Ontario – Toronto GTA – Richmond Hill
Corporation
www.anl.com
Ontario
Toronto GTA
Richmond Hill
Corporation
active
A - L Computer Software Limited has been in the computer software business since 1982. With the release of the A - L Medical System in 1985, A - L started directing its product line toward the medical market in Ontario, more specifically to medical offices and clinics. A - L has worked closely with the Ontario Medical Association, medical laboratories and the Ontario Ministry of Health to ensure that its software applications align well to the specific needs of its clients. A - L's president, Alex Yuan was granted the 1995 Entrepreneur Of The Year award from the Town of Richmond Hill, Ontario. In 1998 he also received the Entrepreneur Of The Year award from the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs and the Outstanding Business Achievement Award from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. In 1994, A - L released its document imaging program, A - L Document Console, expanding its potential client base beyond the medical community (and beyond Ontario) to include a variety of business venues. This software product allows all documents, whether they be text, photographs, charts, etc., to be stored and indexed on computer databases for immediate access. This can allow a business to run a virtually paperless office and to electronically route all documents anywhere in the world. Please make sure to visit often to keep up with our latest developments.
A - L has achieved a high level of success in its position as a leader in the development of medical software, a position on which A - L continues to build. A - L will continue to provide timely and cost effective leading edge solutions, not only to the medical community, but to the business community as a whole. Through the on-going development of its document imaging package A - L has expanded its client base, delivering high quality software to the global community. The A - L team is here to serve you in any way we can.
Country of Ownership: Canada
Year Established: 1982
Exporting: Yes
Primary Industry (NAICS): 541510 - Computer Systems Design and Related Services
Primary Business Activity: Services
Total Sales ($CDN): $1,000,000 to $4,999,999
Number of Employees: 9
Services:
Telehealth
Products:
Medical systems, A - l document console
Sector:
Success Stories: Our Paperless Office
By Rose Kung, M.D., FRCSC
For more than three years we have enjoyed the luxury of having an office with no filing cabinets bulging with patient charts, files and documents. Yet we still have all patient information at our fingertips – or more accurately, at just a few clicks of our computer mouse.
Thanks to A - L Computer Software Limited€™s program, Document Console, we are able to keep all of our patient information files stored safely and securely in an electronic database on our office personal computer.
I operate a busy ob/gyn practice at Women€™s College Hospital in Toronto. As my practice grew, the storage and retrieval of patient charts along with all the associated examination documents became a burdensome task, not to mention the cost of filing cabinets, file folders and my assistant€™s time taken to access and file the relevant material for each patient€™s visit.
Also, it was not uncommon for an occasional document to be misplaced or misfiled, resulting in additional time being needed to locate the missing material.
Since we were already using computers in the office to handle such administrative tasks as our billing procedures I began to consider whether a computer could also be used to speed up the process of storing, accessing and archiving all data in our patient files. When discussing this with our software vendor, A - L Computer Software Limited, they informed me that they had recently finished developing a document imaging program which would allow us to scan into our computer all of our hard copy documents, charts and even photographs. Once scanned, they could be accessed at any time for review, addition of further documentation or even printing, should another hard copy ever be required. Thus, we were introduced to A - L€™s Document Console.
However, if we were to make any changes to our procedures it was necessary to ensure that there would be no adverse effects on the quality of patient care we provide, and that there would also be an improvement in the operational efficiency of our office. On looking back at our decision to implement the new software I realize we had no guarantees that either of the above criteria would be satisfied. We had, however, achieved both of these objectives upon adopting A - L€™s medical billing system several years before, and it was because of this experience that we decided to go ahead with the implementation of their new document imaging software.
It has since proven to be a good decision. Our office efficiency has improved and there have been no adverse effects on patient care. In addition, I am happy to say that a further important benefit has been an improvement financially. For the number of patients I service, I would need two large filing cabinets to store their charts and documents in the traditional manner. With the document imaging system I have no need for filing cabinets. I also save costly floor space. Likewise, there are no hanging files or file folders to purchase. The cost saving thus realized paid for the A - L Document Console software.
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My assistant has conservatively estimated that it used to take an average of from two to three minutes to locate, retrieve and refile each patient€™s file for every appointment using the old manual method. Bringing the information up on the computer takes just seconds. Instead of having to store hard copy documents, with the document imaging software they can easily be scanned into our database and later destroyed. With the new system this process takes my assistant about one hour each week thus freeing up more of her time to attend to other administrative duties.
I can understand a physician€™s reluctance to destroy hard copy patient documents. I also experienced this trepidation. But over a period of time, the reliability of the system convinced me that it was no longer necessary to save them. After all, this would defeat the purpose of having the system in the first place. Of course, our database is backed up every day by the hospital€™s Information Technology department; so if something does happen to our computer system we always have a copy of our files from which the database can be easily recreated. Now our hard copy documents are regularly sent for shredding every two weeks or so.
For new patients visiting for the first time it is a simple procedure for my assistant to create a new chart record. Once established, any documents pertaining to that patient can be scanned into the computer and attached to their chart. For my daily appointments there is no need for my assistant to pull any of the patients€™ files and stack them on my desk. During the consultation I simply pull up their file on my computer, giving me instant access to all the information from previous appointments.
With the latest version of Document Console, any notes I make during the consultation can be keyed into the patient€™s file immediately. Likewise, any letters written to or about the patient using a word processing package can be imported electronically by Document Console and attached to the patient€™s file.
As test results come back to the office they, too, can be scanned into the appropriate patient€™s file. They are thus accessible for my reference, or for my assistant to access whenever the patient calls in for them or for any other information concerning their treatment. My nurse also has convenient access to patient information at any time, as do the hospital residents.
A further benefit the system provides is the capability to access patient profiles from home. It is therefore possible to work from home without having to take patient charts and documents away from the office. This avoids the risk of losing or misplacing patient information, or accidentally leaving a chart at home (or even worse, at the cottage), a situation that I am sure many p
Hum Harry
Yuan Alexander
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