Frequently Asked Questions

Index:
General (All Users)

Administrators

Physicians

Billers


Q: 
How can I contact Ingenious Med Technical Support?
A:
  You may reach Tech Support by phone toll-free at 
866-362-8578, by email at [email protected], or by clicking here to send a message online.  It is important to contact the support department through these common channels each time you communicate with them.  Sending an email directly to an individual's address or leaving a phone message on a specific individual's voice mail may cause a delay in response if that individual is not available for any reason (vacation, illness, other time demands, etc.).  These common communication gateways will be monitored by several members of the IM Support team, and someone can respond to your situation without delay under most circumstances.   Telephone is the preferred mode of contact for urgent problems (especially outside of normal business hours).  Our technical support phone line is staffed 24/7, and we strive for a minimum call back time for emergency situations.
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Q:  I can't log in.  What should I do?
A:  There are many possible causes for login troubles.  We have created a separate page with details related to the most common issues.  Please click here to visit our "Problems Logging In" page for more information related to your specific problem.
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Q:  I can't find a patient in the current patient list.  Where could they be?
A:  Patients may have been moved to another Team, to the Holding Bin, or to the Archive.  To see the entire list of active patients available to you, make sure your Site selector says "List all Sites" and the Team selector says "All Current Patients".  If the patient has been moved to the Holding Bin, change the Team selector to "Holding Bin" to see them.  If they have been moved to the Archive, choose the "Chart Rack" tab at the top of the application and use the date and/or name fields to search for your patient.  It is also possible the patient is still in the active patient list, but has been reassigned to a team for which you do not have permissions to view patient information (in which case your administrator should be able to assist you).
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Q:  How do I control which site defaults for me?
A:  Go to the "Settings" tab and adjust the value to the appropriate site.
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Q:  I can't find the diagnosis I need in the list.  How can I search for it?
A:  Click on the magnifying glass icon to the right of the Dx field to open the search window.  You may search on whole or partial words, as well as whole or partial codes.  Once found in the search tool, you will have the option of adding the code to the favorites list for easier access in the future if your administrator has allowed that option for your group.
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Q:  How do I delete a bill?
A:  In the Web Edition, you can click on the "trash can" icon to the left of the bill on the "BILLS" tab.  On the PDA, you would highlight the bill on the "Bills" tab and click the "Delete" button.
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Q:  How can I edit a bill after it has been entered?
A:  In the Web Edition, clicking on any field of the bill on the "BILLS" tab will open the bill and allow edits with a few restrictions.  If the bill has already been sent to your billing company (has a "Y" in the "Sent" column), editing is not allowed.  If your administrator has not chosen to allow MDs to edit each other's bills, you will only be able to edit your own unsent bills.  On the PDA, select the "Bills" tab and click the "View" button to review and edit the bill.
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Q:  How can I bill an observation follow-up?
A:  In most cases, a patient who stays at the facility long enough to need a follow-up bill has been admitted.  If they were initially billed with an observation H&P, the user can simply go back to that bill and edit the type to an inpatient H&P (then continue billing with inpatient codes from that point).  If the facility regularly allows observation patients to remain for extended periods of time, the administrator may go to the "Settings" tab, select the "Administrator Information" tab, and check the "Allow Obs F/U" setting.  When that setting is on, follow-up codes will be available on the New Bill and Edit Bill windows when the "Observe" bill type is selected.
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Q:  Can I use IM Practice Manager on my Mac?
A:  IM Practice Manager is only supported on Microsoft Windows operating systems.  However, there are utilities available that will allow Mac users to emulate Windows functionality and run some Windows-based applications.  There are three options currently available to accomplish this:
  1. Use Apple's free Boot Camp software (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/bootcamp.html) to change between Mac and Windows operating systems. Keep in mind you must reboot your computer to change between Mac and Windows operating systems with this utility.
  2. Buy the Parallels aftermarket application (around $80 at the time of this posting - http://www.parallels.com/) that will allow you to change between Mac and Windows OS without rebooting.
  3. Run another Windows Emulator on your Mac (http://www.macwindows.com/emulator.html).  Keep in mind that free emulators may not have the same feature set or reliability as utilities distributed by Apple or developed for a fee by reputable companies.
NOTE:  Though it may be possible to run IM Practice Manager on Apple computers using a separate Windows partition or an emulator, it is important to understand that performance under those circumstances has neither been verified nor can it be supported by Ingenious Med.  We cannot assist you in installing, configuring, or updating any such utilities, and performance or display quirks endemic to any adapter's interpretation of the IM Practice Manager application will not be addressed by our regular software updates.  You may need to purchase a licensed version of Windows OS (XP or Vista) in order to enable the Windows functionality within these utilities.
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Q:  Can I use IM Practice Manager with non-Microsoft browsers such as Firefox or Safari?
A:  IM Practice Manager is only compatible with IE 6.0 and 7.0.  Other browsers (Opera, Firefox, etc.) or beta versions of newer Microsoft browsers are not supported.  Users installing alternative browsers for other purposes should still use IE 6.0 or 7.0 for IM Practice Manager.
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Q:  The system is responding slowly.  Why is that?
A:  There are several possible reasons for slow system response.  Only a limited number of those circumstances are within the control of Ingenious Med.  We have created a separate page describing how various factors may affect system response.  Please click here to visit our "System Response Speeds" page for more information related to this issue.  Regardless of the suspected reason, it is helpful to report slow system response to IM Technical Support whenever you experience it, since recognizing patterns in the experience often contributes significantly to determining the underlying cause.
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Q:  How do I reinstall the application on my PDA (PPC or Palm)?
A: 
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Q:  How can I change my password?
A:  Select the "System Tools" tab at the top of the application and click on the "Change Password" link.  Keep in mind your administrator may have imposed certain restrictions on what constitutes a valid password (regarding length, special characters or case mixes required, etc.).  Please consult with your administrator if you are not familiar with your organization's password requirements.
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Q:  Can I create my own favorites list for diagnoses?
A:  The Dx favorites list is a single list shared by everyone logging in under the same Group Name.  Changes made to the list by any user will be seen by all users from that Group.
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Q:  If I put Notes in the CrossCover area for a patient, will they be visible to all users, or just to me?
A:  Any information placed in the Cross Cover area for a patient will be visible to all users with permissions to view that patient's medical records.
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Q:  What can I do if there are more than 6 Dxs for the patient?
A:  The application allows linking of up to 4 diagnoses to any particular charge.  The Dx list allows for entry of up to 6 total diagnoses to allow flexibility in choosing which ones to link for various bills.  If more than 6 diagnoses apply to the patient, the 6 most important should usually be listed.  That list can be edited as the importance of the patient's diagnoses change over time.  If you need to delete a minor Dx to make room for a more important one in that list, it will not affect previous bills linked to the removed Dx.
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Q:  Can I just duplicate a charge if the CPT and Dx linking are the same?
A:  No, users will always need to click the "New Bill" button, create a new charge, and link the appropriate diagnoses daily.
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Q:  Can I create a "bundle" to simplify the entry of several charges routinely billed together?
A:  Yes.  Given the appropriate details (charges, modifiers, etc.), administrators can use the Master CPT Editor (on the "System Tools" tab) to create and name a bundle.  Charges added by a single bundle will still appear as separate and distinct charges on the billing reports, and all charges billed via a single bundle will automatically be linked identically to the selected Dx(s).
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Q:  Can I use IM Practice Manager to automatically report quality of care data to Medicare?
A:  Ingenious Med has a fully integrated IM Quality Measures module that can be activated for groups upon request.  The module contains a list of quality measures, any subset of which may be activated depending upon the group's area(s) of interest.  In addition to storing quality of care data, the module facilitates participation in current Medicare reporting initiatives such as PQRI.  Please click here for more details on the IM Quality Measures module and how it can help your practice.
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Q:  How can I request new/additional licenses for our group?
A:   Click here and fill out the online license request form.  Someone from the Ingenious Med will be in touch shortly after you submit the form to complete the process.
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Q:  How can I update our groups account information?
A:   We appreciate all of our clients keeping their account information current.  Please click here to update your group’s account information, including changes to contact information, new staff members who will be communicating with IM, changes of address for invoicing purposes, etc.
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Q:  How can I submit a payment to Ingenious Med?
A:  Online payment by credit card is not yet available.  Credit card payments may still be made over the phone.  Payments by check should be made payable to "Ingenious Med" and mailed to:
Ingenious Med
5660 New Northside Drive
Suite
600

Atlanta
, GA 30328

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Q:  Where can I learn about product add-ons or integrations for IM Practice Manager?
A:  Click here to complete a short request form to receive information on product add-ons and/or integration options for your group
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Q:  How can I inactivate a user in IM Practice Manager?
A:  While logged into IM Practice Manager with Administrative permissions, select the "System Tools" tab.  Under the "Users" header, click the "Edit Users" link.  Find the user of interest in the list, then click the checkbox in the "Active" column (to the far left of the user entry) to remove the check mark.  Users with check marks are active, and users without check marks are inactive.  Inactivating licensed users during an extended absence can allow the creation of a replacement user during their absence without the need to request an additional license during that time.
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Q:  Can I include patient identifying information in an email to Tech Support?
A:  No.  Email is not a secure messaging system.  Sending identifiable patient information via an unencrypted email leaves it vulnerable to interception by sufficiently skilled individuals for whom it is not intended, and is a violation of HIPAA regulations.  If you must specify a particular patient in order to communicate details related to a problem via email,  simply giving the site, team, and the first 2-3 letters of the patient's first and last name should be sufficient for IM Support personnel to identify the patient to whom you're refering.
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Q:  How can I suggest new features or functions I'd like to see added?
A:  Click here to send a message to Technical Support online.  You can use that form to describe your idea and explain how it could improve the way IM Practice Manager serves your needs.
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Q:  How can I find out what's happening with my suggestion for a new feature?
A:  Click here to see the current list of enhancement requests.  This list is also available via direct link on the main IM Support page ("Enhancement Requests").  While we certainly value the input and feedback from our clients, not every request received can be integrated into the application.  Our development team will review the requests and prioritize them according to both the degree of benefit afforded and the number of clients to whom the feature might apply.  That said, just because a request remains on the list for an extended period of time, that does not mean it will never be incorporated into the product.
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Q:  How can I find out if there is a work-around for a new problem I encounter?
A:  Click here to see the current list of known issues.  This list is also available via direct link on the main IM Support page ("Known Issues").  Whenever possible, workaround information will be also available in this list for problems that can be bypassed via an alternate method of execution prior to the release of a fix. You can certainly still alert IM Tech Support to the fact you're experiencing an issue, even if it is already listed in the "Known Issues" display, since an accurate assessment of how many clients are being affected by any given issue can often help us prioritize the fix appropriately.   
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Q:  Why won't some of my patients archive?
A:  In most cases, this is caused by the patient having at least one bill that is still not marked as "Sent".  If you cannot find such a bill, or cannot archive your patient after marking such a bill "Sent", please contact IM Technical Support for assistance.
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Q:  How can I print a billing summary if I didn't print it before moving the patient to the Chart Rack?
A:  Select the Chart Rack tab in IM Practice Manager, find the patient, and use the "Print Bill" button to print the billing summary.
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Q:  I marked charges as sent, but was not able to print them.  What should I do?
A:  Contact IM Technical Support 
so we can work with you to see what might be resetored.  
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Q:  What PDA devices are compatible with IM Practice Manager?
A:  Below is a summary of the system requirements for PDAs to run IM Practice Manager.

Palm:
PDA running PalmOS version 4.0 or higher
650kb of free memory
Palm Desktop version 3.1 or higher

Pocket PC:
PDA running Windows Mobile 2003 or higher
vertical rectangular touchscreen (e.g. does not include Treo 700w which has a square screen)
40MB of free memory
200 MHz processor minimum (400 MHz or higher recommended)
Note: Pocket PC does not require a cradle, and can sync from anywhere a wireless connection is available.

Blackberry/Smart Phone: 
These devices are not supported.
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Q:  How can I create a shortcut to the IM Practice Manager application?
A:  If you simply want to creat a bookmark in Internet Explorer for the application website (using the IE "Add To Favorites" function), the most important aspect is including nothing in the URL except https://secure.imbills.com  
(no version information or specific page names should be included after the "imbills.com").  Once you have logged into the application and logged out (or timed out), you may return to the login page, but the URL in that scenario may also contain version specific information, and bookmarking the login page with that version specific information included will eventually cause login failures once your group has moves to a different version (or sooner if you share computers with another group that uses a different version).

If you want to create a stand-alone shortcut to Practice Manager (e.g. so it can be accessed directly from the desktop with no bookmark needed), that is possible as well.  The easiest way to create the shortcut is detailed here:

  1. Right click on the existing shortcut you use to open Internet Explorer and choose "Copy".
  2. Put your cursor on the desktop, right click, and choose "Paste".
  3. Right click the new shortcut you just created and select "Properties".
  4. On the "Shortcut" tab, the "Target" field will have something resembling this: "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE".  Put your cursor in that box, move it to the last position (just after the last quotation mark), type one blank space, then "https://secure.imbills.com" (including the quotation marks), then click "OK".
  5. Right click on the new shortcut, choose "Rename", and type in a new name for the shortcut if you like.
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Q:  What should I do when I get a notification my license is due for renewal?
A:  An alert will appear upon login a short time before your license is due for renewal.  If you are a general user, notifying your administrator when you see this alert is usually sufficient to ensure the issue is addressed.  If you are an administrator, contact your Account Manager at 404-815-0862 to arrange for your license renewals.
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Q:  What types of billing errors will the system identify?
A:  The standard billing error detection system in IM Practice Manager will immediately alert users via the chat system when they enter a potentially erroneous bill.  The list of current suspected errors is also available to physicians by clicking the "My Billing Errors" button at the top of the application window
(the button only appears if suspected errors exist).  The situations detected as potential errors include:
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Q:  
Why are my recent billing report totals different from past figures?
A:  The billing data is extremely well protected against loss, and any perceptions of loss are usually the result of changes to system parameters that affect the way filters are applied to the data during the generation of reports.  The following actions typically result in (unexpected) alterations to billing report totals:
If you have made such adjustments to your system and need to retrieve the bills that were removed from your reports as a result, please contact Technical Support for assistance.

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Q:  How can I find out more about PQRI and how IM Practice Manager can enable my group to participate?
A:  Please click here to visit our Quality Measures Overview page for an explanation of how IM Practice Manager's integrated IM Quality Measures™ module can simplify PQRI participation for your group.

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Q:  
How can I get my participation reports from CMS for previous PQRI reporting periods?
A:  Please click here to review instructions from CMS on retrieving your participation reports.

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Q:  How do I add new users in the system?
A:  
Administrators have the ability to add new users.  Please click here to see detailed instructions for adding users.

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Q:  
How do user permission levels affect access to functions within the system?
A:  The functions and displays available within the applicaiton vary according to the permission category of the user.  Please click here to see how permission categories relate to system access.

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