
14 Jan How Chu Eye Institute Automates Patient Care and Engagement with MaximEyes EHR
Reliable access to historical patient data is crucial for Chu Eye Institute, a Texas-based four-location, nine-doctor optometry, ophthalmology and surgical practice. “Since 2000, MaximEyes EHR and practice management software has reliably served as the operational backbone of our busy multi-location group,” says Robert Chu, OD.
Spend a few minutes with Dr. Chu as he shares why Chu Eye Institute transitioned to MaximEyes.com’s new cloud-based system. See how customizable workflows, two-way e-prescribing, image management, and built-in patient engagement tools improve efficiency and patient retention. These tools streamline processes from check-in to vision care examinations to post-exam follow-ups for several hundred patients each day.
Why has Chu Eye Institute used MaximEyes since 2000?
We’re a second-generation optometry and ophthalmology practice started by my mother in the mid-eighties. There were not a lot of options back then, but MaximEyes was by far the most innovative, better option, and the most user-friendly software.
MaximEyes was the first Windows-based optometry EHR system. That was a huge deal! And we’ve been with MaxmEyes all these years because there was no reason to switch.
First Insight has been a beacon of innovation in the eye care industry, proving that embracing technology can improve patient outcomes and operational efficiencies.
Why did you upgrade to MaximEyes.com?
Frankly, we were very hesitant about upgrading. It’s always challenging, but we set out on this change management path with our staff. We decided it was time for something new and fresh with more innovative ways to communicate with patients.
We needed a secure cloud solution to connect our four offices and nine doctors. Many of our patients travel between our clinics and see our specialists in different parts of town. For example, at our surgery center, our surgeons can look at historical records if something comes up and a more accurate journey of the patients to provide the best surgical outcome.
Watch video of Dr. Robert Chu at Vision Expo West
How was your data conversion, implementation, and training process when you moved to MaximEyes.com?
Since we have been in practice for a long time, data conversion has been one of our highest priorities during our software upgrade. The absolute beauty of staying with MaximEyes was that our data was converted relatively seamlessly. And we didn’t skip a beat.
Understanding the patient’s history and journey as an ophthalmology-based practice with medical patients and diagnoses is important. MaximEyes is one of the few software that can import patient data in a usable format. Specifically, any other EHR software we evaluated could only convert old records into static PDFs. Imagine searching through pages of historical PDFs to understand your patient’s history.
MaximEyes.com wasn’t hard to learn–it’s very intuitive. The training and onboarding process was very well thought out. The built-in learning center is like a gamified process. Staff work through scenarios to get badges that take them to the next level. MaximEyes.com makes learning fun, as fun as it can be.
In addition, MaximEyes trainers take care of you every step of the way—emphasizing a concierge-level service. This ease of use is crucial, especially for our 80+ staff working in different locations.
What features impress you most about MaximEyes.com?
- Connectivity: We love the online scheduler that writes back to MaximEyes.com. It saves tons of staff time and reduces transcription errors.
- Flexibility: Easy-to-customize workflow templates.
- Complete: One-stop shop with patient engagement and reputation management. It saves an office from having to pay and connect multiple add-on third-party platforms.
- Scalability: MaximEyes.com is no longer limited by workstation license limits; it’s infinitely easier to scale your practice as you grow.
- Test results and data: Data and images from most of our diagnostic testing equipment are accessible anywhere. It saves us from having to manage yet another third-party add-on.
- Reports: Analytics and reports are available in real-time. We can produce them in seconds, giving us great insight into other opportunities and challenges.
Why is it important to customize your EHR workflows?
One of the main reasons we stayed with MaximEyes is the flexibility to set the system up the way our doctors work. Our practice workflow is highly customized for optimum efficiency.
We created similar layouts when we upgraded to MaximEyes.com without losing patient data. This reduced the learning curve for the doctors and staff. Without customizations, it would be like learning a new language, and our productivity would be significantly reduced. We are now developing custom templates for various encounter types, further increasing efficiency.
Why are built-in patient engagement tools so important?
Online Patient Intake Forms: Huge time saver. Patient intake forms save at least 5–10 minutes per patient from redundant data entry and transcription errors. Before the patient arrives in our office, we send a secure text or email link to the patient to complete all forms online. Once submitted, the data is transferred seamlessly into their patient records.
Appointment Reminders: Before switching to MaximEyes.com, we were using a third-party plug-in program at a higher cost. MaximEyes.com patient engagement tools save us over $10,000 annually by automating appointment reminders without engaging a separate vendor.
Online Scheduling: Everyone absolutely loves this feature. It’s worth the price of admission. We finally have ‘OpenTable’ for eye doctors!
Two-way Texting: The shift to digital isn’t just a trend; it’s a necessity. Most people communicate by text these days. We need to communicate with patients how they want to be contacted, and that’s on their mobile devices. Our patients love the appointment reminders and confirmation texts. This has greatly reduced no-shows. The glasses or contact lens-ready reminders save staff time.
Reputation Management Tools (marketing, referrals, online reviews, online surveys): MaximEyes.com provides way more patient engagement than our previous third-party program (which was more expensive). We went from around 100 Google reviews to nearly 500 reviews in just a few months. For some reason, MaximEyes.com’s reputation management gets greater engagement than the many other platforms we have tried in the past. After the exam, we send a survey to the patient, which has led to more reviews and positive posts on social media. The increase is dramatic.
How critical is two-way e-prescribing for your practice?
We have a medical-focused practice and many geriatric patients. We’d be lost without two-way e-prescribing; it’s a huge time saver. The benefits of e-Rx are clear:
- Instant access to patient’s historical drug data as soon as they arrive.
- Reduce the need to manually input lengthy medication lists.
- Submit regulatory-compliant, digitally-signed prescriptions to pharmacies.
- Identify and guide patients at risk for medication non-adherence with medication adherence and behavioral support tools and resources.
- A surprise feature we did not expect until we went live with two-way e-Rx is that it will automatically import the patient’s drug and medication history into the EHR. We’ve all had patients on numerous medications. This saves the staff a lot of time in data entry.
Explain how EyeClinic Imaging helps you connect better with patients.
EyeClinic Imaging allows us to have all the results at our fingertips; it integrates with our diagnostic equipment. Instead of having five different programs running in the background, it’s all in one place. After medical testing, we always show the results to our patients and explain the findings in detail.
In addition, we can view data from all our offices since our patients are often seen between locations. It helps the billing department to have the testing data accessible to support insurance claims when they file for payments.
Integrated image management helps our multi-location practice function more cohesively. This feature functions seamlessly, rather than having to exit the EHR and open another different software to view images.
How would you rate MaximEyes customer support?
Customer support is very responsive. We’re ALWAYS able to talk to a live person. If support can’t provide a resolution immediately, they will follow up with us until the issue is resolved.
With any EHR, there will always be situations where support is required. Sometimes, it can be stressful. But it’s all about how these types of situations are handled.
MaximEyes customer support has been a shining star for us. Our staff communicates with them regularly, and we know them by name. They really do care about getting our questions answered and finding a resolution to whatever issues that may come up.
Do you have advice for other eye care practices considering an EHR and practice management system?
Changing EHRs is not something a practice ever wants to do. This is not something to be taken lightly.
Before switching from the MaximEyes server option to cloud-based MaximEyes.com, we performed our due diligence and did deep dives into other EHRs in the eyecare space. We evaluated and demoed virtually all of the platforms. We found some platforms that cost less, but we also found they also deliver less. I feel you always get what you pay for.
We decided to stay with MaximEyes because it contains all the best solutions in one complete turn-key system. The system and features just work, making our lives and those of our staff’s lives easier daily. We want our EHR to work seamlessly in the background. We never want to think about it. You can’t put a price on this.
From my interactions with MaximEyes team members for 24+ years, I see they are committed and singularly focused on creating technologies that help ease the pain points of operating our eyecare practices.
I am also the co-founder of The Eye Consortium (TEC), an alliance group dedicated to independent eye care practitioners. TEC has more than 3,000 participating locations and eye care offices across the country. TEC is honored to partner with MaximEyes as our exclusive EHR and practice management partner and MaximEyes RCM as our revenue cycle management partner. To learn more about The Eye Consortium (TEC), visit www.eyeconsortium.com.
If you’re hesitant about moving to the cloud, just do it. Take the plunge. MaximEyes is worth it. After you do it, you will wonder why you didn’t do it earlier.