The search algorithm for partial names works differently than the Medical Manager getPat() (patient search) routine. With getPat(), if you type "WIL", it will find any name from WIL and on alphabetically (i.e. it will also find "WYMAN" and "ZORBAT"). AnyMPI will only find names that begin with the letters specified (i.e. "WILLIAMS" and "WILLARD"). This is a preferred method for most situations.

Once you select search criteria, the system will scan all datasets for matching patients. This will typically take only a few seconds or less per dataset. It will then display the consolidated list. You can Page Up/Down through the list, Jump to the Beginning/End or any line in between, select a sort order (i.e. by Name, Dataset, Doctor #, Birth Date, etc), select a style (the information about each patient to show), or further refine your search criteria to filter the names better. You can also view any line to see full address information and more detailed demographics on any patient.

A copy utility allows you to copy demographic information from one dataset to another. It will copy Guarantor, Dependent, Insurance, Comment and Extended screens. It "zeros" out all financial and non-relevant fields (example: it sets the patient status to "1", since statuses may not be the same between datasets).

Technical Notes:

• By default, AnyMPI supports up to 20 datasets, and up to 50 matching records per dataset per search. These settings can be changed to virtually any desired values through an install parameter.
• Datasets must be located on the same "virtual" system. That is, all datasets must be accessible to the AnyMPI script as directories. If systems are independent and not connected via a live network, a more complex version of AnyMPI will be required with batch update and transmission features (extra fee).
• Due to limitations of the Data Merge language, indexes must be located in the same directory as the corresponding datafiles. Example: patfile.ndx must be in the same directory as patfile.dat for all datasets to be searched. For best results, each dataset should occupy only one directory (all data files and indexes in the same directory).
• User-definable criteria: default sorting order, default style, names and locations of datasets, location of temporary files.

Reporting:

A variation of the AnyReport writer is available, offering all the features of AnyReport PLUS adding "Dataset" as a Selection and break/subtotaling field. It will then search all datasets for data. Example: Show a monthly total for charges, payments, adjustments; within each month show a subtotal by dataset. All other selection/breakdown fields are available, but care must be used for fields that have different values between datasets. Example: It is probably safe to ask for a breakdown by CPT© code for all datasets, since all datasets use CPT© codes. However, to ask for a breakdown by Insurance Plan (i.e. Medicare, Blue Cross) may cause problems if Medicare is Plan #1 in dataset #1, but plan #5 in Dataset #2. Translation Tables can be used to compensate for these issues, if necessary. Alternatively, the optional GlobalSync utility can be used to maintain support files from a central dataset and keep them synchronized.

An option available with AnyMPI is the GlobalSync Support File Maintenance utility. The purpose of this utility is to allow the practice to maintain a single “master” set of support files; these support files are then automatically copied to other datasets. The available support files are Procedure Code, Diagnosis Code, Facility, Insurance Plan (and Carrier), and Referring Doctor.

One of the datasets is designated as the “master”; all changes are made only to that dataset. When a change is made, an “interface point” detects the change, and propagates the change to all other datasets. In the case of an Add, the record is added to the other datasets. In the case of a change, the changes are propagated. Most importantly, certain fields, such as the use counters and accumulators, are “protected” during the copy process from being overwritten by changes.

Use of this utility simplifies system administration, and enhances the use of AnyMPI by allowing the copy of related insurance plans and referring doctors easily from one dataset to another (since the numbers are consistent).

Note that the global utility cannot automatically handle all issues. For instance, if there are differences between insurance plan contracts from one practice to another, those different profiles will need to be set up individually. This also affects the fees/profiles recorded in each charge, if global procedure maintenance is used.

Theoretically, all datasets may be used for global maintenance if they are all set up for it, but the practice must be careful not to update the support files on two different datasets simultaneously.

This optional anyMPI module allows a practice to generate consolidated statements for a particular guarantor across multiple datasets. As a bonus, it even allows consolidated statements of multiple Medical Manager accounts within a single dataset. With this module, statements can be run from one dataset for ALL datasets. When an account is encountered with multiple accounts in the same or other datasets, it prints a separate page for each dataset (to ensure there is no legal or financial confusion) with a summary totals page at the end of the account. Far more sophisticated statement features are available then are standard in the Medical Manager, including statement date/amt logging (every statement, not just the last), undo statement run (reset to prior statement date/amt), and powerful formatting options including advanced laser printer features such as boldface, italic, shading.

Note: AnyMPI/Statements is a CONCEPT; not currently a product.

This optional anyMPI module allows posting of standard patient payments from a single dataset to patient accounts in any dataset. It is specifically designed for streamlined patient payments, and therefore only has fields for Payment Amount and Method (Check, Credit Card, etc). An account is selected using the anyMPI selection screen. Then the payment information is entered. AnyMPI/Payment will apply the payment from the oldest patient-responsible charge to the newest, until the payment is used up. If there is more than one account linked to the selected account (i.e. for purposes of anyMPI/Statement), the payment will be applied across ALL accounts of the selected patient from oldest charge to newest. This should streamline the vast majority of patient payments. For payments that do not fit this standard scenario, the standard payment posting procedures would be followed (manually applying the payment in the correct dataset).

Note: AnyMPI/Payments is a CONCEPT; not currently a product.