Wednesday, March 28, 2007
CBS Newsletter - Issue 3, Volume 1
Creative will be visiting...
In an effort to improve our customer service, a member of the CBS support staff will be stopping by your office in the near future. While we are at your office, we would like to offer your staff a complimentary courtesy call and review all your current systems as well as any Creative products that your office is currently implementing. In addition we would like to be of assistance with anything you might need or want, whether its some basic software instruction or ordering additional year labels. We want your office to use this "free time" as a way to improve your office's efficiency by providing you with the most up to date product knowledge.
If there is any time(s) that may be better or worse for your office, please let us know by emailing newsletter@creative-tn.com. We will make an effort to call your office prior to stopping by. This advance notice will allow you to round up some good questions before we stop by your office.
CBS Phone Support
To help us expedite your support case faster, please be prepared to provide as much of the following information as possible to our Support Staff when you call in.
Please also keep in mind that you can save additional time by entering this info on our support website at www.creative-tn.com/oneorzero
Cases opened via the web are usually handled faster than a phoned in case;
Name of the software(s) affected (MicroMD, TouchChart, etc.)
Version of software currently installed at your office
Exact error message
Steps required to duplicate the problem, including patient data
Your contact details (name, phone number, extension, e-mail)
Is the problem on 1 machine or many?
What has changed since the problem started?
Having these items prepared before calling can help us diagnose the problem much more quickly, and often times the person answering the phone will be able to help you immediately rather than having to research the above information. This time savings can be extremely beneficial when your office can't fully utilize the very solutions that make your office run.
How To's
MicroMD
Electronic Secondary Claims
MicroMD is equipped to send electronic secondaries to carriers that will accept them. Medicare requires that their secondary claims be sent electronically and a growing number of commercial carriers are now accepting them. – BCBS is testing but not yet accepting electronic secondaries.
Many wonder about the EOB from the primary. This is no longer required! MicroMD sends that information electronically. It is very important that you always use the Green Primary Insurance payment entry box when entering the payment from the Primary Payer. This is what triggers the information to be sent to the Secondary Payer showing the amount of the payment, the adjustment, co-insurance, etc.
There are some setting changes in MicroMD that we will need to make for you and a few situations that require a little extra attention that we will be happy to train you on when you are ready to send electronic secondary claims. If you are not already sending electronic secondaries and would like to, please let us know and we will get the ball rolling.
We will be posting the latest payer list on our web site for your review of carriers that are ready to accept electronic secondaries.
TouchChart
How can I import documents into TouchChart?
To import documents to the Batch Basket, follow these steps:
Click File on the menu bar. Select Import, and then select Import Documents. The Import Documents window opens.
Make these entries and selections:
Source Path - The Source Path is the location of the document you want to import. It defaults to the TouchChart Base program file. To select a different location, click the continuation button to the right of the Source Path field. The Browse For Folder window opens. The window has folders and subfolders, just like Microsoft® Windows Explorer. Double-click a folder name to see subfolders. Highlight the folder where documents you want to import are located and then click OK.
Source File - Click the button to the right of the Source File field to select the document you want to import. The Select File window opens. Click the name of the file you want to import and then click Open.
Template - From the dropdown list select the template named BATCH BASKET.
On the bottom right side of the window, make these entries and selections:
Log Detail - Check this box if you want information about files imported recorded in a log file.
Delete Imported Files - Check this box if you want the files you import deleted from their original location once they are successfully imported.
Send documents that do not match template to the BatchBasket - Check this box if you want documents that do not match the file name format of the template you selected to be stored in the BatchBasket. From there you can file them to patient charts and file cabinets.
When your entries and selections are complete and correct, click Import. Or, to close the window without importing, click Cancel.
After the file has been imported, a message window opens indicating that the import is complete. Click OK to close the message window. You return to the Import Documents window. Click Close.
To see the imported document go to the Batch Basket. The document can be filed to a chart from the Batch Basket.
New TouchChart Feature
We now have bar coding capabilities in ImpactMD/TouchChart Document Management. The time and effort of filing documents can be greatly reduced by using these functionalities. Barcodes can be still be generated by an outside program or by TouchChart.
Barcodes generated by a Third Party Program can be:
1) A cover sheet that has a
Workflow:
a. User generates cover sheets for daily schedule with Word.
b. Patient comes in to see physician.
c. After the visit, all the documents generated during the visit are placed with the previously generated cover sheet.
d. End of Day, Scanners scan in documents to BatchBasket and process the barcodes.
e. Documents appear in the Archives/To Be Filed Folder (if selected in User Preferences) in the appropriate patient’s chart.
f. VARIATION: Users can do like documents – All Labs for that patient can be scanned in at once into the Lab folder.
2) Barcodes generated by third party software and placed on all incoming documents with a particular Import Template. Documents are filed in appropriate folder with appropriate name/date.
Workflow:
a. User generates barcodes onto stickers with the following information: charted_folderid_documentdate_documentname.ext
b. Scan into BatchBasket, process barcodes
c. Documents are filed into patient charts.
These are just two examples of barcodes being generated outside of ImpactMD /TC Doc Mgmt and the processing of them.
Barcodes generated from within ImpactMD /TC Doc Mgmt can be:
Users can print FormsMD Forms using the MultiChart with barcodes. The barcode will be a document ID and associated with the appropriate patient’s chart. They must place the barcode database field on the form in the Forms Designer for this work.
Workflow:
User loads schedule into the MultiChart.
Selects Print Blank Forms.
Forms with barcodes are generated for each patient listed.
End of Day, documents can be scanned into the BatchBasket and processed using the Form Barcode template (system generated). The form will file in the appropriate patient’s chart.
Users can create a Word Form Letter Template with the
Word 2003 is required.
User creates a Minichart with just that form letter.
User goes to MultiChart and loads schedule.
Prints MiniChart with FormLetter barcoded sheet.
End of Day, Scanners scan in documents to BatchBasket and process the barcodes.
Documents appear in the Archives/To Be Filed Folder (if selected in User Preferences) in the appropriate patient’s chart.
VARIATION: Users can do ”like” documents – All Labs for that patient can be scanned in at once into the Lab folder.
If you office is interested in learning more about this feature please contact our offices and we will be happy to set up an appointment for some additional training on this great new feature.
Did You Know?
Did you know that Creative Business Systems is a full-service print shop? From exam forms to full-color brochures we are ready to take care of your needs!
Ask for samples of your exam forms that could make your documentation and coding much easier. We worked with two well-known coding and compliance consultants in developing a simple-to-use format for common exams. We’ll be happy to send you samples!
Scanner Service Scheduling
We are now scheduling appointments for annual maintenance on your PANASONIC SCANNERS. Routine cleaning and maintenance are essential for optimal performance. Many problems you may be experiencing can often be resolved by a simple service call. The most common errors include double feeding, inferior scanned image quality and noise. These problems as well as others are easily fixed with service and recalibration.
Creative Business Systems has a factory trained Panasonic service technician on staff. The service call is a flat fee of $89, and includes a cleaning of the scanner. Any necessary parts or replacement rollers is at an additional charge.
Please call or email to schedule an appointment and keep your expensive scanners in top running order.
Teresa Collins
Creative Business Systems
865-688-8187 ext 29
teresa@creative-tn.com
Monday, March 05, 2007
CBS Newsletter - Issue 2, Volume 1
Dragon Naturally Speaking in the News!
Recently DNS was featured in the Knoxville News Sentinel by a local attorney who implements the software in his law firm, instead of traditional dictation. Check out the Article by clicking the link below to the papers website.
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/business/article/0,1406,KNS_376_5374564,00.html
(half way down under "Brief briefs")
Daylight Savings Time and your computer
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changes the start and end dates of Daylight Saving Time (DST ). Due to this, DST will start three weeks earlier (2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday in March) and will end one week later (2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in November) starting in 2007.
The time within most software applications is controlled by the Microsoft operating system it runs on. Microsoft provides a patch for operating systems that are still supported to correct this issue. This patch appears to resolve the issue. For more information, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/timezone/dst2007.mspx
For customers who are still using operating systems which Microsoft no longer supports, Microsoft states on their web site "All versions of Windows can be manually updated using the tzedit.exe utility or other techniques documented in Knowledge Base article 914387 and similar articles for other countries, which is the preferred method of remediation for any product outside of Mainstream Support. (The tzedit.exe tool allows you to create and edit time zone entries for the Date/Time settings in the Control Panel, especially for daylight-saving time)."
We suggest that you take appropriate action at your site to prevent disruption to your Practice Management schedules. If you are uncertain if this impacts your particular workstation, please contact your Systems Administrator or IT professional.
New Microsoft Windows VISTA operating system
At the present time the software solutions we support for you is not Vista compatible. However, the developers are currently testing with the Small Business and the Enterprise Editions (these are the only versions that will be compatible). We are coming up with suggested guidelines to setup Vista to make sure that the installation and the day to day functionality runs smoothly. If you must purchase new hardware prior to testing and approval, you should either specify the legacy operating system (which is still supported by Microsoft) or load the legacy operating system in addition to Vista. We should have further information and guidelines very soon.
Things Every PC User Should Know
Want to speed up your broadband connection? Diagnose mysterious crashes? Move massive files across the Internet? Sooner or later, you will -- and you'll find step-by-step instructions for these and other common PC tasks right here.
Find Out What Your PC Is Really Up ToThe Windows Task Manager provides a good start when you try to discover what programs are running on your system, but it's only a first step. For more-detailed data, you need another tool. Your best bet: Sysinternals Process Explorer..
Get Process Explorer for Windows v10.21 at Microsoft TechNet. It needs no formal installation; just unzip it and run the .exe file. It will then list your PC's active processes, much as Task Manager does, but with better descriptions and organization.Interpreting Process Explorer's information is fairly straightforward, but here are some tips to help you make the most of the utility.
Consider adding the useful 'Handles' column to the view. Handles (a term that refers to programming methodology) are a convenient way to measure a process's resource utilization. Processes with high handle usage should be the first ones you kill when resources run low. Add the column by right-clicking in the header area and clicking the Select Columns option. Click the Process Performance tab and check the box next to Handle Count.
Note that Handles can also be created for media-based devices like CD-R drives, which may cause errors on eject. If you can't safely eject a disk or memory card, use the Find menu to search for the drive letter followed by a colon (for example, E:), and kill that process directly.
Instead of outright killing a process, you can suspend it (right-click on a process to see this option). This can be useful in the case of a runaway program stuck in an endless loop.
Want to know what a program's process identification is to better tell whether it's friend or foe? Open the program, then switch to Process Explorer. In the top-right corner is a target icon (concentric circles). Click this icon and drag it onto the program you want to ID; Process Explorer will highlight the process.
Expand Your Collection of Windows-Tweaking ToolsMicrosoft offers a sizable collection of useful yet unofficial and unsupported utilities called PowerToys. Following are the essential PowerToys for any serious computer user; all are downloadable from Microsoft's PowerToys for Windows XP page.
ClearType Tuner: Dramatically improves font legibility on some LCD screens.
Image Resizer: Adds a new menu when you right-click a photo on your PC. Just click Resize
Pictures to change an image's dimensions without opening an editor.
Tweak UI: If you don't already have Tweak UI, get it. This essential OS tweaking tool offers more granular control over your privacy settings and operations, and even over the way you log in to your PC and much more. It should be one of the first things you install on any new computer.
Alt-Tab Replacement: Adds previews of each page when you switch between open applications using
SyncToy: Improves the task of synchronizing files among multiple machines, especially compared with Windows Briefcase.
Safeguard Your Wi-Fi Network
Out of the box, most Wi-Fi routers are totally insecure. Fixing that takes only a few minutes, but you can easily get lost in the confusing menus of your router's management tool. Here's what to do.
If possible, plug in via Ethernet to set up your router at the start--it'll save considerable time down the line. Don't bother installing the special software that comes with your router. Most routers can be controlled via a Web browser, which lets you manage your router from any networked PC.
To manage the router, type its IP address into your Web browser's address bar. If you don't know the IP address, go to Start, Run and type ipconfig /all in the field. The address will be shown as 'Default Gateway'. You'll also need the user name and password available in the manual or via an online search of the model number. (Try looking at this Default Password List.)
Once you can manage your router, change the administrator password you just looked up. This is typically under System Settings or a similar option.
Next, turn on encryption. WPA (or WPA-PSK) is about as secure as Wi-Fi gets today. Set a WPA key, and configure your clients to use the new key. Look for 'Encryption' or 'Security' in the wireless management portion of the page where you'll also find the following steps' settings.
It's a good idea to change the SSID from the default, which is usually 'linksys', 'belkin', or the like. Choose an SSID that doesn't invite inquiry from passersby. For extreme security, turn off SSID broadcasting.
Optional: Enable MAC address control, which limits access to computers you specify by their unique MAC address. This can enhance security, but MAC addresses are easily spoofed, and using this feature means you'll have to access your router's admin page to add new PCs to your network. To find a PC's MAC address, use the ipconfig command in step 2; look for the 'Physical Address'. Add that address to the allowed list in the appropriate router settings page.
Diagnose PC Problems Using Event IDs
Anytime your system crashes or an application freezes up, Event Viewer dutifully logs the error--but sorting through Event Viewer logs can be just as frustrating as dealing with the Blue Screen of Death. Here's a cheat sheet.
Start by familiarizing yourself with Event Viewer before you have a problem. It's under Start, Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer. The utility's System node logs Windows issues - particularly networking ones - while the Application node logs issues with other software. You should not see much activity in the Security node since it is disabled by default and is used only if you have auditing turned on which requires extra Microsoft software and ultimately doesn't help most folks anyway. Third-party apps might create more nodes, as well.
Events are fairly self-explanatory: The date and time of each event are logged along with its source, plus miscellaneous data about the issue. Most events will be noted as 'Information' and are generally safe to ignore. The 'Error' and 'Warning' entries are what you should concern yourself with. You can access the guts of the information by double-clicking the event to open its
Event Properties page.
In the Event Properties window, you'll find detailed information about the error in question and a link to the Microsoft support Web site. Clicking the link will open a detail page within the Windows Help application for the error you're investigating. But often the information you get will tell you little about the problem, either saying no more data is available or declaring there's nothing you can do.
For more detail on the error types and what they mean, turn to the Web. Plug the event ID into EventID.net, or search for key phrases in the error message, and try looking for clues to your problem by using the 'Source' field in the Event Viewer log as a search term.
Test and Tweak Your Internet Connection for Top Speed
Don't settle for out-of-the-box performance when faster downloads and hidden features are just a few steps away.
First, measure your current connection speed. Make sure nothing else on your network is using the connection and stop any Internet processes on your PC (finish downloads, close your e-mail client, and the like). Next, visit Speakeasy's speed tester. Click a server to run the test for download and upload speeds. Note that you will get atypically high results for servers very near you, but that will give you a gauge of your connection's top raw speed. Try running the test once more against the farthest-away city on the list to see your full range. Try the same test at BroadbandReports.com, too, for a good idea of what your current throughput is.
If you like to keep an eye on performance over time, the venerable DU Meter keeps logs of network performance no matter what kind of connection you have.
You can improve network performance modestly through Registry tweaks, but mucking around in the Registry is never a pleasurable experience, and with these difficult tweaks, it's easy to mess something up. Tweak Tester makes the task simple. Visit Broadband Reports' tweak page, and run Tweak Tester II. Results will appear on a new page. Pay attention to the 'Notes and recommendations' section of the page, where you will see any settings that merit alteration for improved performance. Changing the TCP Receive Window setting is likely to be the only tweak that will have any real effect.
Next, download and run Dr. TCP. You can run the program directly without installing it, but backing up the Registry before you use it is a good idea. (Go to Start, Run, and type regedit at the prompt; then, click File, Export, name the file, and click Save.) Enter the changes noted in the Tweak Tester results in the Dr. TCP window, and the program will then make all of the appropriate Registry fixes for you. Restart the PC, and then retest your connection to see if the tweaks helped.
Solve Wireless Connection Problems
Wi-Fi is awfully convenient, but it's also awfully buggy for many users, particularly those in areas crowded by competing wireless signals. If you're dealing with a loss of signal, try the following to troubleshoot your wireless setup.
Your PC might just need a little massaging. The best way to quickly disconnect and reconnect to your router is to right-click the wireless icon in the system tray and click Repair. If this doesn't solve the problem and you suspect it's still a PC issue, open a command prompt and type ipconfig /renew. This performs nearly the same operation as Repair but bypasses Windows, which could be causing the problem. If all else fails, reboot your PC.
If you're still having trouble, power-cycle your router by unplugging it, waiting 10 seconds, and plugging it back in. Your PC will need to reconnect after the router has booted up. Most routers lock up occasionally, and power cycling is the most reliable way to fix them. (Unless you can't physically reach your router, don't restart it through its management utility; that approach takes just as long, and the utility may not respond anyway.)
If you're still encountering frequent problems, you may be experiencing channel conflict, where multiple Wi-Fi routers are operating in the same narrow band of frequency. Download and run the evaluation version of WirelessMon; you can do all you need to with the demo. Look at the 'Channel Use' chart: Red and orange bars indicate channels under heavy use, while blue or no bars indicate relatively free channels. If your router is on a crowded channel, switch to a less busy one. You may see better performance and fewer dropouts.
Create Keyboard Shortcuts
You can automate just about any point-and-click operation you perform with the mouse. Here's a variety of ways to make keyboard shortcuts.
Windows lets you assign a keyboard command to any shortcut icon. (Note, though, that it has to be a shortcut; you can't assign a keyboard shortcut to any file you want.) Just right-click the icon in question, click Properties, and click in the 'Shortcut key' field. Press the keyboard combo you want to assign to launch the shortcut; it must include one standard character plus two or three of
To make more robust shortcuts, try the appropriately named freeware app Keyboard Shortcuts. With such shortcuts you can launch any file, perform system commands (such as logging off and shutting down), or open any URL in a browser. One shortcut can even perform several of these actions, simultaneously or in sequence.
For even more complex shortcuts, get a macro recorder that can capture detailed steps and repeat them on command. The Workspace Macro program can capture anything you type, as well as mouse movements and clicks. Just click New to record a macro, and click Stop after you've done all your typing and mousing. If you want to assign keyboard shortcuts to your macros, you'll need a separate program, Launch-N-Go.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcuts
Rename selected file (in Windows) or edit selected cell (in Excel).
For any highlighted text, cycle among all-caps, lowercase, and title case. Click Format, Change Case for more options.
Refresh your page in Explorer and Web browser windows.
Open the Start menu (useful if your mouse won't respond).
Reset the highlighted text to the default font (in Word).
Zoom in and out.
Password-lock the computer.
Open the Run dialog box.
Minimize all windows.
Resize a column to fit its comments (in Excel).
Launch Windows Explorer.
Create a Disaster Recovery Disc
It's great to have your PC's system-restore disks and a fresh copy of Windows at hand, but if your computer does go south, don't be in such a rush to wipe out the hard drive. In advance, create a DVD full of essential utilities that you can use to try to repair your PC before reinstalling Windows from scratch.
Your disaster disc should also contain up-to-date hardware drivers, especially for networking devices. Organize everything by folders, and keep names short: You may be browsing the folder from a command prompt if Windows won't boot.
Here's a good selection of utilities that should help out in any crisis, large or small. Note that the first two listed need to be installed on their own bootable CD or DVD in order to run at startup.
All are free or available as trial-ware.
MemTest86: This venerable RAM tester still works.
Hot CPU Tester: Diagnoses CPU problems with an in-depth testing procedure.
Restoration: Recovers accidentally deleted files from both FAT and NTFS partitions, as well as memory cards.
HDDlife: Monitors the hard drive to warn you if a failure is near.
Spybot Search & Destroy: Keep an anti-spyware scanner on hand at all times.
Also check out these pre-made, downloadable emergency discs, which, in many cases, pack lots of system utilities.
Knoppix: Use this free bootable Linux CD to access Windows directories on a hard drive.
Ultimate Boot CD: Contains over 100 low-level system utilities on a single disc. The download is free.
Microsoft Boot Disks: Download free boot discs for OS’s from Windows XP to MS-DOS 6.
Move Big Files Across the Internet
It's considered rude--and rightly so--to e-mail someone a file larger than a few megabytes without permission. And you may not be able to anyway, since many ISPs place a cap on message size (often 10MB or less). So what are you to do if you need to send an 18MB, an 80MB, or even an 800MB file to someone? Online services make the task much easier and more elegant than burning a DVD and dropping it in the mail. You have lots of options, and more new services pop up every day. MediaFire.com is my favorite, and it's one of the best on the market now. The free service requires no registration, and it allows unlimited maximum file size, unlimited downloads, and multiple simultaneous downloads. It's just about perfect!
The other services below, however, also have certain unique features that may make them more suitable for you.
Files-upload.com: Handles 300MB files through a Web-based interface without registration; files expire after 45 days. Register and you get your own FTP subdomain (yourname.files-upload.com) that's accessible with a standard FTP client. It has a 1GB file-size limit.
GigaSize.com: Has a 1.5GB file-size limit and stores files for 90 days. A $4 monthly fee gets you a 2.5GB size limit.
Pando.com: Has a 1GB file-size limit, but offers a peer-to-peer plug-in for various e-mail, Web mail, and instant messenger clients, so you don't have to go to the Web site to transfer files.
Xdrive.com: Gives you 5GB of free storage space, accessible through the Web or a Windows Explorer plug-in that also allows for sharing with others.
Eradicate Your Web and Windows Tracks
Hey, it's nobody's business but yours what you're doing on your own PC. If you share a system with a nosy roommate or family member, or if you're stuck using public PCs at a conference, you may want to scrub your tracks--Windows' memory of what you've done over the last few hours or days--each time you sign off.
First, set up a browser for sensitive surfing, and use it only for work in which you need maximum security. Clear your secure browser's history and configure it to remember as little as possible.
You can also get rid of your Windows history on PCs that you own or share, but the easiest way to keep prying eyes away from your Windows history is to prevent it from being recorded. Download Tweak UI (see "Expand Your Collection of Windows-Tweaking Tools") and run it.
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