Your success -

"We hit 100 patients today. This is an all-time record for our agency.  Our ADC over the past 6 months has also been higher than our ADC for any time in the past 3 years.

That we’ve been able to success- fully and simply switch medical record systems during this time is also a compliment to you and your team.

Thanks for a great product, and for working so hard to help us."

Charles, Michigan
 

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Table of contents
  • How much does it cost?
  • What is included in the Accounts Receivable Management service?
  • What is included in the Back Office Management service?
  • How does it work?
  • Who created this software package?
  • Is this software HIPAA compliant?
  • What are the primary features of this software?
  • What patient information tracking is performed?
  • What clinical charting is available?
  • What should we expect for cost of hardware - or - what are our options for hardware?
  • Can you supply a Reference List of Clients?
  • Can the Software be started with a minimal amount of employees or a single team and then
         increased as needed or able?
  • Can your software support Medicare Claims/Billing?
  • Can your software support Medicaid Claims/Billing and Room and Board?
  • Does this software support Private Insurance Claims/Billing?
  • How does the software comply with the electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI)
         requirements?
  • How are your Servers set up?
  • What are the Security Measures in place with your software/hardware?
  • What is the “typical” configuration of your Server boxes as shown in the above Diagram?
  • Do you offer software support?
  • How often are Software Updates released and what is the process for deploying these updates?
  • Do you offer the capability to convert my existing software database into your system?
  • What Training is supplied with the purchase of the software?


    How much does it cost?
    More importantly, we like to tell you what it DOESN’T cost:
    • No License Fees
    • No Maintenance Fees
    • No Training Fees
    • No Support Costs
    • No Per User/Seat Fees
    Our software application is actually a "subscription service" that is billed on a monthly basis like your telephone bill. The Rate for the Software subscription is simply a % of Monthly Revenue. We also offer two “turn-key” Service-oriented packages, which include the use of the software: 1. Accounts Receivable Management 2. Back Office Management – for details on these, please see below. Please call us for specific pricing.
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    What is included in the Accounts Receivable Management service?
    Our A/R Management service includes all of the features of the Software plus the following functions get performed by our team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals, with built-in redundancy in case of absence, vacations, sickness, etc: Complete Billing functions, Payments Postings, Intervention and resolution to “troubled” claims, Weekly Cash reports, Monthly A/R summary reporting, Claims analysis and problem resolution and training to the Clinical team. This service is offered at a % of Net Collected Revenues per month. Therefore, we ONLY get paid IF you get paid, which gives our team the motivation to ensure your claims are processed efficiently and effectively. Please call us for specific pricing.
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    What is included in the Back Office Management service?
    Our Back Office Management service includes all of the features of the Software plus the following functions get performed by our team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals, with built-in redundancy in case of absence, vacations, sickness, etc: All of the A/R Management functions described above, Accounts Payable processing, Payroll Processing, General Ledger accounting, Financial Statements, Treasury Management, Bank Reconciliations, Human Resource consulting, Cost report support, On-line access to all data/reports, and Marketing consulting. This service is offered at a % of Net Collected Revenues per month. This allows you to focus on Patient-Care and growing your Hospice business rather than spending your energy on Back Office issues and items which may distract you from why you are involved in Hospice in the first place. Please call us for specific pricing.
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    How does it work?
    Consolo is considered as (Saas) or “Software as a Service”. Our software is a web-based ASP (Application Service Provider) model which runs on any device with a web browser (we recommend Google CHROME & Mozilla’s Firefox) that supports Java scripting. You do not ever have to worry about loading software on your PC. You are always running the latest version of the software -- enhancements are always being made and the updates occur totally transparent to the users. You can work from anywhere, anytime. Your data is safe from corruption and is HIPAA compliant. You do not have to worry with software licenses, software upgrade charges or upgrade processes and there is no need for a software administrator within your team.
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    Who created this software package?
    Consolo Services software development was directed by our own Hospice users in order to create a product that was intuitive and easy to use for future Hospice users. Because there is no software to load, your team can be up-and-running within hours of getting user logins! Our team took over 20 months to initially create, test and implement the first version. It has now been in use by thousands of users with zero un-scheduled downtime. Hospice Software & Services is ALL we do and so our processes are very applicable to your Hospice business needs.
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    Is this software HIPAA compliant?
    Consolo Services software starts with a role-based security login system that only allows data access to the information necessary for that particular function/role. We utilize the latest encryption technologies to ensure HIPAA compliance. Login time-outs will automatically close the browser session after a certain amount of time for non-use. We include a complete audit trail reporting for all logins and transactions with date/time stamps for each activity. Our systems and databases are backed up daily, weekly, monthly and annually with off-site secure storage. All information is encrypted and protected by firewalls and other security features in compliance with HIPAA regulations. We can supply our HIPAA POLICY and our HIPAA Business Associate Agreement documents upon request.
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    What are the primary features of this software?
  • Hospice specific software
  • Web-based application
  • Wireless access (LAN or Cell)
  • Off-Line Charting capabilities for all Disciplines for times when you just cannot be connected in the field
  • On-Demand Fax service from the Consolo application
  • Up-Loadable Documents - for pictures, legals, transition to Consolo clinical documentation, Labs, etc
  • CMS CAP & Annual Cost Reporting Tools
  • Role-based/HIPAA compliant
  • Staffing assignments/Limited staff access
  • Customizable Care Plans – unique in the Industry
  • Developed by Hospice for Hospice
  • Electronic: Eligibility/Claims submission/Remittance advice
  • Reports viewed in HTML, PDF or Excel formats
        · QAPI reporting
        · Full set of functional reports to manage your Hospice practice
        · IDG Reports are comprehensive and automate this time-consuming process
  • Filters may be used for customized reporting
  • Fax face sheets/Medication listings/any Clinical Charts using our Fax Server technology
  • Relational database -- no data redundancy
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Facility summary/Tracking/Identification
  • Physician summary/Details
  • Pharmacy summary/Details (HIPAA)
  • DME provider summary/Details
  • Volunteer coordination/Management
  • Census reporting
  • Active patient reporting
  • Referral summary/Reporting
  • Role-based USER administration (HIPAA)
  • User audit trail reporting
  • ICD9 summary/Reporting
  • IDT Summary Meeting process to reduce preparation time each week
  • Staff-level Dashboard of each User’s patients and Alerts regarding those patients
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    What Patient information tracking is performed?
  • Personal information
  • Payer information (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance)
  • Hospice assignments (Pharmacy, DME, RN, LPN, aide, social worker, chaplain, medical director, HHA/CNA, volunteer, bereavement)
  • Clinical Indicators (Vitals, orientation, functional levels, pain summary, pain location, nurse assessment & notes)
  • Hospice plan of care/care plans
  • Hospice certification & plan of treatment
  • Medication summary
  • Social worker assessment & notes
  • Pastoral/Spiritual assessment & notes
  • Home health aide notes
  • Volunteer tracking
  • Pre-bereavement & bereavement notes
  • Patient admissions
  • Summary includes admitted & discharged
  • Active and/or postponed/Cancelled referrals may be included
  • Admissions, LOS, Level of Care reporting
  • Easy sorting by column "click" on report
  • Patient look-up by name, SSN, partials
  • Payer information-Medicare, Medicaid, private
  • Staff assignments
  • Pharmacy selection & communications
  • DME providers & ordering
  • Attending physician selection
  • Nursing assessment, clinical indicators, hospice plan of care
  • Hospice certification
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    What Clincal charting is available?
  • Summary contains admitted & in care or bereavement
  • Easy sorting by column "click"
  • Nurse assessment & notes
  • Medication record
  • Hospice plan of care
  • Staff assignments
  • Social worker assessment & notes
  • Pastoral/Spiritual assessment & notes
  • Home health aide notes, assignments and visits
  • Volunteer tracking system
  • Bereavement notes, assessments and Care Plans
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    What should we expect for cost of hardware - or - what are our options for hardware?
    Hardware requirements don’t exist for us – we simply require a web browser on any hardware device – but we would suggest Desktops, Laptops, iPad, iPhone, Netbooks, or Tablet PCs with 512KB RAM minimum. You can expect to pay anywhere from $200 up to $1,000 per device depending upon the Make, model and configuration of the PC chosen. RN’s should have PC’s for their charting in the field, but not all Hospices want to deploy “field-devices” to their staff members. The configurations and use of PC’s is a Hospice technology and deployment strategy which varies from Hospice-to-Hospice.
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    Can you supply a Reference List of Clients?
    Absolutely – we do this upon request and after a potential client has been given the opportunity to experience our web-based demonstration.
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    Can the Software be started with a minimal amount of employees or a single team and then increased as needed or able?
    Our system is totally flexible – you can ease your way into it but what you will find is that the time savings and reduced paperwork will get everyone excited…we have a Process which we can send for getting started and preparing to use the system – it is very intuitive and easy to begin using right away – training required is minimal because this product was developed directly with Hospices and has been enhanced by Hospice users – you will be amazed at how easy it is to learn and use!
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    Can your software support Medicare Claims/Billing?
    Yes. Consolo Services software receives the updated Medicare Rates and automatically updates these rates each year. We actually submit all claims electronically once the accounts have been established to do so for each client. This process typically requires about 4 weeks to complete in order to have the Electronic Claims active and fully-functional.
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    Can your software support Medicaid Claims/Billing and Room And Board?
    Yes. Consolo Services software is totally configurable to work with any State Medicaid setups. We allow for your Billing personnel to configure “custom” Hospice Rates which may be used to as needed in lieu of the Medicare rates. We also allow you to establish multiple “custom” Room & Board rates per Facility (LTC) where you may have patients. These rates are easily maintained by your Billing staff.
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    Does this software support Private Insurance Claims/Billing?
    Our software allows the Hospice to establish “custom” Hospice Rates for any/all of the Private Insurance Carriers you deal with. These rates are easily created and maintained by your Billing personnel and can be modified as required.
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    How does the software comply with the electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) requirements?
  • Firewalls are in place to prevent “hacking” and unauthorized user access
  • Role-based security and User-access is built into the Access Methodology
  • All queries done between our application server and the database server are “sql injection” safe.
  • XSS, or “cross-site-scripting”, is utilized to prevent vulnerability from hackers as well.
  • Regarding data entry “scrubbing”…our application does validate data entry formats (ie SSN, DATES, etc), and we perform some additional scrubbing of the data on Claims prior to submission to ensure UPIN, CERTIFICATION DATES, etc are present prior to submission.
  • https channels are used on all applications (SSL)
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    How are your Servers set up?
    = HA array using Heartbeat - HA provides a virtual service, not a specific machine or host; Hearbeat determines which Machine/Host responds to the service.

    All communications on production cluster uses separate GbE (Gigabit Ehthernet) network that is inaccessible to/from the outside world.

    HA & HPC toptology reference:
        http://www.ultramonkey.org/3/topologies/ha-lb-eg.html
    REFERENCES

  • Linux HA: http://www.linux-ha.org/
        Homepage for the HA products available in Linux,
        including Heartbeat

  • Ruby On Rails: http://rubyonrails.org
        Web development that doesn't hurt.

  • Nginx: http://nginx.org/en
        An HTTP and reverse proxy server. Nginx serves 4.7% of the busiest internet sites as of April 2010.

  • Unicorn: http://unicorn.bogomips.org
        An HTTP server for Rack applications in Unix.

  • MySQL: http://www.mysql.com
        The world's most popular open source database.

  • JQuery: http://jquery.com
        A new kind of JavaScript library.

  • Pound: http://www.apsis.ch/pound
        A reverse proxy and load balancer for SSL.

    CO-LO SPECIFICATIONS

  • Two OC12's(12Gb) and One OC3(3Gb) Pipes
       - With diversified routes
  • Two redundant power substations
       - One 750,000 Watt Back-Up Generator
  • Four SONNET rings converge into the building
       - From multiple carriers
  • Secure environment
       - 24/7 security
       - Video surveillance
       - 24/7 Electronic Key Card Access
  • Four redundant A/C Units
  • Inert gas FM-227 fire suppression system
  • Automated Network & Environmental Monitoring Systems
       - Automated staff alerting
  • All data ports are connected at 100MB or 1GB
       - Usage is graphed and monitored
  • SLA is guaranteed at 99.999% network uptime
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    What are the Security Measures in place with your software/hardware?
  • Role-based security access
  • Redundant server technology
          Database
          Communications
          Applications
  • Strict Backup Policies
          Daily Full x8M
          Weekly Full x8
          Monthly Full x13
          Annual Full x13
  • SSL encryption/authentication processes
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    What is the “typical” configuration of your Server boxes as shown in the above Diagram?
  • High Quality, Latest Technology Servers
  • RAID- 1 or 5
  • Dual Power Supplies
  • 2 or 3 Hard Drives/Box for redundancy
  • Dual RAM banks for redundancy
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    Do you offer software support?
    Yes – this is included in the Monthly Subscription Fee and the updates are performed automatically without customer involvement in the deployment.
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    How often are Software Updates released and what is the process for deploying these updates?
    Because we are extremely “Customer-centric”, we are constantly listening to our clients and to the Industry as new COP’s and requirements are established. Therefore, we typically make a new software “release” every Quarter, but will occasionally perform “bug fixes” or necessary enhancements more frequently as needed.

    Being a web-based application, the User-base receives the “latest” release simply by logging in each time…There are NO CD’s or disks to release our upgrades/enhancements. This is one of the many advantages to a web-based application. You do not need a team of people to deploy the software – as long as the User’s have access to a browser on any hardware, they will be fully functional and able to use our software application.
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    Do you offer the capability to convert my existing software database into your system?
    Yes – we can as long as your current software can export the database into a common format for use. This can be done for a fee but would be evaluated on a client-by-client basis and would be dependent upon the conversion data generated.
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    What Training is supplied with the purchase of the software?
    We offer one full-day(8 hours) of training which is broken up into sessions of web-based trainings in order to better accommodate the rigid work schedules of your team. We have found that too often when we actually go on-site for training, the team gets interrupted due to the nature of the Hospice business and cannot continuously focus 8 hours in a day to the training. This becomes in-effective for the travel and expenses for our trainers as well as frustrating to the clients users because they are unable to participate.
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    Back to Consolo Services Home Page

    CONSOLO SYSTEMS - Your hospice software solution.