1. Introduction to Medisoft Clinical3
Introduction to Medisoft Clinical

2. Learning Outcomes When you finish this chapter, you will be able to:
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When you finish this chapter, you will be able to:
3.1 List the practice management and electronic health record applications in Medisoft Clinical.
3.2 Discuss three security features in Medisoft Clinical that protect patients’ health information.
3.3 List the menus in Medisoft Clinical Patient Records.
3.4 List the menus in Medisoft Network Professional.
3.5 Describe how pre-encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
3.6 Describe how encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.

3. Learning Outcomes (Continued)
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When you finish this chapter, you will be able to:
3.7 Describe how post-encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
3.8 Explain how to create and restore backup files in Medisoft Clinical.
3.9 Discuss the types of help available in Medisoft Clinical.

4. Key Terms 3-4 access levels Auto Log Off backing up chart
chief complaint
dashboard
database
disaster recovery plan
knowledge base
Medisoft Clinical
Medisoft Clinical Patient Records (MCPR)
Medisoft Network Professional (MNP)
park
password
restoring
user name
Teaching Notes: Many of Chapter 3’s Key Terms should be familiar to students (password, user name, etc.), so you might be able to simply define each of the terms. You could, however, choose to have students attempt to define them or provide students with a short matching activity to help them learn the definition of each term.

5. 3.1 Medisoft Clinical: A Practice Management/Electronic Health Record Program
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Medisoft Clinical—integrated practice management (PM) and electronic health record (EHR) program
Medisoft Network Professional (MNP)—practice management application within Medisoft Clinical
Medisoft Clinical Patient Records (MPCR)—electronic health record application within Medisoft Clinical
Learning Outcome: 3.1 List the practice management and electronic health record applications in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Remind students of the functions of a Practice Management program (takes over traditionally paper-based tasks such as appointment making and bookkeeping).
Have students discuss the benefits of having an integrated program such as Medisoft Clinical.

6. 3.2 Security Features in Medisoft Clinical
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Medisoft Clinical has a number of built-in security features
User name—name that an individual uses for identification purposes when logging onto a computer or an application
Password—confidential authentication information
Access levels—security option that determines the areas of the program a user can access, and whether the user has rights to enter or edit data
Learning Outcome: 3.2 Discuss three security features in Medisoft Clinical that protect patients’ health information.
Teaching Notes: Discuss the purposes of having multiple levels of security in Medisoft. Why can’t everyone simply be assigned a password?
When talking about passwords, either provide or have students provide examples of weak, medium, and strong passwords. Stress that health care professionals should have passwords of appropriate length when working in software programs.

7. 3.2 Security Features in Medisoft Clinical (Continued)
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Park—privacy and security feature in MPCR that allows a user to leave a workstation for a brief time without having to exit the program
Auto Log Off—feature of MNP that automatically logs a user out of the program after a period of inactivity
Learning Outcome: 3.2 Discuss three security features in Medisoft Clinical that protect patients’ health information.
Teaching Notes: Ask students why the Park feature is a nice benefit. (It can secure the workstation without the user having to completely log off and log back on; it’s a timesaver).

8. 3.3 Medisoft Clinical Patient Records
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Standard menu items in MCPR include:
File
View
Task
Maintenance
Reports
Window
Help
Learning Outcome: 3.3 List the menus in Medisoft Clinical Patient Records.
Teaching Notes: Explain that MCPR is where information on individual patient histories and charts is kept. This is NOT the section where office billing and collections procedures are handled.
Direct students to the sample screenshot in their textbook, Figure Point out the menu bar that contains the tabs listed on this slide; let students know that these are the main items that are accessed most often and that these things might change depending upon the options for a particular screen.

9. 3.3 Medisoft Clinical Patient Records (Continued)
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Database—collection of related bits of information
Chart—folder that contains all records pertaining to a patient
Dashboard—panel in MCPR that offers providers a convenient view of important information
Learning Outcome: 3.3 List the menus in Medisoft Clinical Patient Records.
Teaching Notes: Again, reference Figure 3.5 in the textbook. The main screen area is the dashboard; similar to the dashboard of a car, it contains all relevant information needed for the task being performed.
A nice feature of MCPRl is that many of the functions, including the Chart feature, can be customized based on individual or practice needs.
Assignment: Have students complete Exercises to practice working in MCPR.

10. 3.4 Medisoft Network Professional
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Names of the menus in MNP are listed on the menu bar, and include:
File
Edit
Activities
Lists
Reports
Tools
Window
Help
Learning Outcome: 3.4 List the menus in Medisoft Network Professional.
Teaching Notes: Differentiate MNP by explaining that this part of Medisoft Clinical is where patient accounting and booking procedures are handled. Discuss why the menu tabs are different in MNP when compared to MCPR.
Assignment: Have students complete exercises 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6.

11. 3.5 Using Medisoft Clinical to Complete Pre-Encounter Tasks
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Pre-encounter steps include preregistration and appointment scheduling.
To enter preregistration information about a new patient, click the New Patient button, and complete the Patient/Guarantor dialog box.
To enter an appointment in Office Hours, select a provider, select a date and time slot, and save.
Chief complaint—patient’s description of the symptoms or reasons for seeking medical care
Learning Outcome: 3.5 Describe how pre-encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Ask students why it is necessary to preregister patients and why the Patient/Guarantor dialog box needs to be completed.
When discussing Office Hours, direct students to the annotated screenshot in their text, Figure 3.11.

12. 3.6 Using Medisoft Clinical to Complete Encounter Tasks
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Encounter steps include all activities that take place from the patient’s arrival until the patient’s departure from the office, such as:
Establishing financial responsibility—real-time insurance eligibility can be checked
Insurance information is entered in one or more of the Policy tabs in the Case folder in MNP.
Check-in—reviewing account balance, updating patient information, recording documentation and examination findings
The Patient/Guarantor dialog box is updated as needed.
SOAP notes are recorded.
Learning Outcome: 3.6 Describe how encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Point out the highlighted button in Figure 3.13 –the button that offers real-time insurance eligibility checks. This is a GREAT feature for office assistants.
Discuss what SOAP notes are with students; show them Figure 3.20 in their textbook so they can see what SOAP notes look like in Medisoft Clinical.

13. 3.6 Using Medisoft Clinical to Complete Encounter Tasks (Continued)
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Encounter steps (continued):
Coding—assigning codes based on the services provided and the provider’s determination
In MPCR, codes are selected from lists provided on an electronic encounter form.
Checkout—payments are calculated and posted, follow-up appointments and tests are scheduled, materials are dispensed, and referrals are provided
The Unprocessed Charges dialog box in MCPR is used to post and review charges.
Scheduling is performed in Office Hours.
Referral and prescriptions are created within MCPR.
Learning Outcome: 3.6 Describe how encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: When discussing coding, direct students’ attention to Figure 3.23 in the textbook. Ask them what the benefits of having all the codes available electronically are. Are there any drawbacks?
Discuss the importance of proper coding procedures (even though coding is discussed in more detail later in the textbook, it is crucial that students know of its importance whenever applicable) and what the ramifications for improper or irresponsible coding are.
Show the sample patient handout in Figure 3.30; discuss this as part of the Checkout procedures, and use this as an opportunity to again stress to students how comprehensive Medisoft Clinical is…..it does almost everything! However, caution students that this does not mean an office assistant can relax – user error is still possible, and items must be checked for accuracy.

14. 3.7 Using Medisoft Clinical to Complete Post-Encounter Tasks
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After the patient visit is complete, activities focus on payment for services, including:
Preparing and transmitting claims
In MNP, claim functions are located on the Activities menu.
The Claim Management dialog box is used for current claims and to create new claims.
Claims are transmitted through MNP’s Revenue Management feature.
Monitoring payer adjudication
Payer adjudication is tracked using the Deposit List window.
Charges are applied in the Apply Payment/Adjustment to Charges dialog box.
Learning Outcome: 3.7 Describe how post-encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Ask students why it is important to monitor payer adjudication. What might happen if this step is neglected? Why is claim management such a critical part of the billing process?

15. 3.7 Using Medisoft Clinical to Complete Post-Encounter Tasks (Continued)
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Activities focused on payment for services (continued):
Generating patient statements
In MNP, the Statement Management option on the Activities menu contains options for creating and printing patient statements.
Selections in the Create Statements dialog box determine which statements will be created.
Following up on payments and collections
In MNP, collection functions are located on the Activities menu and on the Reports Menu.
The Collection List feature on the Activities menu is used to place an account in collections.
Learning Outcome: 3.7 Describe how post-encounter tasks are completed in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Discuss the Patient Aging Report as it relates to payments and collections. Direct students to Figure 3.38 in their text (a sample Aging Report), and as an in-class group activity or a homework assignment, ask students to research the negative results of having a large percentage of patients in collections. In their assignment, have them address potential solutions for a medical practice that has a problem with patient collections.

16. 3.8 Backing Up and Restoring Files
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Disaster recovery plan—plan for resuming normal operations after a disaster such as a fire or a computer malfunction
Backing up—making a copy of data files at a specific point in time that can be used to restore data
In MNP, the Backup Data option on the File menu can be used to make a backup copy of the database.
Restoring—process of retrieving data from a backup storage device
Files are restored using the Restore Data feature on the File menu.
Learning Outcome: 3.8 Explain how to create and restore backup files in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Have students brainstorm some specifics that might appear in a practice’s disaster recovery plan; what types of things would be most important to address? List responses on a chalkboard or white board and use them to generate a discussion about the importance of a DRP and what it should contain.
Assignment: Have students complete Exercise 3.7; then direct them to page 142 of their textbook and ask them to compare the processes of restoring and backing up files in Medisoft Network Professional.

17. 3.9 The Medisoft Clinical Help Feature
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MNP and MCPR offer built-in and online help files.
Built-in help feature is accessed via the Help menu.
Help menu also provides access to help available online at the MNP website.
Knowledge base—collection of up-to-date technical information
Learning Outcome: 3.9 Discuss the types of help available in Medisoft Clinical.
Teaching Notes: Ask students why Medisoft Clinical might have included a searchable Help feature within the software program itself. Stress that knowing how to work in Medisoft Clinical is important, but students should not feel badly if they need to access the Help feature, especially if it is early in their use of the program or they are completing a task that is not common to their practice.
ASSIGNMENT: Have students complete Exercise 3.8.
OPTIONAL: Direct students to and have them skim through the knowledge base that is located there.