Top 5 Things to Know for CE:

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1 Cost Effectively Incorporating New Technology into Your Operations Top 5 Things to Know for CE: 1. Make sure your BADGE IS SCANNED each time you enter a session, to record your attendance. 2. Carry the Evaluation Packet you received on registration with you to EVERY session. 3. If you re not applying for CE, we still want to hear from you! Your opinions about our conference are very valuable. 4. Pharmacists and Nurses need to track their hours on the Statement of Continuing Education Certificate form as they go. 5. FOR CE: At your last session, total the hours and sign your Statement of Continuing Education Certificate form. Keep the PINK copy for your records. Place the YELLOW and WHITE copies in your Evaluation packet Make sure an evaluation form from each session you attended is completed and in your Evaluation packet Put your name on the outside of the packet, seal it, and drop it in the drop boxes in the NHIA registration area at the convention center Presenters Ken Pereira VP/GM of Mediware Information Systems, Alternate Care Solutions Panel Experts: 1. Steve Garner, Pharm.D., Co-owner, Pro Health Medical, Inc., Orlando, FL 2. Thomas K. Maiefski, Pharm.D., Co-owner, Sirona Infusion, Phoenix, AZ 3. Don Powell General Manager, Chartwell Midwest Wisconsin 4. Pete Tanguay, President, Rock-Pond Solutions 1

2 Challenge Questions What are key objectives in deploying new technology in our industry? Which technology to deploy to meet these objectives? beyond the basic operating system How do I justify it the investment? The cost of the tool, deployment, disruption How do I consider the inherent risks? Can they be quantified? How do I assess a return on investment (ROI)?? Can I learn from others? Successes and failures Our Objectives Identify creative technology choices improve your patient care and reduce costs what about technological expenditures (upgrade to new versions, upgrade to Windows 7) Introduce a return on investment model plan and measure results against Discuss subjective considerations Isn t this contrary to an ROI? Learn from successful home infusion providers Experienced the dilemma of technology choices Learn lessons of successes and failures Historical Perspective in Our Industry Existence patient records, labels, claims Patient Safety drug interaction, care plans Efficiency faster, cheaper, better Expansion done on a wider scale Leadership competitive advantages 2

3 New Technologies (possibilities for discussion) Existence Safety Efficiency Expansion Leadership Operating system Software DOS >>Windows Nurse Documentation Drug screening in field Scanning IP Phones Social networking Electronic prescribing Centralized reimbursement Sharepoint Technical upgrades (Windows 7) HL7 data from hospitals Contract management Business intelligence Tele-medicine Phones and Bar-coding Pump tracking Partner integration interfaces Skype Return on Investment A word about Strategic Objectives Most providers: do not conduct formal ROI s are reluctant to justify any investment on the backs of reductions in staff but still justify investments on improved efficiency Therefore, implication is expanded volume ROI s good exercise for any investment What about necessary technology investments? Negative ROI s important (implications of not investing) Proposed model for ROI on technology projects Return on Investment Costs and benefits should be expressed as either onetime or annual Sunk costs or benefits already realized should not be considered in an investment decision Conventional wisdom suggests that you examine the ROI over the life of the technology Typically 3 to 5 years and not usually > 7 years Internal costs/savings should be considered only if the costs would otherwise be reduced with a NO decision Subjective costs should be converted to quantitative values only if credible (otherwise a soft benefit) 3

4 ROI Calculation Panel Discussion Do you use formal ROI s in technology projects? Do you think all projects can evaluated on the basis of a return on investment? How does you consider soft costs in evaluating projects? Types of Technology Projects Reduce costs Eliminating paper or personnel costs or position provider for growth with less staff Increase Revenues Better capture of billable services Improve patient care Expand scope of care Innovation for market leadership 4

5 Document Scanning Deploy a scanning device to import images of documents to storage Copier, small scanner or similar device Types of scanning: Stand alone application Incorporated into your operating system Scanning service Most important part is the indexing to your patient and Rx files Placing images in storage is the easy part Is this process a manual or automatic assignment? Access alongside your operating system Providers deploy scanning to eliminate storage, provide fast access when needed, reduce filing/retrieval costs Capital cost of purchasing stand-alone system On-going cost of using stand-alone or scanning service Document Scanning Definition: deployment of scanners, electronic depositories and sorting/indexing for quick retrieval as part of the patient/rx record. Your own hardware or use a service Capital cost or on-going cost back scanning Labor cost/savings Integration Do you use scanning; service or your own? How did you justify? What were costs and savings? Subjective costs and benefits Nurse Documentation Capabilities: Patient records (assigned patients and census) Document visits/care in the home Produce all necessary paperwork as a result of visit Record drugs used in the home and reconcile with pharmacy Communication with pharmacy and office personnel Laptops or PDA Access to operating system patient/rx files Disconnected (synchronization) and connected capability Dealing with contract nursing agencies Consideration on using same/different systems for agency patients Same/different devices for other uses (phone, GPS, etc.) 5

6 Nurse Documentation Definition: deployment of laptops or PDA s in the home to document care, record follow-up, communicate with pharmacy and improve patient safety Cost of hardware, software and support structure (critical) Whether you provide your own nursing services Volume Expectations of referral sources Competitive pressures Do you deploy devices in the home? Full or census only? Laptops or PDA s? Restrictions on full deployment and your experiences (positive and negative) How should it be justified? If ROI is negative, does patient safety justify it? Social Networking New trend in personal communications Few infusion companies have implemented Facebook pages Provide generic materials for patients including documents, FAQ s, training video s Promote communication and dedicated tie-in to you as a provider Reliance as a communication tool? Public/private differentiation Many creative uses Social Networking Definition: Use of social networking tools such as Facebook and My Space in the pursuit of your objectives Visionary nature of technology not intended for this market specifically Does it provide a competitive advantage? How do you quantify in an ROI? Have you used it in your business? Experiences? Can you see a use for Facebook in your business? What benefits do you see? 6

7 IP Phone Systems Telephone systems that use T1 or similar technology Automatic routing and soft phones that allow location independence Reduce cost through use of Internet and lines already in existence Integration with computer and operating system IP Phone Systems Definition: IP phone systems allow phone system to present geographical independence to callers, allowing specialization, centralization and best of breed resources (people) wherever they are. Are there new markets that can be penetrated with this? What are efficiencies gained? Are they objective or subjective? Can they be quantified? Have you implemented IP phone systems? Any affects; positive or negative? Any advice on evaluating such technology? Summation Consider technology projects in the context of the hierarchy of needs Best to conduct a formal ROI to justify the expenditure internally and externally Consider subjective costs and benefits Consider the experiences of our panel when deploying new technology Remember that gateway technologies don t produce positive ROI s but without them, you will be restrained 7