Articles

Dear all!

Let’s start this day with some insurance facts! Did you know that Taco Bell once purchased taco insurance, America Ferrera had her smile insured for $10,000,000 and no insurance company will underwrite Jackie Chan’s productions?

As for EMSOW’s insurance and billing sections, this week we have completed a new feature to improve your claims management, as well as another useful option.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23411] User permission for updating insurance information in future services

The latest update introduces a new user permission that allows them to apply the insurance information changes (e.g., a new policy number) from the service currently being edited to all patient’s services with a later date of service.

The permission can be granted or revoked in the user groups management module (Admin → Groups in the main EMSOW menu).

[#23368] Fix for searching by CARC codes in Billing

We have fixed a bug when studies with some CARC codes didn’t show up in Billing if the CARC search filter was used.

[#21079] Search by insurance in Financial Analysis

From now on, you can search financial performance data by a specific patient insurance with this new search option:

Greetings to all!

For many practitioners, being paid on time and appropriately is a chief concern. Electronic claim submission is one tool practitioners are increasingly using to facilitate the claim reimbursement process. Practitioners are discovering that transmitting insurance claims electronically to carriers managed care companies, and other health care payers can increase their practice’s cash flow and help streamline their billing operations.

EMSOW cares about its users and makes updates every week and this time we’ve made an update in Transactions to facilitate the work with electronic claims. You can find this enhancement below.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23254] Ability to add claim notes

With the latest update, you can add a short note to an electronic claim. To do this, hover your mouse over the claim transaction and click this button:

Then enter the desired note in the window that pop-ups:

The note will appear in Loop 2400 of the electronic claim and in Box 19 of the HCFA-1500 form as well.

Dear provider!

It can be tough to stay up to date and properly informed on all of the industry-based acronyms in the ever-changing world of healthcare. One of the most important areas of healthcare to understand is the payer and provider sectors. These healthcare sectors play a crucial role in how our healthcare system functions in the United States.

Realizing all the difficulties one can face, EMSOW makes updates every week to make sure our clients are always up to date with the latest developments and updates.

There is an update in Billing module this week that allows you to search studies with a particular assigned payer (an insurance, facility, or third party) or without one.

In addition, below you can find another update that we’ve made to make your work with EMSOW easier!

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23315] Payer filter in Billing

A new search option has been added to the Billing module search filter – Payer:

The payer for a study can be assigned in the Payer Assignment module (under Billing in the main EMSOW menu).

[#23191] Link to study images in reports

With the latest update, it is possible to include a link to access DICOM images in a study report:

With that link, the referring doctor can access the study images even without logging in to EMSOW. If you would like to customize your report templates so they include a link to the study images, please contact our support team.

Dear practitioner!

We all know that complete and accurate medical records enable healthcare workers to treat patients to the best of their abilities. Every accessible detail is crucial since the information gathered can help with diagnosis and treatment.

EMSOW takes care of its users, so this week we’ve made an update and now it’s possible to add the medical records information to an electronic claim simply using the button that appears when you are hovering the mouse pointer over the claim.

You can also check out couple of updates in Financial Analysis.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23116] Medical records information in claims
The medical records information will be placed inside the PWK segment of the electronic claim:

It is also possible to “unclick” the button if you don’t wish the medical records information to be included in the claim.

[#23194] Grouping by referring account in Financial Analysis

Moving forward, it is possible to group data in Financial Analysis by referring accounts using this new option in the search filter:

Dear healthcare provider!

Have you heard that global healthcare spending could reach over $10 trillion by the end of 2022? Aging and growing populations, higher rates of chronic health conditions, and exponential but costly advances in digital technologies will continue to push global healthcare expenditures upward.

Realizing how crucial the healthcare field is, EMSOW improves your workflow every week.

This week we’ve made an update to the Invoices module, which you can check out below.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23136] Billing company email in invoices for laboratory tests

Starting with this update, the billing company email is printed on invoices for laboratory tests:

Greetings to all!

Health insurance remains a relevant and politicized topic in the United States. Let’s have a look at Health Insurance Statistics 2021:

• 4% of Americans were uninsured in 2018, thus leading to staggering health care costs in case of a medical emergency;
• On a yearly basis, roughly 4% of uninsured Americans are forced to declare bankruptcy due to overwhelming health care costs;
• 40%–50% of US residents rely on employer health insurance;
• New York is known for having the highest health insurance rates, whereas New Mexico has the lowest;
• In the US, it’s estimated that insurance fraud leads to costs of over $80 billion on a yearly basis.

EMSOW understands the difficulties you can face with, that’s why every week we update certain modules of our platform for you to work with it in a convenient way. With the latest update, the Billing module offers you the new search options that allow you to search studies that do not include a specific insurance or insurance group.

Below, you can also find some updates in the Invoices module.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23107] Excluding filters for insurances in Billing

When excluding an insurance, you can additionally specify if the excluded insurance must be the primary one or not. You will find the new search options under the Insurances section in the Billing module search filter.

[#23088] Invoices modifications report

A new report has become available in the Invoices module – Invoices modification report:

Upon selecting the report in the dropdown menu, EMSOW will prompt you to specify the desired date range that all invoice modifications should fall under. After that, a spreadsheet with the report will be downloaded. The report reflects when and by whom a modification has been made as well as new invoice amounts and procedures count:

Dear practitioner!

As we move forward in the healthcare industry, there will be more pressure and attention put on physician fee schedules. Payors and consumers will continue to put pressure on fee schedules to reduce costs, making healthcare more accessible to them. Given the current healthcare climate, it is believed that fee schedules will continue to be a contentious topic of conversation.

Meanwhile EMSOW makes it easier and more comfortable to use the platform and its Fee Schedules module as well. This week we’ve made more fee schedule formats available for import.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23131] Support for more fee schedule import formats

With the latest update, three more formats have become available for importing fee schedules to EMSOW: Noridian, First Coast Service Options, and Wisconsin Physicians Service. The “Mpfsp” fee schedule format has been renamed as NGS Medicare.

To import a fee schedule, follow Setup → Billing → Fee Schedules in the main EMSOW menu and click the Data import button on the toolbar. Select the necessary import format along with the other parameters and click Save:

Dear practitioner!

As the population grows, the importance of the healthcare system intensifies particularly in times of any global pandemic like one caused by Coronavirus, which has put tremendous pressure on the capacity and capability of health institutions and healthcare providers.

We realize how difficult it is to manage business these times, that’s why EMSOW enhances the platform every week to make it easier for you to use and for your business to prosper.

This week we slightly changed our user permissions system to give you more flexibility in allowing users to remove billing transactions. You can also check out a new viewing mode in the DICOM Viewer.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23126] Permissions for users to remove specific billing transactions

From now on, instead of a single permission to remove a billing transaction of any kind, EMSOW offers a full range of specific permissions to remove a transaction of a particular type such as “rebill”, “charge”, “claim”, “statement”, “payment”, “write-off”, “open”, “close”, “invoice”, “superbill”, “adjustment”, and “purchased charge”.

To configure permissions, follow Admin → Groups in the main EMSOW menu and double-click into the necessary group:

[#22988] See all DICOM images on one page in DICOM Viewer

The latest update introduces a new viewing mode in the DICOM Viewer. It shows all images on one page. To activate the new mode, click the Show image space button on the toolbar:

Then the viewport will show all images on one page:

You can scroll through the images and double-click each image to see it full-size in the regular viewing mode. It is also possible to play cineloops by hovering your mouse cursor over them.

Dear providers!

As you know, fee schedules play a crucial role in the realm of medical billing practices. Claim rejections, denials, and other delays can occur as a result of inefficient or inadequate fee schedule methods, disrupting an otherwise regular revenue stream.

EMSOW’s latest update in the Fee Schedules module allows you to quickly find all the necessary fee information to make sure you bill payers correctly.

In addition, below you can find a couple of updates that we’ve made to other modules that can make your work with EMSOW easier!

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#23103] Search filter in Fee Schedules

With the latest update, you can use the search filter in the Fee Schedules module.

We have also fixed a bug that prevented you from exporting a fee schedule as an Excel spreadsheet.

[#23103] Patient tags display

From now on, patient tags are displayed in multiple places throughout EMSOW.

In the Edit service window:

In the Processing module:

In the Billing module:

In the Patients module (a new column and a new search option):

To start using the patient tags, click Setup / Patient tags and create the tags you need. To add a tag to a patient, click Patients in the menu bar, double-click into a patient record, and go to the “General information” tab.

[#23097] Payee name in Clearing

You can now see payee names from ERA/EOB files in the Payee column of the Clearing module. We have also added the Payees search option:

Dear Practitioner,

Every week, we bring you something new to help you improve the efficiency of your healthcare business. This week we have put out a couple of updates to improve your Claims workflow.

Want to learn more? You are welcome to book a FREE online demo here! You will see how it works (and even try it!), have your questions answered, and compare prices.

[#22952] View request details in Clearing

The latest update makes it easier for you to navigate through claims in the Clearing module. From now on, you can view X12 837P claim requests in a detailed view by clicking the view link in the Claims column:

The detailed information appears in a pop-up window:

Greetings to everyone!

There are various reasons why companies should keep employee records on file. The primary reason is that it is mandated by law. Companies must have financial documentation on hand in the case of a lawsuit or an IRS audit, in addition to having an employee’s basic employment dates and information readily available.

EMSOW’s new feature makes it easier for our practitioners to keep and find all the necessary information.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22612] Autofill employee contacts from user

Did you know that EMSOW has a feature to automatically create an employee record when you are adding a new user? Just select the Auto create employee checkbox:

In this update, we improved this feature so that not only the user’s name gets copied into the employee record but also all the contact information:

Dear practitioner!

It goes without saying that filing claims electronically can offer a number of benefits, such as: minimizing disruptions to your cash flow, tracking claim status, increasing accuracy and cut down on claim rejections, cutting down on paperwork and decreasing overhead costs and staff time.

To make electronic claims more comfortable for you to use, you are welcome to use EMSOW’s Billing module, that allows healthcare providers send claims electronically via EDI.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22955] Add electronic claims for multiple studies at once in Billing

The latest update brings you an easy way of adding electronic claims for multiple studies. Just open the Add transaction dropdown menu in the Billing module and select Electronic claim (for all) or Electronic claim (for selected):

Once the studies are processed, you will see the results and details on skipped studies (if there are any):

Dear practitioner!

It is widely known that the most successful medical practices don’t reach their position in the industry without paying close attention to all aspects of their revenue cycle. In any case, it’s crucial that your practice implements a system that speeds up the billing process while minimizing errors and adhering to the most recent privacy and other governmental regulations.

EMSOW’s Invoice Module has become more comfortable for you to use as it allows healthcare providers to directly bill their clients. Now it is possible to see the dates when checks were posted and the report will display all posting dates, with each payment represented by a separate row.

Below you can find a few improvements that we’ve made to this module, as well as a couple of others.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22862] Medicaid provider ID in referring doctor settings

From now on, it is possible to add a Medicaid provider ID in the referring doctor settings:

[#22860] Print Study Group in invoices

Referring facility invoices now show the study group next to the CPT code description:

This will help your clients figure out what kind of study it is (e.g., ultrasound, X-ray) if the CPT description is not enough.

[#22780] Posting date and amount in “Report of all invoices”

Moving forward, the Report of all invoices shows dates when checks were posted in the new Posting date column. If a check was posted over the course of a few days, the report will show all posting dates with each payment in its own row. We have also added the Posted total column that shows each payment amount.

Below is what the same invoice that is paid with two checks looks like in the report (for simplicity, non-relevant columns are omitted):

[#22594] Remove invoice payments and write-offs

With the latest update, you can now remove invoice payments and write-offs. To do this, hover your mouse over the necessary payment and click the Remove payment icon that appears:

EMSOW will ask you to confirm removal:

Dear practitioner!

Do you know the difference between Write-Offs and Write-Downs? The difference is just a matter of degree. A write-down is performed in accounting to reduce the value of an asset to offset a loss or expense. A write-down becomes a write-off if the entire balance of the asset is eliminated and removed from the books altogether.

To make Write off more comfortable for you, you are welcome to use new EMSOW’s feature in the Post payment from facility window that makes posting a payment from a facility more flexible.

Below you can also find some updates that we made to EMSOW’s billing rules.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22781] Clinical laboratory travel allowance in billing and transportation rules

From now on, you can set the clinical laboratory travel allowance type as a condition in Billing Rules:

And in Transportation and Setup Rules:

[#22425] Write off remaining balance when posting a facility check

The latest release makes posting a payment from a facility more flexible: if the check amount is lower than the payment, you can now write off the difference, in whole or in part. To that end, we have added the Write off remaining balance checkbox to the Post payment from facility window:

Once you select the checkbox, the remaining balance amount will auto-populate into the respective field. You can change this amount or leave it as it is. The write-off will be applied proportionally to all services in the referring facility invoice.

Dear practitioner!

There is a constantly increasing rise in litigation in modern medical practice. A strong emphasis is placed on good record keeping as an integral part of patient care and a clinician’s legal defense.

To improve your record keeping, you are welcome to use EMSOW’s Patients module that now features a quick tool to check patient’s procedures summary.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22741] Study groups filter in “Submit statements” window

With this update, we have added the Study groups search option to the Submit statements window in Billing:

This option will help you find statements by study group (e.g., ultrasound, X-ray, visits, surgical).

[#22735] Sort patient statements within a batch by number of pages

From now on, it is possible to sort patient statements within a batch by number of statement pages in ascending order. If you would like to enable the sorting, please contact our support team. This is a really helpful feature if you have a folding machine that you use to put patient bills to envelopes.

[#22689] Studies summary tooltip in Patients

The Patients module now features a tooltip that shows studies summary for a patient so you don’t have to double-click into the patient record to see the patient’s studies. Just hover your mouse over the patient’s name:

[#21134] Referring facilities filter in “Submit electronic claims” window

The new Referring facilities search option has been added to the Submit electronic claims window in Clearing:

Dear practitioner!

It is well known that a well-designed invoice that covers all the required information makes a good impression to your clients. To ensure timely clearance of the invoice, it is necessary to find out your client’s payment run and align your payment due date to it. If you have staged payments, you can agree in advance the dates that your invoices will be raised. And always remember to double-check the invoice for accuracy before you send it!

To make invoicing comfortable both for you and your clients, you are welcome to use EMSOW’s Invoices module that allows healthcare providers to directly bill their clients. For example, if you run a portable X‑ray business and want to send a bill to a nursing home you service for Part A patients, EMSOW has you covered!

Below you can find a couple of updates that we made to EMSOW’s invoicing, as well as a small convenience update to our auto-fill feature that will allow you to skip the preview step when you are dealing with hundreds (or thousands!) claims you need to auto-fill.

If you are not with EMSOW yet, you are welcome to book a FREE online demo here!

[#22722] Date of service range for invoices

With this update, we have added the DoS range column to the Billing details tab in the Invoices module. The date of service range is displayed for both outstanding and paid invoices:

[#22694] Reports of invoices

The latest release brings another improvement to Invoices. In addition to the Outstanding invoices report, we introduce a new All invoices report. This report is similar to the Outstanding invoices report, but also includes completely paid invoices. Both invoice reports are now available in a dropdown menu that unfolds upon a click on the Report of invoices button:

If you click All invoices, you will be prompted to enter the necessary invoice date (or the date range):

Then click Run and EMSOW will prepare an Excel file with the report:

[#22640] Skip auto-fill preview

This update allows you to significantly increase the auto-fill speed if you select the Skip preview checkbox in the Auto fill studies window:

Also, the toolbar in Billing now has the same auto-fill buttons as in Processing: Auto fill selected and Auto fill all.

Greetings one and all!

Did you know that patients are advised to save all their medical bills and statements? If they get a bill from their provider before they get their Health Benefits Statement, they should hold on to it. When their Health Benefits Statement arrives, it will outline what has been paid for by their Health Insurance and confirm what they owe.

To keep your patients aware of their bills, you are welcome to use EMSOW’s patient statements.

Below is a small improvement we’ve made to this module as well as a couple of other billing enhancements:

 [#22681] Date of service range for checks

The Checks module (Billing → Checks in the main EMSOW menu) now shows the date of service range for each check:

We have also added the Date of service search option so you can easily find the necessary check by a specific date or a date range when the services were performed:

[#22661] Search for uninvoiced invoice items in Billing

The new Uninvoiced invoice items search query in Billing allows you to find studies with the “invoice item” billing operation that haven’t been added to any invoice:

[#22639] Filtering paper statements by referring group

From now on, in the Submit statements window, the Referring facilities field in the search filter also allows you to select referring groups:

The market of digital X-ray imaging is continuously growing (according to a MarketsandMarkets report, by 2023 it is expected to reach $13.4 billion compared to $8.68 billion in 2018). To a great extent, this is happening due to the development of digital (RIS, PACS) and mobile imaging technologies. The leading vendors (Carestream, Phillips, GE, etc.) are marketing units which are more reliable, compact and user-friendly compared to the machines of previous generations.

Digital X-ray systems offer several benefits, such as:

• Digital X-rays produce up to 70% less radiation than film systems
• Digital technologies to a great extent eliminate one of the most significant disadvantages of medical X-rays – radiation exposure
• Digital X-ray equipment can boast of higher image quality than traditional films, though it may vary in different equipment models and types

Some of these benefits can be achieved if the equipment is combined with good special-purpose software.

As a rule, stationary machines provide better quality images than portable ones, but the mobile imaging industry is constantly developing.

In addition, there are many image viewers with efficient tools that increase interpreting quality and significantly reduce the risk of overlooking a patient’s health problem for a reading radiologist. The digital systems employ a PACS, which greatly accelerates and facilitates technologists’ and doctors’ access to images. With modern web-based solutions, information can be transferred within seconds, although, it depends on the speed of the Internet connection.

PACS systems provide way more convenient storage than traditional analog systems. You do not need to keep your images in your office on CDs or even on your computer, because nowadays it is easily affordable to have cloud-based storage. Although it is relevant for any modalities, it is especially important for X-ray, because there are certain legal issues associated with storing X-ray (regulations may vary from state to state).

The digital systems can be 100% secure. If you are using proper software for your medical business, you will have no HIPAA-related issues.

Mobile X-ray is a separate topic and requires a separate article (we’ll discuss it later on our blog). It is obvious, however, that going wireless and mobile can be convenient for patients and profitable for healthcare providers.

Today, medical X-ray businesses are going wireless and trying to purchase the best equipment they can afford, but they also should bear in mind that proper software and digital tools are no less important.

Dear providers,

Below are a few recent updates to the EMSOW platform.

If you want to find out more, book a demo with us.

[#22245] Edit the exam begin time in Processing and Billing

With this update, it has become possible to edit the exam begin time not only in Schedule, but in the Processing and Billing modules as well, thanks to the new Begin time field in the Edit service window:

If you would like to use this feature, please contact our support team.

[#22395, #22453] Patient IDs in HL7 Requests

Now you can search for HL requests by external and internal patient IDs with new search options:

Furthermore, the patient IDs are now reflected in the HL7 Requests export files. In order to download those, click Export on the toolbar and select the desired file format:

[#22426] Mark HL7 requests as archived

It is now possible to mark HL7 requests as archived. To switch the HL7 request state between “archived” and “unarchived”, use these new buttons on the toolbar:

Needless to say, this feature won’t be of much use without an option to separate the archived requests from unarchived ones. To that end, we have added the corresponding option to the search filter:

[#22419] Group Financial Analysis results by study group

A new way of data grouping has been added to Financial Analysis with this update:

[#22400] Study report notification for primary care practitioners

Primary care practitioners can now receive copies of study reports that are sent to referring doctors, referring facilites or ordering facilities. In order to receive the reports, a primary care practitioner must be specified in the service and report notifications must be enabled in the primary care practitioner settings.

[#22383] Move services to “billing” or “processing” stages from Payer Assignment

You can now quickly move a service between processing and billing stages right from the Payer Assignment module thanks to the new Move button on the toolbar:

It is worth remembering that moving a service to the billing or processing stage affects all studies within the service including those not displayed in the Payer Assignment module.

[#22347] Quick search in the “Submit electronic claims”

This update brings improvements to electronic claim submission. Most notably, a new set of fields for a quick search of electronic claims is available now:

In addition, we have fixed a couple of bugs in the claim submission process.

[#22463] Change the referring facility when creating a follow-up service

Now, when you click the Follow up button, you can select a referring facility, which is different from that in the latest patient service:

[#22456] Improved processing of incoming electronic remittance advice files

We have optimized our ERA parsing algorithms. As a result, the processing of ERA files has become much faster!

Moreover, you can now customize procedure matching methods for incoming ERA files thus making their processing even faster. To do this, go to Setup → Billing → Billing Connectors and double-click into a billing connector. Select the Incoming files settings tab. Here, under the Study match order field set, you can select and arrange up to 15 detection methods. In this case, your study match order will look like this:

EMSOW feature release

What makes EMSOW special? The answer is – integration! The platform can work seamlessly with any EMR/EHR system that supports the HL7 protocol. You can receive requests for appointments via ORM messages, billing requests via DFT, and send lab/radiology results via ORU automatically – no matter which EMR your client uses.

This time, we have updated our HL7 Requests module. If you are our customer, see the description below. If you are new and want to learn how to keep all your client connections under one umbrella through HL7, book a call with us.

[#22081] Improved default settings in the HL7 requests module

In previous versions, the system displayed all the HL7 requests upon opening the HL7 Requests module. This took time and occasionally caused slowdowns. We have changed this default setting.  Now, upon clicking on the HL7 Requests button, EMSOW displays the information for the current date only.
TIP: To search HL7 requests by any parameter and in one click, use search filters in the Options panel.

[#22210] Process multiple messages at once in HL7 Requests

EMSOW runs a series of tests when it receives an HL7 message, e.g., it checks if the referring facility from the message matches your database records. In case of any inconsistency, the message remains in the Pending or Failure status. To make it easier for you to handle such issues, we added support for processing multiple messages at once. Now, if you found an issue and corrected it, you can select more than one message and click Process (Auto) to quickly turn the received messages into EMSOW service records.

EMSOW Feature Release

[#22072] Manage primary care practitioners in EMSOW

With this update, we added a new module for primary care practitioners management. The new module is located under Setup → Referring → Primary Care Practitioners in the main EMSOW menu.

In the primary care practitioner settings, the following options are available:

The Referring doctors tab allows you to link your practitioner to a referring doctor:

On the Study groups tab, you can specify the study groups available for the practitioner:

And lastly, the Contacts tab where you can add the practitioner contacts:

This is just the beginning – we will extend the support for primary care practitioners in future updates. Stay tuned!

EMSOW Feature Release

With EMSOW, you can improve your diagnostic imaging workflow every week because each week, we have some improvement to roll out.

[#22099] Auto-populate number of days in invoice

With this update, we added an option to the referring contract settings and invoice editing window that allows you to auto-calculate the number of days for which the PPD fee will be applied based on the number of visits.

All you need to do is select the Auto checkbox in the invoice editing window, after which the Days field will be auto-filled:

[#22098] New referring contract term conditions: Reference lab & CPT

The latest update bring two more referring contract term conditions: CPT codes and Allow for reference laboratory:

The latter will apply the referring contract term to tests with a specified reference laboratory.

We would like to share a digest of essential EMSOW updates that are out now. All of them were suggested by our customers, and we hope they streamline the operational and billing workflow for our users… and you, too!

These new features improve billing practices and enhance integration with EHR/EMR systems through the HL7 protocol.

Please see details below.
If you want to find out more, book a demo with us.

[#21957] New search filters and grid columns for HL7 Requests

In the latest release, we have made several improvements in the HL7 Requests module:

• New search filters Date of service and External service ID (under the Request section)
• A new grid column External service ID
• The Created date search filter has been renamed as Received date and the Processed at grid column has been renamed as Processed date
• The ID and Filename search filters have been moved from the General section to the Request

This update is meant to make it easier for you to manage incoming orders from EMR systems.

[#22000] Search studies in Billing regardless of the report status

Previously, the Report search option in Billing allowed you only to switch between “Report received” and “Report not received”. With this update, you can clear the field and search studies regardless of their report status:

[#21973] Reference labs in reading and billing rule conditions

From now on, it is possible to choose a reference laboratory as a condition in reading and billing rules:

 [#21978] Email notifications of scheduled tests for patients and their referring facilities

With this update, EMSOW can notify a patient once their ordered test has been scheduled and notify the referring facility as well. The message that is sent to the patient contains preparation instructions for the upcoming test. The message for the referring facility includes study details.

EMSOW feature release

Every week we bring something new to help you make your healthcare business more efficient. This week we upgraded our billing functionality.

If you want to learn more about the only cloud platform that puts all of your diagnostic imaging, appointment scheduling, and billing tasks under one umbrella, book a consultation with us, and we’ll give you a custom affordable quote in under 24 hours.

Now, we welcome you to check out what’s new:

[#21916] Select a billing route depending on the referring facility

Did you know that EMSOW has a feature called “Billing routes”? It is a configurable medical billing rule that EMSOW uses to automatically determine what clearing house connector should be used for electronic claim submission.

EMSOW integrates with any clearing house that supports the X12 5010 standard for professional claims (837P), and, thanks to the billing routes, you can work even with multiple clearing houses!

Starting with this update, it is possible to specify particular referring facilities in the condition of a billing route, meaning that you can use a specific clearing house connection to bill for procedures rendered at specific nursing homes and doctors’ offices:

To access the billing routes, follow the path Setup → Rules → Billing Routes in the main EMSOW menu.

[#15896] Merge insurance records

If you receive order data from many sources, including HL7 ORM and DFT messages, API integrations and manual data entry, you may be dealing with a lot of duplicate entries in the Setup → Insurances directory.

Now you can merge these duplicate records and map insurance departments:

The resulting record with take the payer ID and claim code from the “target” record, and the name from other record will be added as an alias for future mapping. Note that you cannot merge more than two insurances at once.

EMSOW feature release

If you need to transfer reports to your clients’ EMR systems or receive orders through HL7, EMSOW might be the perfect fit. EMSOW is much more than exam storage – you can deliver clinical findings to referring doctors, schedule exams, bill insurance companies – all from one simple system that runs in the cloud.

Check out our updates below, which are meant to improve your HL7 experience and provide better tools for appointment scheduling.

To learn more about EMSOW in general, start by watching our one-minute video:

 [#21791] HL7 Requests improvements

This release brings numerous improvements to the HL7 Requests module:

• When you export the list of requests into a file, the CPT and diagnosis codes will be included in the Studies column
• New search options ID and Filename:

• A new column Filename (hidden by default)
• A new column Status message showing request processing errors
• A new button Download Original File in the Appointment request contents window (opens upon clicking the View button on the toolbar):

[#21905] Ordering locations import from HL7

Starting with this update, EMSOW can extract the ordering location from an incoming HL7 request and save it in the service created.

A new option allowing you to search studies by ordering locations has been added to the Billing module search filter (under the Order section):

The ordering locations can also be included in the End of month report in Billing if you enable the respective column before creating the report.

[#21852] Updated study ordering experience

With this update, you can opt to schedule ordered studies in a different manner. After clicking Schedule in the Ordered studies window, you will see another window where you can adjust the date of service and assign a technologist:

As a result, a new office schedule event will be created. This way of scheduling requires the study begin time to be specified before scheduling (you can do it in the Edit ordered study window).

If you are interested in this feature and want to enable it in your account, please contact our support team.

[#21851] Begin time and duration for ordered studies

From now on, you can set the begin time and duration for ordered studies, which allows for more effective scheduling. The respective fields have been added to the Edit ordered study window:

[#21850] Adding insurances for ordered studies

With the latest update, you can add and edit insurance information for ordered studies just the same way as you do for services:

[#21876] CLIA in claims without reference lab

Starting with this update, it is possible to add a CLIA number to a reading facility:

This CLIA number will be populated in box 23 and “NO” will be checked in box 20 of the claim form unless a reference lab is specified.

EMSOW feature release

Did you know that you can create and send HCFA forms right from a diagnostic image storage system? And that’s not the whole story. EMSOW allows you to schedule patients, run financial analytics and write radiology reports and clinical notes based on smart templates, not too mention it is fully compliant with DICOM and HL7 standards. You can find all the tools your diagnostic business requires in one simple cloud solution.

Want to learn more? We would be happy to show you EMSOW and discuss how it can help your practice!

[#21854] Updated referring provider format in HCFA 1500 box 17

From now on, the full doctor’s name in box 17 appears in the following order: the first name, the middle name, the last name, and their title:

[#21853] Patient schedule – referring facility working time indication

Starting from this update, the referring facility working time can be highlighted with a light green background:

If you would like to enable this feature, please contact our support team.

[#21837] Changes in paper claims for reference laboratories

The latest release also slightly changes how paper claims are filled out for lab tests that involve an outside laboratory:

• CPT modifier 90 is added
• the reference laboratory CLIA is populated in box 23 if no authorization number is provided
• the reference laboratory location information is populated in box 32
• in box 20, “YES” is checked under “OUTSIDE LAB?” (if the reference laboratory is selected for the test)

[#21684] Grouping by service in Rendering Provider Portal

With this update, it is possible to group studies by service in Rendering Provider Portal. To do this, click Preferences (in the right upper corner) and select View → Group by service:

This grouping mode also allows you to collapse or expand the contents of a service by clicking “plus” and “minus” buttons in the service header.

EMSOW feature release

EMSOW puts together all the tools your diagnostic business needs: from scheduling to dispatch, consult notes, DICOM storage and billing. This week we have updated another essential feature – patient history – and made it available to the users of our Rendering Provider Portal.

Want to learn more? We would be happy to show you EMSOW and discuss how it can help your practice.

 [#21683] Patient’s history in Rendering Provider Portal

With this update, you can view the history of a patient’s prior visits in Rendering Provider Portal just the same way as in Physician Portal. If the patient has previous studies or consults in their history, you can click the history icon to display those records:

In the window that opens, you will see the information and uploaded documents for each visit of the patient.

EMSOW feature release

POCUS and portable X-ray providers take benefit from our platform that puts together cloud image storage, a physician portal with a built-in DICOM viewer and customizable report templates, as well as patient scheduling, technologist dispatching, and billing tools. Another opportunity we offer is image interpretation by a board-certified radiologist licensed in your state.

If you would like to simplify and optimize your imaging workflow and cut your costs, schedule a demo!

[#21452] Referring doctor and facility columns in Physician Portal (grid view)

The grid view in Physician Portal is now shipped with two more columns: Referring doctor and Referring facility:

Let us remind you that the default view mode in Physician Portal is the tile view. If you would like to switch to the grid view, click Preferences (in the upper-right corner of the portal), and then select View → Grid view in the drop-down menu:

[#21798] Grouping by CPT in Financial Analysis

From now on, you can group data in Financial Analysis by a CPT code (to access this module, click Analysis → Financial Analysis in the main EMSOW menu):

EMSOW introduces a smartphone-friendly version for mobile imaging providers!

We are excited to announce the smartphone-friendly version of EMSOW. From now on, you can manage your mobile diagnostic business right from your smartphone or tablet. Like the desktop version of the system, the new user interface works in a web browser and requires no installation.

It is a small and simple yet powerful communication hub that helps you:

• dispatch technologists
• send push notifications and text notes to your personnel
• enter study information within seconds
• prioritize exams as Routine, STAT, and ASAP
• track exam status
• easily search for previous patients and studies

Built-in ICD & CPT code databases and patient lookup save plenty of time and effort. Start entering a keyword, and the system will display the list of available procedures, diagnoses, or patients.

The smartphone-friendly version is a new addition to EMSOW’s family that includes the full-size desktop system with cloud image storage, DICOM processing, and billing tools.

Together they offer a powerful toolkit that streamlines your mobile diagnostic experience, speeds up reading and revenue collection, and connects you with as many technologists, clients, physicians, and EMR systems as you need. If you are a mobile diagnostic imaging provider, you’ve got to try EMSOW!

To learn more about the smartphone-friendly version of EMSOW, contact us at connect@emsow.com.

Buying a refurbished ultrasound machine? Check this out!

In recent years, the medical imaging equipment market has become more democratic yet more sophisticated. More and more providers who want to start their own diagnostic business are looking to buy refurbished ultrasound machines. A used machine can be a good start since it helps save money that is essential for small businesses. We have discussed the opportunity of buying refurbished equipment with our customers and partners and created a short checklist of crucial things you need to know before purchasing a refurbished ultrasound unit.

1. Portable or stationary? The machine you buy should meet the needs of your practice. Are you going to perform ultrasound studies in a mobile or stationary setting? Answering this will help you decide if you need a portable or full-sized machine.

Today, medical imaging startups more frequently opt for mobile ultrasound units that can be used at a patient’s bed. If you purchase appropriate ultrasound probes, such a unit will let you perform most types of general ultrasound and cardiologic exams.

As for full-sized equipment, there’s an opinion that it is better suited for hospitals and large healthcare centers.

2. Technical characteristics and features. Before buying an ultrasound machine, check the technical specifications and features they have. Pay attention to frequencies that determine how deep the ultrasound waves penetrate, which is essential for the studies of certain types. Make sure the machine has the features you need in your practice, e.g., CW Doppler, color Doppler, 3D/4D option, etc. Also, make sure the unit supports the DICOM protocol that is critical for all diagnostic businesses, especially POCUS providers. Power output is also essential.
3. Technical support and availability of replacement parts and accessories. When you buy a refurbished ultrasound machine, its warranty is often expired. However, you need to make sure that it is properly tested and, if something fails, you will be able to find the necessary parts and get your unit repaired and equipped. Therefore, before purchase, you might want to discuss the maintenance cost and the availability of replacement parts/transducers with the seller.
4. Compatibility with your healthcare software. It’s not enough to have a portable ultrasound unit to start your imaging business. In most cases, you will need a PACS system. Besides taking images, you want to store your exams, transfer them for interpretation, facilitate your reading doctor’s work, distribute your reports to referring providers, and more. A good imaging platform can simplify your workflow and save you time and money.

Today, there are plenty of opportunities to buy ultrasound equipment and a lot of software providers that make their PACS solutions compatible with different hardware vendors. However, you should make sure that your chosen equipment is compliant with the software you are going to use.

James Warren, the CEO of The Ultrasound Source, says:

“Whenever a new client reaches out to me, one of the first things I ask them is what PACS they’re going to connect their unit to. In many settings, it’s the crucial part, especially for mobile cardiology providers that want echocardiogram measurements to populate into report templates automatically. An ultrasound machine that supports DICOM structured reporting is the right choice for them, but without software support, this valuable feature doesn’t really add any value.”

5. Price. For many startups, price is the major factor. You can buy an affordable transducer that can be connected to your smartphone or a sophisticated unit of the latest model with a great variety of features. The price can differ significantly. Anyway, you need to pay attention to maintenance costs and subscription costs. Some units look cheap and handy but become useless without an obligatory annual subscription to their software.
6. Seller. When you go for a machine, whether a new or a refurbished ultrasound machine, you want to make sure you buy a quality product. Oftentimes, purchasing a piece of equipment is not a one-off event; you want to have your machine serviced and maintained properly. Therefore, you want to deal with a trusted partner.

There are many companies that sell, repair, and maintain used imaging equipment. If you are looking to get an ultrasound unit that will serve you for years, make sure your seller does not just sell the unit, but also provides reliable maintenance.

About The Ultrasound Source. The Ultrasound Source deals with the leading brands and provide refurbished and new ultrasound equipment. The company focuses solely on ultrasound system and probe sales, ultrasound preventive maintenance, ultrasound repair, and ultrasound training. Their refurbished medical equipment is thoroughly inspected and tested to meet OEM specifications and backed by a full warranty on parts and labor. New equipment for sale is guaranteed with multi-year warranties that give you peace of mind.

To get in touch with The Ultrasound Source, email sales@theultrasoundsource.com or visit theultrasoundsource.com. Use “EMSOW” as a promo code to get a special offer today!