Nextech Systems | Vitreoretinal Institute Case Study

“We had to be up and running quickly, and Nextech got it done for us. They made it happen in an unbelievably short amount of time.”

– Lauren Duplechin, VRI Office Manager

Profile

Vitreoretinal Institute (VRI) is a retina-specific chain of ophthalmology practices with locations in Baton Rouge, Alexandria and Gonzales, LA. The physicians and staff at VRI provide a complete range of diagnostic services and highly specialized treatment for patients who have diseases and injuries to the retina or vitreous with modern, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

VRI offers a complete range of angiographic services necessary to properly diagnose and monitor the progression of retinal diseases. Fluorescein Angiography, ICG Angiography and Verteporfin Photo Dynamic Therapy is performed. A complete Ultrasonography, ocular coherence tomography and Electrophysiology Laboratory is also present. In addition, VRI offers a major resource for the diagnoses, monitoring and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in adults.

Searching for a Better EHR

Leading the search for a new EHR solution was VRI Office Manager Lauren Duplechin. After using the same EHR for 20 years, they found it had become outdated to the point that it was hindering their ability to efficiently attest QPP measures and maximize MIPS scores, among other things. Their previous solution had been acquired by a larger eye care EHR provider several years ago. “After that they did not keep pace with changes to MIPS or other governmental requirements,” explained Duplechin. “The solution had just fallen behind the times over the last five to seven years. That was the main push point for us to find a new solution.”

VRI’s search for a new solution began in 2018, and they took their time evaluating alternatives and seeking out a new platform that could better serve the needs of their practices. “I traveled to several states and looked at a lot of different solutions that were being used by other practices,” said Duplechin. “But nothing I saw was as specialty focused as IntelleChartPRO. We also really liked the design of the workup. It just had a very easy flow that our staff loved. And the fact that we could customize everything was a big benefit.” These, in addition to the regulatory capabilities of the solution, were the main reason VRI chose Nextech.

IntelleChartPRO

A Successful Remote Implementation

The timing of VRI’s implementation coincided with the beginning of COVID-19 lockdowns. Due to travel restrictions and concerns around safety, VRI had to make sure the process could be done both quickly and safely. To better serve these requirements, Nextech presented VRI with a remote implementation option. “We had initially planned to take our time with the rollout. But when COVID hit, we realized we needed to do it now,” explained Duplechin. “We had to be up and running quickly and Nextech got it done for us. They made it happen in an unbelievably short amount of time.”

“The idea of remote implementation was a little nerve wracking, at first, because we were worried if it would work without having someone in-house to do the training,” said Duplechin. “But I really think the only reason we were apprehensive was because that was the way things had always been done in the past.”

“We did four meetings a week for two weeks, to get through all the training in the time we had,” she continued. “Our Nextech trainers were amazing at helping us get through all the levels of product education while making sure we understood everything.”

Having undergone the process of remote implementation, VRI now feels it was the best possible option for them. “It definitely went smoothly for us. I think for any practice that has multiple offices, it’s honestly a better way to do it,” explained Duplechin. “When a trainer is on-site, a lot of time staff may lean too hard on the trainer for help instead of really doing the work to learn it for themselves. Without that crutch, the learning among our staff seemed to happen much faster and they retained a lot more information.

”To other practices who may be considering a remote implementation, I would say do it. I think it really pushed our team to learn the system on a far more comprehensive level than an in-person training would have. It is an easy process that may feel like a lot in the moment. But once it is done, the staff will really know their stuff. The end result is totally worth it,” said Duplechin.

Immediate Improvements

Since completing their remote implementation, the team at VRI has already begun to see and feel the benefits of having a specialty-specific EHR like IntelleChartPRO. “Our charting is so much better,” said Duplechin. “Our staff’s coding has improved and the way IntelleChartPRO is set up forces you to provide more detail when charting. We’ve seen improvements all around."

In addition to improved charting efficiency and accuracy, the team at VRI has seen a significant time savings per patient as a result of reduced workup times with IntelleChartPRO. “Our workups have become super-fast, we’ve been able to reduce workup times by 15-20%,” Duplechin explained. “Our team is averaging a 5-7 minute workup right now, with plans to have them down to a solid 5-6 minutes per patient.”

Moving Forward

Following a smooth remote implementation, IntelleChartPRO continues to offer the team at VRI multiple operational improvements, more accurate charting and faster workup times per visit. In addition to the skills acquired during their remote training, VRI also has the go-forward support of a dedicated client success manager, award-winning support team and professional service resources to ensure their practice continues down the path of success.