The Special Edition contains workflow improvements for Ophthalmology that address some of the issues contained in the feedback we received from our Ophthalmology client base. The Special Edition will also include all defect corrections through Hot Fix 3, as listed above, and will receive future hot fixes in parallel with NextGen® KBM 8.3.8. In order to take the Special Edition you must be on NextGen KBM 8.3.8.
Ophthalmology clients, or clients in multi-specialty practices, are not required to take the Special Edition. The Special Edition is only for clients who wish to receive the Ophthalmology workflow enhancements. The same patient safety and Meaningful Use fixes will be available either in NextGen KBM 8.3.8 hot fixes or in the Special Edition.
The Special Edition was designed and validated in collaboration with multiple Ophthalmology clients so the workflow enhancements should be a welcome improvement. Training documentation, recordings of the new workflows, and installation instructions will be available shortly on the Knowledge Exchange.
If your practice decides not to use the Special Edition, the Ophthalmology workflow enhancements will be available in NextGen KBM 8.3 UD 10 which will be released in the winter. Since the changes for the Special Edition are available in NextGen KBM 8.3 UD10, you should plan to transition to UD 10 when it is released. Per our standard protocol, support for the Special Edition will end when UD 10 is in general release.