Speaker: Dr. Victoria Falcone, Physician/Owner, The Falcone Center
During your implementation, what aspects did you find particularly intuitive or user-friendly during the setup phase?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: During Symplast implementation, we were able to go from watching the videos to using the software within about two weeks. Part of what made that easy is that the software is very user friendly. We could easily start taking photos and immediately putting them into patient charts instead of having to bring them to the front and having someone download the photos. Um It was very easy for us to start getting our lab work and um putting it into patient charts. The process of uploading our templates that we had in our previous software was really just a, a cut and paste. It was very easy. We didn't need a lot of support from Symplast. Once we used, learned how to use the software, we actually uh implemented it very quickly.
Were there moments where you felt especially grateful to have a project manager assisting you?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: We were so lucky to have a project manager with us the entire way of putting this software into place. Symplast is pretty user friendly. But when we needed somebody to help us, we knew who to go to, not just our project manager, but we had a team behind us that we could consult and they helped us to understand next steps and to help organize the entire process. So it went very smoothly.
Did your perspectives on aesthetic workflows evolve as you went through the setup and implementation process?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: Our perspective on aesthetic workflows completely changed from the setup process into the implementation process. And it was all for the good. We never had a workflow through our computer system before our last uh electronic health record didn't allow for that. But the plus software completely changed the way my office is running, we're actually way more organized. There's a lot less running around. Everyone can see where all the patients are within the process where they are in terms of even the payment process because we were able to customize all aspects of what we were doing. And when we decided we wanted to make a change, the software allows you to make a change very quickly and easily.
How did Symplast's flexibility impact those views?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: The flexibility of the Symplast software is fantastic. It makes it possible for you to experiment and then make changes within minutes or hours. So once you understand how the software works, you can constantly adjust it without having to consult. Symplast.
Could you share the perspectives of your team members regarding the implementation process?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: My team did very well in implementing the Symplast software. I think one reason is because I incentivized them to watch all the videos. Basically, I gave each staff member a bonus to watch the videos because I knew how important that would be to our implementation. It does take time to watch the videos. But I don't think you can properly utilize the software with uh without understanding all that it can do. And once you do understand the full depth of the Symplast software, your entire practice will run more efficiently.
How did your team's experiences and feelings compare to your own?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: When I first told my team that I wanted to bring on a new electronic health record, they were not thrilled. The reason being is that it's just a lot of work. But then I started explaining to them the features of Symplast, the ability to online schedule the patient app. The way the photos were taken, the ability for us to improve our patient flow, which was not electronic at the time and caused a lot of running around. So I tried to sell them on the features. I'd already made the decision, but it was a matter of getting everybody on board.
Were there any best practices shared by Symplast that you've found valuable and wish to adopt in your own practice?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: The Symplast training team is a well oiled machine. At least they were, when I was implementing my software, we had people who were obviously very knowledgeable about the software and also this type of medical practice. Um cosmetic medical practice. I also do some other things with hormones and integrated medicine and they were able to guide us in how to set up our software and how to set up our practice. And it really worked out very, very well.
Overall, how would you rate the robustness and intuitiveness of Symplast's features during your setup process?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: Symplast is a really robust and intuitive software. I am not a computer savvy person at all. I I get by basically. And one of my concerns in changing electronic health records was my personal ability to make this change without completely slowing down my workflow. Uh It was, I was very worried about that because I have a busy practice and every minute counts. But I have to say that I was really impressed how quickly we could adapt and learn the software.
For other practices contemplating becoming a part of the Symplast family, what advice or insights would you offer based on your experience?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: If you're considering using Symplast, I would highly recommend it. I found all of the staff members to be really, really nice, really excited about us using the software and being successful. We've scheduled calls and we've had trainings and every interaction has actually been very pleasant. And that's a good part of the process. You want to have people that you can call and rely on and people are really knowledgeable. I mean, they know how this type of practice works. I have an aesthetic practice. We also do some hormone diet, other things like that. And my practice is fairly complicated, but they seem to just know how to set things up correctly. They seem to know, um you know, if I had a problem or issue, they would either give me the answer or, you know, figure out the answer and get back to me. I even asked for some things to be a little bit customized and it seemed like it, it really wasn't a problem and I really appreciated that
What message would you like to share with your peers in the industry about the significance of a smooth and comprehensive implementation?
Dr. Victoria Falcone: When deciding on electronic health record, a huge consideration is a smooth and comprehensive implementation, even if you aren't switching electronic health records. And this is your first time picking a software, you wanna have a team that's knowledgeable, supportive. They don't just know the software but they understand the industry and how your software may need to be set up. It's you're gonna find that all with the Symplast team, I can only say to you that this is an excellent choice for your medical practice. I have uh an aesthetic and cosmetic surgery practice and we do many different things in my office, but this software is robust enough to handle all that we needed to do.
