The Implementation Team

In addition to the iMedica sales representative or value-added reseller (VAR), the following team members help each practice implement iMedica PRM successfully:

  • Project Manager—primary contact for the practice and coordinator for all the other people and activities involved in the implementation.
  • Implementation Consultant—person who customizes iMedica PRM for the practice’s specific needs and pre-loads the iMedica knowledge bases and other content.
  • Training Team—specialized experts in iMedica PRM, physician office management, and adult education methods who lead customized training at the practice itself, at iMedica, and through online or computer-based training.
  • EDI Consultant—an iMedica specialist who works closely with the practice to protect cash flow in the early stages of implementation by ensuring that all aspects of EDI (electronic claims submission and remittal) are working smoothly.
The Implementation Process

These are the major milestones of the implementation process:

  • Project meeting
    The iMedica Project Manager meets with physicians and staff to discuss goals in detail, review the project plan, ask questions, and understand iMedica’s philosophy and approach.
  • Workflow analysis
    The iMedica Project Manager spends 4-12 hours analyzing workflow, which includes following the patient from initial scheduling through physician encounters and checkout, as well as collecting samples of all patient and office documents. iMedica maps the results in a spreadsheet and confirms their accuracy with the practice. The resulting workflow analysis identifies bottlenecks and duplication in current workflows so that they can be eliminated in the implementation.
  • Customization
    The iMedica Project Manager and Implementation Consultant map the final workflow to iMedica PRM. The Implementation Consultant either modifies the existing knowledge base or pre-builds specialized content based on the workflow analysis.

    iMedica pre-loads a substantial amount of content, leaving some items incomplete so staff can practice adding real content during the training. This approach ensures that staff will be able to maintain the system after implementation is complete.
  • Implementation planning.
    With the workflow analysis in hand, the project manager and practice decide whether to implement the full iMedica PRM at one time or to employ a phased approach.
  • Training.
    iMedica and the practice schedule convenient training dates for all staff. Training is usually provided in small groups based on responsibilities: physicians, clinical support, office staff, etc.
  • Ensuring successful EDI
    After setting up the practice’s clearinghouse enrollment, the iMedica EDI Project Coordinator provides daily monitoring until any unforeseen issues are resolved, tracking claims from submission to payment. In addition, the EDI Coordinator offers weekly follow-ups for 90120 days after go-live.
  • Weekly project monitoring.
    The iMedica Project Manager continues weekly calls with the practice’s office manager (or other project leader) until the office is comfortable with iMedica PRM and ready to move to regular iMedica Support (usually 4-6 weeks).
Transition to Support

When the staff is comfortable using iMedica PRM and most questions have been resolved, the iMedica Project Manager will coordinate the transition to the iMedica Support Team for any future questions and issues that arise. Usually, this transition occurs 4 to 12 weeks after the final go-live date.