add only case-specific information to each report.

This new option helps you improve the standards of your services and decrease reading turnaround time since the doctor doesn’t need to type the whole impression from scratch every time. Instead, they make some minor changes, sign the report, and send it. To learn more about this option, please contact us at support@emsow.com.

[#20151] Pre-cache the latest prior study

We have made updates to EMSOW’s DICOM Viewer so that you could more conveniently compare current images with prior ones (if they are available in the system).

In the new version of EMSOW, the previous study images will be automatically preloaded to speed up their opening. This update can substantially reduce the time of creating a report, especially if you deal with two studies consisting of multiple images.

Also, in the new version of EMSOW, the images of the latest prior study are shown by default, if you use the window mode. If you need to disable this option, go to the Physician Portal, open the Preferences menu to the right, and uncheck the “Show images of previous study” box.

[#20149] Show prior studies in Physician Portal’s grid view

In the new version of EMSOW, prior studies can be displayed in the grid view. This view is essential if you read a lot of exams daily. Hover your mouse over the History icon to display the count of related studies:

Click on it to open the patient history window:

By clicking the Images link, you can open any of the available prior studies.

[#20148] “Date of service” column in the grid view of the Physician Portal

Another improvement to the grid view of the Physician Portal is the Date of Service column. Now you can sort studies by this parameter.

[#20138] Jump to Dispatch from HL7 Requests

Now you can open ordered services received via the HL7 Requests module right in EMSOW’s Dispatch without surfing through the navigation panel. Just select a processed request and click Open in Dispatch.

You will be taken to the Dispatch module where you can dispatch a technologist momentarily.

Dear imaging providers!

We are glad to inform you that a new version of EMSOW has been released this week with some general improvements and a new feature in the Invoices module.

[#20088] Option to sort invoices by patient name

We have improved the facility invoicing functionality of EMSOW. Previous versions of the system would always sort invoices by service ID. Now you can sort them by patient name. To enable this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring > Referring facilities. Open a facility record and click on the Billing tab. In the Invoices section, select Patient name as the preferred sorting mode, and then click OK.

To learn more about the facility invoicing functionality and other useful features for your imaging business, please contact us at connect@emsow.com.

EMSOW® simplifies your diagnostic imaging workflow. We help hundreds of mobile providers all over the USA decrease their turnaround time, cut reading costs, and speed up revenue collection cycle.

This week we have put out seven improvements that enhance EMSOW’s DICOM and billing functionality and make our platform even more intuitive and user-friendly!

[#20089] “Remove” button in the Dispatch module

Now you can remove services from the Dispatch module. Select the services you need to remove, click Remove on the toolbar in the Results section, and then click Yes to confirm the action. Please note that once you click the Yes button, the service will be permanently deleted from EMSOW.

[#20085] Change study descriptions for dispatched cases in the Technologist Portal

The new version of EMSOW allows you to change study descriptions right in the Technologist Portal. Open the Studies section, select a date of service in the Date field, and click the Change study description button as shown below.

In the window that opens, start typing the new study name or its CPT code, or select the needed study type from the drop-down menu, and then click OK.

[#20074] “Uncancel” button in the Dispatch module

We have added a special option to reorder a canceled study in the Dispatch module. To reorder, click the Uncancel button on the upper toolbar of the Results section.

[#20064] Technician hours billing

The new version of EMSOW allows you to invoice a facility by the hours your technicians worked. Follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring contracts. Start editing an existing contract or add a new one. In the Generic section of the Edit or Add new window, fill out the Technician hours rate field.

When adding an invoice, enter the hours worked. Then click Save.

The Quantity, Rate and Total technician charge will be stated in the invoice.

[#20045] Order the Resident Visit List by type of visit, patient name or room number

In previous versions of EMSOW, studies in the Resident Visit List (RVL) were always ordered by type of visit. Now you can order the studies by patient name or room.

Go to the Schedule module, select the Patient schedule tab, click on the Print button, and select Resident Visit List in the drop-down menu. In the Order by section of the window that opens, select Patient name, Room # or Type of Visit.

[#20033] New HL7 requests notifications

From now on, the HL7 Requests item on the menu bar will turn red if there are new study requests received through the HL7 protocol. Your dispatch will never miss a new order!

[#19902] Scroll through X-ray images with a mouse wheel

We have simplified your work with X-ray images in the EMSOW DICOM viewer. Previously, scrolling through X-ray images was done by pressing Shift and rotating a mouse wheel. Now you can do that with your mouse wheel only, no need to press and hold the Shift key!

Dear imaging providers!

We are glad to present a new version of EMSOW with enhanced search functionality and interoperability.

[#20065] Service ID search filters in the Invoices and Payer Assignment modules

We have improved the search options of EMSOW’s billing portion. Now you can search exams by service ID in the Invoices and Payer Assignment modules. You will find the corresponding search fields in the Options section on the left.

[#20027] Auto-rotate uploaded JPEG images

Previous versions of EMSOW did not recognize the orientation of uploaded JPEG files. Therefore, some files were displayed incorrectly, e.g. a tech sheet that was intended to be viewed vertically might have been displayed horizontally or vice versa. We have fixed this issue, and now all the JPEGs are displayed correctly.

[#18753; #20022] Sending guarantor information through HL7

We have improved EMSOW’s interoperability with other healthcare systems. If you send images for reading to external radiology platforms that receive order information via HL7, now you can send insurance guarantor information in the GT1 segment of ORM messages. To add the guarantor information, open the Edit service window in the Processing or Billing module. By default, EMSOW defines the patient themself as a guarantor.

Clicking the Self button under the “Guarantor” label on the right of the Insurance section will allow you to change the guarantor relation to spouse, parent, other, employee, guardian, or life partner, and enter the guarantor information.

In the future, we are going to make it possible to send the guarantor information in electronic insurance claims as well.

The new version of EMSOW that has come out this week contains some improvements aimed at facilitating your work in our image viewer as well as invoice management.

[#19997] Search by invoice number in the Invoices module

We have added a new filter that allows you to search for invoices by invoice number. To use this feature, follow the path: Billing > Invoices. In the Options panel on the right, you will find the Invoice number field. Enter the invoice number you are looking for, then click Search. The system will display the referring facility or account for which the invoice was created.

[#19918, #19974] Flip and rotate tools in the DICOM viewer

Sometimes tech sheets come into the PACS system in a wrong orientation. We have added a simple tool that helps you fix such issues. Now you can rotate the tech sheets and images right in the DICOM viewer by clicking the Rotate right and Rotate left buttons on the toolbar.

In addition, the Flip image buttons allow you to mirror images horizontally or vertically.

Dear imaging providers,

We are glad to inform you that we have released a new version of EMSOW with a focus on interoperability. EMSOW takes EMR integration to a new level by allowing your dispatch to keep full control over incoming exam requests.

[#19978] Receive orders through HL7

The new version of EMSOW allows you to receive orders from your clients’ EMRs through the HL7 protocol. Open the HL7 Requests module from the upper menu bar. If your EMSOW is integrated with an EMR, incoming requests will be displayed in this module.

Here, you can set search parameters to apply a filter to the requests: Status, Created date, Processed date, and Provider. Enter the required parameters, then click Search. Select the required request in the Results window, then click Process. EMSOW will open a service creation wizard to import data. Then you will be able to dispatch a technologist to perform the requested exam by using the Dispatch module.

[#19968] Search for unpaid non-denied studies from the Billing query

We have improved your revenue collection management by adding the Unpaid non-denied search option to the Billing module. It is available in the Query field in the Options panel. This option helps you retrieve unpaid studies without denials posted in EMSOW.

[#19948] Service object pair (SOP) ID search filter in PACS storage

We have extended the search options of EMSOW’s PACS Storage module. Now you can search studies by SOP ID. This filter is located in the Quick search section of the Options panel. Enter the SOP ID, then click the Search button.

We hope this release finds you well. Here at EMSOW, we have been productive this week and put out 7 updates to improve your imaging workflow.

EMSOW RELEASE

[#19955] Group exams by accession number in EOM report

We have extended the functionality of the End of month report (EOM). Now you can group studies by accession number. Open the Billing module, click Report, then select End of month (EOM) report in the dropdown menu. Select Accession number in the Group by section of the window that opens, select the columns you want to include, then click OK.

[#19951] Copy addresses from referring facilities of any type

In the previous versions of EMSOW, you could copy a service address from nursing homes only. We have improved this option, and now you can copy the address from referring facilities of any type.

[#19630] “Check payer” search filter in the Billing module

We have added the Check Payer search filter to the Billing module. It is located in the Payments section of the search panel. Type the payer’s name in the field or select it from the dropdown menu, then click Search.

[#18935] Support for DICOM transfer syntax 1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.102

We added support for DICOM transfer syntax 1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.102 “MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 High Profile / Level 4.1” to play cineloops in MPEG-4 format in our image viewer.

[#19961] Service ID column in RVL

We have added a new column to the Resident Visit List (RVL), “SID”. The new column shows the service ID for each record. To download the RVL, go to the Processing module, click on the Print button in the order pane, then select Resident Visit List in the dropdown menu.

[#19604] Sort RVL by Type of Visit

The new version of EMSOW allows you to sort the RVL by the type of visit. Click Print in the order pane of the Processing module, then select Resident Visit List. In the window that opens, select Service type or Study type. The RVL will list new studies first, and then it will list follow-up studies.

[#19623] Create tentative orders

From now on, referring physicians can order studies from service providers without specifying an exact date of service. This can be very helpful when the date on which a study should be performed is to be determined at some point later.

To order a study, open the Physician Portal and click the Order studies button on the toolbar. The Ordered studies window will open. In this window, you can add new and manage your existing ordered studies. For a new study, simply click the Add new button on the toolbar:

Here, you can enter necessary patient information, select the type of study, and choose a tentative study date or leave this field blank. Click OK to create a study.

After that, the created study goes to the Dispatch module for further scheduling and dispatching. To manage the ordered studies from the Dispatch module, click the Order studies button on the toolbar. The Ordered studies window will display the Schedule button on the toolbar:

This button turns a tentative study into a confirmed one that dispatch can assign to a technologist.

COVID-19: EMSOW Update

We hope our newsletter finds you well. The COVID-19 pandemic forces radiologists to work from home, and many turn out to be unprepared for it. A cloud solution for image storage with an integrated DICOM viewer and a billing module can help a lot to streamline the new process and stay 100% HIPAA compliant. This week, we have made three new improvements to EMSOW.

EMSOW Release

[#19927] Improved transportation code assignment (R0070/R0075)

We have improved the functionality of the Assign R0070/R0075 option in the Processing module. Now the Date of Service and Referring Facility fields of the Add transportation codes window are populated automatically based on the order information. To add transportation codes in the Processing module, click on the Assign R0070/R0075 button in the Order information section to the right.

[#19884] Patient SSN field in the Dispatch module

We have extended the search options of the Dispatch module by adding a Patient SSN filter to the Options panel. Enter a patient’s social security number and search exams by this parameter.

[#19908] More flexibility for box 32

Now you can activate the “Keep box 32 empty” option in billing company settings selectively for nursing home facilities and/or different components.

COVID-19: EMSOW UPDATE

Hope you’re well. Meanwhile, radiologists have to use WhatsApp to gather second opinions. During this restless time, patients should be treated by whatever means necessary. However, there are also special-purpose solutions, HIPAA-compliant and way more convenient.

EMSOW RELEASE

[#19917] Remove sent invoices

Now you can remove sent invoices. This can be useful if you have created an invoice with an error and need to replace it. Follow the path: Billing > Invoices. Select the required invoice, click Remove selected, then click Yes in the confirmation window.

[#19901] Change a referring facility from the Dispatch Module

The new version of EMSOW allows our users to change the referring facility for an exam record right from the Dispatch module. Go to the Dispatch module, select the needed service, and click Edit. The Edit service window will open. Change the referring facility in the corresponding field. If the service is scheduled for the future, the technologist who is assigned to the case will receive an updated dispatch notification.

[#19888] Send studies for reading from Dispatch and Technologist Portal without additional confirmation

Now, when you click the Reading button in the Dispatch module or the Technologist Portal, the “Send all” checkbox will be selected automatically, so that you do not forget to deliver images to a radiologist in time.

[#19887] Add the FY billing modifier to studies with CR images

We have increased the automation of your billing management. From now on, the system will automatically add the FY billing modifier (“X-ray taken using computed radiography technology/cassette-based imaging”) to studies with Computed Radiography (CR) images.

[#19882] Improved End of Month reporting

We have enhanced the functionality of the End of Month (EoM) report. Now you can disable the Primary insurance, the Primary member ID, and the CPT code columns. Also, you can include in your report the Branch, Modality, and Finalized date columns by checking the corresponding boxes in the Print End of Month Report window.

[#19880] Dispatch performance report

This new report allows you to track the performance of your Dispatch users. Go to the Dispatch module and click the Performance report button. In the window that opens, select a date or a date range and run the report. An Excel file that includes patient and exam data and the names of users who created those exams will be downloaded to your computer.

[#19855] Add billing modifiers from the Processing module

In the new version of EMSOW, you can add billing modifiers to studies from the Processing module. Start creating a service or open the Edit service window. Click on the “arrow” button in the Studies section and select Edit billing modifiers list in the dropdown menu. In the window that opens, enter the required modifiers, then click Save. Please note that changing these modifiers after creating a claim will have no effect, as this feature is supposed to be used before you click the Auto-fill button.

[#19813] Assign referring contracts to accounts and create invoices for them

Now you can assign referring contracts to accounts (along with referring facilities). This can be used if you have a group of facilities that need to receive a collective invoice. Please note that this option will be unavailable if the contract is specified for both an account and a facility that is part of that account.

[#19900] Use branch links in EMSOW Mobile Pro

If a user is linked to branches in the Users module, they will be able to view only the orders for these branches in our iOS application.

COVID-19: EMSOW Update

HealthExec: “CMS conducted an inspection of a nursing home based in Kirkland, Washington, the Life Care Center, considered to be the epicenter of the state’s outbreak of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

Over a course of several weeks, two-thirds of the nursing home’s residents fell ill with COVID-19, as well as 47 workers. Overall, 35 people have died from the virus, exemplifying a worst-case scenario of the disease. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts the elderly by causing more severe illness and often requiring intensive care.”

We hope that our newsletter finds you well, and the self-assessment tools, discussed in the article, would help to control the threat.

EMSOW Release

[#16154] HIPAA Privacy Policy Notice

We have added a HIPAA Privacy Policy Notice for new EMSOW users. It will appear when they login to their EMSOW domain for the first time. To proceed, a user needs to accept it.

Read the notice carefully, check the Agree box, then click OK.

You can make the new users accept the HIPAA agreement by checking the corresponding box in the “Create new record” window of the Users module or disable this feature by unchecking it.

Also, under this checkbox, you will find the Force to change password checkbox, which was previously located at the bottom of the window.

COVID-19: EMSOW Update

Dear EMSOW customers and business owners!

We hope this newsletter finds you well. Here at EMSOW, we are closely monitoring the situation with COVID-19. We are strictly observing the health authorities’ recommendations and do everything we can to keep our team healthy and our customers timely supported. EMSOW, as well as our customer service, will operate as normal. You can count on us 24/7.

EMSOW Release

[#19843; #19739] Reschedule dispatched exams

Now you can change service dates right in the Dispatch module. Double-click on a service, then enter the required dates in the Order date and Date of Service fields.

Moreover, we have improved the automation of your scheduling management. If you move a service from the Dispatch module to another date, the system will automatically create the corresponding event in the Schedule module. If there are no orders for this date, an order and an event will be created. This feature will not be activated, if the event has been canceled.

[#19830] Referring groups in Billing Rules, Transportation and Setup rules

We have extended the functionality of EMSOW’s Billing, Transportation and Setup rules, by adding the Referring groups condition. To add it to a rule, click on the “Plus” button in the Add new rule or Edit rule window.

[#19806] Billing state field in referring facilities

Now you can indicate billing states for referring facilities according to Medicare localities. Follow the path: Setup > Referring > Referring facilities. Start adding a new facility or editing an existing one. In the Billing tab of the window, you will find the Billing state field. Start entering the state or select it from the dropdown menu.

Then, you can filter services in the Billing module by Referring billing state. Use the corresponding filter in the Referring doctor section of the Options pane.

Modality Worklist: A Brief Introduction for Beginners

Check out our introductory article about the Modality Worklist on Medium. The Modality Worklist (or MWL) is a feature of the DICOM protocol that allows you to transfer procedure lists to be performed from a PACS server to your diagnostic equipment. Being a comprehensive yet user-friendly and intuitive solution, EMSOW supports this functionality.

EMSOW Release

[#19755] Technologist Portal will warn the user if the DICOM patient name does not match the patient name from Dispatch

We have decreased the risk of human error in the Technologist portal. Now, if you attach images to studies by using the drag-and-drop function and the patient name in the images does not match that in the dispatch entry, the system will warn you with a confirmation window.

[#19754] Social Security Number in the Portable Services Requisition form

We have added the Social Security Number (SSN) field to the Portable Services Requisition form, which you can print from the Billing module.

[#19751] Keep the state of the Worksheet filter in the Technologist Portal

We have improved the search functionality of the Technologist Portal by adding a stateful Worksheet filter. It is located under the Group by filter in the Options panel and contains the following options: Saved, Not saved, and All. The stateful filter “remembers” the search condition used in the previous search, so you can set up your portal to display studies without a saved worksheet at all times.

[#19752] New stateful filters in the Dispatch module

We have added new stateful filters to the Dispatch module. They include the following search options: Dispatch stage, Critical Findings, Priority, Branches, Referring facilities, Technologists, Modalities, Hide items flagged as “phoned”, Hide items with delivered reports, Hide items flagged as confirmed by technologist, and Show cancelled items. Check the needed box once, and the system will remember your choice for all the future searches!

[#19798] Self-payment option in Referring Contracts

We have added the Self checkbox to referring contract conditions so that you could apply them to self-pay patients. EMSOW considers a patient self-pay if there is no insurance specified for him or her. To use this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring contracts. Create a new contract or start editing an existing one.

[#19753] Charge percentage in Referring Contracts

Another improvement in the Referring Contracts functionality is the percentage field (displayed as %:). This field is used to apply a percentage to the Charge based on field that allows you to reference an insurance company’s fee schedule in your contracts.