June 13, 2016
 
Dear Praxis Clients,
 
Great News! We are excited to announce the release of Praxis v6. Please read this newsletter carefully as it includes vital information regarding this major upgrade.

New Praxis Training Videos
A new Praxis Training Video Series accompanies the release of Praxis v6.  You may access the new training videos for Praxis v6 at the following link:

 
The videos are an easy and efficient way to learn all the new features of Praxis.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a training video must be worth a million.  You can stop, rewind, and replay your video as often as you like.  Moreover, under each video topic you will find a corresponding table of contents, which is important for two reasons: First, each entry in the table of contents includes the specific time displayed in minutes and seconds allowing you to access a precise location almost instantly.  In addition, the videos are frequently updated--it is not like a book-- so each table of contents is also updated as changes take place.  Each training video is improved as features become available, as they are explained better, or as fellow users discover interesting ideas or approaches for your use of Praxis.  Therefore, please review each table of contents even if you have seen the video previously to ensure you have not missed anything. Also, the date of latest publication is displayed under each video. If the date is posterior to the last time you viewed the video, it means that there is new material available. Then a quick perusal of the corresponding table of contents will give you a clue as to what the new or changed features may be and you can simply open that section to view.

Two Praxis Videos to review PRIOR to starting with Praxis 6
Although we have sought to keep the look and feel of this upgrade as close to Praxis v5 as possible, two videos must be mastered prior to starting with this new version of Praxis.  Without viewing these two video topics, you may be lost when you start using the new program.   The videos are:
 
1. "The ICD-10 Engine"
2. "The Medication Module". 
 
If you have not reviewed the Praxis Videos, or have not done so recently, we encourage you to check them out before you begin to use Praxis v6.
 
Please review the ICD10 and Medications video modules prior to starting Praxis v6.

ICD-10 
( Required prior to starting)

The new ICD-10 engine will help you fulfill the third party reporting requirements (i.e. Medicare) for ICD-10 coding as they become progressively enforced.  The Praxis Assessment is now split from its related Diagnosis (no more comma separators!) and is now ALWAYS a Virtual within its own element.  So, now you find your assessment as usual, and it instantly brings forth its related diagnoses as you have implemented them in the past to fulfill bureaucratic requirements. This is an elegant and easy solution, but it requires a careful review and some practice prior to first time use.

Medication Module 
( Required prior to starting)

E-prescribing has become straightforward, but you should begin by viewing this video and then performing a one-time clean up of any incorrectly linked drugs that may exist from the previous version.  Why this must be done is explained in the video.  Please do not start the program without reviewing it and doing the initial clean up recommended (if needed).

New Patient Portal - Patient Communications
Undoubtedly, the new Patient Porta l is the most exciting feature of this version.  The Praxis approach to your patient communication at the Patient Portal is revolutionary.  As you will see from the video, the Patient Portal is far more than a simple two-way communicator between the patient and the clinic.  The Patient Portal i s linked to your agents and to the Concept Processor to make your communications with patients automatic
 
This video has been recently updated along with our new Patient Portal; so, even if you have viewed it recently, please review it once again prior to using this feature.

New "Other Improvements" Video
The latest Praxis Video "Other Improvements" includes a collection of several new features and enhancements. In addition, it includes the important discussion on how Praxis will handle Patient Care, Meaningful Use, PQRS and MACRA by following the elegant "Three Rs" method developed by Doctor Clayton Reynolds.  Praxis is now very close to updating to the latest Meaningful Use requirements (please see below), and once achieved, the Concept Processor will revolutionize the field of quality management by empowering providers to handle bureaucracy with great ease.  This is something that no other EHR will be able to do.

Combined Queries and Patient Notification
The Combined Query makes creating new types queries commonly needed very straightforward and also helps you with patient notifications.  You do not need to know any SQL programming to create new types of queries with ease.

Controlled Drugs (Rx)
The Controlled Drugs engine has been completed.  We are simply awaiting DEA certification and will activate your Praxis 6 as soon as we are given the go-ahead.  This feature will also require a token (similar to bank tokens), and will fulfill the e-prescribing requirements of the states of Ohio and New York.  As always, the difference with Praxis is that the drugs will be instantly generated as determined by your assessment--as any other drugs you prescribe--so you do not have to waste time selecting drugs and dosages over and over again.

Two-way Communication with Providers using other EHRs
This feature has been developed but it is not yet ready to be used because of minor issues, but we did not wish to delay this release any further.  Therefore a video for it has not yet been created.  As soon as it is completed the corresponding new video will be released to explain how to use it.  It works very similar to patient communication.

Meaningful Use/MACRA/PQRS
Please keep in mind that Praxis did not invent the rules of the game in relation to Meaningful Use, MACRA and PQRS.  However, our choice was simple.  We could either follow the rules as written, ruining your ability to practice medicine effectively as other EHRs have done, or we could study the rules carefully and figure out how your Concept Processor could adapt to them without wasting your time and effort and without driving you crazy.  We chose this latter path in what has been an exciting challenge.  We are happy to report that starting with this new version, Praxis is clearly on the way to becoming the only EHR in the market that will provide third parties with the codified data they require while at the same time making charting fast and easy. Just look at the new ICD-10 engine and the 3 Rs (under "Other Improvements") to get an idea on how all this will work!
 
We are now preparing for the latest ONC 2015 certification.  Updating our MU certification is our highest priority.
 
The concept processing technology inside Praxis has been developed for over twenty years with the feedback of so many of you, our wonderful clients.  With Praxis in hand, your computer may then be used as your clinical tool rather than as a fancy typewriter sitting on top of a dead record, and in so doing it will reduce your personal stress as well. Contrary to what some may believe, computers don't think by themselves, but they do help you to think faster, easier, and better if they are programmed correctly. To make an EMR program do what is needed and yet be simple to use takes time to implement, but it is worth it if it saves you years of wasted time and effort down the line.
 
As you know, the EHR template insanity is burning providers out.  Today's physicians complain that their EHRs are impossible to use, but it is the templates that make their EHRs impossible.  Templates cannot do the job required and so the doctor ends up being a data entry clerk.
 
As a result, we believe that Praxis will take over the EHR market simply because we predict that there will be a major implosion in the alternative template technology, whereas Praxis Concept Processor will continue to prove itself and perform easier and faster the more you use it.  This is why we must take the time to do it right. 
 
By the way, this is a notice we just received from Medicare that we pass on to you.

All Providers Must Take Action by July 1, 2016 to Avoid Payment Adjustments

Hardship exception applications are due by July 1, 2016 for eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs). 

Applications and Instructions

The Medicare EHR Incentive Program 2017 hardship exception instructions and application for EPs and eligible hospitals are available on the Payment Adjustments & Hardship Information webpage of the EHR Incentive Programs website. Please visit the EHR Incentive Programs' FAQs page for answers to specific hardship exception questions.

Please note: CAHs should use the form specific for the CAH hardship exceptions related to an EHR reporting period in 2015. CAHs that have already submitted a form for 2015 are not required to resubmit.
 
Three Major Benefits that will change the EHR space
There are three major improvements we believe will turn Praxis into a major player in medicine: the training videos you see here, the use of the cloud, and the federal mandates for interoperability.
 
The Training videos will make Praxis easy to learn
The videos that you can start using now will eventually cover all the aspects of Praxis at any level of training whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced.  This will allow anyone in your clinic to learn Praxis at any time and at their own speed, making Praxis far more simpler to learn.  Your feedback on how to improve our videos is therefore crucial and we welcome any and all critiques on how to make your learning easier.
 
The Cloud is working better and faster every day. 
The number of errors in the cloud is a fraction of the number found on the old client-server model and the Praxis running speed is significantly higher. The reason is simple. In the client-server model each server is different even if purchased according to specs, and brings its own unique network environment issues. Often, the problems are subtle and difficult to diagnose. In addition, there is an economy of scale: a single server used for many clinics can be far more powerful than a clinic would obtain on its own.
 
As a result, Praxis has increased the speed in the cloud, and has dramatically reduced crashes to almost zero as we control the operating environment.  Of course, this also means that you need not spend money on your own technical assistance to support your server.  Finally, as new hardware technology becomes available, it is implemented on our system for all our clinics, since a single setup covers all.
 
The result is that the amount of support on the cloud has also decreased significantly to the point that we no longer encourage the use of the client-server setup for new clients.
 
The Feds Combat Monopoly
The third benefit we cannot take credit for. Instead we must salute our friends at the federal government for their work in the area of interoperability.  It is no secret that there are two kinds of buyers of EHRs: hospitals/large clinics ran by non-physicians who do not understand what we providers have to go through daily, and our provider-driven clinics, which tend to be smaller in size.  The hospital and larger clinics have tended to ignore the crucial needs of the providers with devastating results, but we predict this will change.  The feds will guarantee that all EHRs communicate with each other to an even greater extent.  Providers within large medical centers will be able to use Praxis even though the rest of the system may be running on a different EHR.  Praxis will be able to interface with today's large clinic and hospital EHR systems to transfer and receive all clinical information instantly and transparently.   Indeed, we believe that Praxis will help revert the progressive of loss of provider autonomy and allow for more independent practices to emerge as a result of a smooth information exchange among all parties. Then we believe that you, our current clients, will start recommending Praxis to your colleagues working within larger organizations.
 
Finally, we hope you will be very happy with Praxis EMR version 6.  As always we value your wonderful feedback. Please let us know how we can help you moving forward.  We thank you for your trust and support.
 
Very Best Regards,

Richard Low MD  
 
___________________________________________________   
Richard M. Low, MD
CEO
Infor-Med Corporation - Praxis® Electronic Medical Records
15760 Ventura Blvd 7th Floor, Encino, California 91436, USA
Direct: (818) 963-9146 Office:  (818) 592-2900 x 5
Direct fax: (818)743-7759
http://www.praxisemr.com