NDoc Reviews

Pros

Compared with the four other EMRs I have worked with, the customer support from Thornberry/Ndoc has been the best by far. Their team is top-notch, quick to respond and the help desk ticket process is simple to submit. The system also includes a lot of clinical information and they seem genuinely receptive to feedback and suggestions for improvements. Getting clinicians up and running can take a little time but once they settle in, they generally say the system is fairly easy to work with overall.

Cons

Billing has been the hardest part of using the system. A lot of the problems are very detailed and take several steps to fix and the guide that's supposed to help with those issues isn't very clear. At times information doesn't carry over from clinical to billing and there doesn't seem to be any consistent reason for it. The last few releases have also had some problems that ended up needing weekend patches. The team clearly knows the system well and can walk through it but it often takes a lot of back and forth before things get sorted out. I understand they're planning to roll out a new system this year because the current setup still has quite a few shortcomings. Integration with outside systems or certain referral file types is limited as well.

Pros

The part I value most about it is how quickly someone at Thornberry can be reached when needed. Any time we have questions or run into concerns, the response usually comes the very same day. Even if they cannot fully resolve it right away they still follow up promptly to explain what steps they're taking and when we should expect an answer.

Cons

One capability I'd really like to see added to it is the option to upload editable documents that can be used for each patient. That would cut down on printing paperwork and then scanning it back into its library.

Pros

From an administrative standpoint, the reporting is excellent and delivers the kind of insight I need.

Cons

Limitation I noticed is not being able to view two screens at the same time.

Pros

After being on the market for quite a while, the software has continued to evolve and is now available through the web. The standout part is really the team at Thornberry. Their support has consistently felt personal and quick to respond. Even though they cannot accommodate every change we ask for, they've made a real effort to implement the ones they can and have gone out of their way to help when requested.

Cons

A few areas still take more clicks than they should to get where you need to go and there are places where the same data doesn't automatically carry over. That said it seems like less of an issue than it used to be. Another downside is that maintaining certain tables still has to be done one entry at a time rather than through bulk edits or uploads.

Pros

Handling lab orders is very easy especially for recurring labs like protimes. Wound orders work well too as I really like how the system numbers the wounds and lets you enter the treatment right along with each one. Another plus is that when there's a software issue and a ticket is submitted, the support team gets back to you quickly and helps resolve it.

Cons

The care plan is too vague and it can be difficult to tell what patient teaching should be documented at times. Another thing that causes problems is that if you chart something in the current status section related to a problem or symptoms, it automatically generates a care plan instead of giving you the option to decide whether it should become a problem. Since we do not use primary nursing, we have also run into an integration issue where offline visit notes can get lost or erased if one nurse is documenting offline while someone else is in the chart online. I also wish patients could be sent and received by name instead of only by number. The whole sync, receive and send process is not very user friendly. Our staff also have a hard time writing and adjusting service frequencies and that process could definitely be improved. It would also help if PRN visits had a dedicated place for the date and reason for the visit since staff often forget to include that in the order and insurance requires it. Once nightly processing happens, you cannot go back and correct that order without creating a completely new one. On top of that the system does not let you go back and fix incorrect orders in general. Another limitation is that the RN completing the recertification visit does not generate the plan of care.

Pros

Across the home health space, NDoc covers an impressive range of needs. We work in several very different markets with their own rules and up to this point we still haven't run into anything NDoc couldn't accommodate. One thing I really like is Thornberry's willingness to support our company's direction by interfacing directly with it so we can build added functionality around it which is pretty uncommon with software vendors today. The support overall has been outstanding and not just on the product side. Leadership, clinical teams, support staff and developers all seem genuinely invested in helping you succeed and are extremely helpful when it comes to individual issues.

Cons

Its interface does look a bit dated and the product still hasn't been fully adapted for direct browser access for remote users. That said there are workable alternatives in place and Thornberry already has it included on the product roadmap.

Pros

One thing that works well in it is the calendar for scheduling staff visits. Entering medication orders is fairly easy and it's helpful that those items can flow into the plan of care without taking a lot of extra time. The support team does respond when we need help although the assistance isn't always as useful as we hope.

Cons

At the same time some parts of the system are frustrating. Moving visits around on the calendar is convenient but features such as bulk editing don't seem to work properly. A bigger issue is that when someone is working offline and updates notes in the visit directives, it can wipe out other notes already added to that visit which means important details can be missed. I have also had a hard time with how many functions in the software either don't seem logical in the way they operate or simply don't appear to work at all. The analytics section seems like it could be valuable but it isn't very user friendly and the reporting side has the same problem. This system feels built more for agencies using a primary nursing model and with a smaller staff that just doesn't fit how we operate so it has created extra challenges. We've also had to come up with workarounds for our HCA staff because the software does not meet our state regulations. Staff dissatisfaction has definitely come up since people feel their documentation quality is sometimes not where it needs to be. Because staff can just click the required button and document only that information, a lot of important detail can get left out. As a result many of them end up doing the checkbox charting and then adding a long narrative anyway to make sure the documentation is complete which increases the time spent charting.

Pros

Using Ndoc has really helped simplify both our documentation and orientation process. Whether it's a SOC, Recert, Revisit or Discharge, the workflow stays consistent across the board and that has been a major improvement for our agency.

Cons

There are still a number of glitches throughout the system. That said customer support has been very responsive and we consistently get same-day replies to the tickets we send in. They also seem to take the Help Desk feedback seriously and use it to make updates and improvements. The hospice side of the product still needs some attention to reach the same level of efficiency as the home care side especially when it comes to comprehensive assessment requirements beyond OASIS and HIS.

Pros

Getting a patient summary is very easy and it gives access to many of the key parts of the patient's care history.

Cons

Its syncing process is unnecessarily complicated and ends up creating extra work and confusion for field staff. We're still running into system disconnects and some data doesn't seem to flow anywhere useful. One example is the facility table which doesn't actually link to the patient so addresses, fax numbers and phone numbers have to be entered repeatedly, opening the door for mistakes. And that's just one of several cases like this.

Pros

Built specifically for home care, this product is much more tailored than general-purpose options. It also integrates well with other EMRs through its interfaces which is a big plus. The team stays current with regulations and is open to user feedback when improving the system. Updates come out regularly which gives confidence that the software is keeping up with the latest compliance requirements.

Cons

My biggest complaint is the pricing structure. As your business grows or your census increases, the cost of the service goes up as well. Unlike some other EMRs, it is not offered at a flat rate.

Pros

After getting familiar with the system it becomes fairly user friendly. We can pull a lot of reports and they provide useful information as long as the filter settings are set up correctly. The help desk usually responds quickly and the billing module seems pretty easy to use.

Cons

The offline laptop syncing with the server still needs to be reworked. The company says they are addressing it but right now some charting and visit notes can occasionally get lost. Entering a patient's service frequency and then scheduling visits for that frequency happens in two different places and combining those into one workflow would be a big improvement. It's also frustrating that you cannot print med lists for more than one patient at a time and the med lists themselves do not print alphabetically, even though they do on the 485. Sending and receiving orders still has some system bugs although it has improved over time. At times the clinical charting logic tries to be too smart and there is not much flexibility in what can be turned on or off. Staff working offline can only view patients assigned to them for that day and it takes multiple syncs before they can see a full company-wide patient list. The software also only allows four physicians to be listed for each client and you cannot work on multiple patients at the same time.

Pros

NDOC provides a lot of useful reports that are important during State reviews. Also it is really helpful that our home health agency uses the same system since we're able to gather more patient information before admission.

Cons

Updating medication administration takes quite a bit of time when transferring a patient from IPU to the home side routine LOC. It would be much better if multiple medications could be edited at once.

Pros

There's definitely a learning curve at first but the software includes everything needed to deliver quality care while handling the required documentation. It takes some time to figure out the best setup for your organization but once you work through that, it covers a lot. Thornberry also offers helpful links and resources for learning the system and the helpdesk is quick to respond when support is needed.

Cons

Nothing much to share here!

Pros

Handling documents is very easy and sending as well as receiving orders and plans of care feels almost automatic.

Cons

The menus are overwhelming. There are simply too many of them and the way reports are organized doesn't seem to follow any real logic. Even basic alphabetizing would help. Clinicians can easily get lost in the visit menu and sometimes end up completing another clinician's work when that person's visit is on hold. The sync system also isn't anywhere near foolproof and its glitches can cause delays in continuity of care.

Pros

From beginning to end the admission process flows well. Each screen asks for the specific details needed before moving to the next step so the progression makes sense. The required information lines up with CMS regulations and the overall format is logical and simple.

Cons

One frustrating part is when a patient is assessed but not admitted so we mark them as SNA for seen not admitted. If they decide the very next day that they do want admission, everything has to be entered again because the same chart cannot be updated and converted into an admission.

Pros

It comes with plenty of reports and features that help us work efficiently and keep close track of our data. On top of that the customer service has been excellent.

Cons

At times we've suggested feature changes or new functionality we'd like to see. It does listen to our feedback but those updates are not always implemented and the workaround can sometimes take a lot of time.

Pros

Although we are not using it for hospice at the moment our agency does rely on it for home care. We've been very pleased with both NDoc and Thornberry and their customer service has been outstanding as they are quick to respond and consistently helpful. They also do an excellent job of staying current with industry trends and are clearly becoming a leader in EHR software.

Cons

There is a bit of a learning curve with the system but it offers excellent training resources and webinars to help users get comfortable with it.

Pros

The system is very easy to use and it doesn't feel cluttered with hidden buttons or unnecessary obstacles. When something gets entered the wrong way, administration can usually fix it without much trouble on their end.

Cons

Switching back and forth between pages can be a bit awkward and having a next button would make navigation much better. I'd also like to see more hospice-specific features added especially face to face documentation and Certificate of Terminal Illness entry for physicians.