From pre-admission patient registration websites to survey services and from purchasing portals to benchmarking reporters, cloud-based management tools seem like the way of the future. The phrase "cloud-based" is a cool catchphrase, but the concept is not radically different from "web-based." It basically describes an online space that is uniquely yours for storing and using digital content such as records or applications. The key here is, it's not housed in your facility, as opposed to the practice management or EMR systems you might be running on site with a server in the closet.

Why go to the cloud?
Managing through the cloud offers several advantages over the closet.

• Hands-off technology. When you're tapping into cloud-based applications, there's no hardware infrastructure to maintain on the premises (other than the devices you use to access the Internet) and the software is automatically updated to the latest version.

• Out of sight, out of mind. Because the programs and data are hosted on remote servers, there's no need to fear an interruption in service (unless, of course, there's a power failure or you neglect to pay your internet service provider) or the need to rebuild your data in the event of a flood, fire or other catastrophic disruption.

• Cost considerations. Simply put, computer hardware is not the most durable capital investment. Technology improves and economizes so quickly that it's not long before you discover a better option for half the cost. Cloud-based services are much more cost-efficient. If you'd outsource business office services, why not electronic applications?

• Security assured. It's understandable to believe that protected data is safer in an on-site server. But keep in mind that the most common threats to data security come from inside, not outside: including lost and stolen laptops and unscrupulous staffers. It's arguable that the IT experts who run online services can offer more sophisticated security than healthcare admins moonlighting in IT.

Before you sign on
You can read vendors' websites, interview users, and study case studies, but the only proof of how a cloud-based management service works, and whether it works for you, is to use it yourself. It's reasonable to expect developers will allow you a free, 30-day trial of their services in order to judge their uses and results. After all, a pilot program doesn't cost anything near what transporting and demonstrating equipment does, and they'd like to make a sale and a believer.

If you trial or subscribe, however, be sure to first obtain a signed business associate agreement from the vendor. This HIPAA-required contract sets forth how your patient data will be handled and protected, as well as for what purposes and under what conditions, if any, you'll let them use it.

ASCpro
www.ascpro.com
(240) 489-4400
Pricing: Installation: $3,500; monthly subscription: $495 or $595
FYI: A web-based system for managing compliance documents and automating supervision and task assignments for quality assurance. Staff with regulatory responsibilities (including management companies, consultants or surveyors) can oversee document flow and tasks for maintaining CMS approval. Color-flagging and calendar features alert users to task status and item expirations.

CareWire
www.carewireinc.com
(888) 744-8950
Pricing: $3 to $4 per patient, per procedure
FYI: CareWire sends patients precisely timed texts about preparing for procedures to ensure on-time arrivals. Post-op, patients receive messages about adhering to post-discharge instructions and attending follow-up visits. The procedure-specific (from colonoscopy to joint replacement surgery), multi-language patient engagement templates include links to self-service registration applications, web portals and educational materials.

CTQ Solutions
www.ctqsolutions.com
(877) 208-7605
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: EdgeSurvey has helped hundreds of surgical facilities improve performance since 2003. This electronic patient satisfaction surveying and benchmarking solution is informed by millions of survey responses. On a cost-per-survey basis, the company says EdgeSurvey's quality metrics database plus its customer service equals high value for patient surveying.

Encircle Healthcare
www.encirclehealth.com
(800) 847-6690
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: Automating pre-admission tasks eliminates laborious manual processes. Encircle Eligibility verifies patient insurance benefits through customizable workflows, alerts and time-sensitive triggers to free staff for financial counseling and up-front collections. The Echo application lets referring providers share data with connected facilities, regardless of health information platforms, sidestepping redundant (and error-prone) data re-entry.

Issio Solutions
www.issio.com
(888) 99-ISSIO
Pricing: $8 per patient, per month
FYI: A cloud-based EMR platform for ASCs, Issio is accessible from mobile devices and desktops. It offers automated clinical and operations data reporting, with real-time SCIP and QAPI tracking and analysis. Rapid integration and an intuitive interface make it a productive (and operating-cost-lowering, and revenue-boosting) part of your scheduling and workflow.

Level Medical Integration Systems
www.levelmed.com
(888) 353-5914
Pricing: $1 to $1.33 per patient
FYI: This web-based application securely organizes, stores, streamlines and shares patient health information, an alternative to fragmented and repetitive pre-admission processes. Patients who fill out online questionnaires let a data engine capture and store clinical details, integrate them into the facility's daily workflow and enable efficient, safe and effective treatment.

Medibis
www.medibis.com
(866) 208-7348
Pricing: Free 30-day pilot, subscription $350 to $1,750 per month
FYI: This business intelligence analytics service delivers consolidated information to laptops and mobile devices, letting surgical administrators spot trends, forecast future performance, compare industry metrics, benchmark operations nationally, estimate whether centers are on target to meet objectives, and identify and address bottom line issues.

Medical Web Technologies
www.mwtcorp.com
(800) 540-7527
Pricing: Based on facility size: less than $500 monthly for ASCs; about $1,000 monthly for hospitals FYI: One Medical Passport from Medical Web Technologies simplifies pre-admission information collection. The cloud-based questionnaire — customized to patients' ages, genders, previous answers and facility needs — doesn't let patients skip questions, but they can log out and in without re-entering information, so they complete the process at their convenience. The service can be securely integrated with your website.

MMF Systems
www.mmf.com
(888) 744-1470
Pricing: complimentary 3-month trial, $250 per month for unlimited use FYI: With a user-friendly web portal to gather required medical information, patients scheduled for surgery (or their caregivers) can access the questionnaire from home or surgeons' offices. Patients are guided through a comprehensive series of questions. MMF Systems then indexes the information into a clinical report, formatted to meet the needs of the OR staff and referring physicians' offices.

MMX Healthcare
www.mmxhealthcare.com
? ? (877) 578-4484
Pricing: $949 per month
FYI: MMX Healthcare's Manage My ASC is a real-time, interactive management tool that provides financial and operational tracking, benchmarking, analysis and recommendations. During implementation, MMX profiles your facility and consolidates and reviews critical data to customize the application. Web-based solutions can include AccredAbility, for comprehensive accreditation tracking and reporting; it's priced according to facility size and Medicare participation, from $299 to $899 monthly.

Simple Admit
www.simpleadmit.com
(877) 848-4726
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: Simple Admit's web-based pre-op screening and registration deliver consistent, legible and accurate information without the staffing inconveniences of phone tag or long telephone interviews. The fully customizable online questionnaire (translatable into 60 languages) covers demographics, health history and medications. Once patients electronically review and sign documents, they're immediately e-mailed pre-op instructions and education, and the information is instantly available to clinical staff.

SourceMedical
www.sourcemed.net
(800) 719-1904
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: Source Medical's Vision OnDemand automates patient information and facility operations management while allowing secure access, anywhere at any time. The cloud-based practice management and EHR system designed specifically for ASCs enables rapid deployment and eliminates the expenses and technical barriers associated with implementing, maintaining and upgrading software on a local server.

Surgical Care Affiliates
www.s4sca.com
(205) 307-5277
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: Surgical Care Affiliates' S4 is an easy-to-use, web-based purchasing system for ASCs. The application removes all price tiers and provides purchase transparency to ensure you're buying at the best available price regardless of facility size or volume. All items are ordered through a single website and consolidated to a single monthly invoice. Users can manage their inventories through par levels and bar-code scanning. The company says the average client saves more than 20% on its orders.

Surgical Outcomes Information Exchange
www.soix.com
(877) 602-0156
Pricing: not disclosed
FYI: Surgical Outcomes Information Exchange offers online, procedure-specific clinical benchmarking for ASCs. Data received from hundreds of member facilities create national averages and generate individualized monthly, quarterly and cumulative (2- to 3-year) reports. Data submission and collection is handled online, through a secure server, and members can submit data manually or through file transfers. Surgical Outcomes Information Exchange is HIPAA-compliant and purges all identifying information at the time data are submitted.

SpotOn Surgical
www.spotonsurgical.com
(714) 282-1952
Pricing:: not disclosed
FYI: SpotOn Surgical delivers an efficient and cost-effective method of nursing education, access to product information and virtual expert support on demand. This single, universal tool provides easy access to all suppliers for all surgical specialties. A simple user interface on a digital tablet gives operating room staff access to suppliers' product education and support content. In addition, secure videoconferencing capability lets users directly and visually contact support personnel for their expertise. No patient health information is recorded or retained.

SurgiScheduler
www.surgischeduler.com
(510) 508-3613
Pricing: Perpetual license fee, with custom programming, less than $4,000, plus quarterly hosting charge
FYI: SurgiScheduler serves large and small healthcare clients as an online software-as-service vendor and workflow software designer. Its Surgical Group Scheduler Pro product, a browser-based program that coordinates call schedules, surgeries, hospital lists, consults, vacations and other variables, was built specifically for private surgical groups to provide accurate, daily individual and group schedules. Each new customer gains from the improvements, upgrades and options other customers have added into the application.