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CASE STUDIES

Dr Kyle Oh - Sports Medicine Practice

The Background: The Doctor Is In - and Online

When Dr. Kyle Oh advises, "Take two Tablets and call me in the morning," you'd better ask him which hat he is wearing at that particular moment. As both a doctor and computer programmer, Dr. Oh is in a unique position to see the writing on the wall when it comes to taking his practice into the 21st century. Since 1993, he has been using his own software in his Seattle, Wash. sports medicine practice to automate tasks such as billing, scheduling and accounts receivable. Because of a steady increase in paperwork and the resulting inefficiencies of dealing with it on a daily basis - spending countless hours documenting patient information; hunting for charts; copying, filing and approving paperwork; dealing with a complex maze of administrative details necessary to comply with regulatory issues, etc. - Dr. Oh decided to take his office paperless in 2000.


The Challenge: Dr. Oh and Computing On-The-Go

With a background in computer programming, Dr. Oh is constantly searching for ways to automate his office and make it run more smoothly. While his office has been paperless for more than two years, he needed a better solution for data entry, patient record retrieval, scheduling, prescription processing and other daily work processes. Originally, Dr. Oh had desktop workstations in each exam room to perform these tasks, but HIPAA privacy guidelines required him to remove them. He then began to use laptops, but found that carrying the device from room to room was cumbersome due to his work style of standing or walking for most of the day. The heavy weight and clamshell design of the laptop, not to mention the difficulties of typing on a keyboard while standing, made it an inconvenient option. In addition, the use of a desktop or laptop during an examination took the doctor's attention away from where it should be: the patient.


The Solution: The Motion Computing Tablet PC Cure

The advent of the Tablet PC appealed to Dr. Oh as both a doctor and software developer. As soon as the product was launched in November 2002, Dr. Oh purchased two Motion Computing Tablet PCs for his practice. He chose the Motion Computing Tablet PC for its lightweight, clipboard-sized shape that does not have an integrated keyboard and is easy to carry in one arm. The pen- and voice-enabled device allows data entry and retrieval without relying on a keyboard. Dr. Oh also liked the Motion Tablet's 12.1" screen size, which gives the natural feel of paper and pen and allows users to view a full-page document without scrolling. Dr. Oh is now able to maintain attention on his patient while calling up the patient's chart with a tap of the Tablet's pen. In addition, Dr. Oh was pleased that the product's integrated 802.11b wireless would allow him to use the wireless network already in existence in his office.
Dr. Oh's confidence in the Motion Computing Tablet PC as the device solution for the medical profession led him to adapt his software, which he has been using since 1993, specifically to the Tablet PC. With his experience using the Motion Tablet in his own office, Dr. Oh is convinced that the pen-enabled data entry and voice recognition capabilities of the Tablet PC will lead to greater efficiencies and profits for medical practices. His company, Galen Corp., has developed GALEN SQL Version 7.0, the complete medical office management software designed to give doctors a more efficient, streamlined and profitable medical practice. From scheduling and messaging to patient charting and prescription management to billing and accounts receivable, GALEN SQL integrates all medical practice functions into one system and lets offices manage it all electronically. Galen Corp. - which purchased three Motion Tablet PCs for sales demos - is marketing the software to other physicians in the Seattle area.


Real Results: The Modern Medical Marvel

Since becoming a paperless office more than two years ago and deploying Motion Computing Tablet PCs in November 2002, Dr. Oh's profits are up 35 percent. This profit increase can be attributed to several factors, but one is the voice recognition component of the Tablet PC. Like many doctors, Dr. Oh used to spend two to three hours each day in dictation. Because the voice recognition capabilities turn his words into text automatically, he now spends less than a half hour per day doing dictation. This has resulted in a 25 percent increase in the number of patients his practice can see. He is also saving money in transcription services, which cost the average doctor $15,000 per year. In addition, Dr. Oh is saving money on employee costs. The normal staff-to-doctor ratio is four to one. Because the paperless office and the Tablet PC have cut down on the amount of data entry work that needs to be done, he only requires two staff persons to run the office.
Dr. Oh sees his profits - and those of other doctors - increasing with the use of the Motion Computing Tablet PC. This is because doctors will be more encouraged to use the Tablet PC because of the ease-of-use that allows them to work as they normally would with a lightweight, clipboard-sized device and pen to manipulate records and enter handwritten notes. Motion's large screen size allows doctors to see an entire document without scrolling. In addition, the unobtrusiveness of the Tablet PC in the exam room is another positive factor, leading to patient satisfaction as doctors focus their attention on the patient while having instant access to more information at their fingertips.
According to Dr. Oh, "The Tablet PC fits right in!  It is a perfect match!"

-Motion Computing, Case Studies, October 1, 2003,

http://www.motioncomputing.com/about/news/csdroh.asp

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