An Interview with Ash Mehta, PatientClick^® CEO: ‘We Stay Abreast of Industry Trends and Can Foresee the Future as We Have Been in the Industry for Long’

“Our engineering team created controls on the back end of our software so based on speciality we can add or remove features/functions for the specialty we were working with.”

It’s amazing to look back and see just how far our world has come technologically. If someone from 100 years ago suddenly found themselves in today’s world, they would think they had been teleported into another dimension.

The same can be said about technology in healthcare. From improved operational efficiency to standards in patient care, the healthcare transformation has enhanced the entire experience for both patients and medical professionals.

In light of the foregoing, we’re thrilled to present PatientClick^®.

PatientClick^® is an easy-to-use web-based EMR system that saves physician offices time and money while improving patient care and staff efficiency. The company allows access to a web-based multi-platform (mac, pc, smartphone, and iPad) application, easy-to-navigate interface, customizable dashboards, integrated patient portal, and multi-provider communication tools.

PatientClick^® was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in San Diego.

Ash Mehta, PatientClick^® CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Q. Why was the company set up? And how did you expand your company and its offerings over the years?

We started as a clinical documentation company. When the meaningful use stage standards came out as healthcare reform, we built a platform initially as electronic health record systems followed by practice management. We then forayed with full-fledged offerings in telemedicine solutions. The concept throughout the journey is to provide a complete solution to end customer so they have one integrated product solution and the workflow is easy to manage for clients. The initial offering was just EHR and clinical documentation management as a client-server solution. After a couple of implementations, we quickly realized to scale up the model; we need to make sure technology works on the web and has to work with smart devices such as Apple iPhone or Android smartphones. Our engineering team worked an endless number of  hours to make it possible for our clients to use the same platform and database across multiple devices.

Q. What challenges did you face in your initial years?

We faced the challenges usually faced by a new startup. Entrepreneurs in their early years come with no resources in their favor. We had to build every trust and asset from scratch. We faced every problem of founding a new company but we believed in the value we could create for the industry that kept us going. The industry we compete is healthcare technology and by definition, Information Technology is an ever-changing field and in the last 10 years, healthcare has changed a lot within US. Changes from ICD 9 to ICD 10 codes, reimbursement mechanism, clinical documentation requirements, reporting, audit requirements, etc. It is very challenging to deal with an ever-changing industry especially when you are building new business. Fortunately, we were able to balance between client expectations and regulatory requirements from software technology and fortunately we were amongst the top few players we got premium level certification for our technology.

Q. What kind of responses have you received from your consumers over the years? How have they motivated you to shape your offerings/grow the company?

Healthcare is a very challenging space in the US compared to any other verticals. The sales cycle is long and there are many security and compliance protocols you must follow before able to sell in any medical facility. Since we had a background in the space, we have always been appreciated by our client base. Each specialty of medicine is unique and they have unique business workflow requirements like a pediatrician would like to see growth chart of a child or need vaccination records versus a plastic surgeon would not care about any of them, but they need the ability to capture pictures before and after the procedure. An orthopedic physician would like to see PACS images and does not require any pediatric records in most cases. We work with lots of psychiatrists and psychologists across the country and they need specific forms to be filled by clients for each and every encounter such as PHQ9 and many other similar forms. With our dedicated team of customer service reps, we were able to build a library of forms and templates for each specialty. This enabled our product to cater to services to a wide range of specialists. Our engineering team created controls on the back end of our software, so based on speciality we could add or remove features/functions for the specialty we were working with. We work closely with our clients and when it comes to the custom workflow for medical facilities, we rank in top tier development firms.

Our motivation is the value that we can create for the provider and patients. We believe in making healthcare technology more accessible and affordable for everyone; our products and services facilitate this and we are proud of our work.

Q. Is your company a leader or follower?

Our company is undoubtedly a leader. We have been pioneers in electronic health records and solutions to physicians and clinics. We stay abreast of industry trends and can foresee the future as we have been in the industry for long. Technology is the game changer and we have good years of expertise to envisage the trends and implement it in our products. Our clients get the latest technology to streamline their processes and we keep working on staying ahead of the growth curve.

Q. Is it true that striving for both ethics and success in a business is a tough feat?

Ethics and success can go together if we are aiming to achieve success without compromising on the principles. It is not important to achieve faster success rather it is more important to be an industry player where the industry as a whole benefits from it. We need to be a player where other players derive their inspiration from us. Success comes with sticking to core values and consistency. All the success we aim comes from every decision and value the company strives for. We strongly believe in ethical processes for the success metrics we follow.

Q. ‘Leaders cannot optimize results by themselves; they need employees’ support and assistance.’ How does your company interpret this saying?

A good team is important for any business. We have always been an employee-first company. We take care of the interests of our team members. We look to hire the best out there and make sure they grow with us. We believe in treating our team embers as an important asset to our growth.

A strong team is a key to the success of a business, and undoubtedly we need every team member’s strong assistance in translating our vision to reality

Q. Where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

We would like to be amongst the top five Global Telemedicine Solution Providers. We want to keep evolving and participating in making healthcare technology more accessible and affordable.

“We work closely with our clients and when it comes to a custom workflow for a medical facility, we rank in top tier development firms.”