Canvas

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 company provides navigation and transitional care services, including emotional support, physical assistance, and guidance in dealing with healthcare providers and insurance matters. Typically, our clients find us through support groups, hospitals, and referrals. As the product specialist, my responsibilities include managing our back-end operations, such as configuring our Tellescope and Canvas accounts and ensuring our systems seamlessly integrate to support our team’s functions.

What was the need that drove you to look for a product like Canvas?

We shifted to a fee-for-service billing model, which required a certified EHR to bill insurance. Although we had our own mobile app and care navigation platform, they weren’t certified EHRs, so to ensure compliance, we had to find a certified EHR solution.

What were some of the requirements you were using when evaluating the various competitors?

Our initial criteria focused on solutions that cater to smaller healthcare organizations like ours, as many EHR systems are designed for larger entities. Integration with Tellescope, which we were considering for our patient CRM, was also essential. Our primary use case for the EHR is clinical documentation and revenue cycle management, as we don’t deal with medications or prescribe labs. We prioritized solutions with robust note templates and strong RCM functionalities.

What other vendors did you look at, and how did they stack up against each other?

We considered Healthie, Canvas, and Elation. Elation was eliminated because it was more expensive and offered more features than a startup like us required. Healthie, though a good platform, was mainly designed for nutrition workflows and didn’t have the robust note templates or RCM features that Canvas offered. The pricing models were also a factor; Healthie charged per user, which would become costly as we expanded, while Canvas charged a flat fee, offering predictability. Despite our slower growth and the potential short-term savings with Healthie, I believe choosing Canvas was the right long-term decision for us.

How did you find the sales process overall?

It was good, particularly due to the involvement of the CEO. His transparency about the RCM system’s strengths and limitations was invaluable. We felt fully informed, thanks to his candor. Although Healthie’s primary point person performed admirably, our preference for Canvas, reinforced by the CEO’s engagement, was a significant factor in our decision.

How was the onboarding and setup with Canvas?

It was really smooth. They had recently implemented a new process when we began our onboarding, which made it simple for us to input all our information. Our rapid pace at the time meant we jumped around a bit due to the many moving parts, but Canvas had a clear process in place that guided us through getting started.

What are the use cases that you’re using Canvas for at this time?

We primarily use Canvas for charting, having developed our own note templates to meet our strict documentation requirements. Additionally, we utilize its RCM capabilities for billing purposes.

What do you see as some of the strengths and weaknesses of Canvas?

As far as strengths, the customizability of note templates, which allows our staff to tailor the system to their needs—a feature we found lacking in Healthie. It’s also simple and streamlines the charting process for all users.

However, certain limitations exist within Canvas’s interface. Staff members have voiced a desire for more display customization options, as the static sidebar can’t be hidden or resized, and you can’t make things bigger without zooming in, which doesn’t address the sidebar issue.

Regarding alerts, Canvas provides standard notifications, but any additional customized alerts require our development team to utilize the API endpoints, creating a workaround rather than a direct feature from Canvas.

As far as RCM, Canvas is ideally suited for small operations with a limited number of individuals handling RCM tasks. The company’s leadership was transparent about the system’s limitations for larger operations; as we expand, we might need to switch to a more comprehensive RCM system. Currently, Canvas aligns well with our staff size and our RCM needs.

How has the stability of the platform been?

It’s been relatively bug-free and stable. In comparison to other startups I’ve worked with, they’ve had only a few issues that affected us, and those were addressed swiftly. They’re proactive in acknowledging and resolving bugs, which illustrates their commitment to stability. Overall, they’ve been pretty stable.

How has the API process and developer experience been for you?

We’ve been using Tellescope, and they provide the necessary endpoints for us to connect with. We often request Tellescope to establish connections, and they work smoothly with Canvas. And Canvas has also developed their own API endpoints for Tellescope, facilitating interoperability. We often make use of the API for connecting to our system and have been adept at addressing any integration requirements.

The documentation Canvas offers is quite comprehensible. Even though I’m not a developer, I can grasp the discussions around endpoints and how to connect with them. It appears straightforward and accessible, based on my observations.

Are there other products in your stack that you’ve integrated with?

Canvas has integrated with Zus, which we use frequently, and that was also a key factor in choosing Canvas. Additionally, we’ve worked with Tellescope on custom integrations and established connections between Tellescope and Canvas by aligning their endpoints. Canvas also provides a back-end data warehouse, to which we’ve linked our BigQuery database, allowing us to pull all the data into Tableau, so we have comprehensive connections across our product suite.

Have you found the integration process to be fairly easy overall?

Yes, the integration process has been smooth. For assistance or need for new functionalities, I simply reach out to Canvas or Tellescope, and they collaborate effectively to fulfill my requests. With Zus, Canvas acts as a transparent layer, so there’s little we need to do on our end since it directly reflects whatever Zus contains.

How do you feel about the account management and support with Canvas?

We’ve had great support. Initially we worked closely with a dedicated team, which eventually transitioned to one member who was exceptionally communicative and helpful. Since we’ve moved out of the implementation stage, Canvas recently introduced the Pylon system for handling support tickets. While I have a personal preference for direct email communication, Pylon has been functioning well. Their response time is quick, and any issues requiring escalation are swiftly addressed, without delay in responses.

Do you feel like your team made the correct overall decision in moving forward with Canvas?

Yes. Our team’s decision to opt for Canvas over Healthie was the right one, especially for our custom note-building requirements. While creating notes is demanding in both platforms, Canvas offers more customizability and allows for quicker updates. The capability to create robust and tailored notes in Canvas has been invaluable. Before starting, I didn’t anticipate the complexity of the notes I’d need to construct. But now, having worked with Canvas, it’s clear that it enables us to create the dynamic and specific notes we need, something we likely couldn’t have achieved as effectively with Healthie.

Are there any areas of growth you’d suggest for Canvas?

I’d say enhancing the customized alert system. Since our staff utilizes multiple platforms, including Tellescope and our internal portal, they’re not consistently inside the Canvas interface. Therefore, more dynamic alert options would be beneficial, especially for our part-time providers who aren’t constantly logged in to Canvas. This feature would help prompt our team to check their workload without having to be actively present in the system, accommodating our unique use case.

Do you have any advice for buyers who are evaluating this type of product?

It’s important to understand the specific documentation requirements you have. If you’re planning to custom build your notes, determine what you’ll need to create in advance. These platforms often have a range of built-in commands that can be very useful. Take the time to explore these options thoroughly, especially if you’re on a tight schedule. Being clear on your needs will help streamline the implementation process.