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OutSmart Guide

OutSmart EMR Transition Guide for Clinics

Adopting a professional EMR is more than just going paperless; it’s about adopting a new and more efficient workflow. OutSmart EMR will manage a large portion of your clinic’s daily activities, making proper planning and training essential for a smooth and successful transition.

The Ideal Transition Timeline

Here is an ideal timeline to follow when adopting OutSmart EMR. We recommend starting at least two weeks before your “go-live” date.

1. Subscription Setup

The first step is to determine the number of practitioners and administrative staff who will need access to the system for charting, scheduling, or both.

  • Practitioner Subscriptions: Identify how many practitioners will need a subscription that includes medical charting.
  • Staff Subscriptions: Identify how many administrative staff will require access for scheduling and other tasks.
  • Contact Us: Once you have this information, contact us at contact.outsmartemr.com with this information so that we can help you plan the best way to set up your account.

2. Schedule Your Account Setup Session

This 30-minute session activates your subscriptions and sets up all accounts. Schedule this session at least two weeks before your intended first day of use to allow ample time for training and other preparations.

3. Training

Every paid account includes free 30-minute training sessions. It is crucial for all staff to take advantage of this. An ideal training plan includes:

  • Initial Session: A first training session to learn the basics.
  • Practice Period: A few days for staff to explore the system on their own.
  • Final Session: A final session before go-live to answer any last-minute questions and review critical workflows.

4. Data Transfer (If Applicable)

If you are transitioning from another EMR or a paper-based system, planning for data transfer is a critical step.

  • From Another EMR: Contact us at contact.outsmartemr.com to coordinate a data import. Be sure to provide proper notice. The data import date should be after all training is completed and ideally on the last day you will be using your old system.
  • Machine-Readable Data: Always aim to get your data in a machine-readable format like CSV or Excel. PDFs are useful as a backup but are not a machine-readable format that can be imported.
  • Secure Transfer: Do not send data by email. Instead, upload the files to your OutSmart Documents section and notify our team.
  • Comprehensive Export: Request a full data export from your previous service, including financial records, client lists, medical charts, and documents. Many services delete this data after you leave.

5. Contingency Planning

Although we do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition, issues can arise. We recommend a one-week overlap where you keep your previous system active as a fallback. This allows you to continue operations while any issues are resolved.

6. Merchant Processing (If Applicable)

If you plan to use merchant processing through our system, let us know well in advance. Paperwork about your business and identity verification documents may be required.

7. Digitizing Paper Charts

If you are transitioning from paper charts, we recommend a phased approach. Start by digitizing charts for your most active patients only, then digitize the rest as they book appointments. You can scan and save these charts as PDFs, then upload them to OutSmart.

By planning and completing these steps, you will ensure a successful and stress-free adoption of OutSmart EMR for your clinic.