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Yes I received 3 updates to this forum after 3 PM yesterday and none of those responses are shown here. ??? Why have they been deleted and who deleted them?
Posted : September 18, 2015 5:39 am
Hello,
The posts where not deleted on purpose. Our Web Development team made a mistake and needed to restore from a backup. Therefore all posts from 9/17 were lost.
-Derrick
Posted : September 18, 2015 5:50 am
I appreciate that GE is working to improve their customer support, as stated by Robert. I hope their efforts will make a difference. In the meantime, they're not there yet. I called the "Clinic Down" line last week and no one answered. I let it ring for 5 min straight before hanging up. I worked on the problem myself for 10 min or so, then tried calling again. It rang for another 5 min straight. I finally hung up, called the regular tech support option, and got an answer right away. What's up with that? He was very helpful, but didn't know anything about my problem. He was probably a lower level rep, or even a triage guy who just takes messages. He was nice enough to go find a higher tier tech and got him on the phone. The second guy was able to fix the problem in 5-10min. All in all, I was very satisfied with the help I got, once I got it. But I was VERY frustrated that no one would answer the 'Clinic Down' line. We lost a lot of time and money that day.
Posted : September 18, 2015 6:03 am
Robert,
I've been working with Centricity for about ten years - first with PM only and with the combined PM/EMR product for the last three or four. I've seen GE reorganize support teams, change service pack delivery cadence, have new division presidents, do customer surveys, etc countless different times over the years. There are always promises of better service, better software quality, new features to help our productivity, etc. Most of it APPEARS to be lip service. I have no doubt there is some kind of team working to improve the product, but due to the lack of results, I'm forced to question its competence, its size, the tools/freedom it has been given (or not given) to actually produce something meaningful in terms of improving the product.
At what point does GE scrap the existing CPS mess altogether, hire a competent group of developers versed in modern development methodologies and technologies to rewrite a new front end (preferably web) and back end if there are problems there too, and create a migration tool to move customers to the new product ? You guys have owned Logician and Millbrook for more than 10 years and quite frankly, very little has changed with the core of the products. Sure, the skin of the interface looks more modern now and you switched the web portion from IIS to JBOSS, but the functionality of registration, scheduling, claims submission, forms development in EMR, etc is virtually the same as it was ten years ago. GE has barely managed to keep up with the government regulatory requirements that it probably helped to author in the first place. Every regulatory requirement is rolled out at the last possible second forcing customers to rush into upgrades, train staff on functionality changes, etc. We're still forced to use third parties or GE bolt on products (like AR Accelerator) for things a modern PM/EMR should do as part of basic functionality. Some examples include scanning/indexing/storing documents, ePrescribing, patient portal, capturing consent signatures, generating a fax in an automated fashion, etc. All of these things are additional costs for us to take on and additional complexities to worry about when it comes time for upgrades. We don't seem to be getting any value out of the huge maintenance fees we pay to GE each year because very little functionality is added and the backlog of stability/usability issues only seems to get longer and longer as time passes. I'd honestly suggest abandoning the current mess and moving on.
The list of fixes on service pack 10 had me hopeful that there was a renewed focus on quality, but so far this week I'm disappointed. Our biggest issue is that after a user has been logged in for a long period of time, they no longer seem to be able to load function definition libraries. It's as though some limit is reached and they can go no further. The solution is to close Centricity and then re-open. Then it works again. Until it doesn't. It's not a crash, but a useless session of the chart because the forms cease fuctioning. I'll post another topic about that issue though.
I guess I'd just echo what the original poster said. If you're just starting a relationship with Centricity and haven't gone too far yet, but are already having problems, I'd consider running the other way now. Down the road you'll find you need to spend more money, increase the complexity of your environment, etc by acquiring more third party products to makc your system do the things it should be doing in the first place without the add ons. The crashes will not stop no matter how much memory, CPU, flash, network pipe you throw at the application. It's just broken and its too complex for GE's current people to fix/maintain/improve upon.
-Matt
(reposting since this disappeared overnight)
Posted : September 18, 2015 7:18 am
[CHUG] New answer on "I'm done, I give up!"
(missing posts from 9/17/2015 - reposted here from emailed thread)
...
Wed 9/16/2015 2:06 PM
It appears we all need to publish a fed up post in order to receive a response like the one above. Even after multiple emails and calls to supervisors for my company to GE we still have outstanding issues that never get worked. I know I am not alone when saying this either.
coydh3
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Thu 9/17/2015 10:21 AM
Robert, I've been working with Centricity for about ten years - first with PM only and with the combined PM/EMR product for the last three or four. I've seen GE reorganize support teams, change service pack delivery cadence, have new division presidents, do customer surveys, etc countless different times over the years. There are always promises of better service, better software quality, new features to help our productivity, etc. Most of it APPEARS to be lip service. I have no doubt there is some kind of team working to improve the product, but due to the lack of results, I'm forced to question its competence, its size, the tools/freedom it has been given (or not given) to actually produce something meaningful in terms of improving the product. At what point does GE scrap the existing CPS mess altogether, hire a competent group of developers versed in modern development methodologies and technologies to rewrite a new front end (preferably web) and back end if there are problems there too, and create a migration tool to move customers to the new product ? You guys have owned Logician and Millbrook for more than 10 years and quite frankly, very little has changed with the core of the products. Sure, the skin of the interface looks more modern now and you switched the web portion from IIS to JBOSS, but the functionality of registration, scheduling, claims submission, forms development in EMR, etc is virtually the same as it was ten years ago. GE has barely managed to keep up with the government regulatory requirements that it probably helped to author in the first place. Every regulatory requirement is rolled out at the last possible second forcing customers to rush into upgrades, train staff on functionality changes, etc. We're still forced to use third parties or GE bolt on products (like AR Accelerator) for things a modern PM/EMR should do as part of basic functionality. Some examples include scanning/indexing/storing documents, ePrescribing, patient portal, capturing consent signatures, generating a fax in an automated fashion, etc. All of these things are additional costs for us to take on and additional complexities to worry about when it comes time for upgrades. We don't seem to be getting anyvalue out of the huge maintenance fees we pay to GE each yearbecause very little functionality is added and the backlog of stability/usability issues only seems to get longer and longer as time passes. I'd honestly suggest abandoning the current mess and moving on. The list of fixes on service pack 10 had me hopeful that there was a renewed focus on quality, but so far this week I'm disappointed. Our biggest issue is that after a user has been logged in for a long period of time, they no longer seem to be able to load function definition libraries. It's as though some limit is reached and they can go no further. The solution is to close Centricity and then re-open. Then it works again. Until it doesn't. It's not a crash, but a useless session of the chart because the forms cease fuctioning. I'll post another topic about that issue though. I guess I'd just echo what the original poster said. If you're just starting a relationship with Centricity and haven't gone too far yet, but are already having problems, I'd consider running the other way now. Down the road you'll find you need to spend more money, increase the complexity of your environment, etc by acquiring more third party products to makc your system do the things it should be doing in the first place without the add ons. The crashes will not stop no matter how much memory, CPU, flash, network pipe you throw at the application. It's just broken and its too complex for GE's current people to fix/maintain/improve upon.
mdoak
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Thu 9/17/2015 12:39 PM
Thank you Mr. Armstrong, I really appreciate your response, and apology and the fact that you understand my frustration. I really do hope that GE can get back to providing us with the excellent service we came to expect from them. I hope that Mr. Armstrong speaks the truth when he says "we come to work every single day to focus on making the changes needed to get there." That would mean a lot to the people who valued GE at one point as indispensable. That being said... "I know exceptions will occur- such as yours- and when they do, we want to recover these as quickly and effectively as possible." This bothered me a wee bit. It seems that this exception happens more that GE may think (like to admit), look at the thread, a lot of them refer to the same issues. I do not feel that GE really much cares how this affects our clinics, and ultimately the care of our patients. In our case, children. What they would rather do is mollify us. I know that the considerate and heartfelt words said above are just that. Words. It took my actions and that of my peers that experience the same daunting experiences with GE, to get any sort of acknowledgement of the blunders. DO NOT sugar coat the issues we are having, these are issues as clinics we believe are prudent to serving our patients. Never make our mountains into ant hills. Waiting 3 months for a report to print, and when I say "print" it is a system error we get instead of a report, is not as big a deal as some other practices are having, but when its added up, all the time and money spent on the problems we have; it is considerable. It's not the timeframe, per se, in which things are done (not done) that bothers me, it's not the amount of problems that we have had, and not the angry providers that cannot chart, that cannot record an immunization or see the patient banner, or that it affects the care of our patients, THANK GOD no one has lost a patient, no one has right? It's not the money we have lost. It's not about the complete lack of disrespect that is received from their call center and the ultimate responsibility they have to us, to get these issues resolved in a timely matter.IT IS ALL OF THOSE COLLECTIVELY that have made this UNBARABLE! What matters is the AMOUT of issues and that they are met with indifference and blatant disregard. I could go on and on but, you know and have experienced the same behavior first hand. Unfortunately, Mr. Armstrong is one man, in a see full of urchins. I am truly disappointed with GE, and until their actions speak louder than words, I will continue to believe that GE are mongers, who possess no scruples, who do not care a stitch for the clinics they serve. I wish you all well, and that your issues will be resolved. I hope you won't need to post your woes in order to get it. Thank you again for all of your help Mr. Armstrong.
toehme
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Thu 9/17/2015 2:39 PM
Just a quick update,
"I know that Aaron and Wes have been working directly with Netgain on your printing issue, and have provided a detailed resolution for this. Clearly there has been some disconnect with you not receiving the information we've provided them ."
My man, Greg, has been on vacation and has not been contacted by GE. Also there has been no activity on the SR since my man, Greg, called on Sept 10th. I ask you again does that surprise me??? NOPE, nada, not at all. I am furious that I have been led to believe , ON THIS POST mind you, that my issue had been resolved, CLEARLY this is all my fault again, I will admit to and take blame completely. Dadgum, I should have check my SR before believing that this was taken care of. I do believe CLEARLYthere has been some disconnect with not receiving the proper information. CLEARLY they are not taking blame again for this flub up. If by some chance, someone forgot to update the SR..... I will admit to being a heel. But come ON, do we not document every dang detail every dang day of every dang thing we do, we are in the MEDICAL FIELD. CLEARLY the same rules don't apply to all of us. What is it going to take to get our issues heard we cannot keep griping about them in a CHUG post. It falls on deaf ears anyway. I appreciate all of your comments, and support, but there has to be something we can do! And by the way, how much GE is liable for (or NOT liablefor)? What happens when the wrong chart opens, again, for one of our babes, or yours, it's his name in the banner but not his medical information. What then....
toehme
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Thu 9/17/2015 2:51 PM
toehme, trust us, I think we all understand. I know that GE is not liable for anything. We are purchasing the licensing of the software, which I believe in the licensing agreement states somewhere that the software is an "as-is" for use. And they are not liable. I can build my own EMR system which will work way better than CPS, however, who will want to go for against a big name company like GE or any other company that is already established? I do feel you, so I have been investing my time building work arounds, and i have had a lot of other clinics love my products I have produced. Which is good for me, but I do believe there should be a way to make GE liable ...
acantu
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Fri 9/18/2015 7:57 AM
Have posts been disappearing??
toehme
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Fri 9/18/2015 8:24 AM
Yeah they are. Yesterday there were 15 replies, now it's at 12. I think my favorite part of the GE customer experience is tickets being closed with no resolution at all and the final update being "no contact" and then receiving a survey to fill out about our experience. I sent multiple direct emails to the name on the ticket with no response and now the ticket has been closed with no resolution.
tleonard
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Fri 9/18/2015 8:42 AM
Yes I received 3 updates to this forum after 3 PM yesterday and none of those responses are shown here. ??? Why have they been deleted and who deleted them?
bomalley
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Fri 9/18/2015 8:51 AM
Hello, The posts where not deleted on purpose. Our Web Development team made a mistake and needed to restore from a backup. Therefore all posts from 9/17 were lost. -Derrick
bovie
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Posted : September 18, 2015 12:32 pm
I would just like to say we feel everyone's pain also. We researched, demoed, and even went on site to see different EHR's before making our decision back in 2010. When we decided on Centricity, we were very excited and felt we had made the right choice for what we needed. We are a Community Health Center (FQHC), have 14 medical sites that include several specialties. We went live with PM first in 2011 and then our first medical site 2012. Let me just say, it has been a nightmare trying to work with this system. It's almost impossible to get reports or information that you need. Always "known issues" that they are working on. I was still very positive about they system until we had a new provider come on board that still had access to the system they were using at the company she came from, and I was blown away and what all it would do and how user friendly the system was. She is OB/GYN specialty, and I couldn't believe how easy her system was and how it had everything she needed on one screen. If we weren't already invested too deep in this product, we would definitely be looking for something else. Our providers, and we have 47 of them, are constantly complaining about how they hate the system. I do my best to keep them positive and soothe it over, but after 3 years, it's getting old to them. The sad part is that it could be a wonderful system if there were some improvements made, and issues fixed. We keep hoping.......
Posted : September 23, 2015 10:34 am
watkinsd, I'm curious what the software it was that your new provider was using that they loved so much. We are an OBGYN specialty as well and just haven't seen any PM/EMRs out there that are great for our specialty. In fact, I'm not sure there are any good ones out there. We have considered switching to other systems on multiple occasions, and we even did for a couple departments, but we always ran in to the same problem. You never know if the new one is any better until you've been on it for awhile, and by then it's too late.
Along those lines, has anyone seen the "2015 EHR Satisfaction Survey" from HealthcareIT News? GE got very low scores in all three categories (7th of 9 overall), so it's not just a few isolated complainer. These are definitely real problems. On the other hand, I read an article a few months ago that claimed something like 80% of all doctors surveyed "were dissatisfied with their EMR enough to consider switching." This one covered ALL EMRs. Are there no good EMR's out there?
FYI: that first survey had Epic scoring well above all the others in ever category. Anyone use Epic. I don't know anything about it.
Posted : September 24, 2015 9:56 am
I know a lot of support staff and have experiences with multiple EMRs - there are issues with all of them. The one thing that helps Epic achieve its high scores is that they mandate high staffing levels and hardware/server requirements so support is always there. Couple that with the prescribed workflows they implement (no custom forms like you see in GE) and they can ensure their upgrades are thoroughly troubleshot (they control all functionality). Finally, they are so large and expensive that they are generally only in larger enterprise locations - hospital systems buy the product and roll it out to the ambulatory world with added staffing (and consultants) to support the transition - and leadership that hammers home the message "this is good" - it's too expensive to admit it's faults so instead you get a more rosey picture.
Actually one more finally - it's new. They built it with an eye on these regulations that now drive EMR development so they didn't have to deal with a history/design that wasn't intended to serve MU/PQRS etc.
Funny enough the reasons they get such high scores are awfully similar to the reasons another high scorer - Athena - do: they are both new, they both prescribe workflow (and limit customization) and they both have high levels of support (Epic's is mandated, Athena supplies it in house).
believe me - I'm the furthest thing from a GE apologist and I have deleted multiple responses to this thread after asking myself "whats the point?" - we see a lot of what everyone else is seeing. The one thing I want to add is we've seen a 180 over the last year. My theory is GE lost a lot of staffing after the 9.5 to 9.8 debacle and the replacements are now just exacting tangible change - process, staffing and design changes take time. 9.8.10 (with it's warts) was a step in the right direction (for CEMR at least) in my humble opinion. And I'm looking forward to more.
Posted : September 25, 2015 5:49 am
Has anyone considered eclinicalworks or athena cloud emr? Tired of GE's crappy product and want to switch.
Posted : November 24, 2015 1:42 pm
What type of practice are you? Some EHRs seem more geared towards certain niches then others.
Posted : November 24, 2015 1:49 pm
Consult with support team before quitting.
Posted : September 15, 2016 11:40 pm
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