HOW ‘KANBAN’ WILL ASTOUND YOU
VADIM KOYSTINEN | Symplast Lead Mobile Architect
WHAT IS ‘KANBAN’?
Kanban is Japanese for “visual signal” or “card.” In the 1940s, Toyota line-workers used a kanban (i.e., an actual card) to signal steps in their manufacturing process in order to eliminate waste. The system’s highly visual nature allowed teams to communicate more easily on what work needed to be done and when. Today, Kanban has been gaining momentum as a modern methodology for tech and non-tech companies.
HOW DOES IT APPLY TO PLASTIC SURGERY?
Our team looked at how practices currently manage a patient’s journey from check-in to check-out, and we quickly recognized the unnecessarily large amount of wasted time and resources at every stage. Our core team agreed that pioneering and introducing a kanban style of patient flow management into aesthetics was a game-changer.
WHY IS THE PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS ROOM MANAGER SO GROUNDBREAKING?
Our new Room Manager accomplishes two simultaneous objectives:
- It significantly improves the communication and efficiency of a patient’s flow, eliminating real-time ‘waste’ for both the practice and the patient.
- It captures critical data points regarding the wait times, durations, etc. to provide predictive analysis on an on-going basis to the staff.
In other words, we have designed a visual model that enables any staff or provider to easily identify blockers, bottlenecks and queues in real-time. This is an on-going evolutionary process that will continually hone and fine-tune the entire scheduling and patient flow indefinitely.
This is just one of the many examples of how our culture here at Symplast is so unique in healthcare, and aesthetics specifically. You can’t introduce A.I. Voice Assistants and Smart TV Targeted Content Generators if you are looking through the same lens as every other software vendor. Our corporate philosophy and culture will never allow us to do that. We clearly define the pain points of our users and the market, and then challenge ourselves to disrupt the ‘way it’s always been done.’
Shashi Kusuma, M.D. Discusses Cyber Security in ASAPS Webinar
Shashi Kusuma, M.D., Founder and Chairman of Symplast, will be included in the ASAPS educational webinar Cyber Security – Are You and Your Patients Protected?.
Tuesday April 18th, 8:30pm EST / 5:30pm PST
WEBINAR OVERVIEW
You’ve heard the horror stories and done what you think will protect your practice and patients from cyber threats… But is it enough? Healthcare IT News reported that 88% of all U.S. cyber attacks focus on healthcare entities, due to the sensitivity of information disclosed by patients. Experience this FREE webinar* as members of the plastic surgery community and key industry players discuss patient privacy in the digital age, with ample time for your questions and concerns. You’ll walk away with insight, understanding, and solutions to keep you and your patients protected.
WEBINAR FACULTY
Shashi Kusuma, MD, is a business school graduate from Emory University, and a double board certified surgeon in ENT and Plastic Surgery. He is also the founder, CEO and Chairman of Symplast LLC, a mobile-centric healthcare IT company.
Bob Aicher, Esq., has been ASAPS’ General Counsel since 1998 and previously represented the California Society of Plastic Surgeons (CSPS), the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) and The Doctors Company (TDC) as well.
R. Brannon Claytor, MD (moderator) is an aesthetic plastic surgeon and serves as Chair of ASAPS Product Development Market Research Committee.
Jack Danahy is a 25 year veteran in the security industry, and has been the founder and CEO of two successful security companies, and now heads Barkly, a malware defense company.
Susan Doucette has 25 years of Commercial insurance experience which includes underwriting, training and marketing
Barry Fernando, MD, is an aesthetic plastic surgeon and the Founder of AnzuMedical, which created ASAPS’ popular medical resource library, RADAR Resource.
Ed Purkiss is the president and CEO of Iron Medical Systems, which has developed the ASAPS Cloud*, which you’ll hear more about during the webinar.
Top 3 Features a Cosmetic Provider Needs in Their New EHR
Searching for a new EHR can be a daunting task. There is a lot of mistrust and misinformation in the industry. For plastic surgeons and cosmetic providers, the task is even more challenging. The last thing you need is a one-size-fits-all software that will frustrate you and your staff because of its unnecessary features and menus.
There are 3 key features your new EHR needs to have in order to thrive in the aesthetic industry:
MULTIMEDIA
In an industry where looks are everything, having compelling before-and-after images to showcase during new consults is crucial to new revenue. Your new EHR should allow you to easily capture high res images and integrate them directly into the patient’s chart with one click. It should also allow you to easily showcase them later on during new consultations. And don’t forget video. In today’s industry, utilizing video is a competitive advantage for your practice to increase patient engagement and decrease liability.
REPORTING
Analytical and financial reports are a must-have for any new EHR. Patients have more and more options for aesthetic procedures, which means you have more and more competition. A solid reporting module provides you the detailed insight you need to identify trends and opportunities with the procedures you offer. It also allows you to track advertising ROI. But most importantly, analytics provide you the data you need to grow the revenue of your existing patients through segmentation and forecasting.
MOBILITY
Providers using a mobile EHR expressed twice the satisfaction level as those using non-mobile EHRs1. Even the Wall Street Journal2 has declared that the future of medicine is in your smartphone. Having a fully functional EHR on your mobile device, particularly your phone, allows you to manage your practice when you are off-site. For those surgeons who work at an ASC or hospital on a regular basis, this remote access is a must have. A truly mobile EHR can also improve your patient engagement by allowing you to input the exam room information you need without staring at a computer screen.
CONCLUSION
Selecting a new EHR is a big decision. Make sure you have thought through exactly what you, as a cosmetic provider, need out of your new software. Or else you risk going through another EHR search in the near future.
To learn more about Symplast, a complete ecosystem designed by plastic surgeons, contact us at sales@symplast.com or visit www.symplast.com/madeforplastics.
Founded by plastic surgeons in 2013, Symplast is what medical software should be: a simple, easy-to-use ecosystem that allows you to run your entire practice from any smartphone, tablet or PC. Symplast boasts intuitive modules for EHR, Practice Management, Marketing/CRM, Patient Engagement, eBilling, Inventory, Multimedia and more.
1Software Advice, 2014 2Wall Street Journal Online, 2015,
Top 3 Signs Your EHR is Hurting Your Patient Engagement
It’s no secret that most doctors are fed up with their current EHR. A recent survey1 by AmericanEHR found that physicians are more dissatisfied with their EHR than they were five years ago. Inefficient workflows, expensive hardware, poor customer support, and a hindrance to patient interaction are common reasons for doctors and staff to be fed up with their software.
But what about your patients? Are they as unhappy with your practice’s software as you and your staff are? Here are 3 ways your EHR could be leaving a bad impression on your patients:
EYE CONTACT
A common complaint of EHRs today is that doctors feel chained to their computer screen. A study2 found that a patient’s satisfaction level with a doctor was related to the amount of time the doctor ‘gazed’ at them, making eye contact and making them feel like they were listening to the patient. If your EHR requires you to stare and type a lot, your patients will notice.
EASY ACCESS
With each passing year, more and more patients are demanding access to their health records3. Allowing your patients to access their data improves engagement and satisfaction, which can result in increased revenue via patient referrals and additional procedures for that patient. If your software does not allow you to quickly share images, videos and files with the patients you choose, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity.
DELAYS
A survey4 by Profitable Practice found that the #1 cause of a negative patient satisfaction levels was a long wait time (35%). A complicated, difficult to use EHR slows you down significantly, which in turn causes you to run behind schedule, resulting in very unhappy patients. If your software has unnecessary fields and dropdown menus, you’re not the only one who is feeling the frustration; it’s impacting your patients too!
CONCLUSION
If you and your staff are unhappy with your current EHR, chances are your patients feel the same way. The key to great patient satisfaction is finding a software that works for you, not against you.
To learn how Symplast can improve your patient engagement through smart mobile technology, contact us at sales@symplast.com or visit www.symplast.com/madeforplastics.
Founded by plastic surgeons in 2013, Symplast is what medical software should be: a simple, easy-to-use ecosystem that allows you to run your entire practice from any smartphone, tablet or PC. Symplast boasts intuitive modules for EHR, Practice Management, Marketing/CRM, Patient Engagement, eBilling, Inventory, Multimedia and more.
1American EHR/American Medical Association, Physicians Use of EHR Systems, 2014 2Journal of Family Practice, The Use of Electronic Health Records in the Exam Room and Patient Satisfaction: A Systematic Review, 2009 3Accenture Consulting, Patients Want a Heavy Dose of Digital, 2016 4Profitable Practice survey, Do Patients Really Care if You Use Your EHR in the Exam Room?, 2014
‘2 Boys from Brooklyn’ Interviews Dr. Kusuma
Symplast Founder and Chairman Dr. Shashi Kusuma sat down with the always-entertaining ‘2 Boys from Brooklyn’ multimedia program hosts to discuss the plastic surgery industry as well as what drove him to found Symplast.
What Will 2016 Bring for the Healthcare Industry?
EXPERT ROUNDTABLE
We asked 4 healthcare industry experts to weigh in on their reflections of 2015 as well as their predictions of what’s to come in 2016.
1. What was the biggest surprise in your industry during 2015?
CHERYL WHITMAN: In cosmetic, aesthetic and dermatology the number of non-invasive body sculpting devices in the market was a bit of a surprise. Cosmetic dermatologists crossed into this arena by the droves as consumers became more and more interested in non-surgical procedures for all of their cosmetic needs. Practices have expanded their portfolios to meet this demand and there appears to be amazing growth potential in this niche.
Two other surprises were Radio Frequency devices taking over the non surgical arena, as well as growth in male and ethnic niche markets.
CHANDRESH SHAH: The biggest surprise was a ‘no surprise’. CMS listened to the industry that Meaningful Use was getting increasingly difficult for providers to comply with without getting bogged down in myriad documentation. They relaxed rules and measures for compliance. This was a sigh of relief for many providers and practices as well as groups.
From a technology perspective, I was surprised at the lack of innovation at point of care. The industry continues to chug along with old technology. There does not seem to be any effort in putting emphasis on end-user usability, when we see everyone else moving miles ahead. Google Now and Microsoft Cortana are making use of your own data to make your life easier. Why isn’t Healthcare technology attempting it?
NIRMAL NATHAN, M.D.: From a clinical perspective, I was surprised to see how many non-surgical and minimally invasive products are coming onto the market. These products are addressing issues such as fat reduction, skin tightening, and facial rejuvenation…areas that have long been the domain of surgery.
Surgery remains the gold standard, but now there are so many options to offer patients. This allows us be to truly customize and tailor treatments for each patient.
From a broader practice perspective, social media has really come to the forefront as the biggest way to engage patients. More than SEO or reviews, responsive social media is becoming the dominant and most cost effective way to reach and retain patients.
SHARAT KUSUMA, M.D.: The rapid growth of bundled payment initiatives and implementation of Comprehensive Care in Joint Replacement model by April 1, 2016.
I am also surprised at how many different hospital penalty programs have been instituted in the past four years. HAC, SSI penalties, readmission penalties, non-reimbursed conditions, etc.; and how rapidly they have been implemented and enforced.
2. What is the biggest change you expect to see in 2016?
CHERYL WHITMAN: Since more people have become aware of cosmetic and aesthetic dermatology as an industry, I believe that the largest cosmetic growth will be in the dermatology specialty. People trust their dermatologist to handle the health of their skin – this will increasingly include the aging of the skin. Also, cosmetic dermatologists tend to take the non-invasive route to rejuvenation of the face and body. In our fast-paced society, this caters to the way consumers live. The value of having little to no down time pushes the market to deliver more and more options at a premium price.
I also expect to see changes in state laws dealing with provider rules and regulations, medical director state laws and who can provide what medical service. Aesthicians are also affected by newer state laws.
CHANDRESH SHAH: Innovation seems to be driven by regulations. Which means people don’t seem to matter as much when it comes to technology usability. More than ‘expect’, I ‘hope’ someone will take a leadership role in changing that.
NIRMAL NATHAN, M.D.: We are already seeing multimedia play a role in healthcare documentation and delivery. The ways that this data is delivered in a clinical context has been bulky and non-intuitive. I think we will see a broader push in the healthcare space, especially in cosmetic surgery, to use multimedia to deliver more efficient and effective health care. This includes clinical documentation, educational videos, and telemedicine.
SHARAT KUSUMA, M.D.: Continued movement of procedures to outpatient setting and continued moves toward bundled payments for episodes of care. Essentially continued movements to try and reduce the costs for any given episode of care (e.g. total knee replacement, CABG, prostatectomy), while also maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction.
3. What role do you envision mobility playing in the healthcare sphere in 2016?
CHERYL WHITMAN: This year we will really see mobility become a staple in healthcare in two areas: diagnostics & management of chronic illness; and management of their healthcare costs. Telemedicine will continue to see a growing demand.
Other areas where mobility will expand include:
- EMR implementation in many aesthetic practices and medical spas.
- Patients will have their first video consults using their smartphones as diagnostic tools.
- Aesthetic physicians now offering video consults for cosmetic procedures.
With the changes in most insurances, Americans will be faced with higher deductibles and more responsibility in managing medical expenses. Mobile applications are popping up everywhere to assist consumers in taking on this task.
CHANDRESH SHAH: Mobility by itself may help incrementally, breaking the shackles of computers. Mobility driven by hardware and software. The trend towards mobile hardware platforms (Microsoft Surface to Apple Watch) is inevitable, but the big question is software working on these platforms in an integrated and ubiquitous manner.
Behind the ‘any everything’ approach, input and output must also be driven by intelligent decision making, which means personal data-mining will be huge.
NIRMAL NATHAN, M.D.: Mobility has been the missing cog which has limited the use of social media and multimedia in the healthcare space. I envision a healthcare delivery system that allows communication and engagement anytime, at any place. The underlying software driving this change needs to be intuitive and natively mobile. The days of clunky COWs and iPads are over. For a segment of healthcare providers, mobility will allow them to achieve a level of efficiency and communication that will truly be transformative.
SHARAT KUSUMA, M.D.: The most important role for mobility in 2016, given the trends described above, is to allow what I will call Just-In-Time (JIT) health information. The ability for docs, patients, ancillary providers, implant vendors, pharamcists to enter, receive, share information in real time, at the exact moment they need to perform these activities. This can and should be done in a secure manner that is intuitive, clear and easy. The ONLY way this can happen is in a mobile, smartphone-based platform that all the above mentioned stakeholders carry with them at all time.
How will mobility impact your practice in 2016?
Contact us at sales@symplast.com to view a free demo of Symplast, the first complete, 100% mobile medical software created by plastic surgeons for the aesthetic industry.
My WiFi Is Down…Now What?!?
Other cloud-based medical software solutions don’t work when the wifi goes down at your practice. Symplast does.
There are three things in this world that are certain: death, taxes, and the internet in your practice going down at the worst possible time. While web-based medical software has clearly overtaken the older server-based model as the preferred choice for healthcare practices, the threat that an entire office will have to shut down whenever the internet goes out is a big concern for prospective clients of cloud-based software.
Internet down time is a lose/lose for everyone involved. The practice loses money. The staff may get sent home and may not get paid for that time period. The patients (who arranged their schedules around the doctor visit) get frustrated, and may not understand that you are not to blame. Internet outages cost time and money.
This is the risk you run when you use a web-based software. There’s no getting around it.
Or is there?
Enter Symplast, the first truly mobile, comprehensive medical software that allows you to run your entire practice from any device. Phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer…Symplast is truly device agnostic.
As a result, Symplast has a unique solution for any internet outages. Unlike other web-based solutions, Symplast keeps your practice running and your patients happy even if the wifi in your office has abandoned you. Which means you don’t lose time or money, and more importantly, you don’t have any downtime.
No internet? Simply turn off the wifi and use the data on your smartphone or 3G-enabled tablet. You can do virtually everything on your mobile device that you can do on your desktop to keep your practice running.
Need to schedule an appointment? Done!
Create a patient chart? No problem!
Sell products from your spa to a customer? Easy!
From physicians to staff, you can keep your practice up and running with this 100% secure software. All the data syncs in the cloud securely and in real time, and when the internet comes back up, you can pick right up where you left off without losing any of the data you entered during the downtime.
Ready to learn more information about how Symplast can save your practice time and money?
Contact us today!