Foothold

Very User Friendly

Comments: Overall I have enjoyed my experience with Awards in the last 5 and a half years. I have a great senior project manager who can always answer my questions and help me with anything. The upgrades to the software have been ongoing over a long period of time but have been for the positive. I would recommend Awards to any social service agency that wants to build a relationship with their EHR vendor and work closely with them over the years.

Pros:

Awards is easy to use for our front line staff. Training is quick and simple to get them started. The software is very user friendly in a point and click capacity for staff. As an administrator I like the ability to customize my reports and build forms that I need for my programs.

Cons:

Some of the areas of the software are very old and clunky. They need to be updated and the response to where the company is on updating them isn't great. The administrator functionality could be better, it would be great to have access to a dashboard to see how my database is doing and if there is anything that needs attention.

Just my thoughts?

Comments: it has for the most part been a good experience. I love the flexibility to use what we have. I would like to have more flexibility in how we work with consumers.

Pros:

flexibility to use the form builders and the reporting. I can create anything I need and get data out of the system easily.

Cons:

It does not integrate well with Dr's First and Carasolva, or maybe they don't play well together? Also the product needs a patient portal to push forms to clients collect payments and send appointment reminders.

Knowledge of Implementation Staff for Billing

Comments: Not Good. In the less than a year that I have been working with Foothold I have had multiple issues with the billing builder with very little explaination. The trainer I had knew very little about the software. I learned more on my own and with the use of the help section in the software than what I learned from the trainer. Everything in the billing builder is outdated and manual. Not what I expected from a modern EHR/Billing system.

Pros:

The multiple reports to choose from for different data points.

Cons:

The Billing Builder Setup, so time consuming and outdated.

Why Foothold is a great Electronic Health Record!

Comments: As I noted above, it is the best EHR we have ever used. It is very easy to use, the programers and staff that answer the tickets are great. Foothold staff actually really listen to their Users, the monthly meeting is well attended and very much appreciated. Also, when they push new things out, they do a great job of having various training materials for users. The trainers are also great and set-up with Foothold staff goes incredibly smoothly. (always have to do a shout out to [sensitive content hidden] they are great!). [sensitive content hidden] are also.

Pros:

The ease of making reports, any information that goes into Foothold, you can report out on. The Form Builder and Plan Builder is so easy to use and the scheduling with the Charting Timetable is fantastic. It is a very intuitive EHR.

Cons:

Would like that all forms notify the signers that they have something to sign. Really looking forward to a portal for the people supported so guardians can sign there and would just like a tweak to the progress notes so you could check off a goal and then have a textbox directly under it so staff can note how they assisted them and then go on to the next goal. But this is the best EHR we have ever used.

Easy to use

Comments: Generally pleased with the ease of use. I do run into glitches however, but the help team is fantastic.

Pros:

I do like how easy it is to use the product.

Cons:

I do wish there were ways to import exactly what information you need in the report builders. Some of the builders have options that others do not, and it does make some of our reporting difficult to do. If there was a way to pull exactly and only exactly the information I want onto one report, it would be perfect. I also would like to learn more about the Medicaid part of Foothold that I don't think we have access to.

Internal Roster

Comments: Our experience utilizing Foothold has been satisfactory as Foothold provides the needed capacities for us to do our work with patients and generate required reports.

Pros:

AWARDS (Foothold Technology) was our company EHR at some point, but then RMA became our EHR. We use AWARDS for our department to serve as an internal roster system and to provide e-consent values to the Bronx RHIO and Healthix.

Cons:

No cons noted using Foothold Techonology.

RADIUS_Foothold

Comments: It has been easy to implement with great guides and support.

Pros:

How user friendly and easy to learn it is.

Cons:

the white space when creating documents that it takes up and make documents significantly long.

What I think about Foothold

Comments: Due to my role and the capacity in which I use Foothold I love it.
I only want the font size to be bigger like it was. I have had no problems learning the program or using the program for my overall needs for my job.

Pros:

I love the Program. It's easy to learn and access your roster in order to keep track of each individual that you serve.

Cons:

The least thing I like is the notes when printed out now after the upgrade the fonts are way too small. You should put the typeset back to a bigger font size.

Great functionality and service

Comments: I am very please with Foothold AWARDs, the people we work with from there, their responsiveness and problem-solving makes our jobs easier as users.

Pros:

Foothold AWARDS is easy to use, responsive to regulatory changes, excellent service and help desk. It is comprehensive and allows for electronic records. Access is permission based and allows for HR, Quality Improvement, auditing, billing and programs to work in one system. The team is always working on the next improvement.

Cons:

Billing module can be difficult to achieve functionality, it is scheduled for an update in the near future.

Long time AWARDS user

Comments: 24 years total of using and it gets better all the time.

Pros:

The work flow fits us well. It is easy to teach new hires because after hitting update the prompts are easy to know where to go next.

Cons:

Some of the report features will not allow you to use the back button. It takes you back to having to start over for each program you are trying to run.

Excellent product

Comments: I move around foothold with ease. All the information is captured. I also like that they do maintenance on off hours and don't interfere with our work.

Pros:

I like how easy this was to put together as an implementation team member. I have all the information I need at my fingertips and one click away.

Cons:

I don't have access to fixing errors I usually have to go through one of the managers at my agency or customer service help

longtime positive user

Comments: My overall experience with foothold has been very positive.

Pros:

What I like most about foothold is the ability to speak with someone about your issues. I have worked with AWARDS for many years and have always received assistance in a timely manner. The people are great to work with and knowledgeable about the product.

Cons:

We were afraid of the product, but with some help, on-site support and ability to speak and or email members at foothold we became more comfortable with AWARDS. At this time there is nothing that I can name that I do not like.

AWARDS is a great Electronic Health Record

Pros:

Their customer services and the timely and helpful replies from their Help Desk.

Cons:

Some of the features in AWARDS have not yet been updated and are clunky. But I've been told they will be updated in the future.

Review One

Comments: Strong!! Staff are excellent. Help Desk is very responsive.

Pros:

Reporting, customer support are excellent. Staff is very knowledgeable and really understand customer services

Cons:

On-line resources are hard to navigate.

Foothold Technology a Great Choice!

Comments: RSS has worked with Foothold Technology since 2008. The assistance with start up and the on-going support has been great. They are always willing to listen to thoughts and ideas on how to improve the system.

Pros:

Foothold Technology is a platform that can be modified to meet an agencies specific needs. It offers an easy-to-use platform for staff of various backgrounds and education level.

Cons:

Sometimes it takes a while to get helpdesk issues resolved.

Help Desk ticket.

Comments: Last one was satisfactory, feedback was received next day!

Pros:

Acknowledge of receipt of questions/request for help is received.

Cons:

That many times takes long period of time to help resolve billing issues.

Foothold the BEST CHOICE!!!!

Comments: Foothold Technology is great, Bergen was informed by HUD to initiate an HMIS system in the early 2000s and we had a few presentations from other vendors but we choose to go with Foothold. Very good choice!!

Pros:

Customer Service and being very responsive to our needs at the County. [sensitive content hidden] was there for Bergen County when we first initiated Foothold Technology HMIS system

Cons:

There are times when we experience delays due to HUD updates which can be frustrating, but overall they get it done.

Great product and support

Pros:

This site is easy to use, constantly being updated, well maintained, and works well with our billing needs.

Cons:

Some areas could use an update and to be adjusted to match the new UI but they are constantly working on this issue and have made large adjustments recently.

Best Tool for HMIS

Pros:

Foothold's customer service is excellent and they are at the forefront of new products and system usage.

Cons:

The design of the bed inventory is complicated and difficult to manage. I understand that it is the design required by the federal agency, but it is tedious to update the inventory changes.

AWARDS Review

Comments: Foothold has been AMAZING! They have been right there with us at every step; from our initial setup and deployment, to assistance setting up the BillingBuilder, to quick and efficient Help Desk support. We never feel like we are on our own!

Pros:

Hands down, the reporting function. The different ReportBuilders offer an amazing amount of customization options and virtually every field in AWARDS is reportable.

Cons:

Our agency struggles with the Plans and Reviews module, as it is not super user-friendly or intuitive.

Foothold AWARDS for non-profit housing agency

Pros:

The thing I value most about Foothold AWARDS is how prompt, helpful and informative the HelpDesk and our Senior Success Manager are.

Cons:

The pricing is high and many additional features come at a cost.

A successful transition from paper charts to electronic health records

Comments: Our agency provides a variety of Residential Treatment and Community Services throughout multiple counties within the state. Understanding that our services are vast, there was hesitation to think that we would find a system that would meet all of our regulatory and oversight needs. It is fair to state that AWARDS meets these needs and expectations. The system is customizable in many ways. The Foothold/AWARDS staff are responsive and great to work with. Overall ease of use is great.

Pros:

AWARDS permits programs and services to be developed and configured independently or globally. The formbuilder feature permits our agency to develop forms in the format we like, which certainly eased the implementation period. Reportbuilder provides opportunity for reports to be built specific to the user, program or agency based off of (pretty much) any field that is entered in to the system. This has allowed our agency to streamline data collection, identify more indicators to measure success and be able to access outcomes in real time. Our implementation consultants were highly supportive throughout the agency's transition from paper charts to electronic records. Following our implementation phase, we were assigned a senior consultant whom we quickly discovered is equally responsive and helpful. As the implementation researcher, lead and system administrator, I have worked with several Foothold/AWARDS team members. All of whom have demonstrated professionalism, appropriate problem solving skills and willingness to help whenever asked. Due to the success we experienced throughout the first three years with AWARDS, we chose to increase the use of the system by implementing the billing builder feature. We plan to begin this new phase of implementation soon.

Cons:

AWARDS does not have a mobile app for phones. Although the site is accessible from a mobile device, it is difficult to navigate the site on a small mobile devices while in the field. Employees report it would be much easier to have clients/families sign documents if there was a phone app or better flow of signatures. In addition, we have encountered a few issues surrounding e-signatures and alerts when a form is ready to be signed. We report these concerns to the helpdesk and they are always attentive; however, it is in this 'con' area because it has been an issue that we have encountered on more than 3 occasions. The help desk always resolves the problem, until it comes up again.

Product Review - Foothold AWARDS

Comments: Our overall experience with AWARDS has been positive. Our implementation specialist was wonderful, as was our temporary support person who assisted us with reviewing survey results with management. Our current support person is difficult to reach and does not reply to questions/concerns in a timely manner. We also find the HelpDesk people to be very accommodating when they can, and the new HelpDesk feature (using email) has been great so far!

Pros:

This product is very easy to use for all staff; including Direct Support Professionals, Managers, Executive Leadership, and Fiscal staff. The integration with existing business processes was a relatively smooth process. Our implementation specialist was wonderful in working with us to develop forms and adjust processes to work within AWARDS. The BillingBuilder took quite some time to set up and test because it was very different from what we had currently used, but we had sufficient support. One feature that has made a positive impact is the Reporting capabilities. Anyone, from Managers checking/signing progress notes, to Executive Leadership searching for trends, finds the ReportBuilders easy to use. Pulling data from the system has become an integral part in our efforts to improve process to increase efficiency, and satisfaction of stakeholders.

Cons:

There are a few identified areas of AWARDS that we'd like to see improved upon. One, is that we'd like a way to "turn off" the internal notification tied to the new E-Signatures Configuration for Progress Notes. Our process requires staff to sign their progress notes after review; once staff click "Save Note," the system automatically sends the notification that they have a note to review, but, they've already signed the note. Another area that has room for improvement, is when the need arises to create a new form that is different from the current version. Many of us need to have access in several ReportBuilders to the older form, but AWARDS does not suggest "moving forms." If the form is removed from it's current holding spot (i.e. Services or Charting Timetable) and moved to a "blank" holding area, the form can be accessed via client history. We need to have older forms remain available to all licensing and regulatory agencies in our ReportBuilders.

Customization, Collaboration, and Overall Utilization

Comments: Being one of the co-chairs of a committee of community providers who utilize the AWARDS program in NJ, having the same Senior Project Manager, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]
, is helpful in streamlining the overall process for all users. We share ideas, forms, best practices, and sometimes resources. We have partnered with [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] to meet on a regular basis to discuss and/or review topics such as AWARDS updates that affect the IDD population, Medicaid updates, regulatory compliance, enhancements, etc. Since [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] works with all of us, there is ease in that no one provider agency has to explain the "Why" or "What type of data or work do you do" type questions. We can get into the meat of an issue which helps move to a resolution faster. This partnership and experience enhances the overall experience in that there is strength in numbers and having the leverage to make changes in not only the AWARDS program, but also in overall advocacy. To the actual AWARDS program, the overall experience has been positive. The "home" page is user friendly and intuitive. The new format in the Service Module with Plans and Review has made the overall process of Outcome/Strategy development less stressful and reduced the steps in modification and discontinuing plans.

Pros:

The AWARDS program affords us opportunities to build forms to capture critical data and then run reports on that data for meaningful use when communication with doctors, nurses, dieticians, and medical or behavioral specialists. This in addition to having the ability to set up rules and parameters around progress note data entry, e-signing, and billing configurations.

Cons:

The inability to have interoperability with the NJ Depart of Human Services Department of Developmental Disabilities, and more specifically with the iRecord system. If there were interoperability between these two programs running utilization reports would capture the data in which is impossible today. One example: The ISP (Individual Service Plan) and SDR (Service Detail Report) in iRecord show the billable units per calendar year (or set period of time). Having that data at our fingertips across programs and individuals in the AWARDS program would help run a report on the number of units available and the number of units utilized; resulting in a report on lost potential revenue. Currently there is a lot of data manipulation to capture the same information. This would also assist with the ease of transferring the data from the ISP/SDR into the AWARDS program rather than manual input.

So many different programs

Comments: I have had the pleasure of working with AWARDS since 2009 and any time an agency had to undergo the process of selection of an EHR, AWARDS was what was selected. It's the best bang for your buck. While I didn't get certified until a few years ago, it was an easy enough system that I could be an administrator for my agency and really create processes that streamlined my programs. I didn't need to implement all programs at once or implement one module across the board, it allowed for me to plan, test, and rework things without having an external deadline.
Most importantly, this could not have been possible without the staff at Foothold. They took the time to explain things thoroughly, discuss potential other uses and guide me if I was stuck. When changes were implemented because of regulations, they helped us navigate that and if they were making changes they communicated those too. They provide the vision to all users and accept input. Staff are knowledgeable about programming and offer more than one option of doing things in the system. Having several options also helps with it's user friendliness, you can get to the same destination from different paths and not break anything in the system while doing so. They have build in lots of safeguards for this too.

Pros:

I have worked at several big agencies that have a multitude of types of programs, state regulations and internal regulations that this system allows me to gather information from all on a consistent basis. Creating reports is easy and any type can be made! I can create reports for the board or for individual front line staff to give them feedback. I can look at one program, subset of programs by type or all at once (homeless, veterans, DV, shelters, incidents, senior, meals on wheels, group homes, etc.)

Cons:

The system has so much more potential and while they are trying to improve each section, I wish it would be faster but not from lack of trying. There just isn't enough time in the day.