AOAExcel, a subsidiary of the American Optometric Association (AOA), has—for the very first time—endorsed and made a financial investment in an eyecare electronic health records (EHR) company.
The EHR: Barti Software.
First, a refresh of AOAExcel.
As an extension of the AOA, this subsidiary provides members (optometrists [ODs] only) with exclusive resources and services to support them in advancing their clinical practice.
These benefits encompass both personal and professional services, including:
- Career center access
- Job posting openings
- Retirement planning
- Student loan guidance
- Small business credit card
- Insurance opportunities:
- Malpractice
- Group-term life
- Long-term disability
Now Barti.
The San Francisco, California-based, venture-backed software startup was launched in 2021 with a mission to simplify and provide an EHR exclusively for optometry practices.
Specifically: The company has specialized in building a “more efficient and intuitive practice management platform” that enables ODs to focus more on their patients—and less on paperwork.
- Watch: Glance President Jaclyn Garlich, OD, FAAO, spoke with Barti co-founder and CEO Colton Calandrella on what sets this software apart from other EHRs on the market.
Talk about its flagship platform.
Barti’s EHR is an all-in-one, eyecare provider (ECP)-designed platform that provides a number of features geared toward guaranteeing a seamless practice integration.
Included in the basic version of the system are the following components:
- Exam
- Flexible and auto-populated exam notes plus machine integration (for faster and simplified charting)
- Dedicated speciality templates (see next section)
- Patient communication
- Two-way, HIPPAA-compliant messaging platform for patients
- Customized, automated reminders
- Calendar
- Allows patients to view real-time availability and request appointments
- Intent: Frees up staff time for other administrative tasks
- Allows patients to view real-time availability and request appointments
- Optical and contact lens ordering
- Integrated frames and contact lens supplier system
- Intent: Maximize sales potential with frame inventory insights
- Patient notification of pending orders
- Integrated frames and contact lens supplier system
- Patient intake
- Customizable and mobile-friendly patient intake form available to patients prior to appointment
- Intent: Reduce admin work, enable faster patient check-in process, provide streamlined in-office experience
- Customizable and mobile-friendly patient intake form available to patients prior to appointment
- Billing and inventory
- Clearinghouse integration for submitting medical claims; tracks invoices and claims in one system
- Intent: Simplified invoice creation
- Clearinghouse integration for submitting medical claims; tracks invoices and claims in one system
And its unique features?
This is where Barti has made strides in offering an industry-first capability: native artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted charting for ODs via an AI scribe.
What this involves: By utilizing the AI scribe to transcribe during consultations, ECPs are able to generate accurate medical notes while maintaining their focus on the patient.
- This transcription includes the AI scribe capturing, structuring, and summarizing key information in real-time, while also filtering any relevant details in order to create a concise documentation of each appointment.
And as a result of this: In addition to enabling hands-free charting for ECPs, Barti has also noted three main areas of optimization.
Nice! And didn’t the company just roll out another industry-first component?
Indeed it did. Earlier this fall, Barti introduced its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system within the platform.
What this enables: ECPs can make/receive phone calls over the Internet and via the EHR platform.
And according to Calandrella: This new system is intended to solve “a major pain point for (ECPs)” by simplifying practices’ operations, ensuring patient information is readily accessible during calls, and boosting efficiency while reducing costs.
Anything else?
Yes! Barti also recently partnered with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) engineers to launch a second AI feature: the AI Office Copilot.
What this involves: The AI “copilot” handles routine incoming calls captured from Barti’s VoIP as well as managing appointment scheduling and sending automated text reminders.
Well, Barti certainly has a lot to offer—no wonder AOAExcel invested in it.
Right? As the subsidiary’s Chairman of the Board Sam Pierce, OD, noted, an EHR is “a vital part of the heartbeat of the practice and is a major component of how smooth the office runs on a daily basis.”
Dr. Pierce added, "We're excited to be financially invested in Barti for our profession and for our members who now have the opportunity to upgrade their practice to the cutting-edge of the profession with this powerful new technology.”
So! Do AOA members get any special benefits because of this endorsement?
While Barti is currently available to all ECPs, AOA members have an exclusive opportunity to receive a $1,500 Visa Gift Card after signing up and being live on the Barti platform for 3 months.
If interested in scheduling a demo of this system, click here.