Is anyone using Instant Medical History (I am)? IMH is a service that allows you to have a computer pose questions to your patients. They can do this over the web or via a stationary computer in your office. See http://www.medicalhistory.com/home/index.asp. Most new EHRs have a built-in interface with IMH and I wonder whether we need one, too. IMH let the provider specify whether she or he wants the output as a .doc, .txt. or whatever file or even as a formatted .xml. My current EHR (I am switching to Synaspe before christmas) has a IMH interface but all it does is let me extract the text from a .xml file and import it into my current consult note. That said, one could use IMH with Synapse already in the current form and no specific interface is really needed if one instructed IMH to output a .txt file or .doc file (for better formatting). One could then copy and paste the text into the consult note. Some sort of "import" button to import various text files into the current consult note would be hepful in that case so that I do not have to open, cut and paste from a .doc file. However, since one can obtain the IMH output also as formatted .xml files, I wonder whether one could write an interface to Synapse that automatically fills in specific fields in the database. For instance, all my new patients go online to fill out a new patient form. The online service basically asks them all pertient new patient questions (PMH, PSH, FH, SH etc, ROS). One could extract these values and automatically fill in the respective fields in the database. To be honest, I do not find IMH output valuable enough to have it in my PMH, FH, PSH etc. sections but others might feel differently. Graham, if you want to, I can send you a sample .xml file. IMH is more valuable for acute situations (knee pain or sore throat etc.) - IMH has about 6000 different scenarious. In that case, a real interface would not be needed, just some plain text import of some sort. Would be interesting to hear about other opinions on this. Marius
So you subscribe to IMH Web ? http://www.medicalhistory.com/solutions/imh_web.asp Exactly how would this work ? How would a patient, whom you have never met, fill out and send you a IMH form ? /Curious.
A patient contacts me and tells me that he wants to be my patient. I send him a canned email with instructions. In the instructions, there is a link to IMH web and he starts the process. When a patient starts IMH, it asks them their name and DOB but that information is never stored on their server. They do not want to keep any personal info. Marius
Seems workable. It would be valuable if Synapse could import the information. Ideally Synapse would replicate this process in the portal, but in the mean time ! How much is the IMH Web per month ?
I pay $50 a month and that includes both the standalone and web version (used in any combination you would like) - in fact, I think it is a per provider license. I will post a sample of the xml output and the text output once I get back to my practice.
I uploaded 1. The IMH xml output as it comes from the server into my current EHR: www.evergreenfamilymedicine.com/testman.xml 2. IMH output in my EHR: www.evergreenfamilymedicine.com/testman.pdf Graham, maybe you could have a look at it and say what you think in terms of workability. Marius
I've been down this road before. I think I could use it for obtaining patient information on new patients. I'll review how good a job it does for this function. I wonder how customizable it would be for this need.
Perhaps you don't know about Synapse's optional portal .. which allows patients to register with you ??
The info I get through IMH for new patients is only moderately valuable yet totally satisfies US coding and documenting requirements. See the example that I uploaded as this was from an actual new patient. I find IMH more practical for established patients. If anyone has Spanish speakers, IMH can also ask questions in Spanish yet gives you responses in English. Marius
Here's a quick and dirty method. Save the pdf from IMH in the faxq directory. It will appear in your fax inbox, and the OCR should be close to 100% accurate. Copy the OCR text into the consult .. and you're done.
