Q: Dr. Frederick, as the director of NEMO Health’s Development Team, what would you say is your biggest challenge?

I think our biggest challenge lies in the fact that we still have customers who are not keeping their hardware and software infrastructure up to date. For example, we have customers who are using outdated versions of Windows. Some are not using the most current version of TRAKnet. Others might have an infrastructure that does not meet the minimum requirements for a robust electronic health record like TRAKnet.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

In fact, during our recent important update, it became very apparent to us how far behind some of our customers truly are in their important investment of technology. Our support center temporarily became overwhelmed with calls as a result of this. Everyone truly needs to understand that today’s medical data environment demands an IT infrastructure that is kept up to date.

Q: What was that important update all about?

The recent update was an important enhancement to the single biggest concern of medical software companies — cybersecurity. NEMO Health is committed to the rigid gold standards of the ISO/IEC (International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission) in order to protect our TRAKnet customers’ data. It’s crucial for all of our customers to go through the log in screen migration that optimally protects their data. Each user in the practice must go through this migration ASAP.

Q: MIPS (Merit-based Incentive Payment System) has become the new practice management buzzword. Tell us about NEMO’s approach to MIPS.

Since NEMO Health truly understands the plight of podiatrists, along with their typical patient demographic and workflow, we have taken an approach to MIPS that is customer focused. We achieved the latest ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) certification in order to allow our customers to have optimum MIPS scores. Our ONC certification allows our users to upload a QRDA3 file of MIPS data to any registry. But while our customers indeed have that full capability, as I mentioned, we take a slightly different and customer-focused approach. We know how difficult the collection of some data is during a podiatrist’s busy workflow. QRDA files are driven by what’s known as Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). When you look at these eCQMs, they represent some of the most challenging methods of meeting MIPS. So we endorse a completely different strategic approach with our podiatric customers in mind. We recommend the much simpler Quality Measures instead of eCQMs. And while TRAKnet users are capable of collecting the more difficult eCQMs used by some free registries, and uploading them through a QRDA3 file, we train them to collect the more podiatric-friendly Quality Measures.

Please visit the MIPS Resource Center for more information.

Q: Dr. Frederick, what’s on the horizon for TRAKnet?

TRAKnet continues to evolve and grow not only in functionality, but in our family of users as well. NEMO Health is now in its sixth year, and during that time we have made several hundred enhancements to TRAKnet, many of which were suggestions from our actual customers. The next exciting product launch that will be taking place mid-year of 2019 will be a new e-prescribing platform in TRAKnet that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of e-prescribing. Known as NEMO Rx, this platform will have improved functionality over our current e-prescribing platform, including the ability for our colleagues to help their patients perform pharmacy cost comparisons of medications as they e-prescribe.

We are also in the process of revolutionizing our support center since we know that TRAKnet support is so crucial during these changing times.

Q: What is your favorite feature in TRAKnet?

I would definitely say DocShop Pro. DocShop Pro is an e-commerce platform specifically designed to help doctors save money, as well as make their medical supply management much more efficient. As you know, we can increase our practice’s profitability by either increasing revenues or decreasing costs. DocShop Pro helps doctors save significant amounts on their disposable medical supplies as well as capital equipment from the very same vendors they are currently ordering from. The difference is that we have negotiated prices based on the purchasing power of over 2,000 doctors! And as opposed to making several phone calls, ordering through one single portal is much more efficient. Since using this feature is completely free, I can’t fathom why anyone would order medical supplies any other way!

Check out this white paper on improving medical practice profitability with e-commerce purchasing platforms.