Details
About the Reviewer
Reviewer Organization
Reviewer Tech Stack
Other Products Considered
Summary
Product Usage: Canvas is used for documenting patient assessments, managing demographics and scheduling, and facilitating inbound and outbound faxes.
Strengths: Canvas has excellent extensibility for integration with other systems and a user-friendly interface, and its automation features significantly improve documentation speed.
Weaknesses: Canvas’s management of images and documents could be improved, with clinical and administrative materials needing to be accessible in a single location.
Overall Judgment: The reviewer is highly satisfied with Canvas, praising its user-friendly interface, extendibility for integration, automation features, and responsive support, despite some room for improvement in image and document management.
Review
Today, we’re chatting about Canvas and how it’s used at your company. Before we begin, could you give a brief overview of the company and your role there?
Our organization is a startup focused on diabetes and weight loss, operating on a cash-pay, membership-based model. We have extensive experience in diabetes technology, especially in remote patient monitoring. We’re aiming to shift providers from reactive episodic care to proactive, non-episodic care. We’re currently launching our first studio, where I am the general manager, with plans to expand in the future.
What was the business problem that drove you to look for a product like Canvas, and what were the core requirements you were looking for?
We were initially seeking an EHR system with billing and reimbursement capabilities. However, we transitioned to a 100% cash-pay model, which shifted our focus. Our core requirement became extensibility, including the ability to integrate and customize the system. We wanted a flexible EHR that could be tailored to our specific needs. Additionally, we were looking for a platform that was state of the art in technology and simple to use. Since we specialize in endocrinology and weight loss, we didn’t require a comprehensive multi-specialty solution.
Did you consider other potential vendors when you were evaluating Canvas?
I considered Elation, Tebra—formerly known as Kareo, and DrChrono. Elation seemed outdated due to minimal updates and lack of a published roadmap. Tebra lacked AI scribe capabilities and customizable claim edits. DrChrono was heavily Apple-centric and not integrated with Spruce. Vendors like Azalea, Phreesia, and PracticeSuite were also considered but were immediately ruled out due to prohibitive pricing for our company size.
How were the sales, onboarding, and implementation processes?
The sales process was very smooth and professional. The sales representative I worked with was responsive and addressed the requirements document I provided. As for implementation, we faced a tight timeline since we needed the system operational within weeks due to our clinic opening and the imminent influx of patients. Canvas has a standard 90-day implementation timeline, but we were able to use their off-the-shelf implementation materials, timelines, best practices, tutorials, recordings, and videos to fast track our implementation. Additionally, real-time support via Slack was instrumental in our ability to rapidly go live with the system, as it facilitated instant communication and problem resolution, with the option to escalate to Zoom calls when necessary.
How does Canvas fit into your current workflow?
We use it for documenting patient assessments and ongoing care. Our providers utilize Nabla for creating scribe notes, which are then transferred to Canvas. And Canvas supports our administrative tasks, managing demographics and scheduling. Appointments are made through Square and manually entered into Canvas. Additionally, Canvas’s imaging features are essential for us, as we store images from Jotform data captures within patient charts. We also rely on Canvas for faxing, with both inbound and outbound faxes filed using Canvas data integration.
What features of Canvas stand out for you?
The automation features in Canvas that streamline repeated actions. Implementing these has significantly improved our documentation speed.
Are there any features that you aren’t using or are underutilizing?
Some of the automation features. By fully leveraging them, we could save our staff a significant amount of time, but we haven’t had time to work on that yet.
What do you see as the core strengths and weaknesses of Canvas?
Canvas offers strong extendibility potential for integration with other systems, such as Square, Spruce, Diasyst, Nabla, Jotform, and Doximity, which we use for various functions from point of service to telehealth in our clinics. Although currently nonintegrated, we chose Canvas specifically for its ability to eventually link with these platforms, ensuring that updates in one system, like demographic changes or appointments, automatically synchronize across all platforms. Another advantage is the user interface, which is notably user-friendly and well designed.
One key area for improvement I’ve identified and communicated with Canvas concerns the management of images and documents. It’s essential for clinical and administrative images and documents to be accessible in one location rather than two, which is currently the case. This is a usability issue that seems inconsistent compared to my experience with other electronic health records.
Are there any other areas for growth you see for the product?
More out-of-the-box integrations. For example, integrating Canvas with Square could streamline appointment bookings, and pairing it with Spruce would enhance communication capabilities by allowing access to patient conversations, recorded calls, messages, and notes within Spruce directly from Canvas. A strong Canvas-Spruce integration could set them apart in the market.
I’d like to see Canvas offer a comprehensive package that covers point of sale, online scheduling, phone systems, texting, RPM, and a seamless integration with Nabla—including medications, allergies, and other patient data—all as commercially available integrations.
How would you describe the quality of Canvas’s support?
On a scale of 1-10, I think they’re a 9 or a 10. They are very responsive, and I’ve got absolutely no issues.
How is the stability of the platform, in terms of reliability and bugs?
The platform’s stability is generally good; we’ve encountered a few bugs, which is normal for any software, but nothing that has disrupted workflow or compromised patient safety.
Looking back, do you think you made the correct decision in going with Canvas?
Yes.
Do you have any advice for folks who might be looking into EHR solutions today?
I would first start with quality. Ask about the vendor’s release notes from the past year to assess the number and frequency of defects reported and corrected. Additionally, examine the vendor’s patient safety protocol and their transparency in sharing this information, including how they handle defects that could potentially harm patients.
As for future planning, request the vendor’s product roadmap to see what updates are planned for the next year, understanding that roadmaps might change. Also, ask for a list of the top 10 enhancement requests to identify known product deficiencies.
References from organizations of similar size and specialty are crucial; they provide insight into user experiences. And seek reviews or ratings regarding the sales, implementation, and support phases to gauge the vendor’s performance and customer satisfaction.