| Sycle.net
Frequently Asked Questions
General Product
Questions
Reporting
Questions
Data Importation Questions
Registration/Administration Questions
Security Questions
General
Product Questions
What is sycle.net and what does it do?
A. Sycle.net is a web-based application that offers real-time
appointment management, patient management, patient retention,
direct mail management and patient database management. Sycle.net
creates management and marketing reports specifically tailored
for managing an audiological practice at the click of a mouse.
Sycle.net tracks:
- Appointment history
- Direct mail history
- Hearing aid history
- Marketing referrals
Sycle.net sends:
- Automated time-sensitive, customized, patient-by-patient
direct mail offers and reminders
Sycle.net creates:
- Daily appointment confirmation call lists
and sales reports, referral reports, and management reports
Q. How does sycle.net work?
A. Sycle.net is a web-based application housed in a secure
IBM data center. Users simply login to sycle.net via the Internet.
In the same way that you would log on to your favorite web
site, you can connect to sycle.net and make appointments,
send direct mail, manage patient appointments and purchases
and view reports. If you have a web browser and an Internet
connection, you are ready to start using sycle.net.
Q. Do I need to be connected
to the Internet to use sycle.net?
A. Sycle.net is a web-based application; therefore, you will
need to be connected to the internet to use it.
Q. Do I need a dedicated
line to use sycle.net?
A. Sycle.net recommends that you have a dedicated line because
you will be online at all times during the day.
Q. What platforms do I
need to have in order to run sycle.net?
A. Because sycle.net hosts the application, all you need is
a computer that can run Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or
higher. It doesn't matter what type of hardware or operating
system you're running.
Q. How do I get upgrades
to sycle.net?
A. Because sycle.net is a web-based application, any time
we add a new feature, you will have access to it immediately
the next time you visit the web site. There is no need to
download any software or make system adjustments.
Q. What involvement is
required from my clinic’s IT department?
A. None. Sycle.net applications are accessed through the Internet
via a web browser and require no modifications or upgrades
to your existing environment. All you need is Microsoft Internet
Explorer (version 5.0 or higher), and you are ready to use
sycle.net. Because there is no hardware, software, or network
equipment to purchase, and the application is accessed through
a standard web browser, your IT department will not need to
implement or maintain the sycle.net solution.
Q. Is any training required
to learn to use sycle.net?
A. Sycle.net is designed to be easy to learn and can be used
immediately. Our customers find that using sycle.net extremely
intuitive and user friendly. If you know how to use the web,
you will know how to use sycle.net.
Q. Is training available
if I need it?
A. While training is not required, we offer free training
for you and your staff. The sessions run less than one hour
and cover typical usage by a user and administrator, we’ll
also send you a Quickstart Guide to refer to at any point
during the session. They are held through the Internet, conveniently
allowing you to participate right from your office.
Q. What do I do if my Internet
connection goes down or my computer breaks?
A. If either your Internet connection goes down, or your computer
breaks you can call
1-888-881-SYCL. If you have not already printed out your patient
schedule and outcome forms for that day, sycle.net will fax
them to you. In the event of a computer replacement, you need
not install anything other than an Internet connection and
web browser on your new computer to log back on to sycle.net.
We also keep a back up of all your data.
Q: What is HIPAA?
A: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996) is a regulation
designed to protect confidential healthcare information through
improved security standards and federal privacy legislation.
It defines requirements for storing patient information before,
during and after electronic transmission. It also identifies
compliance guidelines for critical business tasks such as
risk analysis, awareness training, audit trail, disaster recovery
plans and information access control and encryption.
The HIPAA regulation has three main components that apply
to “covered entities” (a covered entity is any
provider of healthcare services that charges the government
or insurance for their services):
1. Standard Transaction Code Sets
2. Patient Information Privacy
3. Patient Information Security (both electronic and physical
records)
Q: Is sycle.net compliant
with HIPAA regulations
A: Sycle.net was designed to be compliant with HIPAA regulations
as they pertain to the security of patient records and how
they are stored electronically. We have had our system tested
and have enabled the highest levels of security, which, in
some cases, surpasses the government regulations for security.
Q: Are the other patient
management systems available in the marketplace HIPAA compliant?
A: Other patient management systems installed locally, at
your clinic, may not be compliant. The security measures needed
to comply with the electronic security of patient files would
be dependant on how your network is set up and the types of
security access given to your employees.
Q: Will
my practice be considered HIPAA compliant if I am using sycle.net
for my patient management and retention system?
A: Yes, sycle.net has taken care of the secure storage of
your patient records electronically. The security of the physical
files located in your office would need to be addressed at
the clinic level.
Q. What administration
features are included in sycle.net that I will have control
over?
A. Sycle.net is very easy to customize for your specific needs.
From appointment types and times, clinic hours and employee
information, to discount levels offered by your company, to
security levels, sycle.net makes it easy for you to customize
and manage your clinic.
Q. Can my clinic(s) configure
sycle.net?
A. Yes, you can configure the following once you have been
set up and given your main owner password:
Appointment types – including length
Discount types
Extended warranty types
Clinic hours
Clinic contact information
Employee passwords
Employee contact information
Employee hours
Q. How will my staff and
clinics see my data without me having to synchronize it?
A. No waiting or synchronization is necessary. Sycle.net manages
one central database for your organization. Whenever a user
adds or edits a record, this information is automatically
captured in the centralized database and available for others
to see immediately (as long as the users have sharing privileges
to view such data).
Q. How do I remove an employee
from the system once they have left the company?
A. Login using your “owner” password; then simply
go to the administration page and delete the employee’s
name and password.
Reporting Questions
Q. What is a referral report?
A. The referral report details how many appointments and subsequently
how many
sales were made from each referral source. Referral sources
include the Yellow Pages, newspapers, physicians, TV, other
patients, direct mail, unknown and more. Every appointment
has a referral source attached to it.
Q. Do I need a report writer
to create and run reports?
A. Sycle.net includes a number of pre-configured reports designed
to help you manage your business. Revenue, binaural rates,
close percentages and scheduling efficiency are but a few
of the reports that are available for you to view. These reports
can be pulled by clinic or provider, as well as date range
specified. Marketing reports are also available, these include
referral reports and clinic database reports.
Q. Can I get my report
information out of sycle.net?
A. All reports can be exported to Microsoft Excel™ and
other desktop applications by selecting the "Export to
Excel" button in the display of every report.
Data Importation Questions
Q. How do I import my existing
data into sycle.net?
A. If your data is in an electronic format, sycle.net can
import the data for you. If your data is in file or paper
format, you will need to import it manually using the patient
backfill area of the Administration section. You can, however,
start using sycle.net immediately and add your existing patient
data over time.
Q. How will my data be
transferred to sycle.net?
A. If your patient records are currently in an electronic
format, you can either email them or send them on a disk.
We will import them for you. If not, we suggest you begin
using sycle.net and enter existing patient data over time.
Q. How long does it take
to import my data and set up my clinic?
A. This depends on the data itself, getting setup takes a
matter of minutes.
Registration/Administration Questions
Q. How do I sign up for
sycle.net?
A. Most users will sign up online, directly from the sycle.net
web site. The process is completely safe and secure. Additionally,
if you prefer, you can also sign up with us over the phone.
Sales and support representatives are available Monday through
Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time at 1-888-881-SYCL.
Q. How can I get access
to sycle.net?
A. Because sycle.net is web-based, there is no hardware or
software to buy, install or maintain. Just point your web
browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.0 or higher),
to the login page and login.
Q. How quickly can my clinic(s)
be up and running?
A. With sycle.net you can be up and running immediately. It
typically takes less than 24 hours to set up your login and
password. Importing existing data may take a little longer,
depending on the format.
Q. How much does Sycle.net
cost?
A. Sycle.net is a service that is charged on a monthly basis.
The cost is
$99.00 per month plus the cost of any mail that you might
send through
sycle.net.
Most other patient management software available today costs
between
$3,500.00 and $5,500.00, in addition to a yearly upgrade fee
between $300.00 and
$500.00. This does include costs for installing and maintaining
software.
Q. Is there a start-up
fee involved?
A. For a limited time there is no start-up fee.
Q. How will I be billed
for the sycle.net services?
A. Sycle.net will bill your credit card directly each month
for the service and
any mail that you send. You will also receive an itemized
statement.
Q. What do I do if I no
longer want to use this service?
A. You can stop using sycle.net at any time. We will return
your database to you with address corrected names, in any
format that you request (tab delimited, Excel or CSV). Chances
are, we will return your database in better condition than
we received it!
Security Questions
Q. What is the greatest
threat to your patient database?
A: Many people find the thought of their data traveling over
the internet quite disconcerting. The reality is that because
there is no credit card information attached to it, it is
of little interest to anyone other than your immediate competitors.
We understand how important your data is, and we’ve
designed Sycle in conjunction with IBM to ensure that your
data is even safer than it would be if housed in your office
under lock and key.
Industry analysts cite that the greatest risk
to your data is a current or former employee who opens a competing
clinic in your immediate area. It’s too easy for a current
employee to walk out the door with a copy of your database
on a disk or a hard drive.
With Sycle, you determine the level of information
to which each employee has access. For example, an employee
might be permitted to see every patient record but not permitted
to see or export an entire list. To obtain the data, they
would have to view and print the patient records one at a
time.
Sycle.net has partnered with IBM as our
data storage and hosting partner. Your data will reside in
an IBM data center in one of the most secure environments
available today, utilizing advanced state-of-the-art encryption.
Q. How can I be sure my data
is secure?
A. Sycle.net has partnered with IBM as our data storage and
hosting partner. Your data will reside in an IBM data center
in one of the most secure environments available today. IBM
uses and often is the developer of some of the most advanced
firewall technology in existence. The actual building is encased
in two-foot thick concrete walls and requires hand print recognition
for physical entry. The data center is directly attached to
the internet backbone to ensure a 99.9999% uptime; we also
have two diesel backup generators and days worth of fuel standing
by in case of a major power outage.
Q. Who monitors the data?
A. IBM technicians monitor the server. They are less than
100 feet away from our servers and monitor them 24 hours a
day 7 days a week.
Q. How do they know if
there is a problem?
A. They send a signal to our servers every 5 minutes. If for
any reason they do
not get a response, they are alerted and investigate immediately.
Q. How many servers do
you have?
A. We have two redundant servers. All data is duplicated on
both servers at all
times. If for any reason one of them has a problem, the other
one takes
over seamlessly and technicians are alerted.
Q. How can I be assured
my data will be kept private?
A. Sycle.net is committed to keeping your data private and
secure. To this end, sycle.net has expressly stated how we
will handle your private data. For a greater understanding
of the legal obligations sycle.net adheres to regarding data
privacy, please refer to the sycle.net Privacy Policy as well
as the sycle.net Terms of Use Agreement.
Q. Does sycle.net ever
view or use my data?
A. No, as stated in the sycle.net Privacy Policy "Sycle.net
will not review, share, distribute, print, or reference any
such Data except as provided in the sycle.net Terms of Use,
or as may be required by law. Individual records may at times
be viewed or accessed only for the purpose of resolving a
problem, support issue, or suspected violation of the Terms
of Use, or as may be required by law. Of course, customers
are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security
of their user registration and password."
Q. Can I house a backup
of my sycle.net data at my own company?
A. You can receive a complete download of your company data
on sycle.net by signing up for our Weekly Export Service.
Please contact your sycle.net account manager for more information.
Direct Mail Questions
Q. Can I still create my
own direct mail pieces and use my own direct mail house?
A. Yes, you can create your own direct mail pieces and use
sycle.net to mail
them. You can also quickly and easily download your database,
create your own
direct mail pieces and use your own mail house to mail them.
Q. How will I know when
direct mail pieces are being sent?
A. There is an area on sycle.net that displays a list of all
mail that is queued to be sent. You can locate this information
by clicking the “Marketing” tab, then the “Pending
Mail” report.
Q. What is the price per
piece charge for the automated mailings? direct mailings?
A. Most items range from $0.45 to $0.65 per item plus postage,
depending
on whether you’d like to go with color or black and
white.
Q. How does this cost compare
to the cost of paying an administrative assistant or mail
house to be in charge of automated and direct mailings?
A. We estimate that if you pay an administrative assistant
an annual salary of
$25,000 and you have templates for all your letters, it would
take
approximately eight minutes to open the file, change the name
and address, print it
on company letterhead, stuff, stamp and mail at a cost of
approximately
$2.30 to $2.50 per letter. This takes into consideration:
employee time,
equipment, letterhead, envelopes and stamps.
Q. Will I be able to customize
and add to the automated letters?
A. Yes, when you subscribe to sycle.net we will let you review
the letters that have been provided and make any necessary
changes. In addition, if you have mailers that you like to
send at certain specified times, we can set them up to mail
when you want, to whomever you’d like.
Q. Can I turn the direct
mail items off and choose not to send them?
A. Yes, you can turn them on and off both globally (from the
Marketing page) or
individually for each patient.
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