He gave up the paper pad four years ago and now only writes prescriptions for patients electronically.
While Dr. Richard Smith can’t specifically quantify the results, he knows without any doubt that e-prescribing has generated efficiencies in his medical practice.
“As you accept it in your practice, it’s a phenomenal tool,” said Smith, an obstetrician with the Henry Ford Medical Group and president of the Michigan State Medical Society. Smith, who’s been in practice for nearly 30 years, is among a growing number of physicians in Michigan and nationwide who now use e-prescribing, as health care rushes to catch up with other industries in the use of information technology. A June report shows Michigan is one of the leading states in e-prescribing rates, ranking third behind Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It moved up from fifth in 2007 and three spots from two years earlier.
In 2008, doctors in Michigan ordered 9.03 percent of all prescriptions electronically - 4.2 million new prescriptions and more than 603,000 refills - more than twice that of 2007 and more than quadruple the 2006 rate, according to Surescripts, a national provider of electronic access to health information that issues the annual Safe-Rx Awards to the top 10 states. The use of e-prescribing in other leading states has grown by similar rates since 2007. The rate in Massachusetts, for instance, grew to 20.5 percent in 2008 from 13.43 percent the year before and 8.80 percent in 2006.
Advocates of e-prescribing suspect Michigan’s 2009 rate is now in the mid-teens and say it will continue to rise rapidly. “We’re on a continuum right now,” Smith said. “We’ll see more and more.” At Grand Rapids-based health plan Priority Health, the e-prescribing rate by participating doctors was 14 percent as of May, up from just 3 percent at the end of 2008, pharmacy administrator Steve Marciniak said. Despite the strong growth in Michigan’s e-prescribing rate the past two years, Health Alliance Plan’s Denice Asbell says advocates need to maintain the push to go much further.
“Nine percent leaves a lot of room for growth and improvement,” said Asbell, project manager of purchasing initiatives at HAP, a unit of Henry Ford Health System. Read More Electronic Prescription
EHR adopters could face series of tighter standards
There may soon be one more incentive for hospitals and physician offices to buy and install electronic health-record systems on or before 2011. The added push could come from the prospect of increasingly higher thresholds of initial federal eligibility requirements for EHR subsidies under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, according to discussions at today’s meeting of the Health Information Technology Policy Committee.
A work group of that committee delivered its first draft of recommended definitions of “meaningful use” of EHRs, a standard that providers must meet to qualify for subsidy payments estimated at $34 billion to be handed out by Medicare and Medicaid. The work group recommended instituting a series of increasingly complex meaningful-use requirements between 2011, the first “payment year” of the subsidy program, and 2015, the final year payments will be made before financial penalties for not adopting begin.
During those discussions, Anthony Trenkle, director of the CMS’ office of e-Health Standards and Services, said the requirements will not be “tiered” based on when the provider adopts an EHR after 2011. Instead, whatever meaningful use standards are applicable for the year the provider applies for an EHR subsidy are the standards that provider must meet, regardless of whether it is the provider’s first year of EHR implementation. Read More EMR
A work group of that committee delivered its first draft of recommended definitions of “meaningful use” of EHRs, a standard that providers must meet to qualify for subsidy payments estimated at $34 billion to be handed out by Medicare and Medicaid. The work group recommended instituting a series of increasingly complex meaningful-use requirements between 2011, the first “payment year” of the subsidy program, and 2015, the final year payments will be made before financial penalties for not adopting begin.
During those discussions, Anthony Trenkle, director of the CMS’ office of e-Health Standards and Services, said the requirements will not be “tiered” based on when the provider adopts an EHR after 2011. Instead, whatever meaningful use standards are applicable for the year the provider applies for an EHR subsidy are the standards that provider must meet, regardless of whether it is the provider’s first year of EHR implementation. Read More EMR
Editorial: Prescription abuse
Florida’s medical examiners recently reported that prescription medicines caused more deaths in 2008 than illicit drugs. The medical examiners also reported sharp increases in deaths caused by prescription tranquilizers and painkillers, such as Oxycodone and hydrocodone.
The results of the year-end report weren’t surprising. Since the middle of last year, physicians, pharmacists and law enforcement officials have warned of a near-epidemic of deadly prescription medicine abuse. In 2005, the Medical Examiners Commission began reporting the drugs discovered in bodies subject to autopsies. The percentage of decedents with at least one drug in their bodies has increased each year; to 53 percent last year.
“The vast majority” (4,924) of the 8,556 drug-related deaths studied last year by the state’s medical examiners involved the presence of more than one drug, according to the 2008 report. The presence of at least one prescription drug caused the death of 2,184 people last year.
To put the scale of those numbers in perspective, consider: There were 2,983 deaths on Florida’s roads last year; 1,169 of those fatalities were alcohol-related. Prescription drugs caused more deaths than alcohol-related crashes in Florida.
Of particular concern: Death-related occurrences of both benzodiazepines and oxycodone were up by more than 20 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. The drugs that caused the most deaths in Florida: oxycodone (941), benzodiazepines (929), methadone (693), cocaine (648), alcohol (489), morphine (300), hydrocodone (270). Read More Electronic Prescription
The results of the year-end report weren’t surprising. Since the middle of last year, physicians, pharmacists and law enforcement officials have warned of a near-epidemic of deadly prescription medicine abuse. In 2005, the Medical Examiners Commission began reporting the drugs discovered in bodies subject to autopsies. The percentage of decedents with at least one drug in their bodies has increased each year; to 53 percent last year.
“The vast majority” (4,924) of the 8,556 drug-related deaths studied last year by the state’s medical examiners involved the presence of more than one drug, according to the 2008 report. The presence of at least one prescription drug caused the death of 2,184 people last year.
To put the scale of those numbers in perspective, consider: There were 2,983 deaths on Florida’s roads last year; 1,169 of those fatalities were alcohol-related. Prescription drugs caused more deaths than alcohol-related crashes in Florida.
Of particular concern: Death-related occurrences of both benzodiazepines and oxycodone were up by more than 20 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. The drugs that caused the most deaths in Florida: oxycodone (941), benzodiazepines (929), methadone (693), cocaine (648), alcohol (489), morphine (300), hydrocodone (270). Read More Electronic Prescription
Standards Panel Backs Quality Measures for ?Meaningful Use?
On Tuesday, the Health IT Standards Committee approved quality measures and standards for how health care providers can demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records by 2011, Government Health IT reports.
Under the federal economic stimulus package, hospitals and physicians who demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs will qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
The standards panel endorsed a matrix of 27 quality measures and 12 standards that build on each other to improve patient outcomes. The standards call for health care providers to use health IT tools for transmitting:
* Continuity of care documents;
* Discharge summaries;
* Inpatient and outpatient prescriptions;
* Laboratory test results; and
* Other structured health data.
The committee said health providers who have not yet adopted EHR technology could use certain unstructured data for 2011, provided that they work to eventually meet structured data standards. Read More EMR
Under the federal economic stimulus package, hospitals and physicians who demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs will qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
The standards panel endorsed a matrix of 27 quality measures and 12 standards that build on each other to improve patient outcomes. The standards call for health care providers to use health IT tools for transmitting:
* Continuity of care documents;
* Discharge summaries;
* Inpatient and outpatient prescriptions;
* Laboratory test results; and
* Other structured health data.
The committee said health providers who have not yet adopted EHR technology could use certain unstructured data for 2011, provided that they work to eventually meet structured data standards. Read More EMR
AMA Unveils Enhanced ePrescribing Learning Center to Provide Physicians Tools to Make Informed Decisions About Electronic Prescribing
Zero-In RX is a one-stop shop for electronic prescribing information and resources for physicians
Earlier this year the American Medical Association (AMA) launched a new online learning center to provide physicians with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions about electronic prescribing (ePrescribing). Today, the AMA unveils enhanced tools for ePrescribing and opens the site and all its resources to all physicians.
“A recent survey found about 30 percent of physician participants use an ePrescribing system in their practice. This is a sizable increase from the 13 percent who said the same at the end of last year,” said AMA Board Member Joseph M. Heyman, MD.
“With the current Medicare ePrescribing incentive and the promise of increased patient safety and practice efficiency, physician interest in adopting new technologies is increasing. We are glad to be able to offer physicians guidance on ePrescribing.”
The learning center includes a variety of tools and resources to help physicians, including calculators to estimate time savings and eligibility for incentive payments and planning tools to help determine practice readiness for and ease implementation of new technologies. Some of the new tools include: Read More Electronic Prescription
Earlier this year the American Medical Association (AMA) launched a new online learning center to provide physicians with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions about electronic prescribing (ePrescribing). Today, the AMA unveils enhanced tools for ePrescribing and opens the site and all its resources to all physicians.
“A recent survey found about 30 percent of physician participants use an ePrescribing system in their practice. This is a sizable increase from the 13 percent who said the same at the end of last year,” said AMA Board Member Joseph M. Heyman, MD.
“With the current Medicare ePrescribing incentive and the promise of increased patient safety and practice efficiency, physician interest in adopting new technologies is increasing. We are glad to be able to offer physicians guidance on ePrescribing.”
The learning center includes a variety of tools and resources to help physicians, including calculators to estimate time savings and eligibility for incentive payments and planning tools to help determine practice readiness for and ease implementation of new technologies. Some of the new tools include: Read More Electronic Prescription
Obama Continues To Tout Health IT as a Key to Health Reform
As President Obama continued his push to reform the U.S. health care system, he highlighted the Cleveland Clinic as a model for how effective health IT systems can improve care and lower costs, Healthcare IT News reports.
Obama visited the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday and viewed a presentation on the center’s health IT initiatives.
Cleveland Clinic executives also spoke with the president about patient-centered health IT projects involving Microsoft HealthVault, Google Health and MyChart. MyChart currently connects 202,000 patients to an online portal for appointment scheduling, prescription management, preventive health reminders and test results.
C. Martin Harris, Cleveland Clinic’s CIO and a member of HHS’ Health IT Standards Committee, said the center “is developing health IT that gives patients the power to better manage their health care.”
Harris added that the Cleveland Clinic is “focused on helping lead the nation toward a comprehensive electronic medical records system that will reduce medical errors, improve quality and lower costs.”
During a town-hall meeting later that day, Obama said the Cleveland Clinic has “one of the best health IT systems in the country.” He said the center’s electronic health technology allows it to: More Read EMR Stimulus Package
Obama visited the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday and viewed a presentation on the center’s health IT initiatives.
Cleveland Clinic executives also spoke with the president about patient-centered health IT projects involving Microsoft HealthVault, Google Health and MyChart. MyChart currently connects 202,000 patients to an online portal for appointment scheduling, prescription management, preventive health reminders and test results.
C. Martin Harris, Cleveland Clinic’s CIO and a member of HHS’ Health IT Standards Committee, said the center “is developing health IT that gives patients the power to better manage their health care.”
Harris added that the Cleveland Clinic is “focused on helping lead the nation toward a comprehensive electronic medical records system that will reduce medical errors, improve quality and lower costs.”
During a town-hall meeting later that day, Obama said the Cleveland Clinic has “one of the best health IT systems in the country.” He said the center’s electronic health technology allows it to: More Read EMR Stimulus Package
Standards panel aligns interoperability specs with ARRA
The Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel has approved new interoperability specifications for electronic health records, data exchange and architecture that align with the federal government’s stimulus package for healthcare IT.
“HITSP has transformed its existing work to be completely aligned with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA),” said John Halamka, MD, chairman of the panel. “These approved specifications represent the culmination of some 90 days and 13,000 hours of volunteer effort to meet the requirements of this landmark piece of legislation.”
Approved by the panel at its July 8 meeting are:
* HITSP/IS107 – Electronic Health Record (EHR)-centric Interoperability Specification
* HITSP/TN904 – Exchange Architecture and Harmonization Framework Technical Note
* HITSP/TN903 – Data Architecture Technical Note
* HITSP/SC108-SC116 – Service Collaborations
On April 7, HITSP began to leverage its 13 Interoperability Specifications (IS) and 60 related constructs to consolidate all information exchanges that involve an electronic health record system. The work was organized around ARRA requirements, specifically for the HITECH section.
HITSP formed temporary “tiger” teams to map EHR-related information exchanges to ARRA requirements. These teams identified “capabilities” – specific, implementable business services that use existing HITSP constructs to define and specify interoperable information exchanges. For example, the Communicate Hospital Prescriptions Capability addresses the interoperability requirements needed to support electronic prescribing for inpatient prescription orders. Read More EMR
“HITSP has transformed its existing work to be completely aligned with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA),” said John Halamka, MD, chairman of the panel. “These approved specifications represent the culmination of some 90 days and 13,000 hours of volunteer effort to meet the requirements of this landmark piece of legislation.”
Approved by the panel at its July 8 meeting are:
* HITSP/IS107 – Electronic Health Record (EHR)-centric Interoperability Specification
* HITSP/TN904 – Exchange Architecture and Harmonization Framework Technical Note
* HITSP/TN903 – Data Architecture Technical Note
* HITSP/SC108-SC116 – Service Collaborations
On April 7, HITSP began to leverage its 13 Interoperability Specifications (IS) and 60 related constructs to consolidate all information exchanges that involve an electronic health record system. The work was organized around ARRA requirements, specifically for the HITECH section.
HITSP formed temporary “tiger” teams to map EHR-related information exchanges to ARRA requirements. These teams identified “capabilities” – specific, implementable business services that use existing HITSP constructs to define and specify interoperable information exchanges. For example, the Communicate Hospital Prescriptions Capability addresses the interoperability requirements needed to support electronic prescribing for inpatient prescription orders. Read More EMR
Obama losing favour with healthcare reform
United States President Barack Obama is battling slumping poll numbers as he tries to counter the growing criticisms of his economic and health policies.
Mr Obama has used a prime time media conference to defend his campaign to overhaul America’s health system, calling it vital to pulling the economy back from the brink.
It was his 10th news conference since taking office six months ago and the timing was critical.
The President held it during prime time in the US to guarantee a national television audience. And he did it in a bid to convince Americans and the Congress to back his ambitious health care reforms.
“This debate is not a game for these Americans and they can’t afford to wait any longer for reform. They’re counting on us to get this done. They’re looking to us for leadership and we can’t let them down,” he said.
With the US in a deep recession, unemployment rising and the deficit ballooning, healthcare reform is set to be Barack Obama’s biggest test yet.
Forty-seven million Americans do not have health insurance but the President’s far reaching plans to bring affordable health care to all Americans have left many worrying who will foot the bill.
The growing public unease with his approach is partly due to an onslaught from his Republican critics and some within his own Democratic Party remain sceptical.
But Barack Obama says the time is right for a health care overhaul.
“I’m the President of the United States so I’ve got a doctor following me every minute which is why I say this is not about me,” he said.
“I’ve got the best health care in the world. I’m trying to make sure that everybody has good health care, and they don’t right now. “ Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Mr Obama has used a prime time media conference to defend his campaign to overhaul America’s health system, calling it vital to pulling the economy back from the brink.
It was his 10th news conference since taking office six months ago and the timing was critical.
The President held it during prime time in the US to guarantee a national television audience. And he did it in a bid to convince Americans and the Congress to back his ambitious health care reforms.
“This debate is not a game for these Americans and they can’t afford to wait any longer for reform. They’re counting on us to get this done. They’re looking to us for leadership and we can’t let them down,” he said.
With the US in a deep recession, unemployment rising and the deficit ballooning, healthcare reform is set to be Barack Obama’s biggest test yet.
Forty-seven million Americans do not have health insurance but the President’s far reaching plans to bring affordable health care to all Americans have left many worrying who will foot the bill.
The growing public unease with his approach is partly due to an onslaught from his Republican critics and some within his own Democratic Party remain sceptical.
But Barack Obama says the time is right for a health care overhaul.
“I’m the President of the United States so I’ve got a doctor following me every minute which is why I say this is not about me,” he said.
“I’ve got the best health care in the world. I’m trying to make sure that everybody has good health care, and they don’t right now. “ Read More EMR Stimulus Package
At this time, EMRs have not yet shown their value
EMR, DICOM, SNOMED, HIPAA, CCHIT — how many readers can explain in detail what each of these means to their practice? While to date only a few more than 10% of us have fully adopted electronic medical records, by 2015 we will all face significant penalties if we are not fully engaged in this next government mandate.
We at Minnesota Eye Consultants are still delaying implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs), partly because the costs are staggering, the technology available for ophthalmology is in evolution, and especially because of the horror stories we have heard from so many of our colleagues who have made the attempt to go electronic in the past. I am concerned that the penalties may be significantly greater than just the astronomical cost of implementation and the potential for reduced reimbursement for those who are noncompliant.
I am now old enough to have a few medical maladies of my own — hypertension for one, well managed on medical therapy, and a few sports injuries requiring joint surgery. Just this last week, I visited my internist who is part of a large multispecialty clinic that adopted EMRs 2 years ago. As I sat in the examination room, first the nurse and then the physician recited a long list of required questions while seated in front of a computer monitor, the whole time intent on the monitor and keyboard, without once looking up at me as they completed the history. Clearly, to me, this was a major disconnect in the way I have classically interacted with patients in our currently non-EMR clinic. Of course, there was an examination and a little laying on of hands with a few follow-up questions. Then another 5 minutes for me to look at the back of my physician as the data was entered and the treatment plan formulated.
On a positive note, a summary of the plan of therapy was immediately printed and handed to me, and the physician, one of the best internists in Minnesota, did turn and look me in the eye as he went over the plan and answered any questions. Having a good relationship with this committed physician, I asked him what he thought about EMRs. After a long sigh, which was in itself the answer to my question, he conceded that on the positive side, EMRs were a potentially powerful tool for large multi-specialty clinics such as his, where multiple providers at multiple locations participate in a single patient’s care. All caregivers at all locations have access to all the data immediately once it is entered. He admitted it was also a constructive tool for monitoring physician productivity and patterns of care, providing a powerful data set to those managing and regulating our practices. Read More EMR
We at Minnesota Eye Consultants are still delaying implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs), partly because the costs are staggering, the technology available for ophthalmology is in evolution, and especially because of the horror stories we have heard from so many of our colleagues who have made the attempt to go electronic in the past. I am concerned that the penalties may be significantly greater than just the astronomical cost of implementation and the potential for reduced reimbursement for those who are noncompliant.
I am now old enough to have a few medical maladies of my own — hypertension for one, well managed on medical therapy, and a few sports injuries requiring joint surgery. Just this last week, I visited my internist who is part of a large multispecialty clinic that adopted EMRs 2 years ago. As I sat in the examination room, first the nurse and then the physician recited a long list of required questions while seated in front of a computer monitor, the whole time intent on the monitor and keyboard, without once looking up at me as they completed the history. Clearly, to me, this was a major disconnect in the way I have classically interacted with patients in our currently non-EMR clinic. Of course, there was an examination and a little laying on of hands with a few follow-up questions. Then another 5 minutes for me to look at the back of my physician as the data was entered and the treatment plan formulated.
On a positive note, a summary of the plan of therapy was immediately printed and handed to me, and the physician, one of the best internists in Minnesota, did turn and look me in the eye as he went over the plan and answered any questions. Having a good relationship with this committed physician, I asked him what he thought about EMRs. After a long sigh, which was in itself the answer to my question, he conceded that on the positive side, EMRs were a potentially powerful tool for large multi-specialty clinics such as his, where multiple providers at multiple locations participate in a single patient’s care. All caregivers at all locations have access to all the data immediately once it is entered. He admitted it was also a constructive tool for monitoring physician productivity and patterns of care, providing a powerful data set to those managing and regulating our practices. Read More EMR
Obama asks Americans to set aside health-care fears
WASHINGTON — facing possible defeat on his signature domestic policy priority, President Barack Obama appealed on Wednesday for Americans to put aside fears about health care reform and back sweeping changes that include the creation of a government-run medical insurance program.
During a prime time news conference in which he linked passage of health care legislation to the nation’s overall economic stability, Mr. Obama also claimed his administration’s controversial US$787-billion stimulus package and financial industry bailouts had all but rescued the American economy from collapse.
“As a result of the action we took in those first weeks (in office), we have been able to pull our economy back from the brink,” Mr. Obama said.
The president’s declaration of victory in the fight to save the economy came amid a wave of recent criticisms that the stimulus has done little to stem the tide of job losses. It’s expected the U.S. unemployment rate could rise above 10% later this year.
“We still have a long way to go,” Mr. Obama acknowledged. “I’ll be honest with you – new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession.”
With Congress now wavering on White House demands to pass a US$1-trillion-plus health care bill before the fall, Mr. Obama warned a failure to overhaul the system now will lead to ballooning costs and force millions of more Americans to lose their coverage over the next decade.
“If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket,” Mr. Obama said. “If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction.”
Answering Republican opponents who this week predicted the health care issue would be his “Waterloo,” Mr. Obama made a defiant prediction: “We will do it this year.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
During a prime time news conference in which he linked passage of health care legislation to the nation’s overall economic stability, Mr. Obama also claimed his administration’s controversial US$787-billion stimulus package and financial industry bailouts had all but rescued the American economy from collapse.
“As a result of the action we took in those first weeks (in office), we have been able to pull our economy back from the brink,” Mr. Obama said.
The president’s declaration of victory in the fight to save the economy came amid a wave of recent criticisms that the stimulus has done little to stem the tide of job losses. It’s expected the U.S. unemployment rate could rise above 10% later this year.
“We still have a long way to go,” Mr. Obama acknowledged. “I’ll be honest with you – new hiring is always one of the last things to bounce back after a recession.”
With Congress now wavering on White House demands to pass a US$1-trillion-plus health care bill before the fall, Mr. Obama warned a failure to overhaul the system now will lead to ballooning costs and force millions of more Americans to lose their coverage over the next decade.
“If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket,” Mr. Obama said. “If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction.”
Answering Republican opponents who this week predicted the health care issue would be his “Waterloo,” Mr. Obama made a defiant prediction: “We will do it this year.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Mass. bill would offer tax breaks for e-prescribing
A bill pending in Massachusetts has a goal of pushing more electronic prescribing in a state already tops in such activity.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian, would provide tax incentives to any corporation with licensed physicians that invests in e-prescribing technology. That would include physician practices.
Under the provisions of the bill, deductions would be allowed for the cost of the technology itself, any needed infrastructure and associated labor costs of installing the systems.
The state has been urging physicians to switch to electronic prescribing as a way of curbing rising health care costs associated with paper-based medical systems.
Sonya Khan, research analyst for Koutoujian’s office, said a hearing on the bill was held on July 8 before the revenue committee, which will send its recommendations back to the house later this year.
According to SureScripts, the e-prescribing health information exchange, Massachusetts ranked first for the percentage of prescriptions sent electronically in 2008 with 20.5%. The next highest was neighboring Rhode Island, at 17.3%.
A growing number of physicians are looking into adopting e-prescribing systems now that Medicare is providing incentives for using of the technology. Those incentives will turn to penalties in 2012. Read More Electronic Prescription
The bill, introduced by Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian, would provide tax incentives to any corporation with licensed physicians that invests in e-prescribing technology. That would include physician practices.
Under the provisions of the bill, deductions would be allowed for the cost of the technology itself, any needed infrastructure and associated labor costs of installing the systems.
The state has been urging physicians to switch to electronic prescribing as a way of curbing rising health care costs associated with paper-based medical systems.
Sonya Khan, research analyst for Koutoujian’s office, said a hearing on the bill was held on July 8 before the revenue committee, which will send its recommendations back to the house later this year.
According to SureScripts, the e-prescribing health information exchange, Massachusetts ranked first for the percentage of prescriptions sent electronically in 2008 with 20.5%. The next highest was neighboring Rhode Island, at 17.3%.
A growing number of physicians are looking into adopting e-prescribing systems now that Medicare is providing incentives for using of the technology. Those incentives will turn to penalties in 2012. Read More Electronic Prescription
Surescripts merger 1 year old as ARRA pushes e-Rx
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the merger of the two largest electronic-prescribing exchanges, SureScripts and RxHub, creating a market-dominant, privately held, for-profit company just in time for the federal government to all but mandate that physicians e-prescribe.
So, how is the merger going? The answer depends on who’s talking.
“The question you may be asking is, has the merger yielded any benefits and we’re happy to say, it absolutely has,” said Harry Totonis, CEO of the merged company, now called Surescripts.
Totonis only recently joined Surescripts—in April—after serving as head of adviser services at MasterCard, and previously working 14 years as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, which works extensively in healthcare as well as for the federal government in defense and national security and intelligence programs.
“E-prescribing volume has just skyrocketed and we’ve handled that without adding a lot of new people,” Totonis said. “We’re processing twice as many transactions with relatively the same number of people. The efficiency we get is benefiting everyone.”
Justin Barnes is a vice president of Carrollton, Ga.-based Greenway Medical Technologies. In that post, he oversees corporate development, strategy, marketing and government affairs for the electronic health-record system vendor. Barnes also serves as chairman of the Electronic Health Record Association, a trade group for EHR vendors that is an arm of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Vendors, Barnes said, while not hostile to Surescripts having such predominance, are “not completely comfortable” with the situation, either.
“It’s kind of pushed on us,” Barnes said. “When you have no competition, they may not want to listen to people. Competition breeds excellence at the end of the day. It always has and always will.”
The merger, which seems natural now, pooled the resources of two competing companies whose rival sponsors that either are themselves or have members that are still battling for market share in prescription drug sales. Both SureScripts and RxHub were formed in the aftermath of the 2000 bursting of the dot-com bubble that wiped out scads of e-prescribing startup companies. Read More Electronic Prescription
So, how is the merger going? The answer depends on who’s talking.
“The question you may be asking is, has the merger yielded any benefits and we’re happy to say, it absolutely has,” said Harry Totonis, CEO of the merged company, now called Surescripts.
Totonis only recently joined Surescripts—in April—after serving as head of adviser services at MasterCard, and previously working 14 years as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, which works extensively in healthcare as well as for the federal government in defense and national security and intelligence programs.
“E-prescribing volume has just skyrocketed and we’ve handled that without adding a lot of new people,” Totonis said. “We’re processing twice as many transactions with relatively the same number of people. The efficiency we get is benefiting everyone.”
Justin Barnes is a vice president of Carrollton, Ga.-based Greenway Medical Technologies. In that post, he oversees corporate development, strategy, marketing and government affairs for the electronic health-record system vendor. Barnes also serves as chairman of the Electronic Health Record Association, a trade group for EHR vendors that is an arm of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Vendors, Barnes said, while not hostile to Surescripts having such predominance, are “not completely comfortable” with the situation, either.
“It’s kind of pushed on us,” Barnes said. “When you have no competition, they may not want to listen to people. Competition breeds excellence at the end of the day. It always has and always will.”
The merger, which seems natural now, pooled the resources of two competing companies whose rival sponsors that either are themselves or have members that are still battling for market share in prescription drug sales. Both SureScripts and RxHub were formed in the aftermath of the 2000 bursting of the dot-com bubble that wiped out scads of e-prescribing startup companies. Read More Electronic Prescription
Obama sticks by healthcare IT in prime time plea for reform
President Barack Obama says the nation can use healthcare IT to dig itself out of the ever-increasing burden of escalating healthcare costs.
In his fourth prime time TV press conference Wednesday night, Obama said he would like to see a bill pushed through as early as this summer, but he won’t sign a bill that puts the majority of the burden on the backs of the middle class.
As Capitol Hill debates the merits of proposed healthcare reforms, the president has been lobbying for change, making almost daily speeches to educate the American public on what his reform plan would hold.
Obama and the Democrats have said two-thirds of the cost of the proposed healthcare overhaul would come from eliminating wasteful or fraudulent spending of taxpayer dollars. The remaining third is up for debate, with Obama recommending limiting tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans to match deductions available to middle class Americans. He said he is not sure if Congress will follow his advice, and the House is currently considering taxing Americans who jointly earn more than $1 million a year.
Obama’s speech and his answers to questions about healthcare reform emphasized that change must come, and it will involve the use of healthcare IT to eliminate duplicate testing, prevent medical errors, help monitor chronic care, encourage preventive care and help doctors know what care is most effective. Without these changes, he said, the nation will maintain a status quo that will bankrupt more families.
“Currently, 14 million Americans lose their health insurance every day,” Obama said. “This is about Americans who don’t have healthcare, and this is about every American who has ever worried about losing healthcare.” Read More EMR
In his fourth prime time TV press conference Wednesday night, Obama said he would like to see a bill pushed through as early as this summer, but he won’t sign a bill that puts the majority of the burden on the backs of the middle class.
As Capitol Hill debates the merits of proposed healthcare reforms, the president has been lobbying for change, making almost daily speeches to educate the American public on what his reform plan would hold.
Obama and the Democrats have said two-thirds of the cost of the proposed healthcare overhaul would come from eliminating wasteful or fraudulent spending of taxpayer dollars. The remaining third is up for debate, with Obama recommending limiting tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans to match deductions available to middle class Americans. He said he is not sure if Congress will follow his advice, and the House is currently considering taxing Americans who jointly earn more than $1 million a year.
Obama’s speech and his answers to questions about healthcare reform emphasized that change must come, and it will involve the use of healthcare IT to eliminate duplicate testing, prevent medical errors, help monitor chronic care, encourage preventive care and help doctors know what care is most effective. Without these changes, he said, the nation will maintain a status quo that will bankrupt more families.
“Currently, 14 million Americans lose their health insurance every day,” Obama said. “This is about Americans who don’t have healthcare, and this is about every American who has ever worried about losing healthcare.” Read More EMR
Obama seeks to blunt criticism, highlights potential benefits of reform
President Barack Obama moved to stem growing criticism of his blueprint to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, warning a national audience not to “become consumed in the game of politics” and underscoring the potential benefits everyday individuals could reap under a wholly reformed system.
In a news briefing that focused almost entirely on healthcare, the president tried to put the focus on the personal rather than the political.
“My hope is, and I’m confident that, when people look at the cost of doing nothing, they’re going to say, ‘We can make this happen. We’ve made big changes before that resulted in a better life for the American people,’” Obama said.
Over the past three weeks, Obama’s push to fundamentally change how care is provided and paid for has come under attack from a bloc of fiscally conservative Democrats, stalwart Republicans and both right- and left-leaning interest groups.
Longtime policy shapers have begun to tie the president’s upstart reform efforts to one that failed spectacularly in the early 1990s. Such comparisons could prove to be as damaging as any legislative setback or missed deadline.
The president reiterated a pledge not to support any new taxes that would hit the middle class. His steadfast opposition to a tax on health benefits has rankled some lawmakers who had hopes of using such a levy to help defray the expected $1 trillion overhaul price tag.
“If I see a proposal that is primarily funded through taxing middle-class families, I’m going to be opposed to it,” he said. But, he added that he’s open to other tax proposals now being hashed out by congressional leaders. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
In a news briefing that focused almost entirely on healthcare, the president tried to put the focus on the personal rather than the political.
“My hope is, and I’m confident that, when people look at the cost of doing nothing, they’re going to say, ‘We can make this happen. We’ve made big changes before that resulted in a better life for the American people,’” Obama said.
Over the past three weeks, Obama’s push to fundamentally change how care is provided and paid for has come under attack from a bloc of fiscally conservative Democrats, stalwart Republicans and both right- and left-leaning interest groups.
Longtime policy shapers have begun to tie the president’s upstart reform efforts to one that failed spectacularly in the early 1990s. Such comparisons could prove to be as damaging as any legislative setback or missed deadline.
The president reiterated a pledge not to support any new taxes that would hit the middle class. His steadfast opposition to a tax on health benefits has rankled some lawmakers who had hopes of using such a levy to help defray the expected $1 trillion overhaul price tag.
“If I see a proposal that is primarily funded through taxing middle-class families, I’m going to be opposed to it,” he said. But, he added that he’s open to other tax proposals now being hashed out by congressional leaders. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
Obama sticks by healthcare IT in prime time plea for reform
President Barack Obama says the nation can use healthcare IT to dig itself out of the ever-increasing burden of escalating healthcare costs.
In his fourth prime time TV press conference Wednesday night, Obama said he would like to see a bill pushed through as early as this summer, but he won’t sign a bill that puts the majority of the burden on the backs of the middle class.
As Capitol Hill debates the merits of proposed healthcare reforms, the president has been lobbying for change, making almost daily speeches to educate the American public on what his reform plan would hold.
Obama and the Democrats have said two-thirds of the cost of the proposed healthcare overhaul would come from eliminating wasteful or fraudulent spending of taxpayer dollars. The remaining third is up for debate, with Obama recommending limiting tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans to match deductions available to middle class Americans. He said he is not sure if Congress will follow his advice, and the House is currently considering taxing Americans who jointly earn more than $1 million a year.
Obama’s speech and his answers to questions about healthcare reform emphasized that change must come, and it will involve the use of healthcare IT to eliminate duplicate testing, prevent medical errors, help monitor chronic care, encourage preventive care and help doctors know what care is most effective. Without these changes, he said, the nation will maintain a status quo that will bankrupt more families. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
In his fourth prime time TV press conference Wednesday night, Obama said he would like to see a bill pushed through as early as this summer, but he won’t sign a bill that puts the majority of the burden on the backs of the middle class.
As Capitol Hill debates the merits of proposed healthcare reforms, the president has been lobbying for change, making almost daily speeches to educate the American public on what his reform plan would hold.
Obama and the Democrats have said two-thirds of the cost of the proposed healthcare overhaul would come from eliminating wasteful or fraudulent spending of taxpayer dollars. The remaining third is up for debate, with Obama recommending limiting tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans to match deductions available to middle class Americans. He said he is not sure if Congress will follow his advice, and the House is currently considering taxing Americans who jointly earn more than $1 million a year.
Obama’s speech and his answers to questions about healthcare reform emphasized that change must come, and it will involve the use of healthcare IT to eliminate duplicate testing, prevent medical errors, help monitor chronic care, encourage preventive care and help doctors know what care is most effective. Without these changes, he said, the nation will maintain a status quo that will bankrupt more families. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Industry Pushes Back on EHR ?Meaningful Use? Definition
When the government’s Health IT Policy Committee met a couple of weeks ago, some committee members suggested that a workgroup’s preliminary definition of “meaningful use” of electronic health records had gone too far. Now the official comments are in, and it’s clear that most of the healthcare industry agrees that the requirements in the workgroup’s first draft are overly aggressive. It will interesting to see what the committee comes up with when it reconvenes on July 16.
The “meaningful use” definition is of vital importance to the industry, because physicians and hospitals will have to show that they are using EHRs meaningfully in order to qualify for billions of dollars in government financial incentives. The committee wants to use its power to define the requirements to achieve certain policy objectives. But healthcare providers are concerned that they will be asked to do too much too soon. If the criteria to qualify for incentives in 2011, the first year of the reward program, are too stiff, not many providers will receive the maximum amount of government incentives.
In a letter to the Office of the National Coordinator For Health IT, Mark Leavitt, MD, and Alisa Ray, respectively chair and executive director of the Certification Commission for Health IT, succinctly summed up the problem:
“The lag between a decision to invest in EHR technology and its full, meaningful use in a provider organization is 1 to 2 years at best, and more typically, 3 to 5 years. For this reason, we believe most of the measures proposed for 2011 would be difficult to achieve by providers who have not already begun EHR implementations. Given current adoption levels, the incentives would only be available to a small percentage of providers, potentially provoking disillusionment and frustration with the ARRA incentive program.”
An AMA-led group of 81 medical specialty societies and state medical associations expressed a similar concern, noting that the committee’s timeline “is too aggressive, given that we continue to lack the necessary infrastructure, standards and systems.” Read More EMR
The “meaningful use” definition is of vital importance to the industry, because physicians and hospitals will have to show that they are using EHRs meaningfully in order to qualify for billions of dollars in government financial incentives. The committee wants to use its power to define the requirements to achieve certain policy objectives. But healthcare providers are concerned that they will be asked to do too much too soon. If the criteria to qualify for incentives in 2011, the first year of the reward program, are too stiff, not many providers will receive the maximum amount of government incentives.
In a letter to the Office of the National Coordinator For Health IT, Mark Leavitt, MD, and Alisa Ray, respectively chair and executive director of the Certification Commission for Health IT, succinctly summed up the problem:
“The lag between a decision to invest in EHR technology and its full, meaningful use in a provider organization is 1 to 2 years at best, and more typically, 3 to 5 years. For this reason, we believe most of the measures proposed for 2011 would be difficult to achieve by providers who have not already begun EHR implementations. Given current adoption levels, the incentives would only be available to a small percentage of providers, potentially provoking disillusionment and frustration with the ARRA incentive program.”
An AMA-led group of 81 medical specialty societies and state medical associations expressed a similar concern, noting that the committee’s timeline “is too aggressive, given that we continue to lack the necessary infrastructure, standards and systems.” Read More EMR
Ohio doctors slow to sign on to system that allows electronic authorization of prescriptions
Ohio doctors seem reluctant to give up their prescription pads, according to findings by Surescripts, the largest national prescription network.
The state lags far behind the nation’s leaders when it comes to sending prescriptions electronically over the network, which covers all major chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as 10,000 independent pharmacies.
In 2008, Ohio doctors electronically routed just 4.67 percent of prescriptions, Surescripts reports. Massachusetts tops the list for the second consecutive year with 20 percent — more than four times Ohio’s rate.
Electronic prescriptions, colloquially known as e-prescriptions, allow doctors to monitor and control treatment more efficiently. By getting rid of paper prescriptions and illegible handwriting, e-prescribing also reduces the risk of medical errors.
With the click of a mouse, doctors are able to pull up information about the patient’s insurance coverage when prescribing treatment. Easy access to comprehensive patient information allows doctors to prescribe alternative generic drugs to bring down the cost of medication, said Surescripts spokesman Rob Cronin.
The number of prescriptions routed electronically nationwide grew from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008, and the number of e-prescribers jumped 12 percent.
“One thing that gets the most focus with e-prescriptions is patient safety,” Cronin said. “The doctor can use software that provides them with a complete view of the patient’s medical history.”
Although the national rate of e-prescription use hovers at about 10 percent, John Halamka, an expert on e-prescriptions and chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, expects to see “rapid increases in e-prescribing volumes” next year, as use of electronic prescriptions will likely be a requirement for receiving stimulus money.
Barriers to adopting e-prescribing technology at hospitals and doctor’s offices include initial and long-term costs and confusion about competing product offerings, Halamka said. The cost to implement e-prescribing can range from $1,000 to $10,000 per physician in the first year and $250 to $3,000 in subsequent years. Read More Electronic Prescription
The state lags far behind the nation’s leaders when it comes to sending prescriptions electronically over the network, which covers all major chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as 10,000 independent pharmacies.
In 2008, Ohio doctors electronically routed just 4.67 percent of prescriptions, Surescripts reports. Massachusetts tops the list for the second consecutive year with 20 percent — more than four times Ohio’s rate.
Electronic prescriptions, colloquially known as e-prescriptions, allow doctors to monitor and control treatment more efficiently. By getting rid of paper prescriptions and illegible handwriting, e-prescribing also reduces the risk of medical errors.
With the click of a mouse, doctors are able to pull up information about the patient’s insurance coverage when prescribing treatment. Easy access to comprehensive patient information allows doctors to prescribe alternative generic drugs to bring down the cost of medication, said Surescripts spokesman Rob Cronin.
The number of prescriptions routed electronically nationwide grew from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008, and the number of e-prescribers jumped 12 percent.
“One thing that gets the most focus with e-prescriptions is patient safety,” Cronin said. “The doctor can use software that provides them with a complete view of the patient’s medical history.”
Although the national rate of e-prescription use hovers at about 10 percent, John Halamka, an expert on e-prescriptions and chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, expects to see “rapid increases in e-prescribing volumes” next year, as use of electronic prescriptions will likely be a requirement for receiving stimulus money.
Barriers to adopting e-prescribing technology at hospitals and doctor’s offices include initial and long-term costs and confusion about competing product offerings, Halamka said. The cost to implement e-prescribing can range from $1,000 to $10,000 per physician in the first year and $250 to $3,000 in subsequent years. Read More Electronic Prescription
Stimulus will provide $220 million for health care training
TOPEKA | U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said Tuesday that $220 million in federal stimulus funds will be disbursed to programs across the country to train workers in health care and other high-growth industries.
Tuesday was the first day that training programs could begin applying for the money through the Labor Department. Solis unveiled the plan during a tour of the Shawnee County Community Health Care Clinic in Topeka and the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., saying health care services would be one of the fastest-growing career fields over the next decade as the population ages.
“We know there’s a shortage,” Solis said after touring the clinic.
She devoted much of her remarks to health care and President Barack Obama’s desire to push a health care reform bill through Congress this summer. She said such training grants were part of the equation, helping to provide an adequate work force to meet demands in rural states and areas seeing high unemployment.
Solis said $25 million of the funds would be reserved for training in communities hurt by the recent restructuring of the auto industry.
The stimulus money will go to public entities and private nonprofit groups that train workers in health information technology, nursing, long-term care and allied health careers. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Tuesday was the first day that training programs could begin applying for the money through the Labor Department. Solis unveiled the plan during a tour of the Shawnee County Community Health Care Clinic in Topeka and the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., saying health care services would be one of the fastest-growing career fields over the next decade as the population ages.
“We know there’s a shortage,” Solis said after touring the clinic.
She devoted much of her remarks to health care and President Barack Obama’s desire to push a health care reform bill through Congress this summer. She said such training grants were part of the equation, helping to provide an adequate work force to meet demands in rural states and areas seeing high unemployment.
Solis said $25 million of the funds would be reserved for training in communities hurt by the recent restructuring of the auto industry.
The stimulus money will go to public entities and private nonprofit groups that train workers in health information technology, nursing, long-term care and allied health careers. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Who really profits from digital medical records?
Dave Michaels reported from Washington, and Jason Roberson from Dallas.
An unprecedented effort to computerize the nation’s hospitals and physician offices could be the key to reducing crippling health care costs – or a giveaway to technology vendors whose sales will be subsidized by taxpayers.
Computerizing the paper-based world of medicine was a significant component of this year’s $787 billion stimulus package, which reserved $45 billion for hospitals and physicians to adopt electronic health records.
The Obama administration argues that electronic records will allow doctors to coordinate care for the sickest patients, eliminate errors such as adverse drug reactions and avoid duplicate lab and imaging tests. Medical errors alone cost the country $37.6 billion each year, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Despite years of technology development, most hospitals and physician offices, including those in North Texas, can’t electronically share information or even record patient data.
Data sharing confronts age-old assumptions that providers, not patients, own health records, which are valuable assets that can be used to obtain grants and market hospitals. It requires the government to decide what kinds of systems will improve care and how providers should use the systems to achieve that.
‘Meaningful use’
Congress dubbed that exercise “meaningful use,” and the government is taking most of this year to set the standards. The exercise is being closely watched by North Texas hospitals, vendors and consultants such as Plano-based Perot Systems and Addison-based MedHost Inc.
Some observers are concerned that the stimulus investment could be a bonanza for software vendors if the rules for “meaningful use” are too rigid and simply tied to buying software.
“Meaningful use is the whole shooting match,” said Richard Kneipper, a lawyer who co-founded Dallas health care information technology firm PHNS Inc. “The guts of the discussion will be how fast do you go?”
The first draft of “meaningful use,” produced by a federal advisory panel, resembled an approach advocated by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The government’s draft, however, was more aggressive. Read More EMR
An unprecedented effort to computerize the nation’s hospitals and physician offices could be the key to reducing crippling health care costs – or a giveaway to technology vendors whose sales will be subsidized by taxpayers.
Computerizing the paper-based world of medicine was a significant component of this year’s $787 billion stimulus package, which reserved $45 billion for hospitals and physicians to adopt electronic health records.
The Obama administration argues that electronic records will allow doctors to coordinate care for the sickest patients, eliminate errors such as adverse drug reactions and avoid duplicate lab and imaging tests. Medical errors alone cost the country $37.6 billion each year, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Despite years of technology development, most hospitals and physician offices, including those in North Texas, can’t electronically share information or even record patient data.
Data sharing confronts age-old assumptions that providers, not patients, own health records, which are valuable assets that can be used to obtain grants and market hospitals. It requires the government to decide what kinds of systems will improve care and how providers should use the systems to achieve that.
‘Meaningful use’
Congress dubbed that exercise “meaningful use,” and the government is taking most of this year to set the standards. The exercise is being closely watched by North Texas hospitals, vendors and consultants such as Plano-based Perot Systems and Addison-based MedHost Inc.
Some observers are concerned that the stimulus investment could be a bonanza for software vendors if the rules for “meaningful use” are too rigid and simply tied to buying software.
“Meaningful use is the whole shooting match,” said Richard Kneipper, a lawyer who co-founded Dallas health care information technology firm PHNS Inc. “The guts of the discussion will be how fast do you go?”
The first draft of “meaningful use,” produced by a federal advisory panel, resembled an approach advocated by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The government’s draft, however, was more aggressive. Read More EMR
Fate of healthcare up to Senate moderates
Could it be a reprise of the stimulus on healthcare?
There are certainly hints that moderate US senators of both parties could determine the fate of President Obama’s agenda yet again.
Obama is holding separate private meetings this morning to discuss healthcare overhaul with Senators Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, and Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat. They are among the senators being targeted by new TV ads, launched by Obama’s grassroots organization, that say “it’s time” for healthcare reform.
Nelson and Snowe’s fellow moderate senator from Maine, Susan Collins, played a key role in negotiations to win Senate approval in February for the $787 billion economic recovery package championed by Obama. The stimulus bill passed the House without a single Republican vote, and the administration’s horse-trading focused on satisfying Nelson and Collins, who pushed for a smaller package.
After meeting with Obama, Snowe said the president repeated his wish for Congress to pass a bill before its August recess. “He’s determined to have that happen,” she said on MSNBC.
But Snowe said it’s more important to get bipartisan consensus in the Senate Finance Committee, especially on how to pay for the bill. Supporting a Senate vote in September, she also said she wants to give ample time for all senators and the public to review the bill.
“This deserves a thoughtful process,” she said.
Asked about Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus saying today that Obama had hindered his efforts to reach a bipartisan deal by opposing a tax on some employer-provided health insurance benefits to help pay for the deal, Snowe said it would be helpful if Obama endorsed a financing approach.
The panel is “working mightily” to find “offsets” and other savings to reduce the cost of the bill. “It’s all part of building a consensus,” she said. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
There are certainly hints that moderate US senators of both parties could determine the fate of President Obama’s agenda yet again.
Obama is holding separate private meetings this morning to discuss healthcare overhaul with Senators Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, and Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat. They are among the senators being targeted by new TV ads, launched by Obama’s grassroots organization, that say “it’s time” for healthcare reform.
Nelson and Snowe’s fellow moderate senator from Maine, Susan Collins, played a key role in negotiations to win Senate approval in February for the $787 billion economic recovery package championed by Obama. The stimulus bill passed the House without a single Republican vote, and the administration’s horse-trading focused on satisfying Nelson and Collins, who pushed for a smaller package.
After meeting with Obama, Snowe said the president repeated his wish for Congress to pass a bill before its August recess. “He’s determined to have that happen,” she said on MSNBC.
But Snowe said it’s more important to get bipartisan consensus in the Senate Finance Committee, especially on how to pay for the bill. Supporting a Senate vote in September, she also said she wants to give ample time for all senators and the public to review the bill.
“This deserves a thoughtful process,” she said.
Asked about Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus saying today that Obama had hindered his efforts to reach a bipartisan deal by opposing a tax on some employer-provided health insurance benefits to help pay for the deal, Snowe said it would be helpful if Obama endorsed a financing approach.
The panel is “working mightily” to find “offsets” and other savings to reduce the cost of the bill. “It’s all part of building a consensus,” she said. Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Ohio doctors slow to sign on to e-prescriptions
Ohio doctors seem reluctant to give up their prescription pads, according to findings by Surescripts, the largest national prescription network.
The state lags far behind the nation’s leaders when it comes to sending prescriptions electronically over the network, which covers all major chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as 10,000 independent pharmacies.
In 2008, Ohio doctors electronically routed just 4.67 percent of prescriptions, Surescripts reports. Massachusetts tops the list for the second consecutive year with 20 percent — more than four times Ohio’s rate.
Electronic prescriptions, colloquially known as e-prescriptions, allow doctors to monitor and control treatment more efficiently. By getting rid of paper prescriptions and illegible handwriting, e-prescribing also reduces the risk of medical errors.
With the click of a mouse, doctors are able to pull up information about the patient’s insurance coverage when prescribing treatment. Easy access to comprehensive patient information allows doctors to prescribe alternative generic drugs to bring down the cost of medication, said Surescripts spokesman Rob Cronin.
The number of prescriptions routed electronically nationwide grew from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008, and the number of e-prescribers jumped 12 percent.
“One thing that gets the most focus with e-prescriptions is patient safety,” Cronin said. “The doctor can use software that provides them with a complete view of the patient’s medical history.”
Although the national rate of e-prescription use hovers at about 10 percent, John Halamka, an expert on e-prescriptions and chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, expects to see “rapid increases in e-prescribing volumes” next year, as use of electronic prescriptions will likely be a requirement for receiving stimulus money. Read More Electronic Prescription
The state lags far behind the nation’s leaders when it comes to sending prescriptions electronically over the network, which covers all major chain pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as 10,000 independent pharmacies.
In 2008, Ohio doctors electronically routed just 4.67 percent of prescriptions, Surescripts reports. Massachusetts tops the list for the second consecutive year with 20 percent — more than four times Ohio’s rate.
Electronic prescriptions, colloquially known as e-prescriptions, allow doctors to monitor and control treatment more efficiently. By getting rid of paper prescriptions and illegible handwriting, e-prescribing also reduces the risk of medical errors.
With the click of a mouse, doctors are able to pull up information about the patient’s insurance coverage when prescribing treatment. Easy access to comprehensive patient information allows doctors to prescribe alternative generic drugs to bring down the cost of medication, said Surescripts spokesman Rob Cronin.
The number of prescriptions routed electronically nationwide grew from 29 million in 2007 to 68 million in 2008, and the number of e-prescribers jumped 12 percent.
“One thing that gets the most focus with e-prescriptions is patient safety,” Cronin said. “The doctor can use software that provides them with a complete view of the patient’s medical history.”
Although the national rate of e-prescription use hovers at about 10 percent, John Halamka, an expert on e-prescriptions and chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, expects to see “rapid increases in e-prescribing volumes” next year, as use of electronic prescriptions will likely be a requirement for receiving stimulus money. Read More Electronic Prescription
ICD-10 Will Reduce Payment Errors and Claims Denials, but Will Also Help Fraud Investigators
Payment errors should be reduced significantly under ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes, which must be implemented by Oct. 1, 2013. Experts say that improvements over ICD-9 — including less ambiguity, more specificity, and standardized terminology and combination codes— will help hospitals improve their compliance. But at the same time, fraud investigators may also benefit from ICD-10 when it’s deployed with electronic anti-fraud tools.
“This is a boon for compliance,” said Rita Scichilone, director of practice leadership at the American Health Information Management Assn. (AHIMA). With 35% of overpayments identified during the recovery audit contractor (RAC) pilot related to coding errors, the new system could have a huge ripple effect, Scichilone said at a June 9 audio conference sponsored by the Health Care Compliance Assn.
The effective date of ICD-10 — which includes ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for all settings and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes for hospital inpatients — can’t come soon enough, said Sue Bowman, director of coding policy and compliance at AHIMA, who also spoke at the audio conference. ICD-9 is running out of space for codes, its terminology is obsolete and it’s unable to keep up with advances in technology, she said.
According to Bowman and Scichilone, the many benefits of ICD-10 include:
* Preventing and detecting health fraud and abuse;
* Measuring quality and effectiveness;
* Monitoring resource use; and
* Improving clinical, financial and administrative performance and systems for payment and claims processing.
“This mandate affects all facets of health care and provides the greatest opportunity for a new compliance environment,” Bowman says. Medical Billing Outsourcing
“This is a boon for compliance,” said Rita Scichilone, director of practice leadership at the American Health Information Management Assn. (AHIMA). With 35% of overpayments identified during the recovery audit contractor (RAC) pilot related to coding errors, the new system could have a huge ripple effect, Scichilone said at a June 9 audio conference sponsored by the Health Care Compliance Assn.
The effective date of ICD-10 — which includes ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for all settings and ICD-10-PCS procedure codes for hospital inpatients — can’t come soon enough, said Sue Bowman, director of coding policy and compliance at AHIMA, who also spoke at the audio conference. ICD-9 is running out of space for codes, its terminology is obsolete and it’s unable to keep up with advances in technology, she said.
According to Bowman and Scichilone, the many benefits of ICD-10 include:
* Preventing and detecting health fraud and abuse;
* Measuring quality and effectiveness;
* Monitoring resource use; and
* Improving clinical, financial and administrative performance and systems for payment and claims processing.
“This mandate affects all facets of health care and provides the greatest opportunity for a new compliance environment,” Bowman says. Medical Billing Outsourcing
Medical claims processing
Health care facilities around the country see numerous patients every day. An important part of their operation is the health care providers that they choose to employ. Some hire better doctors, nurses, and technicians. Therefore, they are frequented by more patients. Many people do not realize that an important part of a health care facility’s operation is it’s medical claims processing abilities.
To ensure timely payments by insurance companies, medical claims must be processed in a timely manner and submitted to the appropriate insurance companies for consideration.
Some facilities employ medical billers and coders. Other facilities employ individuals who handle both aspects of the claim process simultaneously. A medical biller and coder will generally earn more than a medical biller or coder does. That is because he or she is performing double duties and eliminating the need for the health care facility to hire two different people. Read More Medical Billing Outsourcing
To ensure timely payments by insurance companies, medical claims must be processed in a timely manner and submitted to the appropriate insurance companies for consideration.
Some facilities employ medical billers and coders. Other facilities employ individuals who handle both aspects of the claim process simultaneously. A medical biller and coder will generally earn more than a medical biller or coder does. That is because he or she is performing double duties and eliminating the need for the health care facility to hire two different people. Read More Medical Billing Outsourcing
Minnesota goes electronic today with medical billing
The state of Minnesota is turning a corner that no other state has dared face in the same way.
A 2007 law takes effect today, requiring “electronic billing of all health care claims.”
The effort to eliminate paperwork, standardize billing terms and reduce errors will save an estimated $60 million per year, said David Haugen, director for the Minnesota Department of Health’s Center for Health Care Purchasing Improvement.
“We think the savings potential has been estimated pretty conservatively,” Haugen said Monday.
Mountains of paperwork pass through the nation’s health care system daily and, often, no two forms include the same definitions for the words written upon them.
Now, Minnesota has defined a standard set of terms that all health providers, including doctors, dentists, chiropractors and hospitals, must use when billing for a health care claim.
“Each year, more than 55 million medical bills, known as health care claims, from these health care providers are processed in Minnesota, resulting in significant transactions costs — and opportunities for savings,” the Minnesota Department of Health said in a statement.
The changes “may be especially challenging” for small health providers, Haugen said. Most offices already have begun implementing the changes. Read More Medical Billing Outsourcing
A 2007 law takes effect today, requiring “electronic billing of all health care claims.”
The effort to eliminate paperwork, standardize billing terms and reduce errors will save an estimated $60 million per year, said David Haugen, director for the Minnesota Department of Health’s Center for Health Care Purchasing Improvement.
“We think the savings potential has been estimated pretty conservatively,” Haugen said Monday.
Mountains of paperwork pass through the nation’s health care system daily and, often, no two forms include the same definitions for the words written upon them.
Now, Minnesota has defined a standard set of terms that all health providers, including doctors, dentists, chiropractors and hospitals, must use when billing for a health care claim.
“Each year, more than 55 million medical bills, known as health care claims, from these health care providers are processed in Minnesota, resulting in significant transactions costs — and opportunities for savings,” the Minnesota Department of Health said in a statement.
The changes “may be especially challenging” for small health providers, Haugen said. Most offices already have begun implementing the changes. Read More Medical Billing Outsourcing
AMA enhances its e-prescribing help site
Now all physicians can access guidance on everything from selecting a system to calculating incentive earnings.
By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff.
The American Medical Association has unveiled its enhanced online e-prescribing learning center and opened it up to all physicians.
The learning center, first launched April 1, offers a one-stop shop for physicians seeking information on e-prescribing and advice on how to get started.
The site recently was enhanced to offer additional features, including a system-finder tool that selects three systems for a user based on responses to a brief questionnaire and a calculator to help physicians determine how much they can earn in Medicare e-prescribing incentives (www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing).
A recent online survey by the AMA found that e-prescribing use in physician practices has grown to 30% from 13% last year. One reason is that in January, Medicare started providing incentives to doctors who e-prescribe. Those incentives will turn to penalties in 2012. The AMA survey also found that 43% of physicians find the incentive program confusing.
“Health information technology continues to be a hot issue in health care, and electronic prescribing can be a physician’s first step into health IT,” said Joseph M. Heyman, MD, immediate past chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. “Incorporating an e-prescribing system into your practice can help reduce medication errors and drug interactions and also help prepare the practice for future technologies like electronic health records.” Read More Electronic Prescription
By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff.
The American Medical Association has unveiled its enhanced online e-prescribing learning center and opened it up to all physicians.
The learning center, first launched April 1, offers a one-stop shop for physicians seeking information on e-prescribing and advice on how to get started.
The site recently was enhanced to offer additional features, including a system-finder tool that selects three systems for a user based on responses to a brief questionnaire and a calculator to help physicians determine how much they can earn in Medicare e-prescribing incentives (www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing).
A recent online survey by the AMA found that e-prescribing use in physician practices has grown to 30% from 13% last year. One reason is that in January, Medicare started providing incentives to doctors who e-prescribe. Those incentives will turn to penalties in 2012. The AMA survey also found that 43% of physicians find the incentive program confusing.
“Health information technology continues to be a hot issue in health care, and electronic prescribing can be a physician’s first step into health IT,” said Joseph M. Heyman, MD, immediate past chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. “Incorporating an e-prescribing system into your practice can help reduce medication errors and drug interactions and also help prepare the practice for future technologies like electronic health records.” Read More Electronic Prescription
Obama, Biden Call For Prompt Healthcare Action
The AP reports President Obama “returned to campaign-style rhetoric on Thursday,” saying at two New Jersey events that “inaction is not an option” as he urged supporters “to push for his overhaul of the nation’s health care system.” ABC World News, which opened with the story, called the President “a man on a mission. Everywhere he goes these days, he’s pushing healthcare reform.” The AP reports Vice President Biden was also touting reform, joining Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a forum in Virginia.
The Politico reports, “On the defensive over the economy and health care, the White House is shooting back with a double-barreled message for its critics and skeptics. To Republicans who say the stimulus isn’t working: Back off. To moderate Democrats wary of health care reform: We’re watching you.” Bloomberg News, however, reports Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus “complained…Obama is ‘making it difficult’” to create a bipartisan compromise in the Senate. Baucus said Obama’s “opposition to the idea of taxing health-care benefits is ‘not helping us.’” The Hill reports Baucus and other senators emerged from “another intense day of closed-door negotiations” to “admit they had not reached the finish line.” Baucus said, “We’re very close to reaching agreement. By close, I mean it’s a matter of couple, three or four days, maybe.”
Sen. John McCain said on Fox News’ Your World, “The President has reiterated time and again his commitment to getting through before the recess. This thing is like a fish in the sun. If you leave it out there very long, it’s going to begin to smell very, very badly to the American people. That is why they are in such a rush to fundamentally affect one-sixth of our gross national product.”
USA Today reports that three tax increases “proposed by President Obama and House Democrats on the richest Americans could produce the highest tax rates in a quarter-century.” About 500,000 taxpayers earning $1 million or more would pay a full 5.4 surtax under one plan; surtaxes at lower rates would impact anyone earning more than $350,000 per year. Obama’s February budget “calls for letting tax cuts for top earners enacted at the beginning of the decade expire in 2011,” and during the presidential campaign, Obama “favored bolstering Social Security by subjecting family income above $250,000 to the 12.4% payroll tax.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
The Politico reports, “On the defensive over the economy and health care, the White House is shooting back with a double-barreled message for its critics and skeptics. To Republicans who say the stimulus isn’t working: Back off. To moderate Democrats wary of health care reform: We’re watching you.” Bloomberg News, however, reports Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus “complained…Obama is ‘making it difficult’” to create a bipartisan compromise in the Senate. Baucus said Obama’s “opposition to the idea of taxing health-care benefits is ‘not helping us.’” The Hill reports Baucus and other senators emerged from “another intense day of closed-door negotiations” to “admit they had not reached the finish line.” Baucus said, “We’re very close to reaching agreement. By close, I mean it’s a matter of couple, three or four days, maybe.”
Sen. John McCain said on Fox News’ Your World, “The President has reiterated time and again his commitment to getting through before the recess. This thing is like a fish in the sun. If you leave it out there very long, it’s going to begin to smell very, very badly to the American people. That is why they are in such a rush to fundamentally affect one-sixth of our gross national product.”
USA Today reports that three tax increases “proposed by President Obama and House Democrats on the richest Americans could produce the highest tax rates in a quarter-century.” About 500,000 taxpayers earning $1 million or more would pay a full 5.4 surtax under one plan; surtaxes at lower rates would impact anyone earning more than $350,000 per year. Obama’s February budget “calls for letting tax cuts for top earners enacted at the beginning of the decade expire in 2011,” and during the presidential campaign, Obama “favored bolstering Social Security by subjecting family income above $250,000 to the 12.4% payroll tax.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Groups Weigh In on ?Meaningful Use,? EHR Certification Entities
Gordon Gillerman — chief of the standards division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology — said officials might push for an accreditation organization to oversee the Certification Commission for Healthcare IT, Modern Healthcare reports.
Gillerman delivered a presentation for the Health IT Policy Committee’s certification and adoption work group.
He said an organization such as the American National Standards Institute could serve as a watchdog for CCHIT.
Gillerman added that he does not foresee NIST becoming involved in accrediting certification groups. Rather, he said, NIST could help the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT develop an appropriate accreditation process (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 7/14).
CCHIT as Sole Certifier
In related news, the Electronic Health Record Association on Monday sent a comment letter to the Health IT Policy Committee’s certification and adoption work group urging officials to designate CCHIT as the single certifying body for electronic health records.
The EHR association is part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, which co-founded CCHIT.
The EHR group said it “supports CCHIT as the single certifying entity to avoid duplication of effort, unnecessary expense and confusion in the market.”
The association added that CCHIT certification should ensure that a health IT system “is a qualified, comprehensive EHR and is capable of enabling providers to achieve ‘meaningful use’ requirements” (Goedert, Health Data Management, 7/14). More Here EMR
Gillerman delivered a presentation for the Health IT Policy Committee’s certification and adoption work group.
He said an organization such as the American National Standards Institute could serve as a watchdog for CCHIT.
Gillerman added that he does not foresee NIST becoming involved in accrediting certification groups. Rather, he said, NIST could help the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT develop an appropriate accreditation process (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 7/14).
CCHIT as Sole Certifier
In related news, the Electronic Health Record Association on Monday sent a comment letter to the Health IT Policy Committee’s certification and adoption work group urging officials to designate CCHIT as the single certifying body for electronic health records.
The EHR association is part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, which co-founded CCHIT.
The EHR group said it “supports CCHIT as the single certifying entity to avoid duplication of effort, unnecessary expense and confusion in the market.”
The association added that CCHIT certification should ensure that a health IT system “is a qualified, comprehensive EHR and is capable of enabling providers to achieve ‘meaningful use’ requirements” (Goedert, Health Data Management, 7/14). More Here EMR
Round 2 of ?Meaningful Use? Lets Up A Bit on Physicians
The Health IT Policy Committee, which advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has adopted the revised recommendations of its workgroup on the “meaningful use” of electronic health records. Physicians will have to show meaningful use to qualify for government financial incentives that are scheduled to start flowing in 2011.
The revised definition is apparently more lenient to physicians than the one presented to the committee about a month ago. Among the requirements for 2011:
* Implement one clinical decision support rule relevant to a specialty or a high clinical priority
* Submit claims electronically to payers
* Check insurance eligibility electronically when possible
* Provide patients with timely electronic access to their health information
* Provide patients, upon request, with an electronic copy of their discharge instructions and procedures at the time of discharge
* Exchange health information where possible
Physicians will be expected to participate in the National Health Information Network by 2015, and will have to give patients access to personal health records to qualify for incentives in 2013. The PHR deadline is two years earlier than the one that was originally proposed.
Another big change from the earlier version is that physicians who apply for government subsidies for the first time after 2011 will only have to meet the 2011 criteria for meaningful use in the year when they apply. That will make it much easier for physicians who are just learning how to use their EHRs. More Here EMR
The revised definition is apparently more lenient to physicians than the one presented to the committee about a month ago. Among the requirements for 2011:
* Implement one clinical decision support rule relevant to a specialty or a high clinical priority
* Submit claims electronically to payers
* Check insurance eligibility electronically when possible
* Provide patients with timely electronic access to their health information
* Provide patients, upon request, with an electronic copy of their discharge instructions and procedures at the time of discharge
* Exchange health information where possible
Physicians will be expected to participate in the National Health Information Network by 2015, and will have to give patients access to personal health records to qualify for incentives in 2013. The PHR deadline is two years earlier than the one that was originally proposed.
Another big change from the earlier version is that physicians who apply for government subsidies for the first time after 2011 will only have to meet the 2011 criteria for meaningful use in the year when they apply. That will make it much easier for physicians who are just learning how to use their EHRs. More Here EMR
Study: Privacy laws deter hospitals from EMR adoption
Hospitals have seen a decrease in EMR adoption in states where privacy laws restrict their ability to disclose patient information, according to a study published in the journal Management Science.
The study shows that states that have enacted medical privacy laws restricting the ability of hospitals to disclose patient information have seen a reduction in EMR adoption by 11 percent over a three-year period or 24 percent overall. States with no such regulations, on the other hand, experienced a 21 percent gain in hospital EMR adoption.
According to the study, the drop is most evident in the reduced adoption of EMRs through networks of hospitals and medical providers. In states without such laws, adoption of EMRs by one hospital spurs adoption by others, with one hospital’s adoption increasing the likelihood of other hospitals in the local area adopting by 7 percent. Read More EMR
The study shows that states that have enacted medical privacy laws restricting the ability of hospitals to disclose patient information have seen a reduction in EMR adoption by 11 percent over a three-year period or 24 percent overall. States with no such regulations, on the other hand, experienced a 21 percent gain in hospital EMR adoption.
According to the study, the drop is most evident in the reduced adoption of EMRs through networks of hospitals and medical providers. In states without such laws, adoption of EMRs by one hospital spurs adoption by others, with one hospital’s adoption increasing the likelihood of other hospitals in the local area adopting by 7 percent. Read More EMR
Questions Raised About Stimulus Law Benefits for Health IT Vendors
Although the federal economic stimulus package allocates billions of dollars to support health IT implementation, it remains to be seen whether the funding will improve health care quality or simply boost sales for health IT vendors, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Under the stimulus law, hospitals and physicians who demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records can qualify for federal incentive payments.
The Obama administration contends that EHRs will allow physicians to better coordinate patient care, reduce medical errors and avoid duplicate testing. Medical errors alone cost the U.S. about $37.6 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine.
However, some advocates are concerned that health care providers will be unable to achieve the administration’s goals if meaningful use criteria tie stimulus funding to simply purchasing software.
They caution that such action could benefit health IT software companies at the expense of achieving interoperability and improved patient outcomes.
Conflict of Interest?
Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Under the stimulus law, hospitals and physicians who demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records can qualify for federal incentive payments.
The Obama administration contends that EHRs will allow physicians to better coordinate patient care, reduce medical errors and avoid duplicate testing. Medical errors alone cost the U.S. about $37.6 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine.
However, some advocates are concerned that health care providers will be unable to achieve the administration’s goals if meaningful use criteria tie stimulus funding to simply purchasing software.
They caution that such action could benefit health IT software companies at the expense of achieving interoperability and improved patient outcomes.
Conflict of Interest?
Read More EMR Stimulus Package
Verbatim Transcription
A run-on sentence. A misspelled drug. A superfluous comma. Heck, maybe even a split infinitive. Dictation errors can irk word-wary MTs, but should they be forced to overlook such grammatical offenses? Thus begins the debate over verbatim transcription, a contractual item that makes MTs withhold all judgment — medical, grammatical or otherwise — and simply type what the dictator says. The controversial practice pits risk management against quality assurance (QA), but MTs’ reputations and patient care are what’s on the line.
While traditional transcription lets MTs correct punctuation, misspellings and dictation errors at their discretion, verbatim transcription requires MTs to transcribe notes exactly as dictated. The practice is usually based on the client’s preferences; if a doctor doesn’t want his words altered, the MT is expected to transcribe word-for-word. There are arguments for and against the no-edits approach, but most MTs aren’t thrilled about it.
The running joke is, “If you want verbatim transcription, I will put in every ‘uh,’ ‘ah,’ ‘oh’ and ‘um’ that you have dictated,” said Barb Marques, CMT, AHDI-F, president-elect of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
In reality, it’s no laughing matter.
Risky Business
Doctors can make mistakes, so risk managers champion verbatim transcription as a way to keep MTs from taking the fall, according to Donna Brosmer, CMT, AHDI-F, NREMT-B, quality officer, Spheris. If the document ends up in court, an MT can claim no culpability because the doctor requested the dictation be transcribed word for word. If the MT changed any words, he or she might be held accountable for the error - a mark hospitals and medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs) don’t want on their hands. Read More Medical Transcription
While traditional transcription lets MTs correct punctuation, misspellings and dictation errors at their discretion, verbatim transcription requires MTs to transcribe notes exactly as dictated. The practice is usually based on the client’s preferences; if a doctor doesn’t want his words altered, the MT is expected to transcribe word-for-word. There are arguments for and against the no-edits approach, but most MTs aren’t thrilled about it.
The running joke is, “If you want verbatim transcription, I will put in every ‘uh,’ ‘ah,’ ‘oh’ and ‘um’ that you have dictated,” said Barb Marques, CMT, AHDI-F, president-elect of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
In reality, it’s no laughing matter.
Risky Business
Doctors can make mistakes, so risk managers champion verbatim transcription as a way to keep MTs from taking the fall, according to Donna Brosmer, CMT, AHDI-F, NREMT-B, quality officer, Spheris. If the document ends up in court, an MT can claim no culpability because the doctor requested the dictation be transcribed word for word. If the MT changed any words, he or she might be held accountable for the error - a mark hospitals and medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs) don’t want on their hands. Read More Medical Transcription
E-prescribing ?could cut cost of human negligence?
Electronic prescribing systems that reduce the possibility of human error could cut clinical negligence claims by more than 70 per cent, according to US hospital chain Banner Health.
The company, which has worked with national IT programme supplier Cerner to evaluate the impact of its electronic prescribing system, said systems that reduced the possibility of human errors such as illegible handwriting or misrecorded doses had led to a 72 per cent reduction in the cost of clinical negligence claims at one of the group’s hospitals.
The National Patient Safety Agency has estimated that 9 per cent of patient safety incidents relate to medication errors, which together constitute some 20 per cent of all clinical negligence claims against the NHS.
In 2007-08, the NHS Litigation Authority paid out approximately £64m in damages for cases involving misprescribing. Read More Electronic Prescription
The company, which has worked with national IT programme supplier Cerner to evaluate the impact of its electronic prescribing system, said systems that reduced the possibility of human errors such as illegible handwriting or misrecorded doses had led to a 72 per cent reduction in the cost of clinical negligence claims at one of the group’s hospitals.
The National Patient Safety Agency has estimated that 9 per cent of patient safety incidents relate to medication errors, which together constitute some 20 per cent of all clinical negligence claims against the NHS.
In 2007-08, the NHS Litigation Authority paid out approximately £64m in damages for cases involving misprescribing. Read More Electronic Prescription
Challenges to the President?s plan to digitize healthcare
Ready or not, electronic medical records (EMRs) are coming. President Barack Obama has devoted $20 billion to healthcare IT in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and in February 2009, he announced his aspirations to have an electronic health record for each person in the U.S. by 2014. Dr. James Pierce, chair of the Bioinformatics and Computer Science Department at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, notes that a nation-wide implementation of EMRs comes with considerable challenges, as well as tremendous advantages.
“Digitization of the healthcare system will be much more efficient and cost-effective, and will enable easier communication among different parts of the system, simpler manageability, and less storage compared to paper records,” explained Dr. Pierce. “EMRs allow healthcare providers to send queries electronically, which is expected to decrease the errors that are made on paper and ultimately, save lives.”
Despite the clear benefits of EMRs, there are important issues that need to be addressed before implementing the system, Dr. Pierce cautioned. Read More EMR
“Digitization of the healthcare system will be much more efficient and cost-effective, and will enable easier communication among different parts of the system, simpler manageability, and less storage compared to paper records,” explained Dr. Pierce. “EMRs allow healthcare providers to send queries electronically, which is expected to decrease the errors that are made on paper and ultimately, save lives.”
Despite the clear benefits of EMRs, there are important issues that need to be addressed before implementing the system, Dr. Pierce cautioned. Read More EMR
Association readies for EHR advocacy summit
The proven ability for medical transcription to facilitate accurate, cost-effective EHR adoption will be the key message brought by the members of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) to federal legislators on Capitol Hill when the associations convene in Washington, DC, for their annual Advocacy Summit. With the HITECH Act, the Obama Administration’s high priority on nationwide EHR adoption has opened an opportunity for the transcription sector to educate the current Administration and Congress about the need for contemplative, prudent migration to the EHR – one that preserves the role of complex narrative and engages human intelligence in ensuring the accurate, secure capture of patient healthcare encounters.
The Advocacy Summit, being held June 3-4, 2009, in Washington, DC, will focus on the need for standards and regulations in EHR technology integration/adoption, the role of transcription in safeguarding protected health information (PHI), and the need for workforce development funding in healthcare documentation to ensure a knowledgeable, prepared next gen workforce that is capable of functioning in the quality assurance role the EHR will demand. Read More Medical Transcription
The Advocacy Summit, being held June 3-4, 2009, in Washington, DC, will focus on the need for standards and regulations in EHR technology integration/adoption, the role of transcription in safeguarding protected health information (PHI), and the need for workforce development funding in healthcare documentation to ensure a knowledgeable, prepared next gen workforce that is capable of functioning in the quality assurance role the EHR will demand. Read More Medical Transcription
EHRs can be used to test efficacy of treatments
PHILADELPHIA, PA � For years controversy has surrounded whether electronic medical records (EMR) would lead to increased patient safety, cut medical errors, and reduce healthcare costs. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a way to get another bonus from the implementation of electronic medical records: testing the efficacy of treatments for disease.
In the first study of its kind, Richard Tannen, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led a team of researchers to find out if patient data, as captured by EMR databases, could be used to obtain vital information as effectively as randomized clinical trials, when evaluating drug therapies. The study appeared online last week in the British Medical Journal.
�Our findings show that if you do studies using EMR databases and you conduct analyses using new biostatistical methods we developed, we get results that are valid,� Tannen says. �That�s the real message of our paper � this can work.�
In January 2009, President Barack Obama unveiled plans to implement electronic medical records nationwide within five years, arguing that such a plan was crucial in the fight against rising health care costs. Of the nearly $900 billion in Obama�s planned stimulus package currently before the United States Senate, $20 billion is proposed for electronic health records.
Tannen says he and his group recognized that the large EMR databases containing compiled medical information could potentially give researchers the ability to study groups reflective of the total population, not just those who participate in clinical trials, and circumvent studies too costly or unethical for clinical trials. However, such databases contain observational information, which critics argue do not offer the same level of control as randomized trials.
�Our study cautiously, yet strongly, suggests that enormous amounts of information within electronic medical records can be used to expand evidence of how we should or shouldn�t manage
healthcare,� Tannen says.
To address criticisms of observational studies, Tannen�s group had to first determine a way to use EMR databases for insights on therapy efficacy and then prove the results they found were valid.
Beginning six years ago, Tannen�s team selected six previously performed randomized trials with 17 measured outcomes and compared them to study data from an electronic database � the UK general practice research database (GPRD), which included the medical records of roughly 8 million patients. Treatment efficacy was determined by the prevalence of cardiovascular outcomes, such as stroke, heart attack and death.
After using standard biostatistical methods to adjust for differences in the treated and untreated groups in the analysis of the database information, Tannen found that there were no differences in the database outcomes compared to randomized clinical trials in nine out of 17 outcomes.
In the other eight outcomes, Tannen�s group used an additional new biostatistical approach they discovered that controlled for differences between the treated and untreated groups prior to the time the study began. By using the new biostatistical method instead of the standard approach, the researchers showed there were no differences between the outcomes in the EMR database study compared to the randomized clinical trials.
Though Tannen warns the ability to use EMR databases from the United States to measure the efficacy of therapies will take more than 10 years of national data, he says the results of his study should serve as a catalyst for more researchers to explore the accuracy of the information that can be obtained using EMR database studies.
�An appropriately configured EMR database could offer an invaluable tool, but we need to get to work now on how to configure it properly,� Tannen says. �If we don�t worry about this issue right now and promote a higher investment in the area of EMR research, we�ll lose an opportunity, an enormous health opportunity.�
Medical Billing | Medical Transcription | Medical Billing and Coding | Transcription Services
State privacy laws could be slowing electronic medical record adoption
The call for widespread adoption of electronic medical records has prompted some states to pass stringent privacy laws to protect their residents against fraud or identity theft. But a new analysis finds these laws seem to significantly diminish the effectiveness of the new technology.
Many of the new technologies available to healthcare providers depend on information sharing to be effective, study authors note. If one hospital adopts the use of EMRs, they explain, that increases the likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting EMRs by 7%. Conversely, in states where EMR privacy laws restrict the sharing of patient information, record sharing has been reduced by as much as 24%. Recently, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging found that nursing homes lead the healthcare field in overall adoption of electronic medical records.
The Bush administration largely endorsed the idea of a national health IT infrastructure, and has set a goal of full implementation by 2014. Ideas for spurring adoption of EMRs have been present in most draft versions of new healthcare reform legislation, but no final plan has emerged. The report, “Privacy Protection and Technology Diffusion: The Case of Electronic Medical Records,” appears in the current issue of Management Science. Read More EMR
Many of the new technologies available to healthcare providers depend on information sharing to be effective, study authors note. If one hospital adopts the use of EMRs, they explain, that increases the likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting EMRs by 7%. Conversely, in states where EMR privacy laws restrict the sharing of patient information, record sharing has been reduced by as much as 24%. Recently, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging found that nursing homes lead the healthcare field in overall adoption of electronic medical records.
The Bush administration largely endorsed the idea of a national health IT infrastructure, and has set a goal of full implementation by 2014. Ideas for spurring adoption of EMRs have been present in most draft versions of new healthcare reform legislation, but no final plan has emerged. The report, “Privacy Protection and Technology Diffusion: The Case of Electronic Medical Records,” appears in the current issue of Management Science. Read More EMR
President Obama Refocuses on Health Care/Stimulus
Back from his overseas trip, President Obama returns his focus to health care reform and the stimulus package, as the two issues face mounting criticism.
In an op-ed in the Washington Post Sunday, the president defended his $787 billion stimulus plan from concerns and accusations criticism that it has been ineffective, asking Americans to be patient.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was not expected to restore the economy to full health on its own but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall,” Obama wrote. “So far, it has done that. It was, from the start, a two-year program, and it will steadily save and create jobs as it ramps up over this summer and fall.”
Administration officials point to the roughly $100 billion that has been invested into infrastructure projects and tax cuts, and say that the bulk of the stimulus spending will occur in the next 12 months.
But some Republicans say the stimulus plan has failed to work the way it was intended.
There is also the issue of expectations. Asked by ABC News how the American people should measure whether his economic plans are correct, the president said “my initial measure of success is creating or saving 4 million jobs.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
In an op-ed in the Washington Post Sunday, the president defended his $787 billion stimulus plan from concerns and accusations criticism that it has been ineffective, asking Americans to be patient.
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was not expected to restore the economy to full health on its own but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall,” Obama wrote. “So far, it has done that. It was, from the start, a two-year program, and it will steadily save and create jobs as it ramps up over this summer and fall.”
Administration officials point to the roughly $100 billion that has been invested into infrastructure projects and tax cuts, and say that the bulk of the stimulus spending will occur in the next 12 months.
But some Republicans say the stimulus plan has failed to work the way it was intended.
There is also the issue of expectations. Asked by ABC News how the American people should measure whether his economic plans are correct, the president said “my initial measure of success is creating or saving 4 million jobs.” Read More EMR Stimulus Package
New Medicare Law Igniting Physician Groups to Adopt E-Prescribing
The new law requiring electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) in Medicare is spurring physician groups across the country to adopt the technology. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is the first state medical organization to join a growing roster of national medical groups that are working to ensure all prescriptions are transmitted electronically.
Increased adoption of e-prescribing is good for doctors and good for patients. The recent e-prescribing Medicare law provides valuable incentives for those who would like to adopt this technology, said Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President & CEO Mark Merritt.
E-prescribing is successfully being used by more than 35,000 doctors nationwide. PCMA led a diverse group of consumers, employers, unions, and medical professionals that supported passage of an e-prescribing requirement in Medicare. Supporters included among others: AARP, AFL-CIO, Consumers Union, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and AT&T.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that adoption of e-prescribing would reduce adverse drug events (ADEs), provide increased administrative savings to physicians and pharmacists, and enhance generic utilization. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt has previously stated that the e-prescribing standards are in place and that it™s time to adopt the technology. Read More Electronic Prescription
Increased adoption of e-prescribing is good for doctors and good for patients. The recent e-prescribing Medicare law provides valuable incentives for those who would like to adopt this technology, said Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President & CEO Mark Merritt.
E-prescribing is successfully being used by more than 35,000 doctors nationwide. PCMA led a diverse group of consumers, employers, unions, and medical professionals that supported passage of an e-prescribing requirement in Medicare. Supporters included among others: AARP, AFL-CIO, Consumers Union, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and AT&T.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that adoption of e-prescribing would reduce adverse drug events (ADEs), provide increased administrative savings to physicians and pharmacists, and enhance generic utilization. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt has previously stated that the e-prescribing standards are in place and that it™s time to adopt the technology. Read More Electronic Prescription
Meaningful Use vs. Meaningless Adoption of Electronic Health Records
Dr. David Blumenthal, the new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has stressed that the goal of the ARRA/HITECH initiative is to improve patient care, not to mindlessly adopt health information technology. In this regard, he wrote that many CCHIT-certified EHRs “are neither user-friendly no designed to meet HITECH’s ambitious goal of improving quality and efficiency in the health care system.”
It is therefore disconcerting that the Association of Medical Directors of Information Technology (AMDIS) just weighed in on the issue of meaningful use with their letter to Dr. Blumenthal, recommending that the new national HIT Policy Committee use the 2008 CCHIT certification criteria to determine which hospitals and physicians get HITECH incentive dollars.
Even more disturbing is the AMDIS recommendation that meaningful adoption (their newly coined term) substitute for meaningful use until at least 2013.
We see placing the reporting of quality measures in advance of reporting measures of meaningful EHR adoption as akin to putting “the cart before the horse” — the fields that form the basis for automated quality reporting must first be populated on a regular basis . . .
What’s going on here? As I read it, AMDIS is acknowledging that CCHIT-certified EHR technology is so difficult for hospitals and physicians to use that it will take years of training before meaningful use can even be addressed. AMDIS states that process of EHR adoption and use must follow a ‘crawl-walk-jog-run’ progression requiring continuous cycles of training and practice that ‘cannot be skipped or shortened’ [italics mine] without risking failure, introducing errors, and causing the frustrated physicians to give up. More Here EMR
It is therefore disconcerting that the Association of Medical Directors of Information Technology (AMDIS) just weighed in on the issue of meaningful use with their letter to Dr. Blumenthal, recommending that the new national HIT Policy Committee use the 2008 CCHIT certification criteria to determine which hospitals and physicians get HITECH incentive dollars.
Even more disturbing is the AMDIS recommendation that meaningful adoption (their newly coined term) substitute for meaningful use until at least 2013.
We see placing the reporting of quality measures in advance of reporting measures of meaningful EHR adoption as akin to putting “the cart before the horse” — the fields that form the basis for automated quality reporting must first be populated on a regular basis . . .
What’s going on here? As I read it, AMDIS is acknowledging that CCHIT-certified EHR technology is so difficult for hospitals and physicians to use that it will take years of training before meaningful use can even be addressed. AMDIS states that process of EHR adoption and use must follow a ‘crawl-walk-jog-run’ progression requiring continuous cycles of training and practice that ‘cannot be skipped or shortened’ [italics mine] without risking failure, introducing errors, and causing the frustrated physicians to give up. More Here EMR
New Medicare Law Igniting Physician Groups to Adopt E-Prescribing
The new law requiring electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) in Medicare is spurring physician groups across the country to adopt the technology. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is the first state medical organization to join a growing roster of national medical groups that are working to ensure all prescriptions are transmitted electronically.
Increased adoption of e-prescribing is good for doctors and good for patients. The recent e-prescribing Medicare law provides valuable incentives for those who would like to adopt this technology, said Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President & CEO Mark Merritt.
E-prescribing is successfully being used by more than 35,000 doctors nationwide. PCMA led a diverse group of consumers, employers, unions, and medical professionals that supported passage of an e-prescribing requirement in Medicare. Supporters included among others: AARP, AFL-CIO, Consumers Union, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and AT&T.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that adoption of e-prescribing would reduce adverse drug events (ADEs), provide increased administrative savings to physicians and pharmacists, and enhance generic utilization. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt has previously stated that the e-prescribing standards are in place and that it™s time to adopt the technology. More Here Electronic Prescription
Increased adoption of e-prescribing is good for doctors and good for patients. The recent e-prescribing Medicare law provides valuable incentives for those who would like to adopt this technology, said Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President & CEO Mark Merritt.
E-prescribing is successfully being used by more than 35,000 doctors nationwide. PCMA led a diverse group of consumers, employers, unions, and medical professionals that supported passage of an e-prescribing requirement in Medicare. Supporters included among others: AARP, AFL-CIO, Consumers Union, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, and AT&T.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that adoption of e-prescribing would reduce adverse drug events (ADEs), provide increased administrative savings to physicians and pharmacists, and enhance generic utilization. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt has previously stated that the e-prescribing standards are in place and that it™s time to adopt the technology. More Here Electronic Prescription
Electronic Medical Billing
Software to help medical practices manage their finances has been around for decades. However, today’s electronic chiropractic billing programs are more accurately called chiropractic practice management software and bears only the most basic resemblance to its older counterparts.
Electronic medical billing software covers a wide range of functions including:
* Tracking patient demographics, visits, and diagnoses;
* Collecting, transmitting, and tracking billing information and insurance payments;
* Managing appointment scheduling; and
* Generating a variety of reports.
In addition, most billing programs will also bring you into compliance with the sections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that specify increased security standards, ANSI billing formats, and more. Note that we say “most” - some software may provide only partial HIPAA compliance. You should quiz vendors carefully about the HIPAA compliance of any software you are evaluating, particularly around electronic billing and security measures. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
Electronic medical billing software covers a wide range of functions including:
* Tracking patient demographics, visits, and diagnoses;
* Collecting, transmitting, and tracking billing information and insurance payments;
* Managing appointment scheduling; and
* Generating a variety of reports.
In addition, most billing programs will also bring you into compliance with the sections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that specify increased security standards, ANSI billing formats, and more. Note that we say “most” - some software may provide only partial HIPAA compliance. You should quiz vendors carefully about the HIPAA compliance of any software you are evaluating, particularly around electronic billing and security measures. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
Electronic prescriptions move health care into digital future
At first, Dr. Marek Durakiewicz welcomed the opportunity to send prescriptions to drugstores electronically, using free computer equipment provided by a state pilot program.
Durakiewicz, the chief of staff at Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville, Tenn., recognized the potential benefits of “e-prescribing.” Special software allows doctors to see instantly if the drug they’re ordering is covered by a patient’s health insurance plan; if there’s a less expensive generic alternative; or if the patient is already taking medication that may interact dangerously with the new one.
For patients, there’s no piece of paper to misplace.
Advocates say e-prescribing is a key advance toward health care’s digital future because of its potential to reduce medical errors, cut drug costs and save doctors and patients time and money. E-prescribing is growing: The number of doctors doing it doubled last year to 74,000, according to an industry source. But kinks need to be worked out to spur more rapid acceptance.
Doctors, including Durakiewicz, and patients in a number of states have complaints. Malfunctioning hardware and cumbersome security features, such as software that logged him out automatically every 30 minutes, left him frustrated. Patient prescription histories provided by the system weren’t as current as he’d expected. In addition, federal restrictions prevented him from e-prescribing certain pain medications.
Now, a year later, he doesn’t use the pilot system at all. Instead, he types prescriptions into another computer and prints them out. “It’s faster,” said Durakiewicz, one of 50 doctors participating in the pilot offered by the state’s Medicaid program and the technology company Shared Health.
Emily Bagley, a product development consultant with Shared Health, said that electronic prescription histories should be immediately available; paper prescriptions take longer to retrieve. Log-offs, she said, result from federal regulations requiring e-prescribing software to log out doctors at regular intervals to prevent unauthorized use of systems. More Here Electronic Prescription
Durakiewicz, the chief of staff at Hickman Community Hospital in Centerville, Tenn., recognized the potential benefits of “e-prescribing.” Special software allows doctors to see instantly if the drug they’re ordering is covered by a patient’s health insurance plan; if there’s a less expensive generic alternative; or if the patient is already taking medication that may interact dangerously with the new one.
For patients, there’s no piece of paper to misplace.
Advocates say e-prescribing is a key advance toward health care’s digital future because of its potential to reduce medical errors, cut drug costs and save doctors and patients time and money. E-prescribing is growing: The number of doctors doing it doubled last year to 74,000, according to an industry source. But kinks need to be worked out to spur more rapid acceptance.
Doctors, including Durakiewicz, and patients in a number of states have complaints. Malfunctioning hardware and cumbersome security features, such as software that logged him out automatically every 30 minutes, left him frustrated. Patient prescription histories provided by the system weren’t as current as he’d expected. In addition, federal restrictions prevented him from e-prescribing certain pain medications.
Now, a year later, he doesn’t use the pilot system at all. Instead, he types prescriptions into another computer and prints them out. “It’s faster,” said Durakiewicz, one of 50 doctors participating in the pilot offered by the state’s Medicaid program and the technology company Shared Health.
Emily Bagley, a product development consultant with Shared Health, said that electronic prescription histories should be immediately available; paper prescriptions take longer to retrieve. Log-offs, she said, result from federal regulations requiring e-prescribing software to log out doctors at regular intervals to prevent unauthorized use of systems. More Here Electronic Prescription
Penn study: EHR?s can be used to test efficacy of treatments
For years controversy has surrounded whether electronic medical records (EMR) would lead to increased patient safety, cut medical errors, and reduce healthcare costs. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a way to get another bonus from the implementation of electronic medical records: testing the efficacy of treatments for disease.
In the first study of its kind, Richard Tannen, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led a team of researchers to find out if patient data, as captured by EMR databases, could be used to obtain vital information as effectively as randomized clinical trials, when evaluating drug therapies. The study appeared online last week in the British Medical Journal.
“Our findings show that if you do studies using EMR databases and you conduct analyses using new biostatistical methods we developed, we get results that are valid,” Tannen says. “That’s the real message of our paper — this can work.”
In January 2009, President Barack Obama unveiled plans to implement electronic medical records nationwide within five years, arguing that such a plan was crucial in the fight against rising health care costs. Of the nearly $900 billion in Obama’s planned stimulus package currently before the United States Senate, $20 billion is proposed for electronic health records.
Tannen says he and his group recognized that the large EMR databases containing compiled medical information could potentially give researchers the ability to study groups reflective of the total population, not just those who participate in clinical trials, and circumvent studies too costly or unethical for clinical trials. However, such databases contain observational information, which critics argue do not offer the same level of control as randomized trials. More Here EMR
In the first study of its kind, Richard Tannen, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led a team of researchers to find out if patient data, as captured by EMR databases, could be used to obtain vital information as effectively as randomized clinical trials, when evaluating drug therapies. The study appeared online last week in the British Medical Journal.
“Our findings show that if you do studies using EMR databases and you conduct analyses using new biostatistical methods we developed, we get results that are valid,” Tannen says. “That’s the real message of our paper — this can work.”
In January 2009, President Barack Obama unveiled plans to implement electronic medical records nationwide within five years, arguing that such a plan was crucial in the fight against rising health care costs. Of the nearly $900 billion in Obama’s planned stimulus package currently before the United States Senate, $20 billion is proposed for electronic health records.
Tannen says he and his group recognized that the large EMR databases containing compiled medical information could potentially give researchers the ability to study groups reflective of the total population, not just those who participate in clinical trials, and circumvent studies too costly or unethical for clinical trials. However, such databases contain observational information, which critics argue do not offer the same level of control as randomized trials. More Here EMR
Increase Revenues by Using Electronic Prescribing
If your medical practice has not yet implemented electronic prescribing, you are among about 70 percent of physicians in the nation. You also may be missing out on free money.
On January 1, Medicare began paying a 2-percent bonus to physicians who use a qualified e-prescription system on 50 percent of their Medicare patients. That incentive will be offered through 2010, and will then decrease to 1 percent for two years. Those physicians who are still writing paper prescriptions in 2012 will find their Medicare payments cut, when penalties begin to be assessed.
According to the October 2008 “Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing” from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a “qualified” e-prescribing system must be capable of performing all of the following functions: More Here Electronic Prescription
On January 1, Medicare began paying a 2-percent bonus to physicians who use a qualified e-prescription system on 50 percent of their Medicare patients. That incentive will be offered through 2010, and will then decrease to 1 percent for two years. Those physicians who are still writing paper prescriptions in 2012 will find their Medicare payments cut, when penalties begin to be assessed.
According to the October 2008 “Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing” from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a “qualified” e-prescribing system must be capable of performing all of the following functions: More Here Electronic Prescription
What Are The Benefits Of Outsource Medical Coding?
Most of the time Claim get decline because of improper medical coding done by medical coders. Without proper medical coding, it is very hard to get claim reimbursement easily. Medical coding is a process of giving special code to verbal description of disease, injuries and procedures. Insurance coding is one of the synonyms.
What are the Benefits of Outsource Medical Coding?
1. Cost Benefit: By outsourcing, you always gain cost benefits. You don’t have to spend on infrastructure, hiring people and purchase of latest technological equipment, if you go with outsourcing of medical coding. This will decrease your cost up to 60%. You can spend this savings to upgrade your main business.
1. Better Accuracy: Accuracy does matter for acceptance of reimbursement claim. Medical coding must be accurate to get clear idea about the process, tests done by patient. If it is not clear to the insurance company, there is always denial from them. So better accuracy will increase acceptance chances of your claim. Through outsource medical coding, you can achieve better accuracy.
More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
What are the Benefits of Outsource Medical Coding?
1. Cost Benefit: By outsourcing, you always gain cost benefits. You don’t have to spend on infrastructure, hiring people and purchase of latest technological equipment, if you go with outsourcing of medical coding. This will decrease your cost up to 60%. You can spend this savings to upgrade your main business.
1. Better Accuracy: Accuracy does matter for acceptance of reimbursement claim. Medical coding must be accurate to get clear idea about the process, tests done by patient. If it is not clear to the insurance company, there is always denial from them. So better accuracy will increase acceptance chances of your claim. Through outsource medical coding, you can achieve better accuracy.
More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
Accessible health care: Stimulus funds will expand health center
Annie Reyes of Merizo said the Southern Regional Community Health Center has been a lifesaver for her family for decades.
“They’re good people; they do a good job here,” she said yesterday in the waiting room of the Department of Public Health and Social Services center in Inarajan after a doctor’s visit.
Not only are the staff friendly and competent, it saves the family from a long — and expensive — drive to see a doctor, added her husband, Joe Reyes.
More families will be able to be seen at the health center daily after an expansion project breaks ground next week.
An infusion of $718,000 through President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, announced, will help fund the expansion, said Dr. Tony Stupski, medical director and acting administrator for Public Health’s community medical centers in Inarajan and Dededo.
The stimulus plan, signed into law in February, set aside $1.5 billion to fund construction, renovation and equipment purchases at community health centers around the nation. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
“They’re good people; they do a good job here,” she said yesterday in the waiting room of the Department of Public Health and Social Services center in Inarajan after a doctor’s visit.
Not only are the staff friendly and competent, it saves the family from a long — and expensive — drive to see a doctor, added her husband, Joe Reyes.
More families will be able to be seen at the health center daily after an expansion project breaks ground next week.
An infusion of $718,000 through President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, announced, will help fund the expansion, said Dr. Tony Stupski, medical director and acting administrator for Public Health’s community medical centers in Inarajan and Dededo.
The stimulus plan, signed into law in February, set aside $1.5 billion to fund construction, renovation and equipment purchases at community health centers around the nation. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
Use EMR Software to Enhance Your Practice
The times we live in demand a lot of speed and efficiency from any service that we pay for, and that includes medical care services. There are many complications involved in the medical care business and no matter what size your practice is, it will always benefit from a more efficient system of data and time management. Plus, when it comes to billing, who wouldn’t like to have minimal errors and the lowest possible processing time per bill or per individual. This is when you know you need to change your old ways of doing thing and bring something new and more sophisticated to make your job a lot easier and more effective.
That is where EMR (Electronic Medical Records) software comes in. You will at how much EMR software can do and it takes so little time to do everything. Be it entering relevant data, recalling appointment schedules or queue management, a good EMR software is exactly what you have been waiting for to give your business a boost. You will love the amount of efficiency it will bring in to the entire system. You will be doing everything faster, with fewer errors and with a much lower processing time.
For instance, when it comes to queue management and alerting the staff at hand, you can do it instantly with EMR software. This is handled by the internal communications system with which, for example, you can alert your nurse that a patient is ready for his appointment. This saves a lot of time in communications
and speeds up the entire process. Bill generation is another area that will amaze you with its capabilities. You can generate bills that contains everything, from the medical treatment details to the different sets of insurance codes that will help you patients claim there medical insurance. More Here EMR
That is where EMR (Electronic Medical Records) software comes in. You will at how much EMR software can do and it takes so little time to do everything. Be it entering relevant data, recalling appointment schedules or queue management, a good EMR software is exactly what you have been waiting for to give your business a boost. You will love the amount of efficiency it will bring in to the entire system. You will be doing everything faster, with fewer errors and with a much lower processing time.
For instance, when it comes to queue management and alerting the staff at hand, you can do it instantly with EMR software. This is handled by the internal communications system with which, for example, you can alert your nurse that a patient is ready for his appointment. This saves a lot of time in communications
and speeds up the entire process. Bill generation is another area that will amaze you with its capabilities. You can generate bills that contains everything, from the medical treatment details to the different sets of insurance codes that will help you patients claim there medical insurance. More Here EMR
Economic Stimulus Physician FAQ
Below are some commonly asked questions regarding the economic stimulus funding and what physicians need to do to qualify for the funding:
Who or what kinds of organizations will benefit from the healthcare IT incentives?
The incentives primarily benefit hospitals and office-based physicians. They are designed to reduce healthcare costs by accelerating the use of IT to improve quality, safety and efficiency. Ultimately, patients and caregivers also will benefit from the automation and connectivity enabled by EHRs.
What is the potential financial benefit of the healthcare IT incentives to physicians?
Each office-based physician who meaningfully uses a certified EHR could receive up to $44,000 (Medicare) or $64,000 (Medicaid) in government funding. Office-based physicians practicing in rural or underserved areas would be eligible for up to $48,400 in Medicare incentives. It’s important to note that these figures represent the maximum allowable incentives under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and that physicians may only qualify for either the Medicare or the Medicaid funding, but cannot qualify for both. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
Who or what kinds of organizations will benefit from the healthcare IT incentives?
The incentives primarily benefit hospitals and office-based physicians. They are designed to reduce healthcare costs by accelerating the use of IT to improve quality, safety and efficiency. Ultimately, patients and caregivers also will benefit from the automation and connectivity enabled by EHRs.
What is the potential financial benefit of the healthcare IT incentives to physicians?
Each office-based physician who meaningfully uses a certified EHR could receive up to $44,000 (Medicare) or $64,000 (Medicaid) in government funding. Office-based physicians practicing in rural or underserved areas would be eligible for up to $48,400 in Medicare incentives. It’s important to note that these figures represent the maximum allowable incentives under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and that physicians may only qualify for either the Medicare or the Medicaid funding, but cannot qualify for both. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
Benefits of Outsource Medical Transcription Services
Medical Transcription is the process of understanding and transcribing the transcript made by healthcare professionals, such as doctors, treatment procedures, prognoses, diagnoses etc. It is the wide procedure of transcribing voice-recorded reports done by doctors and healthcare professionals into text formats for various uses.
Today there are extensive medical transcription services are available that cover all kind of the specialties in medicine. As the health care industry grows up, one finds that the number of companies is specialized in providing medical transcription services. Medical transcription is growing day by day. These services are provided to a wide range of practices and organizations that can include healthcare facilities, hospitals, laboratories, clinics, individual doctors and physicians’ groups.
Electronic storing of medical records is preferred by contemporary medical organization because of the giant number of patient information being accumulate. It crafts it very easy to integrate all details including the medicine, diseases details and other diagnostic information. Maintaining of this type of records is primarily to facilitate the patient’s healthcare. Also to use it as a general use data bank while still maintaining privacy of patient data.
Medical transcription services are offered exclusively for all the different medical specialists. Nowadays we have experienced medical transcriptionists who do specializations in transcription of different branches of medicine. More Here Medical Transcription
Today there are extensive medical transcription services are available that cover all kind of the specialties in medicine. As the health care industry grows up, one finds that the number of companies is specialized in providing medical transcription services. Medical transcription is growing day by day. These services are provided to a wide range of practices and organizations that can include healthcare facilities, hospitals, laboratories, clinics, individual doctors and physicians’ groups.
Electronic storing of medical records is preferred by contemporary medical organization because of the giant number of patient information being accumulate. It crafts it very easy to integrate all details including the medicine, diseases details and other diagnostic information. Maintaining of this type of records is primarily to facilitate the patient’s healthcare. Also to use it as a general use data bank while still maintaining privacy of patient data.
Medical transcription services are offered exclusively for all the different medical specialists. Nowadays we have experienced medical transcriptionists who do specializations in transcription of different branches of medicine. More Here Medical Transcription
Outsourced Medical Billing must pursue underpayments
You are losing up to ten percent of your collections if payer underpayments are not being aggressively pursued by your outsourced medical billing company. It is simply a minimum requirement of being in business that medical billing services compare your payments to the amounts your payers have agreed to pay you.
If you make the decision to outsource medical billing or are currently outsourcing, then there are a number of critical tasks and process steps that your medical billing service should provide. These include scrubbing claims before they are submitted, systematic follow-up on submitted claims, posting denials, pursuing underpayments, using patient expected payment scores just to name a few.
This article focuses on just one of the key elements you need from your medical billing service: pursuit of underpayments. Pursuit of underpayments starts with a critical step: comparison of EOBs to your contractual allowables (the payment your payers have agreed to make for each CPT code). You cannot count on payment posters to catch underpayments with their naked eye; the comparison must be automated and systematic. It goes without saying that if you do billing in-house the comparison still should be done.
Payers have adopted underpayment techniques that are too difficult for a payment poster to spot on their own. Medical billing companies can design their process to battle payers underpayment techniques because they have an advantage over individual practices - they see EOBs for a given payer across multiple practices and multiple states. The enhanced scope allows medical billing services that pay attention to identify patterns that might be overlooked by individual medical practices. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
If you make the decision to outsource medical billing or are currently outsourcing, then there are a number of critical tasks and process steps that your medical billing service should provide. These include scrubbing claims before they are submitted, systematic follow-up on submitted claims, posting denials, pursuing underpayments, using patient expected payment scores just to name a few.
This article focuses on just one of the key elements you need from your medical billing service: pursuit of underpayments. Pursuit of underpayments starts with a critical step: comparison of EOBs to your contractual allowables (the payment your payers have agreed to make for each CPT code). You cannot count on payment posters to catch underpayments with their naked eye; the comparison must be automated and systematic. It goes without saying that if you do billing in-house the comparison still should be done.
Payers have adopted underpayment techniques that are too difficult for a payment poster to spot on their own. Medical billing companies can design their process to battle payers underpayment techniques because they have an advantage over individual practices - they see EOBs for a given payer across multiple practices and multiple states. The enhanced scope allows medical billing services that pay attention to identify patterns that might be overlooked by individual medical practices. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
Feds offer $19B in e-records stimulus funding
Pulmonary Care of Central Florida is installing a new electronic medical records system — a move that may help it land some of the $19 billion in federal stimulus funds earmarked for health information technology.
The Winter Park medical group, which has one doctor and two nurse practitioners, decided to do so to reduce the amount of space needed for records storage and to save time, said MaryAnn Simmons, the practice’s administrator.
She estimated such systems cost $50,000-$70,000, take about a month to install and up to eight months to master. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
The Winter Park medical group, which has one doctor and two nurse practitioners, decided to do so to reduce the amount of space needed for records storage and to save time, said MaryAnn Simmons, the practice’s administrator.
She estimated such systems cost $50,000-$70,000, take about a month to install and up to eight months to master. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
One-stop site: E-prescribing help for physicians
The AMA has created an extensive online resource.
By the close of 2008, only about 13% of physicians were prescribing electronically. The prescription pad and pen still rule in most offices.
But doctors are getting a nudge to automate their prescribing process. Physicians who prescribe electronically for their Medicare patients will be eligible for incentive payments. This year’s bonus will be equal to 2% of all Medicare Part B pay for the year.
Before the monetary incentives there was friendly persuasion. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report called on all prescribers to have an electronic prescribing system in place by 2010, saying such systems would help reduce medication errors. In November 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a guide for doctors who plan to seek Medicare e-prescribing incentives that started this year.
Will all this be enough to get doctors to embrace e-prescribing? Hard to tell given the expense and uncertainties about choosing the right system.
The American Medical Association has help for physicians at a timely, in-depth resource that provides them with the tools and information they need to make decisions about implementing electronic prescribing in their practices.
On April 1, the AMA launched its e-prescribing learning center, a one-stop shop for what doctors need to know to navigate the proper course when considering and adopting e-prescribing (www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing). More Here Electronic Prescription
By the close of 2008, only about 13% of physicians were prescribing electronically. The prescription pad and pen still rule in most offices.
But doctors are getting a nudge to automate their prescribing process. Physicians who prescribe electronically for their Medicare patients will be eligible for incentive payments. This year’s bonus will be equal to 2% of all Medicare Part B pay for the year.
Before the monetary incentives there was friendly persuasion. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report called on all prescribers to have an electronic prescribing system in place by 2010, saying such systems would help reduce medication errors. In November 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a guide for doctors who plan to seek Medicare e-prescribing incentives that started this year.
Will all this be enough to get doctors to embrace e-prescribing? Hard to tell given the expense and uncertainties about choosing the right system.
The American Medical Association has help for physicians at a timely, in-depth resource that provides them with the tools and information they need to make decisions about implementing electronic prescribing in their practices.
On April 1, the AMA launched its e-prescribing learning center, a one-stop shop for what doctors need to know to navigate the proper course when considering and adopting e-prescribing (www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing). More Here Electronic Prescription
Why Medical Transcription Services are in High Demand
Medical transcription services are in high demand in a variety of healthcare settings. These services are in high demand mainly because:
* They help speedy processing of patient insurance claims
* They ensure accurate and detailed medical records which are of great importance in any healthcare setting
* They can efficiently handle the growing volume of medical reports in hospitals, clinics, primary healthcare centers, acute care centers
* They ensure that clients receive properly formatted, edited and reviewed documents
Most companies in the medical transcription field offer HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant transcription services. Reliable transcription services are available for operative reports, diagnostic imaging studies, laboratory summaries, x-ray reports, physical examination reports, patient histories, ER reports, clinic notes, referral letters, progress notes, psychiatric evaluations, physical examination reports, pathology reports and death summaries.
Convenient Dictation Options and Flexible File Formats
Leading transcription companies offer affordable and convenient dictation options – toll free number, digital recorders or computer based dictations. The voice-recorded files can be in any format including WMV, MPG, AVI, MOV, ASF, ASX, RM, SWF, DIC or extended audio formats such as WMA and MP. More Here Medical Transcription
* They help speedy processing of patient insurance claims
* They ensure accurate and detailed medical records which are of great importance in any healthcare setting
* They can efficiently handle the growing volume of medical reports in hospitals, clinics, primary healthcare centers, acute care centers
* They ensure that clients receive properly formatted, edited and reviewed documents
Most companies in the medical transcription field offer HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant transcription services. Reliable transcription services are available for operative reports, diagnostic imaging studies, laboratory summaries, x-ray reports, physical examination reports, patient histories, ER reports, clinic notes, referral letters, progress notes, psychiatric evaluations, physical examination reports, pathology reports and death summaries.
Convenient Dictation Options and Flexible File Formats
Leading transcription companies offer affordable and convenient dictation options – toll free number, digital recorders or computer based dictations. The voice-recorded files can be in any format including WMV, MPG, AVI, MOV, ASF, ASX, RM, SWF, DIC or extended audio formats such as WMA and MP. More Here Medical Transcription
Electronic Medical Billing Save Money by Improving Office Procedures
Electronic medical billing makes life easier and collections more successful in a medical practice. Questions about medical bills can be answered before the bill becomes past due because of quicker response times. Complicated payment procedure for insurance companies will no longer overwhelm a billing office.
The increased productivity in billing can be directly linked to the different kinds of medical billing software. Client server (CS) and application service providers (ASP) make up two types. Management of a client server requires configuration, back up, restoration, and upgrades after it is initially installed. In addition it consists of a central server and terminals linked to a local network. For these reasons client servers are usually more expensive.
Application service providers assure the latest in technology. The central server is located with the vendor, and data is exchanged via the internet. This minimizes time needed for troubleshooting and downtime. Electronic medical billing training can also be conducted online. The vendor is responsible for managing the technology, recovery, restoration, installations, and upgrades.
Post-payment audits by insurance investigators are less frequent with electronic medical billing. Increased cash flows come with more accurate and easy billing. Cost and productivity savings, including fewer clerical errors reduced office workload, and improved coding come with electronic billing. And electronic billing software offers benefits such as compliance requirements, financial and work flow controls, and accurate procedure coding for patients. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
The increased productivity in billing can be directly linked to the different kinds of medical billing software. Client server (CS) and application service providers (ASP) make up two types. Management of a client server requires configuration, back up, restoration, and upgrades after it is initially installed. In addition it consists of a central server and terminals linked to a local network. For these reasons client servers are usually more expensive.
Application service providers assure the latest in technology. The central server is located with the vendor, and data is exchanged via the internet. This minimizes time needed for troubleshooting and downtime. Electronic medical billing training can also be conducted online. The vendor is responsible for managing the technology, recovery, restoration, installations, and upgrades.
Post-payment audits by insurance investigators are less frequent with electronic medical billing. Increased cash flows come with more accurate and easy billing. Cost and productivity savings, including fewer clerical errors reduced office workload, and improved coding come with electronic billing. And electronic billing software offers benefits such as compliance requirements, financial and work flow controls, and accurate procedure coding for patients. More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing
Is Government Health IT Program Overreaching?
Ever since the government announced it would offer financial rewards of $44,000 to $64,000 to each physician who could show “meaningful use” of a qualified electronic health record, doctors have been wondering what meaningful use means. Today the Health IT Policy Committee, which advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, took a major step toward providing a definition of this term.
The recommendations released by the HIT Policy Committee are not the final word. In fact, they are simply the product of a workgroup, and the committee’s discussion today made it clear that the provisions are subject to change and will be tweaked over the next couple of months. After the committee adopts a definition, it will be submitted to CMS, which will put the definition through its formal rule making process. Even when that’s completed, probably by the end of the year, it will apply only to 2011 and 2012 requests for government subsidies. In 2013 and 2015, the requirements will be significantly expanded.
To what end? The HIT Policy Committee has very grand ambitions. As it states in the preamble to its report, “We recommend that the ultimate goal of meaningful use of an Electronic Health Record is to enable significant and measurable improvements in population health through a transformed health care delivery system.” In other words, the committee members are not just trying to make sure that physicians are using the EHRs for which they’re seeking subsidies; they want to make sure they’re using them to “transform healthcare.”
The pertinent questions are whether what the committee is considering bears any resemblance to 1) the EMRs currently on the market; and 2) the environment in which physicians and hospitals (which will also be subject to the definition) operate. The answer to the first question is Maybe: most of the requirements for 2011 can be satisfied by the leading certified EMRs, but it’s unclear whether more than a handful of them will be able to keep up with future requirements. As for the second question, the ability of physicians to exchange information with providers that use different systems is very limited right now, and some of the other requirements in the future may discourage physicians from acquiring EMRs. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
The recommendations released by the HIT Policy Committee are not the final word. In fact, they are simply the product of a workgroup, and the committee’s discussion today made it clear that the provisions are subject to change and will be tweaked over the next couple of months. After the committee adopts a definition, it will be submitted to CMS, which will put the definition through its formal rule making process. Even when that’s completed, probably by the end of the year, it will apply only to 2011 and 2012 requests for government subsidies. In 2013 and 2015, the requirements will be significantly expanded.
To what end? The HIT Policy Committee has very grand ambitions. As it states in the preamble to its report, “We recommend that the ultimate goal of meaningful use of an Electronic Health Record is to enable significant and measurable improvements in population health through a transformed health care delivery system.” In other words, the committee members are not just trying to make sure that physicians are using the EHRs for which they’re seeking subsidies; they want to make sure they’re using them to “transform healthcare.”
The pertinent questions are whether what the committee is considering bears any resemblance to 1) the EMRs currently on the market; and 2) the environment in which physicians and hospitals (which will also be subject to the definition) operate. The answer to the first question is Maybe: most of the requirements for 2011 can be satisfied by the leading certified EMRs, but it’s unclear whether more than a handful of them will be able to keep up with future requirements. As for the second question, the ability of physicians to exchange information with providers that use different systems is very limited right now, and some of the other requirements in the future may discourage physicians from acquiring EMRs. More Here EMR Stimulus Package
Obama highlights IT as a tool to fix healthcare
ANNANDALE, VA – President Obama called for fixing the broken healthcare system by building upon investments made in electronic medical records in a town hall meeting held Wednesday.
The town hall was held at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., where the president took questions the public submitted online regarding healthcare reform.
“I know that people say the costs of fixing our problems are great - and in some cases, they are,” Obama said. “The costs of inaction, of not doing anything, are even greater. They’re unacceptable. And that’s why this town hall and this debate that we’re having around healthcare is so important.”
The president highlighted the continued use of electronic medical records as one way to help drive down costs.
“We already made those investments in the Recovery Act - because when everything is digitalized, all your records - your privacy is protected, but all your records on a digital form - that reduces medical errors. It means that nurses don’t have to read the scrawl of doctors when they are trying to figure out what treatments to apply. That saves lives; that saves money; and it will still ensure privacy,” the president said.
Obama said the government has already identified $950 billion over 10 years that will be used to pay for healthcare reform. He said this “doesn’t even include the savings that we’re going to get from prevention, or the savings that we’re going to get from health IT - because in using congressional jargon, which I’m never supposed to do because nobody understands it - it’s not scorable.” More Here EMR Stimulus Package
The town hall was held at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., where the president took questions the public submitted online regarding healthcare reform.
“I know that people say the costs of fixing our problems are great - and in some cases, they are,” Obama said. “The costs of inaction, of not doing anything, are even greater. They’re unacceptable. And that’s why this town hall and this debate that we’re having around healthcare is so important.”
The president highlighted the continued use of electronic medical records as one way to help drive down costs.
“We already made those investments in the Recovery Act - because when everything is digitalized, all your records - your privacy is protected, but all your records on a digital form - that reduces medical errors. It means that nurses don’t have to read the scrawl of doctors when they are trying to figure out what treatments to apply. That saves lives; that saves money; and it will still ensure privacy,” the president said.
Obama said the government has already identified $950 billion over 10 years that will be used to pay for healthcare reform. He said this “doesn’t even include the savings that we’re going to get from prevention, or the savings that we’re going to get from health IT - because in using congressional jargon, which I’m never supposed to do because nobody understands it - it’s not scorable.” More Here EMR Stimulus Package
HIMSS white paper: ?usability? critical to adoption of EMRs
CHICAGO – The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s EHR Usability Task Force has released a white paper focusing on the level of usability in electronic medical records and their implementation at healthcare organizations.
“Defining and Testing EMR Usability: Principles and Proposed Methods of EMR Usability Evaluation and Rating” identifies usability of software in an EMR as “one of the major factors and possibly the most important factor hindering widespread adoption of EMRs.”
“Through our research, we found that usability as a requirement in the certification process could benefit product development for more usable EMR products and give users or decision-makers more confidence in selecting clinical EMR systems,” said Jeffery L. Belden, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Missouri Health Care’s School of Medicine and chairman of the HIMSS EHR Usability Task Force.
Principles and methods are highlighted in the study as processes that offer benefits for organizations that certify technology. These procedures allow certifications organization “to test and rate products for usability.” More Here EMR
“Defining and Testing EMR Usability: Principles and Proposed Methods of EMR Usability Evaluation and Rating” identifies usability of software in an EMR as “one of the major factors and possibly the most important factor hindering widespread adoption of EMRs.”
“Through our research, we found that usability as a requirement in the certification process could benefit product development for more usable EMR products and give users or decision-makers more confidence in selecting clinical EMR systems,” said Jeffery L. Belden, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Missouri Health Care’s School of Medicine and chairman of the HIMSS EHR Usability Task Force.
Principles and methods are highlighted in the study as processes that offer benefits for organizations that certify technology. These procedures allow certifications organization “to test and rate products for usability.” More Here EMR
Saving the healthcare industry: EMRs are the ?beginning, not the end?
CAMBRIDGE, MA – Economically healthy industries empower workers to make decisions, compensate based on productivity and use a lot of information technology. The healthcare industry doesn’t do any of this – yet.
Stimulus funds for IT could save the day and the economy, according to Harvard economics professor and Obama campaign advisor David Cutler, who spoke at the Tuesday afternoon session of the HIT Symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
Every industry except healthcare has figured out how to become more efficient by replacing administrative work with information technology, he said. Nurses spend a third of their time documenting – a procedure Cutler said often involves printing digitized information and re-entering it into another IT system.
With the right IT systems and processes, he said, the business of healthcare could change to focus more on compensation and empowerment, making hospitals and practices more profitable.
Cutler said the promise of electronic medical records lies in three areas that can greatly improve the economic health of a hospital: More Here EMR
Stimulus funds for IT could save the day and the economy, according to Harvard economics professor and Obama campaign advisor David Cutler, who spoke at the Tuesday afternoon session of the HIT Symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
Every industry except healthcare has figured out how to become more efficient by replacing administrative work with information technology, he said. Nurses spend a third of their time documenting – a procedure Cutler said often involves printing digitized information and re-entering it into another IT system.
With the right IT systems and processes, he said, the business of healthcare could change to focus more on compensation and empowerment, making hospitals and practices more profitable.
Cutler said the promise of electronic medical records lies in three areas that can greatly improve the economic health of a hospital: More Here EMR
Economic Stimulus: Government CIOs Have a Role in Health IT Stimulus Spending (Opinion)
I live in Massachusetts, where 97 percent of citizens have health-care coverage thanks to a 2006 law that mandates every resident have insurance through a unique public-private initiative. The first part of the law was to get as many people covered as fast as possible, and everybody agrees the results have been wildly successful.
That was the easy part. Now Massachusetts is working to rein in health-care costs. A key part of the state’s plan calls for increased use of electronic health records (EHRs). In fact, the state passed a law last year requiring hospitals and health-care clinics to use EHRs and created a fund to help physicians put IT into their practices.
Massachusetts also began building an interoperable statewide EHR network that will let doctors, hospitals and insurance providers share information electronically. The investment will save money and lives by reducing medical errors.
States are sometimes called “laboratories of democracy,” and in this case, Massachusetts is the test tube everybody is watching because no state has gone this far to insure so much of its population and require such a massive shift to EHRs.
Fortunately the rest of the public sector isn’t waiting to see what happens in New England. Several key federal agencies that provide insurance to their workers and clients are adopting EHRs, as have some publicly financed health-care facilities. The economic stimulus package is about to pour $20 billion into programs similar to Massachusetts’. The infusion of funds will thrust the public sector into a much more active health-IT role.
More Here EMR Stimulus Package
That was the easy part. Now Massachusetts is working to rein in health-care costs. A key part of the state’s plan calls for increased use of electronic health records (EHRs). In fact, the state passed a law last year requiring hospitals and health-care clinics to use EHRs and created a fund to help physicians put IT into their practices.
Massachusetts also began building an interoperable statewide EHR network that will let doctors, hospitals and insurance providers share information electronically. The investment will save money and lives by reducing medical errors.
States are sometimes called “laboratories of democracy,” and in this case, Massachusetts is the test tube everybody is watching because no state has gone this far to insure so much of its population and require such a massive shift to EHRs.
Fortunately the rest of the public sector isn’t waiting to see what happens in New England. Several key federal agencies that provide insurance to their workers and clients are adopting EHRs, as have some publicly financed health-care facilities. The economic stimulus package is about to pour $20 billion into programs similar to Massachusetts’. The infusion of funds will thrust the public sector into a much more active health-IT role.
More Here EMR Stimulus Package
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