Database selection can be a tedious process. A number of vendors are accredited by the ACC. While giving more choices, it also can be confusing. The vendors generally are of two varieties. First, there are vendors devoted to software and software support. The second group is vendors offering certified software as part of their Hemodynamic and Imaging equipment offerings. Some of the pros and cons are:
Advantages of Software only Vendors:
1. They are devoted to software
2. Most work with multiple equipment vendors. You can change equipment with out affecting your database and support.
3. Generally, the prices charged are lower. Sometimes dramatically.
4. Software only vendors tend to be more knowledgeable about the intricacies of the ACC and data element interpretation.
5. Some vendors (Medical Dynamics) often provide the software offered and resold by equipment vendors under their name.
6. Dedicated software vendors usually have programmers and support people that have worked in the industry for many years. Medical Dynamics goes to great lengths to retain support and programming people.
7. Support levels are more stable with the smaller turnover rate inherent in smaller companies less subject to corporate downsizing and cutbacks.
Possible drawbacks to Software only Vendors:
1. It may be more effort to acquire the system. Instead of lumping software into an equipment purchase as part of Capitol Budget, the software may need an individual budget request.
2. Software Vendors are usually smaller than equipment vendors. However, the resources continuously devoted to the ACC are generally more consistent with Software Vendors. Programmers and developers are not switched from project to project as often.
3. You need to make certain the software vendor will be around years from now. Companies like LUMEDIX and Medical Dynamics have been offering software since the 1980s.
4. A smaller company often does not have a service rep. in all areas. This has become a non-issue with the advent of data links and Internet communication. Complete software installation and upgrades are now done after hours and totally by data link. Even training can now be done by internet.
The best place to start is on the Internet. Medical Dynamics maintains two “Mirror Image” web sites to insure continuous availability. www.meddyn.com and www.medical-dynamics.net. The Meddyn.com site is referenced by other vendors and the ACC and STS. The Medical-Dynamics.net has the same information plus a much larger capacity. This capacity is used for software upgrades and transfer of programs to equipment vendors. When navigating the web sites you will find most of the product pages offer a brochure download in Adobe PDF format. The brochure can be quickly downloaded, printed and available for review and discussion within minutes. If you need us to furnish the printed information just give us a call at 1-800 456-9577.
With Medical Dynamics, the answer is “it does”. ACC certified software is available in a bare bones extremely low cost version all the way up to a multi-departmental automated data acquisition system. Many of our long time customers automatically populate up to 90% of the ACC from Hemodynamic monitor data recording and Hospital Information Systems HL7 data. Medical Dynamics ACC software can also operate with Office suites your Hospital already has installed. Both Office 97 and Office XP software suites are supported.
Medical Dynamics is a privately held Sub-Chapter S
corporation residing in the State of
Starting up a data collection system can be a daunting task if approached in a haphazard way. With a careful plan and commitment of a few resources, it can be a most rewarding and pleasant process. Realization of the scope and effort the startup requires is the most important step to beginning the data collection process. For accurate data collection, the clinical staff must be involved in the process. Here are a few guidelines:
1. Carefully review the ACC data collection form with the staff. Make sure everyone understands data items on this form depend on their accurate recording and tracking. In the today’s competitive Healthcare environment the entire staff’s devotion to quality clinical outcomes measurement and cost reduction is vital.
2. Assign a person to be in charge of the data entry and management process. This is the easy part. However, giving them the time for working with the database and getting properly trained often does not happen. This will only impede the eventual implementation process. Understand the early stages of any new process will be the most time consuming. Once the system is underway and things are flowing smoothly, time and personnel requirements drop substantially.
3. Back up all your databases. Easy to say but often overlooked. Medical Dynamics ACC Database has a separate data file that should be placed on one of the Hospital IS servers for nightly backup.
4. Most everything in the ACC database can be acquired from the Hospital IS department (SS#, Name, Age, Admit Date, Discharge Date etc.) and from the Hemodynamic Monitors. While systems capable of doing this are more expensive, they generally tend to pay for themselves in short order with the reduction in personnel required to collect and enter the data.
5. Keep your support contracts up to date. This way all changes, large and small, mandated by the ACC are certain to be incorporated into your system.
6. Make sure you work with a vendor that has dedicated ACC support specialists that know the ACC data elements and what they mean.
Medical Dynamics training is furnished in two ways.
1. Frequent training in the beautiful historic city of Charleston, South Carolina provides both introductory and advanced ACC Database education. Held at regular intervals, these classes provide a one on one atmosphere of concentrated training. Administrators find this method of training free of outside interruptions and much more focused and effective.
2. On site training. Medical Dynamics will hold training and seminars at your facility if you so desire. Using computers generally available in IS training rooms, a seminar can be provided at your convenience. Prices for these seminars are available upon request.