Getting Started with the MedKaz
When you have registered with HRC and received your initial shipment of MedKaz devices, you are ready to upload copies of your records to them and dispense them to your patients. We recommend that you adhere to the following procedure for these initial uploads, and that you tell your patients about the MedKaz, and explain why you want them to have one and what they must do to enhance its value to them. We also suggest you defer reviewing your patients' charts and selecting documents to be downloaded to your patients' MedKaz devices until your patient schedules an appointment.
Dispensing a MedKaz
To dispense a MedKaz, you should pre-load it with copies of your patient’s prior records so you can give it to your patient when they come for their appointment. You select the records; your assistant processes and downloads them onto the new MedKaz.
Selecting records to upload When a patient makes an appointment, your staff pulls the patient's chart and you select the significant records to be loaded onto the new MedKaz. Include only those records other care providers will need to understand your patient's medical history, such as critical progress notes, reports, test results, images, discharge and operative reports, and consults. They can be either paper or electronic. On average, an initial upload will consist of about 10 pages. Chronically ill patients will have more; healthy patients, fewer.
Scanning records to be uploaded Your assistant then organizes these records into individual encounters. They scan the paper copies and save each scanned document with the patient's name and date of the encounter. If you keep electronic records, they generate PDF documents for each encounter.
Preparing new MedKaz Your assistant then takes a new MedKaz from your inventory and prepares it for you to give your patient. They plug it into their computer, enter the patient's name, date of birth, gender and a temporary password. They then open or print out a blank Encounter Summary form to be used with each encounter. It will be pre-populated with your name and your patient's information.
Creating Encounter Summaries You or your assistant should complete an Encounter Summary for each encounter you are pre-loading onto your patient’s new MedKaz, filling in the relevant data from your actual record (these data are extremely important; they contain the information used to index each encounter record).
Initial Record Upload
Uploading records Once all the Encounter Summaries for the initial upload have been created, your assistant logs on to the MedKaz Server and uploads them to the Server, along with the scanned documents to which they relate.
Verifying records When documents for all encounters have been uploaded and processed by the MedKaz Server, your assistant verifies each one to be certain the Server has captured its contents accurately. To simplify this process, the Server displays the original file and the verification form (containing the computer-captured data) side by side on your assistant's computer screen, allowing your assistant to identify and correct any errors. This is especially important for handwritten files and notes.
Loading the MedKaz and PRM Once verified, the Encounter Summary and its related files are saved and downloaded onto your patient's MedKaz and your PRM.
Instructing your patients about their MedKaz
When you set up a new MedKaz, you should go over the following information with the patient who receives it. Click here for a version of this page that is written for the patient. You can give it to them as a reminder of the procedures they should follow.
Why you want them to have it Explain it will help you and their other care providers understand their health issues, treat them more effectively, and coordinate their care. And in an emergency, it could save their life.
What it costs Explain that the MedKaz is sold only by physicians and that they logically should buy theirs from their Primary Care Provider. The Suggested Retail Price is $100.00 but you are free to charge whatever you wish, or even give it free to your patients. Your patient also must subscribe to the MedKaz service.
Sign up Tell them as soon as they get home to log on to their MedKaz using their temporary password, create both a new password and a PIN number, and store a copy of each in a safe, accessible place. Explain that they must subscribe to the MedKaz service so all their care providers can update it.
To subscribe, they click on the Edit Patient Information Action Menu item at the top of their Encounters screen and select Patient Setup. In order to activate their MedKaz they must complete the Patient Setup: enter their contact information, sign the User Agreement, Subscribe, sign the HIPAA Release, and read the Privacy Policy statement. They can provide their Personal and Medical Information and complete the Medical Questionnaire later, but encourage them to do so as quickly as possible so it will be available to their care providers when they need it. They may pay their subscription fee annually or semi-annually by credit card (note that the fee is waived during the pilot).
View the instructional video Tell them to run the Getting Started video. It tells how to navigate the MedKaz, open records, enter data, and so forth. They access it by selecting the Help button and clicking on the video.
Play with it Tell them to look at the records you uploaded for them. They'll find them by clicking on the Encounters button.
Request records from other providers To be of maximum value, the MedKaz should contain as many of your patient's records from as many of their past and other current providers as they can assemble. Your patients should ask these care providers to send copies of their records to HRC. They can do so themselves or, for a small fee, HRC will assemble them. HRC will process all of them at no charge. Your patient will find the forms and instructions to send these providers under the Edit Patient Information Action Menu on their MedKaz.
Patient's Ongoing Responsibilities
Keep it with them They never will know when or where they will need medical care so they should always carry it on their keychain, in their wallet or handbag, or wear it as a pendant. They should take it to every appointment.
Keep it current When any of the patient-provided information changes, such as their employer, address, phone numbers, insurance providers, emergency contacts, advance directives, etc., they should immediately update their MedKaz. The Server automatically sends these changes to all of their active care providers.
Correct wrong information They should read the information their care providers enter on their MedKaz to be certain it is correct - especially their progress notes contained in Encounters > Providers records. They cannot change a record even if it contains an error, but they can correct it by creating an addendum which will be permanently attached to the record.
Back it up Every time they log off they should back up their MedKaz. When a care provider has updated it, they should back it up to their computer as soon as they return home. If they lose their MedKaz and do not have a backup, they will have to start over and assemble records from their care providers.
Complete a Pre-Visit Questionnaire before every visit Your patient can greatly help you understand their issues if they complete the Pre-Visit Questionnaire in advance of their appointment, preferably at home where they have the time and details at hand, such as the medications they actually are taking. You are then able to spend less time eliciting this information and more time talking with them and addressing their concerns.