of a caring smile and the power of human touch when palpating the spine and de-livering the adjustment – we see these as being truly irreplaceable. Chiropractic will not be replaced by technology, but we must embrace the vari-ous technologies available to us for improv-ing patient care, increasing office efficiency and helping us to comply with our respec-tive chiropractic college regulations. For instance, one of the most neglect-ed areas of practice is record keeping and documentation. I recently received a visit from a peer, for an assessment regulated by the College of Chiropractic of On-tario (CCO). This experience is certainly not frightening, especially if you are us-ing technology to help you with your documentation – the technology is pro-grammed to keep your records in compli-ance. If being busy seeing patients affects your ability to record a good SOAP note, you need to consider electronic health re-cord (EHR) software. One great element of an EHR is its ability to create a fully compliant SOAP note in seconds. It will drastically speed up your note taking, al-lowing you to see more patients in less time while still recording superior notes. The CCO simply states, “A member shall, in relationship to his/her practice, take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that records are kept in accordance with this regulation.” It is up to all members to read the six pages of regulations and ensure that their practices are compliant. But, simply having an EHR system in your practice is not adequate – it needs to be used and used properly. (Quality of input in equals quality of input out.) One of the most memorable phone calls I have ever received was from a chiropractor who was being assessed by a peer in one week’s time and was frantically asking for help in order to achieve health record compliance in time for the review! Don’t allow yourself to be caught in this situation. We advocate receiving chiropractic care to relieve stress on the spine and spinal cord, yet many chiropractors practice with a stressful, disjointed and non-efficient office system. Make it your goal in 2013 to remove the stress in your practice – compli-ance, in fact, survival of your practice, can be easy if you allow the appropriate tech-nology to support you in what you do. • To view this article with references, please click on the Current Issue page of www.canadi-anchiropractor.ca. www.canadianchiropractor.ca The ICPA is Coming to Toronto, ON and Trois Rivières, QC outstanding pediatric classes to your area. The ICPA is bringing its Increase your family practice expertise. Join us and acquire the skills to care for more families in your community. icpa4kids.com/seminarsca Please view the ICPA website for a full seminar schedule: Acquire The Equipment You Need Through the Leverage of Leasing MORE AND MORE, new and experienced practices leverage the financing power of leasing. We provide innovative and flexible equipment financing solutions to businesses & practices seeking a competitive advantage. We have reps in your area specialized in Healthcare Lease Financing, contact us today to save up to $200 off a new lease: 888-599-1966 www.nationalleasing.com CANADiAN CHiROPRACTOR | APRIL 2013 • 41
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2013: Page 41
