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Looking for feedback on TM2 Practice Management software

Discussion in 'Practice Management' started by Alannah Andrewes, Jul 17, 2015.


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    Dear Friends,
    I am presently reviewing all of the currently available practice management software programs used by Podiatrists in Australia and would like to hear from anyone who is using (or has used) TM2 in their practice.
    Many thanks
    Alannah
     
  2. ftcukoz

    ftcukoz Welcome New Poster

    Hi Alannah

    I've been using the system for a few years...generally it's ok but there's a number of things which they can't / don't provide (EASILY).

    Generally it's adequate, but support can be variable. There's a number of features that they advertise...that just don't work for Pods.

    Do you work from one location? or multiple sites? It best to ASK lots of questions about what YOU want from the system and see if they can tailor it for you needs.

    Hope that helps?


    Ftcukoz
     
  3. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    Hi we have used TM2 for almost 8 years. Its more than adequate especially if you setup TM2 touch notes and customize it for your clinic - this saves an enormous amount of time in writing notes and makes the process fast, efficient and detailed. Support isn't as fast as I would personally like it - but in the end they resolve all issues quite well. The system is very stable - backups are easy to do and cost is reasonable. They provide you with a free trial to install and use I believe....worthwhile trying it for a week or so in tandem with whatever system you use now...
     
  4. toughspiders

    toughspiders Active Member

    Ive been using it for 2 years or so... Paul i have trouble setting up the customisation on it. I have contacted them but it appears difficult to get a time which suits me to sit down and have that hour one to one... how do you have yours set up?

    Id also like to be able to do my letters on it and transfer it to medical objects but that's a no go as well.

    I was promised online claiming with it two years ago, they told me it was only a few months away... needless to say i'm not impressed with those false promises.

    They system has some good features though but as someone else has said it is geared towards physio's so the customisation is down to you and as i said earlier its not straight as!
     
  5. Thanks toughspiders.
    It does seem that I'll need to be prepared to develop a lot of templates with this one.
     
  6. Thanks Paul,
    The efficient note taking and ability to use it on a tablet device chairside have certainly increased my interest. I just need to be prepared to spend quite a bit of time setting it up to really get the most out of this system.
    I certainly appreciate your feedback - many thanks
    Alannah
     
  7. toughspiders

    toughspiders Active Member

    My main pc played silly beggars this morning and is not loading. The network sees that one as the main computer. I have had to plug in another computer!!! I rang TM2 to sort out the network and we still haven't had a call back.... you cant speak to them just leave a message and wait for them to call you. Argghghg
     
  8. toughspiders

    toughspiders Active Member

    Well it looks like a may be cancelling my subscription with TM2 my main computer which has the server link on it, broke today. TM2 could not do anything and basically told me they cant fix it if the computer isnt working. I have been left without a clinical software package all day. No back up plan...
     
  9. Mediclinic Software

    Mediclinic Software Active Member

    Please guys look at TRUE cloud systems such as ours, mediclinic Software and others like Coreplus and Cliniko dependent upon your needs.

    TM2 is a HOSTED solution and this could be a reason for your concerns.

    We offer ON LINE CLAIMING and patient Claiming as well.

    Our new GP integration is under way and almost done and we have a new GUI being finalised right now. AND we have 6 days a week support and 12 hours per day from 3 overseas and local operations centres.

    Yes we have moved a long way in a short time. And we offer 3 months free trial
     
  10. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    But to be fair TM2 is the software that runs on your hardware. If your hardware is faulty or breaks how is that the responsibility of TM2?

    We have a daily TM2 backup to dropbox. If our main server goes down, we can have it up and running again very quickly (with a new computer) in a matter of minutes really.

    Maybe your systems need to be looked at and reviewed rather than your choice of software.....just a thought!
     
  11. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    Are you saying I couldn't find "flaws" in the clinical application of your software just as ToughSPiders has pointed out above? I bet I can and I bet that those flaws are just as devastating as a failure of any other solution on the marked.
     
  12. Paul - there are certainly benefits and flaws that could be argued for both Hosted and Cloud solutions...

    Traditional hosted solutions place risk management of technical issues on the practice manager or practice's IT Support team. For example: If a PC dies, or a local server falls over, or your data backups are experiencing errors, or your hardware is irrevocably damaged by a power surge or some other disaster (touch wood) -- you're going to be hit with the cost of dealing with these significant issues. Human resources, hardware, support costs... not to mention lost revenue, etc.

    True Cloud-based solutions absorb the vast majority of these risks. You save time & money because your admin overheads are reduced; less need for engaging IT contractors, significantly lower hardware costs... To support your staff running a PMS in the cloud, all you'll need to do is ensure your practice's computers (PCs or Macs - cloud runs in your browser) are running efficiently! Ensure operating systems have the latest security patches applied; and their web browsers are up to date (and preferably using Chrome, Firefox or Safari - not Internet Explorer).

    An often under-considered risk of a cloud-solution is the privacy of client data, and what jurisdiction it falls under... Ie, if your cloud vendor hosts your client data overseas (say, in the US) your permitting your data to be accessed via that country's relevant privacy laws. Simply - Australian hosted cloud solutions are the only way to ensure your client's data is protected by Australian laws.

    Another perceived flaw in the old "Hosted or Cloud" debate is the overall cost - from setup & implementation, to longer-term maintenance and updates.

    Cloud-based solutions, like coreplus, are quite often much less than that of traditional on-site solutions. The initial start-up charges of hosted solution (installation, licencing, configuration, technicians, server/hardware acquisition, staff training...) often run into the thousands just to get started. This can cause havoc on cash-flow; not to mention overall initial outlay. Then there's the ongoing costs of human resources and hardware maintenance to keep an on-site PMS running smoothly...

    On the other hand, most cloud providers charge a reasonable monthly subscription fee.

    [​IMG]

    Conclusion...
    No software is perfect - and I would hope no software claims to have ALL the answers. There is always room for improvement.

    Every practice is different. A good practice manager strives to run an efficient practice, keeping costs low - to increase the number of clients that can be helped.
     
  13. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    Keep to the topic Ash, no slight sales pitch of your companies software disguised as vague helpful information. Reality is - on premises or cloud based there are problems either way. I just hate it when companies chime in trying to promote their products are "better" when in reality they are just as potentially flawed as others.

    Oh and you conveniently forgot to mention one thing with Cloud Computing - you lose the internet you lose the ability to access ALL your information. Devastating much? Not really that different to having a local server go down is it?
     
  14. Sorry Paul - no sales pitch, I was just following on from your thoughts about perceived flaws in the cloud vs hosted topic... after all, as part of a team that specialises in providing technology to Australian healthcare providers, we have some insight into the challenges that exist in the eHealth-tech landscape :)

    yes - a disruption to your internet connection to the practice would cause some issues. If you tethered a mobile phone to the computer, you could circumvent that...

    Is it quicker to restore an internet connection, or restore a server? I guess that depends on the practice manager's skillset. Who do you seek support from in either case? A loss in internet connectivity, your ISP or telco support line would be your first step. A failed server, you might need to contact an IT Services provider. Each provider has different levels and quality of support.

    Going back to Alannah & toughspiders earlier comments...

    If your computer breaks down, a cloud based PMS can be accessed via tablet or laptop, and, if optimised, from a smartphone. You can also access your PMS from anywhere. You could log in from home, if you needed to. Likewise, if you log in from your tablet you can access everything from the chair, not just client notes.

    That said - if you only have 1 computer and it breaks down, you're in a spot of bother no matter which style solution you're using! Having a spare, cheap laptop tucked away in the bottom drawer could be a lifesaver.

    If you do house visits, or operate from multiple locations, hosted solutions can get complicated. The trouble with hosted solutions, is they're often localised to one physical location, or one private network.
     
  15. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    No sales pitch? However (I assume) you aren't a registered medical practitioner, you are on a medical forum, with your company/software name as part of your FORUM name discussing topics which relate to your company/software? ANd you don't mention the ONE single glaring flaw with an online cloud based system (oh there are others if we want to dig deeper) - the LOSS OF THE INTERNET.

    Can't have your cake and eat it to Ash from coreplus.

    Let me say it again clearly, i'm not against cloud based software solutions - just give consumers a fair, unbiased opinion of exactly what is out there. I'm sure everyone appreciates your skill, expertise and opinion and contribution - however by nature, its hardly unbiased. Software companies that give users a FREE TRIAL for them to base their decisions off are winners in my opinion. Download the 3 or 4 your are interested in, try them out, get the software providers to walk you through them and then select the one that fits your needs.
     
  16. Mediclinic Software

    Mediclinic Software Active Member

    Hello everyone and it is with great pleasure we have now got TYRO Payments as a partner to our platform making your allied health and credit and debit card payments more easily integrated to your practice software - Mediclinic Software of course.

    Seamless less key strokes and yes it works . No more telephone line drop outs.
    INSTANT confirmation
    LESS hassle


    ITS FINALLY HERE - a solution man of you have cried for help so we listened
     
  17. Hi Paul - I just wanted to follow up to your concern about loss of internet as a risk with cloud software. A very valid question. I decided to write a blog article on the topic: What happens if I lose internet connectivity?.

    In short - if your wired internet connection (via phone line, cable or NBN) presents your clinic with an outage, the only solution is to be prepared for this eventuality: get a secondary internet connection ready to use - in the form of a 4G sim-card.

    1. Contact your preferred telco & get yourself a pre-paid sim card to access data (ie, not a standard mobile phone sim card).
    2. Ensure you have a sim-card compatible router.
    3. Install your sim-card into your router.
    4. Test your sim-card connection; so you know it's working - and how to get it fired up in case of an outage to your primary internet connection.

    It should be easy enough to get working - so chances are you or someone in your practice could do it. It would be no more than 10 minutes to fire up your secondary internet connection (assuming you've already set up the hardware & tested it prior to an outage).

    ...in a pinch - you could even use your smartphone 'wireless hotspot' feature to connect your computer to the internet. Be warned: This could chew through lots of data and become costly - because most mobile phone pre-paid sims & post-paid plans have limited data usage allowances.

    Compare that to a server outage for a more traditional, on-site server based solution: Need to call an I.T. technician to come in to reset the server; restore software & database services...
    • How soon can they be on-site to restore your system?
    • How long until your software is up & running again?
    • What happens to your clients/patients who turn up for their appointment during an outage?

    My blog articles covers the topic in a little more detail. I hope this helps allay some of your concerns.
     
  18. Mediclinic Software

    Mediclinic Software Active Member

    Ash this is a great and useful Blog for people who are afraid of using CLOUD systems and as we say to people CLOUD IS SAFER because there are multiple back up systems whereas if someone steals you server or coffee falls on the hard drive - YOUR DATA IS LOST. And may not be recoverable.

    back ups people think are a life saver but it can take as we have seen with clients who had this happen before they came to us, up to a week for them to get running again.

    Think about this. What are YOU BACKING UP to?

    if you server is damaged, or missing you have to buy a new one and have that configured before you get going or even if you have one PC or laptop, you still need to load software.

    CLOUD SYSTEMS mean that worry and stress is gone.

    And with Mobile technologies as they are - stated in Ash's blog CLOUD is an even safer option.
     
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