We’re In The Cloud
Ten years ago, when most electronic medical records or EMRs were built, there was a server at the facility. Users outside of the original facility, where the server resides, used a virtual private network (VPN), or something called a “Citrix Server.”
Chances are, those programs are written in old computer programming languages, like “Cobol” or “C,” and they are rigid beyond belief. One client told us their old EMR charged them $800. company to change a word on a screen.
What’s worse, programmers built those programs in a vacuum. They made the flow the way they saw it, not the way treatment centers operate. So training and use were difficult.
Enter Kipu. We were written just five years ago when the cloud was just getting popular. Our EMR was developed in something called agile development.
And, we’re written in a modern technology stack, including Ruby on Rails and dot-Net. That means changes are fast and easy. Learning to use Kipu is quick and easy. Better yet, implementing Kipu is also fast and easy. Since we’re truly in the cloud, we play well with others with quick, easy application program interfaces (APIs) to other programs like SalesForce, plus the full suite of labs, and others found at Kipu Marketplace.
We just read that the biggest EMR Company in the world launched its first agile implementation in 2014 and cut their implementation time from about two and a half years to about 16 months. That’s pretty amazing for a Big City Hospital and a thirty-something-year-old EMR vendor.
But we’re Kipu, and we’re different.
What Happens When You Don’t Use Agile Development?
Not long ago, not far away, like when all our real competitors started, programmers wrote code. Then, when the program was ready, customers were trained to use the software as the programmers intended, not as the customer works. This method causes long training and implementation time because their software isn’t intuitive, meaning that it is not easy to use. The way you work doesn’t matter; you’ll learn to work the way their software works, and that’s frustrating and time-consuming. That’s what you can expect with our competitors. It’s the result of old software that was never intended to be in the cloud.
We believe their implementations are just as backward. They come in for 10-24 months and create or implement a system that fits their software. Then they drag your staff in, kicking and screaming, and force the new system down your staff’s throat. You’ve got six figures invested, so the most you can do is insist, “It’s for your own good, learn to use this thing, and we’ll all be better off.” New staff has to go through the same time consuming and confusing learning curve. Moreover, no-one lists that old EMR on their resume, so you can forget hiring trained staff.
More often than you think, people give up and call Kipu.
Sometimes they’re 20 months and six figures into implementation, and other times, after the system is in and they discover how backward that other system is.*
Oh, and programs that were written before “the cloud” intended to be put on local servers, so they need a VPN or Citrix Server if you want to access them remotely. That’s a whole other problem. And forget access from a phone or tablet with those old clunkers.
So What is Agile Development?
As we said, we’re Kipu, and we’re different. Kipu was built over a two year period in the cloud. We began inside a CARF accredited detox facility, then move to two different Joint Commission accredited residential treatment facilities with PHP, IOP, and OP options. We worked directly with and for the actual users. That process is what agile development focuses on. It seems straight forward enough, but it’s a new and different way of thinking. Agile development produces easy to use, intuitive software with no trade-off in power, speed, or depth. Additionally, we built Kipu in the cloud in a modern programming language called Ruby on Rails, which is what Twitter was written in. That means we’re not only fast, powerful, and easy to access in our private cloud without a VPN or Citrix server, but also that our modern programming languages are easy to revise and update.
Ruby on Rails
Kipu was built using the same programming language that powers Twitter…Ruby on Rails.
As Kipu was being built, users came in and sat with our developers, right there at the detox/treatment facilities, every few days. We made it side by side with users, so when it was finished, it was easy to use, fast and intuitive. In fact, many users can sit down and use KipuEMR without training, and it’s the most listed EMR for addiction treatment you’ll find on people’s resumes.
Developing Kipu
After a year in detox (and that’s the longest anyone’s ever been in detox, LOL). We went to CARE Florida, a well-known residential treatment facility, to build out many features for treatment. Our challenge there was that many staff and therapists were in their sixties and seventies. These individuals were not so keen on going from paper to computers. The obvious goal was to build a system that older, wiser therapists would be delighted to use in an agile environment. We’re happy to report that we succeeded. Several even put off retirement because of the rejuvenated feeling and fun they got using KipuEMR.
To this day, Kipu’s developers frequently visit clients to learn how they work. Then, and only then, they will begin coding to develop updates and features. So, “agile” kind of means, “we built it with you, and we work your way. Therefore, you don’t have to adapt and work our way”.
In fact, we’ve been out at demos, and people say, “That’s so perfect, we feel like you’ve been spying on us to see how we work because KipuEMR is spot on for what we do.” We just love seeing smiles like that when we show our system to people.
Get Kipu Today
Our implementation works the same way our development process does. We’re there with your staff adapting our system to the way you work, not vice versa. We’re continually working with your team to get buy-off and involvement along the way. So when we’re ready to train, your staff has already seen it, and they’re excited to get started on the new system.
And that’s why we uniquely offer a 30 day guaranteed implementation and a money-back guarantee as part of our 5-Way Guarantee. To learn more about the benefits of our system, contact Kipu today at 561.349.5901.
*If you’re one of those, call Kipu at 561.349.5901. We have a cash for clunkers trade-in program that has paid out millions in trade in money.