Dr Stuart Kirkham, Orthopaedic Surgeon

When starting a specialist practice, it’s important to choose the right IT infrastructure that not only streamlines workflow and manages patient bookings, but can stand the test of time.

Bluechip, an innovative specialist practice management tool from MedicalDirector, has allowed Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Stuart Kirkham to leverage an easy to use, flexible and efficient solution to enable better patient management throughout his entire 18-year career - from start to present.

Background

An Orthopaedic Surgeon with a sub-specialty in hand and upper limb disorders, Dr Stuart Kirkham is a renowned specialist in Sydney’s North Shore and Norwest regions.

Since the start of his specialist career in 2000, he’s adopted Bluechip as his go-to practice management solution.

“In the beginning of my career, there were six or seven doctors working with me, and it was my idea to suggest using Bluechip,” Dr Kirkham said. “I had heard of Bluechip through word of mouth, and it had a good reputation, so I did my own enquiries to decide whether the solution was right for me.”

The Challenge

When Dr Kirkham started his medical practice, he wanted a medical software program that could manage appointments, invoicing, billing and correspondence – all in one easy to use solution.

“Bluechip was able to do all of those things, and it ticked all the boxes for me. Plus the interface was so easy to use. So, I decided to choose Bluechip as my practice management solution - and I’ve been using it ever since.”

Once implementing the software, Dr Kirkham realised that set up, training and support was very smooth, as the software was user-friendly. Continuing to use Bluechip over time has also been fuss-free, as Bluechip has been easy for his staff to use.

“Implementation at the time was very smooth, there was a fair amount of instruction offered, but after a few months we didn’t actually need any additional help,” Dr Kirkham added. “The secretaries and staff could easily understand how to use it without assistance. In fact, over the last 18 years of using Bluechip, I’ve hardly had to ring MedicalDirector for support – even though unlimited support is provided. And should the need arise, I know I always get prompt, reliable service and attention.”

The Solution

Once implementing Bluechip as his practice management solution, Dr Kirkham found there were a lot of everyday specialist workflow challenges Bluechip addressed, like effectively managing patient flow for the day.

“I can see who has arrived in the waiting room through Bluechip, and I can see how many patients are waiting to see me without having to get up from my desk. This is really helpful for me because if I am going overtime with a patient, the software helps me see whether I am holding up other patients.”

Another great benefit Dr Kirkham found is information accessibility. He could log into Bluechip at his desk, while his staff can log in at another desk, and everyone can access the same information at the same time, in a secure environment.

“I would recommend Bluechip to specialists because it can handle all of your practice needs, including invoicing, correspondence and appointments,” Dr Kirkham said. “And with everything colour-coded, I can see at a glance how many appointments I have in a week. I can also quickly see how many surgeries, post-op patients, how many follow-up patients are seeing me versus new patients – and all of this is easily categorised.”