Systems4PT

WebPT looks a lot cleaner. Systems4PT graphics look outdated

WebPT evals were 30 to 40 minutes. Systems4PT evals are 10 to 15 minutes

I could not sign my notes as I treated with WebPT, had to stay late. Systems4PT taught me how to sign as I treat. This is the single most important change I’ve experienced. Going home on time is priceless to me.

Systems4PT can be maddeningly frustrating, because it won’t let you sign notes if G-codes and PQRS are not correct. I learned to appreciate this when I saw how often it happened, which means I wasn’t being paid in the past.

My front desk staff preferred WebPT because it is easier. Upon investigation they didn’t like that Systems4PT forces them to satisfy payers rules. So I learned that what they didn’t like was the extra work it took to make a compliant claim. I appreciate the feature. I had to explain to my front desk staff than when I don’t get paid, they don’t get paid.

Collections: When we switched to WebPT, collections fell apart. When we switched to Systems4PT, collections increased. I think this is because we entered data with WebPT, but Sytems4PT did all that for us. WebPT would call us and ask for scans or documents because they were working in a different system. Sysetms4PT works in the same system, which eliminates those calls. We are paid more today, I think because the mistakes are caught up front.

But the biggest difference is saving 60 to 80 minutes a day on the keyboard.

This company states on their website and tells you in their demonstrations that "they" will transfer the data from your current documentation and billing system to theirs. This is totally untrue.

I had to figure out how to transfer the data to their spreadsheet and then was unable to figure out how to transfer all the current patients so many would have to be entered by hand. Then our staff is expected to scan in the scripts for all the patients. I put a stop to the process before my staff had to spend hours trying to do all that they required. It may be ok if you start your practice with them, but don't try to transfer to them!

They also refused to return my $500 deposit.

We left our prior revenue cycle management company because they were incompetent. Our biller changed 3 times in the year and a half we were with them.

I swear we were the ones training the new billers. So we went to Systems4. We've been with systems4 for not quite a year. The difference is night and day.

With RCM we had to demand weekly billing meetings, where we were basically managing billing. With systems4, issues are communicated daily by them. They don't let things wait for the weekly meeting. Our staff has brought up several points and we quickly learned that each time we thought something was wrong, they demonstrated that they were correct and in control.

Since moving to Systems4 I no longer think about billing, I no longer have to manage it. Our collections have increased from $82 to $94 per visit and our DSO dropped from 36 to 19 days.

That is why I gave them 5 stars.

...reality check

"Can't call them"

Your first complaint blows your cover. You're either a competitor, or a really dim customer.

When we want to talk to Systems4PT we dial 814 624 **** and enter the extension number when the message starts. For kicks we counted average rings, 5 rings on average.

"Can't unsign a note"

Here's a secret, when you sign a note, the sign button then changes to the word, unsign. If you click unsign, it unsigns the note.

"the billing manager can't access a patient's insurance information or anything"

Our account manager says they have access to the entire database."takes 24 hours for the billing manager to receive changes form the front desk"

I asked our account manager and she laughed saying the billing database is in the same database as the front desk and PT. She had me type in some words, and she read them back to me one second later.

"customer service is a joke. ....unhelpful in every situation"

I don't claim to be the smartest person in the room. But Systems4PT's help desk knows more about g-codes, pqrs, modifiers, internet, computers, yes even printers, than any of our staff do. And if the person who answers the phone doesn't know, someone else answers the question.

When we've had great experiences and when the Systems website has 30 or 40 practice owners, who list their names, praising their service, and when you anonymously say, "unhelpful in every situation", (combining this with the bizarre points discussed above), I can only conclude that you are a competitor, or someone whose emotions has gotten ahead of their thinking.

"Most of the software on that they list on their website that they have is nonexistent".

Did you hear about the training next week on the system upgrade?

Obviously you have the right to criticize the EMR we use. But being satisfied customers and being oriented toward facts vs. emotion, I have the right to demonstrate where your criticisms are detached from reality.

I have blogged before about scanning and Systems4PT has f i n a l l y updated their scanning. Scanning is now faster than my old WebPT.

I like that it scans into the patient's chart directly so you don't end up dragging scans into the wrong chart. Editing is fine. The big deal is the 20 or 30 pages, scanned directly into the patient that I chose.

After being the slowest scanning, this is now the fastest. Took em long enough!

- graphics look tired

- no support Sunday

- doesn't work on android

+ my 4th EMR, the only one where payments got better when we installed and they did the work.

+ 7 minute evals, 90 second daily notes, progress notes, faster than the other EMRs I've used

+ 8 dollars more per claim than we've ever collected

+ Support answers the phone. If I'm not happy, I call the owner.

I don't let staff make petty gripes. No software is perfect. I am thankful to get my notes done and get paid more (while everyone around me complains that their reimbursements are dropping).

I spent almost one year researching practice management systems. This is a big decision, there are a lot of options out there, and everyone promises the same thing.

After sorting through all the demos, noise and referrals, Systems4PT was the top choice. My software search was sometimes on-again, off-again.. And most salesmen would vanish when I told them I was not ready to order. But Systems4PT hung with me.

We ended up talking about my business goals, transition steps, growth strategies – I got the clear message, “These guys cared about my business”.

So I chose to install Systems4PT. For a variety of reasons financing was difficult. Again, Systems4PT was there as a partner, an adviser and an advocate. Ultimately, Systems4PT helped the bank to realize that the minor issues impacting my cash flow (and making it difficult to obtain financing) were exactly what the Systems4PT installation would address and correct.

I could not have explained this on my own. Systems4PT jumped in the game and dedicated their time – again, before I was ever a customer.

Their customer support people are trained with a script and only know certain simple facets of the system, so don't hope for anyone with a wealth of knowledge helping you. They give inaccurate insurance billing information such as PQRS being required at every 10th visit (it is not).

Their so-called "IT" people know very little except what they are taught there and nothing about your computer's compatibility with their program. Have to buy their compatible small Epson scanners which are EXTREMELY slow, and now they want us to buy different scanners to allow multiple page scanning! Our practice can't afford. NO scanner works if you have a Server computer (or it might if you have a qualified IT tech to help....) We lost money when we allowed them to bill and post.

We went back to doing ourselves and recover more of our money. Posting is limited if there are reprocessed claims for skipped payments of a code, 3 insurances, etc.

Office staff and PTA's hate them. Owner not happy either.

1.You can't call them. You have to send them an e-mail and they'll get back to you.

2. They told us what printer, scanner, etc to buy and they when we started having problems they told us that it was not compatible. We had to rebuy everything.

3. The address line for doctors is too short to fit even a relatively short address.

4. The billing manager can't access a patients insurance information or anything except what their insurance is, what they owe, and what's been paid.

5. If the front desk updates anything (e.g. insurance information) it takes 24 hours for the billing manager to receive the changes even when they're 3 feet apart.

6. You can't unsign a note if you made a mistake. It's stuck forever.

7. Customer service is a joke. They are ignorant of even basic IT knowledge and are unhelpful in every situation. They always have an excuse for why their software isn't working. It always comes down to a variation of "restart the computer" or "someone else messed up. We didn't do it."

8. Most of the software that they list on their website that they have is nonexistent. We confronted them about this and they said something along the lines of "That's not available, but it will be soon." That's false advertising.

I could continue this list almost indefinitely. There are so many issues with this software that it would take all day to list them all.

We had a different experience. Our installation was smoother than our experience with our earlier EMR because Systems4PT entered our practice and therapist NPIs and credentialing rules for us. We had a lot of problems when we did it ourselves.

We changed from WebPT because we needed faster documentation. We did three self demos and agreed that Systems4PT was faster. After settling into the system, as expected, the documentation is faster. My therapists do complain that, while faster, Systems4PT could be even faster. They don’t like it when they are stopped by rules (we are 40% Medicare).

I was very nervous to leave my outsource biller of 12 years. But since going with Focus I’m collecting more money than I ever have before. To my observation the improvement in collections is because we are forced to follow the payor rules in the system. It’s unnerving to realize we don’t understand why many of the rules appear. We just follow them.

Summary, I wish it was fifteen years ago. But given that it’s not I think we’ve found the best approach. Our notes are faster, our collections are higher and that’s better than I hear from any of my colleagues. Systems4PT was a good move for us.

The Sales VP, Dan Alloway, completed a software demo. Despite sounding like he read from a script the whole time, we liked the software and wanted to sign up.

He said he would send the next steps but never did. I tried emailing and calling numerous times over the next 4 weeks. They would pick up the phone 1 of every 5 attemps. When they answered, their response was "Ok, I'll remind Dan and let you know".

No follow-up. They never returned voice mails or emails. On two occasions, his secretary Jaime said she will overnight Fedex the documents to proceed. That was a lie just to get me off the phone.

Their main support line takes you to an automated message with information on email address, no live person, no option to leave a vm. If you want to witness how NOT to handle new customers, contact Systems4PT. They are extremely inefficient in having one guy, VP for that matter, handle all customer communication. Every time I tried to reach him, I was told he was "busy with a Webinar".

Avoid this company all together to save yourself frustration and headaches. Imagine how disasterous if you have patients/doctors waiting and you need critical software support, then given the runaround!?

Alas, all things happen for a reason and after further research of other firms, there is better software out there. Good like with your EMR and Billing searches!