Five questions with drchrono co-founder Daniel Kivatinos

It's been a busy few months for cloud EHR providers drchrono. 

Back in December 2016, the company announced the release of their new patient check-in app Kiosk, alongside announcing thir involvement in Apple's Mobility Partner Program. 

At the time, COO and cofounder Daniel Kivatinos was excited about formalizing "something we've been trying to facilitate as a company from the start...we invested heavily in iOS before becoming formal partners with Apple."

We caught up with Daniel to see how things were progressing six months down the line.

KB: You announced the launch of your patiet self check-in app Kiosk in December 2016. Have you had any feedback from practices yet?

DK: In an age where everything is digital, we are still handed paper forms to fill out in the waiting room. Have you ever been to your doctor and given the same exact form as last time? And you have to fill out all the same information again? This happens to everyone on a regular basis.

We are trying to remove paper from the patient check-in experience. You don’t have to fill out the information several times because your information is already saved. We allow a provider to bring up the forms that are needed and customized for the practice. Patients can take a profile photo, fill out their insurance information and the front desk staff instantly knows the patient is there and checked in.

We have two modes for our iPad Patient Check-in app. Mode one is where the staff gives the iPad to the patient and the other mode is called “Kiosk.” In this mode, the staff can set the iPad into Kiosk mode and leave it on a stand someplace for patients to log in.

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We’ve received a lot of great feedback from providers. First, we have a number of practices rolling out Kiosk. Providing a clipboard is a thing of the past and part of our vision is to fully remove paper from the medical practice. 

Here is a great Instagram photo that one of our providers shared of Kiosk mode in action - the Instagram post mentions “We are 99% paperless and use tech tools like iPads and online charting. Plus we can quickly email you information handouts, receipts, and appointment reminders to save paper."

What initially attracted you to being part of the Apple mobility partner program (MPP)?

We envision a future where patients and doctors can do everything related to healthcare directly from an iOS device. We’ve been focusing on our vision of mobile healthcare since the iPad came out in April 2010 and have been executing on that vision of the future ever since. It was a natural fit for drchrono,

How have you found involvement so far? Have there been any noticeable benefits in the short term?

Being in the MPP has been amazing and Apple is a supportive partner.

iOS and the hardware that comes out from Apple is a natural amalgamation and complement to what we are doing. Apple is always on the forefront of technology, creating an experience unlike any other technology company out there. Everything works right out of the box without an instruction manual.

Layering medical records and enterprise features for physicians on top of what Apple offers is an unparalleled experience. Part of the reason we get thousands of physicians leveraging drchrono plus Apple is for that better experience.

How do you think mobile technology's role in healthcare will evolve over the next decade? 

There is a renaissance happening all around us in healthcare. From companies like 23andme doing DNA genetic testing and analysis, Grail looking deeply at cancer to wearable companies like Eko Devices with its wearable Bluetooth-connected Stethoscope to name a few. 

We are in the early days of the mobile medical record - do you recall when the Mac and PC came out? It feels a bit like that now because we are pushing the boundaries of what a medical record can be.

We look at drchrono as a medical hub for doctors to bring data from all sources together where the relevant data will be apparent with a few taps on their iPad or iPhone.

How do you think EHR providers can best adapt to advances in mobile technology to keep up with patient demands? 

Here are a few tips for providers. First, make sure you are on a cloud-based EHR. The mobile technology space moves fast and without the cloud, many

EHRs are falling behind. At drchrono we push change after change, moving as fast as new technology comes out.

Second, a great option is to lease hardware. If you are leasing every year or two years your hardware will be upgraded.