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One Comprehensive EHR System Fulfills
Many Needs of Internal Medicine Practice

Soft music is playing in the background. You’re relaxing in a massage chair. The lights are turned down low. How about a complimentary bottled water or a hot up of java?  Ahh! You’re getting pampered at a luxurious five star spa and resort, aren’t you? No? What gives?

This is Dr. Constance B. Purser, M.D.’s internal medicine practice and these amenities are par for the course. “I wanted going to the doctor not to feel like you were going to a convention center standing in a long line and hoping that someone would remember who you were. We attempt to provide a relaxing environment for patients. There’s a peaceful mood created by soft music. We offer coffee and bottled water. We encourage people who don’t feel well to unwind in a massage chair. They can shut the lights and lower their head. It’s a nice atmosphere. I usually meet with people back in my office, rather than the exam room because it’s more comfortable. It should be enjoyable to go to your doctor, not apprehensive,” stated Dr. Purser.

Personal Attention

Dr. Purser has been providing services in the greater Sarasota, Florida area. She treats patients 18 to over 100 years old. “Many patients are very active. I enjoy all facets of Internal Medicine. What I enjoy the most is that I never know what is going to come in the door next.  I enjoy women’s issueS, as well as men’s issues. I like to focus on stress management. It’s a holistic approach to medicine, including the psychological as well as physical aspects. I have ‘regular’ patients and ‘concierge’ patients. It’s a hybrid practice and I call it a wellness program. The emphasis  is on prevention and time. I spend a lot of time with each patient in 40 to 60 minute office visits. I do their labs, and spend time with them via e-mail, as well as phone calls. Many times I include their family. This is very rewarding to me. This is a very personalized approach to medicine and I believe there are great benefits to that,” said Dr. Purser. She also holds educational classes a couple of times a month and recently hosted a cardiologist who discussed stress management.

Unlimited 24/7 Access 

Indicating that she used an EHR when she worked at her former practice, Dr. Purser’s Internal Medicine EHR wish list included several criteria. “Having a cloud-based Internal Medicine EHR that would provide 24/7 accessibility was crucial. Because of the type of practice I have, it was very critical to be able to get information when I am home and on weekends. My previous software was difficult to access. I had to sign in with a secure citrix. Now I can easily access my EHR when I’m working at home. The workflow is fairly similar to having paper charts in that patients come in and you check them in and the nurse takes their information,” said Dr. Purser.

Acknowledging in her testimonial that she doesn’t enter a lot of the information while seeing patients, Dr. Purser said, When she’s at her desk, Dr. Purser likes to talk to patients without typing. When the visit ends she enters the information. She feels that the information she enters more accurately captures the essence of the visit versus when she used paper charts.

The Whole Package

Like many physicians who start a practice, the cost of an EHR weighs heavily on their decision. “I was also looking for something that wasn’t too expensive. I didn’t want to have my own servers.  I wanted the security to be maintained because I’m not that high tech. I evaluated about 15 EHRs. First I considered price and software offerings. Billing and scheduling were also important. Having an all-in-one system versus varying components was my next consideration. The web-based part of WRS was something I liked right away. I have access from anywhere and I like that the billing and patient portal are connected. . That was probably one of the more important things because I felt that I didn’t have to try to transfer that information to a billing company, nor did I need to try to keep things in separate locations. That was the biggest influence. I also thought it was a reasonable cost for what was being offered.”

Gleaning software advice from various medical journals on what to look for in an Internal Medicine EHR, Dr. Purser learned about the importance of the company having attained credible certifications. “CCHIT at was one of the criteria to make sure the system would have some longevity and be okay for some of the upcoming government regulations,” said Purser.  

Ease of Communication

How have Dr. Purser’s patients reacted to using the EHR? Most patients are giving the nod to WRS patient portal. “I provide patients with an instruction sheet that explains how to use the EHR. They are satisfied that they can update their medications and history. This is important if they have appointments with other doctors. The patient portal for Rx refills is a favorite. The also like asking for appointments and providing me with new information. I  get a lot of e-mails via the portal. Patients inform me that they received an appointment reminder. They like that feature,” said Dr. Purser in her testimonial.

On her website, Dr. Purser states that she is, “Your partner for a lifetime of wellness.” That she practices what she preaches is evidenced by the fact that she sees people at their home if they are not able to come to the office. “I have a gentleman who went home in April after a four month hospital stay and I still see him every week. He’s recovering slowly but surely and I think that’s why he’s able to stay out of the hospital for the last five months, because we really stay on top of things.”

When queried how WRS Internal Medicine EHR is helping her to succeed at her goal, Dr. Purser said, “Having the patients involved in looking at their medical record helps. When I do their annual physical we go through everything. We put everything on their problem list and in their history. I want them to look at that. I want them to participate and keep track of all their health care needs. I think it works well for them to participate with me.”

Reach Out And Touch Someone

Emphasizing in her testimonial that because her practice has two aspects, Dr. Purser explained how WRS helps her stay in touch with patients. “I think it’s critical that I stay in touch with patients. It’s important that they can ask  questions instead of waiting a year to discuss their concerns. Patients contact me through WRS. If they need prescription refills they contact me. They can also e-mail me anytime via my personal e-mail account. Being able to communicate reduces their stress and keeps patient’s educated,” stated Dr. Purser.

Keeping Costs Down, Efficiency Up

Even physicians like Dr. Purser who are keen on implementing an EHR from day one, may find themselves a little reluctant to try some of the myriad capabilities that are available. Admitting in her testimonial that she had some reservations about using the integrated WRS Fax capability, Dr. Purser is quickly reaping the benefits of having recently implemented the Fax Queue. “I was paranoid about not seeing things so we were faxing them via regular fax and scanning them in. The fax queue has enhanced efficiency. Instead of wasting ink and paper, we are using the fax queue. Our workflow is better and we can make sure that the right things are getting in the right chart.  No longer do we grab a paper chart, flip through it or scan it,” said Dr. Purser.

Billing Bliss

What physician has time to worry about billing? Noting that she evaluated WRS with a biller in the local area who utilizes WRS Billing Module, Dr. Purser stated, “I especially like that I can enter charges at the end of the workday when I do my note. I can inform her in an e-mail if I am not sure which code to use for something. I can ask her to note that something may need to be changed. WRS works well and without any flaws,” said Dr. Purser.

Satisfied Employees

A happy employee means a happy practice, right? Dr. Purser’s two employees are also giving WRS high fives. “Leslie is at the front. She does scheduling. She very much loves the electronic faxing of documents because she takes care of referrals. Gail is the nurse who does the prescription refills, phone notes, and tasks. There’s a learning curve with a lot of that. They are really stepping up to the plate and now we’re getting into the faxing of labs. They really like WRS because it improves workflow when they do not have to pull paper charts. It was easy for them to learn. When they first started I had them do some of the self-guided training modules. It’s not hard to pick it up. They didn’t have any specific training with WRS. They picked it up by doing the self guided materials.”

Instant Feedback

How does WRS respond if a problem crops up? “WRS returns your query when you send a ticket. WRS has offered many useful updates over the past few years. I am appreciative of a recent update in the medication queue. A lot of different types of providers benefit from these insightful updates,” said Dr. Purser in her testimonial.

Ease and Efficiency 

Dr. Purser summed up her decision to go with WRS from day one in these words: “I’m generally a very organized person and I feel that it helps keep up the details. I remember having old paper charts with medication lists. Those were never correct. You just hurried up and refilled something and you didn’t put it in anywhere. The way you keep track of important things, which are medications and where they’ve gone to, it’s just so much easier. I can’t imagine not doing it this way.”

In the Long Run

So how do you really know if you’ve found the right EHR? Here’s Dr. Purser’s take on this important question: “You have to obviously look at price, but you have to look at the company and how long they’ll be there because trying to switch would be a huge disaster. So staying with someone who is well certified, well supported, who is making appropriate updates, staying up with what is needed for billing and coding is important. You also need to have something that is accessible. We’re a very mobile world these days and having something that is web based is very important and is something that is all inclusive. My husband and I don’t have any children so our dogs are our kids. All of my patients and friends know, I love our three dogs.  With WRS there’s 24/7 access from home and I can go home and see my dogs and work on my computer and finish everything up there. An EHR has improved my quality of life. Otherwise you are lugging a lot of pieces of paper home and writing a lot of stickies, so this is better. You can’t just get some cheap program that just documents your notes. You might as well not invest in that. You have to have something that is very comprehensive, which is what WRS is.”

Internal Medicine Testimonial