North Shore Hospital System on Long Island in New York recently announced that it will pay an incentive of up to $40,000 to each physician in its network who adopts its electronic health record (EHR) — paying 50% of the cost to physicians who install an EHR that communicates with the hospital and 85% of the cost if the physician also shares de-identified data on the quality of care.1 This payment would apparently come on top of the $44,000 incentive that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has authorized Medicare to pay each eligible health care professional who uses certified EHRs in a meaningful manner. “Meaningful use” is still being defined, but the overarching goal is to improve the population’s health through a transformed health care delivery system with the use of EHRs to improve local processes, foster quality measurement, and increase communication. North Shore’s announcement is a sign of the continuing acceleration of EHR adoption by physicians’ offices2 and hospitals.3 Support for information systems is exempted from the Stark amendment to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, which prohibits hospitals from offering physicians incentives for providing referrals or admissions. The exemption for information technology acknowledges that the likelihood of additional referrals may be part of the motivation for hospitals to form closer links with community physicians through EHRs. Another benefit to hospitals from supporting the use of EHRs by physicians who are linked to them by geography, academic appointment, or practice pattern is the enhanced ability to manage the quality and outcomes of care. For example, if financial penalties and incentives are to be imposed on the basis of rates of readmission, then the more closely aligned a hospital is with the physicians who provide its patients’ postdischarge care, the greater the benefits it will reap.
The cost–benefit calculus behind physicians’ adoption of EHRs is also changing. Financial incentives are one element. The prices of EHRs have come down as the volume of software licenses being sold has increased. A second factor is that the time investment associated with data entry, which has long represented a major obstacle to adoption, has been reduced as systems have improved in performance and become more flexible with regard to individual preferences for data entry, including free text, templated data entry, dictation, speech recognition, and freehand graphic input. System usability has also improved, thanks to competition and customers’ resistance to cumbersome products. Third, the addition to EHR systems of capabilities beyond documentation, including coding functions, the ability to create and export bills, the automated creation of consultation and patient letters, electronic prescribing, and task tracking, now translates into greater time savings for users. And a fourth factor is the increasing emphasis on quality of care, since payment for quality requires documentation of quality.
Other trends favoring EHR adoption include the emerging consensus that alignment of hospitals and physicians is necessary to provide higher-quality care and service for patients as they move among providers and traverse levels of care, as well as the recognition that information transfer is an important component of care given by multiple providers. Younger physicians — and some older ones — are more comfortable and function more efficiently and effectively in an electronic-information environment than in a world of paper records.
Some obstacles persist, of course. EHR products remain expensive to install and maintain — cost issues that should not be underestimated. The decision by North Shore to provide a financial incentive as well as the software license suggests that many physicians still do not believe that current-generation EHRs will offer a return on investment directly to physicians.
Wide dissemination of EHRs requires public trust. The sharing of patients’ information — which has been common practice for decades for the purposes of billing, treatment, and public health — has come into the public eye because of the risks associated with vastly expanded sharing and the newfound ability to easily and quickly transfer many patient records simultaneously. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) created a framework for defining privacy, breaches of privacy, and penalties. The ARRA further defined privacy breaches and increased the penalties for them. One of the challenges to setting policy in this area is that electronic privacy and its relative importance are still being defined. The capability of providing a secure electronic environment for patient data — like the capability of providing reliable data storage — is beyond the reach of most individual physician practices. Truly secure and reliable EHRs are currently feasible only for larger organizations with centrally supported technological capabilities. This may be one reason why the rate of adoption has been much higher among large practices (see graph).
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Rates of Adoption of Electronic Health Records According to Practice Size.
The percentage shown above each bar is the proportion of physicians who work in a practice of the given size. The green portion of each bar represents the percentage of physicians in a practice of a given size who have adopted at least basic electronic health records (EHRs), and the yellow portion represents the percentage of physicians who have not adopted EHRs.2 For each practice size, the percentage of physicians who have not adopted EHRs relative to the total number of physicians in practice is shown at the bottom. Physicians in the smallest practices account for more than 50% of those who have not yet adopted EHRs, whereas physicians in the largest practices account for only about 3%.
Exchanging information requires that EHRs share common standards. Work is ongoing at organizations for standards development and facilitation such as Health Level Seven (HL7), which have been providing practical standards for decades. The ultimate in interoperability would be a single EHR for all health care providers, but the disadvantage of this model would be a loss of competition among vendors — a factor that has presumably contributed to increased usability and lower cost. Moreover, interoperability among disparate EHRs may actually increase competition and innovation if it makes it easier for health care providers to change vendors by populating a new system with an old system’s data. Innovation is not predicated on competition alone, however. Increasing funding for EHR research and development — as opposed to implementation and evaluation — may produce evolutionary and revolutionary improvements in EHRs.
The next major step in EHR deployment is a concrete definition of the requirements — in terms of meaningful use, information sharing, and reporting of quality measures — for physicians to receive ARRA incentives. The federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee has submitted recommendations4 to the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published draft rules on December 30, 2009, and this publication will be followed by a period for public comment before a final set of rules is issued. Clarity on federal incentives for physicians to adopt EHRs will allow these incentives to be aligned with those offered by state governments, provider organizations, and commercial payers. Poorly aligned incentives may have unintended consequences, such as increases in health disparities or incentives for specialty-specific silo systems.
Electronic interaction between hospitals and physicians is just the beginning. Patients are also interacting electronically with the health care system, exchanging information with providers through secure patient portals and patient-based health records. More active transactions, such as remote case management by nurses for patients with chronic diseases,5 may occur through telemedicine. Some possibilities that will be advanced by phys icians’ adoption of EHRs include the use of cell-phone technology for messaging, the capability of moving data from home monitoring devices to cell phones and upstream to EHRs, yet-to-be developed software capabilities that will allow EHRs to manage these uploaded data streams within clinical workflows, and the effective provision of out-of-office care.
Medical Transcription Software Means Greater Efficiency
For a long time medical transcription has been a growing field. It allows medical professionals to leverage their time by dictating the information that needs to be included in a patient file into some type of audio format. It is then taken by a transcriptionist for conversion to a text format. These software is making the job easier for transcriptionists and in the end it provides a service not only to medical professionals but to patients as well.
The most current medical transcription software utilizes speech recognition technology. This software can automatically take something that has been delivered in an audio file format and convert it to text. The transcriptionist will then review the text and generally also the audio file to ensure accuracy and the ability of someone to comprehend the data that has been delivered.
The improvements in the software have not only included the ability to recognize speech and convert it to text but also the methods that are used for the gathering of information. Audio files are currently being reduced in size and improved in quality so that the software can be even more effective, and the file size can be even smaller. This translates into faster download times and quicker turnaround.
Some people may believe that the advancements in medical transcription software will spell the end of the transcription field. This is simply not the case, as there will always be in need to have somebody who is versed in medical terminology to ensure that the text sent back to the patient file can be understood by anybody who reads it. Someone using this software will continue to need to make the end product something usable.
Part of the reason that there will always be a need for medical transcriptionists is that no matter how good the transcription software might be there may be errors or omissions on the part of the medical professional that is providing the information in the first place. The fact that these software can increase the output of the transcriptionist only means that the information will get back into the patient’s file quickly, that the transcriptionists will have the luxury of taking more time to ensure that quality text is sent back.
Medical transcription software will continue to allow physicians to leverage their time and provide them with more accurate and accessible patient files. The fact that the increased productivity of the transcriptionists will result in more current patient files will mean that patients receive better quality medical care. Transcription companies will be able to streamline their processes and handle greater volume for increased profitability.
For the work of a transcriptionist, these software can be a powerful aid. It is not, and may never be a replacement for the medical transcriptionist but instead a tool that allows them to be more efficient. There will always be discrepancies in the spoken word of a medical professional and the fact that many medical terms sounds so much alike will always have a need for somebody to review the final product.
Medical transcription software is changing the transcription industry, and medical transcription software that can increase productivity is a must. Keep pace by learning what a good medical transcription software program can do for your company.
The most current medical transcription software utilizes speech recognition technology. This software can automatically take something that has been delivered in an audio file format and convert it to text. The transcriptionist will then review the text and generally also the audio file to ensure accuracy and the ability of someone to comprehend the data that has been delivered.
The improvements in the software have not only included the ability to recognize speech and convert it to text but also the methods that are used for the gathering of information. Audio files are currently being reduced in size and improved in quality so that the software can be even more effective, and the file size can be even smaller. This translates into faster download times and quicker turnaround.
Some people may believe that the advancements in medical transcription software will spell the end of the transcription field. This is simply not the case, as there will always be in need to have somebody who is versed in medical terminology to ensure that the text sent back to the patient file can be understood by anybody who reads it. Someone using this software will continue to need to make the end product something usable.
Part of the reason that there will always be a need for medical transcriptionists is that no matter how good the transcription software might be there may be errors or omissions on the part of the medical professional that is providing the information in the first place. The fact that these software can increase the output of the transcriptionist only means that the information will get back into the patient’s file quickly, that the transcriptionists will have the luxury of taking more time to ensure that quality text is sent back.
Medical transcription software will continue to allow physicians to leverage their time and provide them with more accurate and accessible patient files. The fact that the increased productivity of the transcriptionists will result in more current patient files will mean that patients receive better quality medical care. Transcription companies will be able to streamline their processes and handle greater volume for increased profitability.
For the work of a transcriptionist, these software can be a powerful aid. It is not, and may never be a replacement for the medical transcriptionist but instead a tool that allows them to be more efficient. There will always be discrepancies in the spoken word of a medical professional and the fact that many medical terms sounds so much alike will always have a need for somebody to review the final product.
Medical transcription software is changing the transcription industry, and medical transcription software that can increase productivity is a must. Keep pace by learning what a good medical transcription software program can do for your company.
Medical Billing Software ? A Consideration For Your Staff and Patients
Medical billing software has become an office staple in many doctor and dentist offices nation wide. With the time saving and convenient application, your office is given the capability to run smoothly at high efficiency. This gives your staff the freedom to devote more of their time to the most important people to your practice, your patients. So, what should you expect from such an important investment?
The medical billing software that you choose should be feature rich. From initial installation to delivering the capability for prompt insurance payments, the software you choose should meet all of your office needs. Your software should excel in it’s user friendly formatting by providing shortcuts, error detectors, and quick and easy input recovery. All in all, being able to effectively manage your patient accounting, file claims – whether electronically or by mail, track insurance claims, and manage accounts receivable should be standard features, not optional.
The kind of company that backs up its product is an excellent measure of a quality software. Is your chosen dealer going to aid you in the installation, train you and your staff in applying it, and continue supporting your needs by being available to answer your questions down the road once you’ve made your purchase? If your chosen software dealer cares about their clients you can be assured they care about providing a quality product.
Another measure of dependable medical billing software and the company that backs it is if they offer discounted upgrades. If you have an older version of their software, will they accept your older version back for the updated version at a lower price? You shouldn’t have to take a mortagage out on your practice just to stay up to date with how quickly technology progresses. With the consideration of discounted upgrades in exchange for returns, this tells of a company that truly cares about their clients.
Your staff is free to focus on your patients with medical billing software. Gone are the days of having to physically store patient files in space hoarding shelves, trying to find misplaced or lost files, refiling incorrectly filed insurance claims, and delayed insurance payments. Medical billing software is exactly what every medical and dental practice needs to provide their customers the courtesy of immediate and accurate billing information. Your staff will also thank you for your consideration to their efforts for meeting the needs of each patient that comes through your door.
The medical billing software that you choose should be feature rich. From initial installation to delivering the capability for prompt insurance payments, the software you choose should meet all of your office needs. Your software should excel in it’s user friendly formatting by providing shortcuts, error detectors, and quick and easy input recovery. All in all, being able to effectively manage your patient accounting, file claims – whether electronically or by mail, track insurance claims, and manage accounts receivable should be standard features, not optional.
The kind of company that backs up its product is an excellent measure of a quality software. Is your chosen dealer going to aid you in the installation, train you and your staff in applying it, and continue supporting your needs by being available to answer your questions down the road once you’ve made your purchase? If your chosen software dealer cares about their clients you can be assured they care about providing a quality product.
Another measure of dependable medical billing software and the company that backs it is if they offer discounted upgrades. If you have an older version of their software, will they accept your older version back for the updated version at a lower price? You shouldn’t have to take a mortagage out on your practice just to stay up to date with how quickly technology progresses. With the consideration of discounted upgrades in exchange for returns, this tells of a company that truly cares about their clients.
Your staff is free to focus on your patients with medical billing software. Gone are the days of having to physically store patient files in space hoarding shelves, trying to find misplaced or lost files, refiling incorrectly filed insurance claims, and delayed insurance payments. Medical billing software is exactly what every medical and dental practice needs to provide their customers the courtesy of immediate and accurate billing information. Your staff will also thank you for your consideration to their efforts for meeting the needs of each patient that comes through your door.
The Advantages of Electronic Prescribing
Are you a doctor searching for better ways to treat your patients? Do you want to address administrative duties in an efficient and timely manner? E-prescribing software offers a viable solution. The benefits of electronic prescription have been aiding doctors for some time now while more doctors are realizing the benefits of such a system and implementing the software into their practices. What are the benefits of e-prescribing software? Read on to find out more.
Display of pertinent, patient information A patient’s prior and present information is important to the medical process. A doctor needs to know of their prior history and present state in order to treat them properly. Electronic prescribing software indicates if the patient is eligible for care according in regards to the patient’s insurance policies. Furthermore, the software makes doctors aware of patient-medication histories and pharmacy-fill histories.
Real-time support tools Doctors are certain as to how their prescribed medicines will influence the patient, but they also need to know how other medications and patients allergies will react while taking the doctor-prescribed medication. The software serves as a decision-support tool for doctors. In addition, the e-prescribing system can check for appropriate dosages and duplicate forms of therapy.
Efficient communication with pharmacies There are many parties who play a crucial part in the healthcare process. Doctors must maintain good communication with a patient’s pharmacy to ensure they are getting extraordinary care. Using the e-prescription software, a doctor can access renewal requests from pharmacies, renew medications for multiple patients, and write a prescription from an often-used ‘favorite’ list. Furthermore, a doctor can send electronic prescriptions to a patient’s pharmacy of choice (including mail-order pharmacies).
More benefits…
* Satisfies MIPPA requirements, which qualify physicians for annual bonuses
* Clinical information displayed during prescription process
* Real-time clinical decision support tools
* Access renewal requests from pharmacies
* Send prescriptions electronically to the patient’s pharmacy of choice
* Securely share patient data with other treating physicians and send/receive referrals
* Patient information protected by strict privacy and security measures
Display of pertinent, patient information A patient’s prior and present information is important to the medical process. A doctor needs to know of their prior history and present state in order to treat them properly. Electronic prescribing software indicates if the patient is eligible for care according in regards to the patient’s insurance policies. Furthermore, the software makes doctors aware of patient-medication histories and pharmacy-fill histories.
Real-time support tools Doctors are certain as to how their prescribed medicines will influence the patient, but they also need to know how other medications and patients allergies will react while taking the doctor-prescribed medication. The software serves as a decision-support tool for doctors. In addition, the e-prescribing system can check for appropriate dosages and duplicate forms of therapy.
Efficient communication with pharmacies There are many parties who play a crucial part in the healthcare process. Doctors must maintain good communication with a patient’s pharmacy to ensure they are getting extraordinary care. Using the e-prescription software, a doctor can access renewal requests from pharmacies, renew medications for multiple patients, and write a prescription from an often-used ‘favorite’ list. Furthermore, a doctor can send electronic prescriptions to a patient’s pharmacy of choice (including mail-order pharmacies).
More benefits…
* Satisfies MIPPA requirements, which qualify physicians for annual bonuses
* Clinical information displayed during prescription process
* Real-time clinical decision support tools
* Access renewal requests from pharmacies
* Send prescriptions electronically to the patient’s pharmacy of choice
* Securely share patient data with other treating physicians and send/receive referrals
* Patient information protected by strict privacy and security measures
EMR Software Helps Physicians be More Productive
Without the help of technology, keep any kind of records can be a nightmare. Over time, the mountain of records just keep building and building, until the entire system becomes unmanageable. Records get lost or buried, and they become impossible to find. This happens to many businesses that require record keeping like medical practices or financial companies. Aware of the benefits presented by technology, many medical practices are starting to adopt Electronic Medical Records systems. Such systems allow medical records to be filed away electronically so that they can be retrieved quickly and efficiently by anyone who needs access to the information. In general, there are 3 types of EMR software solutions that a medical practice can choose to adopt. 1) Web based software solutions. 2) Custom built solutions 3) Off the shelf, standalone solutions. Web based software solutions. Web based software is easy to adopt. There is usually minimal installation and integration issues, and all you need is an Internet connection and you will be able to access the information you want to. The problem with web based software solutions is that since it is on a public network, there is always the concern of security. Medical records are private and sensitive information. So they should be kept as securely as possible. And the Internet hardly appears to be the ideal place. Custom built solutions. Custom built software solutions give you exactly what you want. You have full control over how the software works. Since you have the best understanding of how your business works, designing your custom built software seems to make sense. However, custom built software solutions often cost a lot more than other types of software solutions. That’s because the solution is developed solely for you. Also, there is the development time frame to think about. A custom built software can take months or sometimes years to perfect. Off the shelf, standalone solutions. Given the drawbacks of the first two software options, off the shelf standalone solution seems to be the logical choice. The pricing is definitely much more affordable, and you get to use the software immediately. Standalone EMR software may be developed by a programming language such as Java. They work on multiple operating systems like Windows, Mac, and even Linux. There are no additional components required, and all you have to do is to install the software in the computers. Established EMR software often has a more comprehensive feature list. That means there is no need for you to define your own feature list. You just install and use. Some features that you should look out for include Automated data backup, E&M code suggestor, Intra-office instant messaging (great for communications), Patient scheduler, Patient tracker, Problem list and more. When choosing EMR software, you can always evaluate the software by requesting for a trial period and access to any demo materials available. That way, you can make better decisions down the road.
CMS and ONC Issue Regulations Proposing a Definition of ?Meaningful Use? and Setting Standards for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourage public comment on two regulations issued today that lay a foundation for improving quality, efficiency and safety through meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The regulations will help implement the EHR incentive programs enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
A proposed rule issued by CMS outlines proposed provisions governing the EHR incentive programs, including defining the central concept of “meaningful use” of EHR technology. An interim final regulation (IFR) issued by ONC sets initial standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. Both regulations are open to public comment.
“Widespread adoption of electronic health records holds great promise for improving health care quality, efficiency, and patient safety,” said, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P. “The Recovery Act’s financial incentives demonstrate Congress’ and the Administration’s commitment to help providers adopt and make meaningful use of EHR technology so they can give better care and their patients’ experience of care will improve. Over time, we believe the EHR incentive program under Medicare and Medicaid will accelerate and facilitate health information technology adoption by more individual providers and organizations throughout the health care system.”
“These regulations are closely linked,” said Charlene Frizzera, CMS acting administrator. “CMS’s proposed regulation would define and specify how to demonstrate ‘meaningful use’ of EHR technology, which is a prerequisite for receiving the Medicare incentive payments. Our rule also outlines the proposed payment methodologies for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs. ONC’s regulation sets forth the standards and specifications that will enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility and security of health information technology.”
CMS and ONC worked closely to develop the two rules and received input from hundreds of technical subject matters experts, health care providers, and other key stakeholders. Numerous public meetings to solicit public comment were held by three Federal advisory committees: the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC), and the Health IT Standards Committee (HITSC). HITSC presented its final recommendations to the National Coordinator in August 2009. These recommendations, along with all other input were considered to help inform the development of the regulations announced today.
The IFR issued by ONC describes the standards that must be met by certified EHR technology to exchange healthcare information among providers and between providers and patients. This initial set of standards begins to define a common language to ensure accurate and secure health information exchange across different EHR systems. The IFR describes standard formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions; standard terms to describe clinical problems, procedures, laboratory tests, medications and allergies; and standards for the secure transportation of this information using the Internet.
CMS provides a 60-day comment period on the proposed rule. “The definition and requirements for demonstrating meaningful use of EHR technology are proposals. CMS welcomes and will give serious consideration to comments that improve our proposal while achieving the goals Congress established for the EHR incentive programs,” Frizzera said.
The CMS proposed rule and fact sheets, may be viewed at http://ping.fm/3uAaN
ONC’s interim final rule may be viewed at http://ping.fm/mnpWq In early 2010 ONC intends to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking related to the certification of health information technology.
A proposed rule issued by CMS outlines proposed provisions governing the EHR incentive programs, including defining the central concept of “meaningful use” of EHR technology. An interim final regulation (IFR) issued by ONC sets initial standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. Both regulations are open to public comment.
“Widespread adoption of electronic health records holds great promise for improving health care quality, efficiency, and patient safety,” said, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P. “The Recovery Act’s financial incentives demonstrate Congress’ and the Administration’s commitment to help providers adopt and make meaningful use of EHR technology so they can give better care and their patients’ experience of care will improve. Over time, we believe the EHR incentive program under Medicare and Medicaid will accelerate and facilitate health information technology adoption by more individual providers and organizations throughout the health care system.”
“These regulations are closely linked,” said Charlene Frizzera, CMS acting administrator. “CMS’s proposed regulation would define and specify how to demonstrate ‘meaningful use’ of EHR technology, which is a prerequisite for receiving the Medicare incentive payments. Our rule also outlines the proposed payment methodologies for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs. ONC’s regulation sets forth the standards and specifications that will enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility and security of health information technology.”
CMS and ONC worked closely to develop the two rules and received input from hundreds of technical subject matters experts, health care providers, and other key stakeholders. Numerous public meetings to solicit public comment were held by three Federal advisory committees: the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), the Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC), and the Health IT Standards Committee (HITSC). HITSC presented its final recommendations to the National Coordinator in August 2009. These recommendations, along with all other input were considered to help inform the development of the regulations announced today.
The IFR issued by ONC describes the standards that must be met by certified EHR technology to exchange healthcare information among providers and between providers and patients. This initial set of standards begins to define a common language to ensure accurate and secure health information exchange across different EHR systems. The IFR describes standard formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions; standard terms to describe clinical problems, procedures, laboratory tests, medications and allergies; and standards for the secure transportation of this information using the Internet.
CMS provides a 60-day comment period on the proposed rule. “The definition and requirements for demonstrating meaningful use of EHR technology are proposals. CMS welcomes and will give serious consideration to comments that improve our proposal while achieving the goals Congress established for the EHR incentive programs,” Frizzera said.
The CMS proposed rule and fact sheets, may be viewed at http://ping.fm/3uAaN
ONC’s interim final rule may be viewed at http://ping.fm/mnpWq In early 2010 ONC intends to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking related to the certification of health information technology.
Cost-Effective and Reliable Medical Transcription Service
Medical transcription services are available for all specialties such as radiology, orthopedics, cardiology, and more.
With increase in the number of patients opting for quality medical care, hospitals and clinics find it hard to maintain their medical records and reports up to date. The pragmatic solution to this problem would be to rely on cost-effective and reliable medical transcription service. A number of transcription companies have now emerged in view of the increased demand for medical transcription in the industry.
The advantages of hiring a reputable transcription company are the low turnaround time, reduced expenditure and assured security. These companies offer services to all English speaking countries such as the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Transcription services are available for all specialties such as radiology, cardiology, orthopedics and more.
Medical transcriptionists are specially selected and trained to excel in their work. These professionals make use of the latest technology and infrastructure to offer the best possible service. Clients are assured of the quality and accuracy of the processed work as every medical transcription company would necessarily have a dedicated team of quality analysts and proofreaders. Peace of mind is assured as the work is processed and sent within the stipulated time period and security protocols comply with HIPAA
Cost-effective and reliable medical transcription service substantially reduces the workload of a physician or surgeon so that they get more time to focus on their patients instead of worrying about office work. It is advisable to assess the productivity and efficiency of a medical transcription company before engaging in a long term contract. This will allow you to frame a general idea of what you can expect form them in future. It is essential to ensure that they undertake any volume of work lest you find difficultly in the later stages.
With increase in the number of patients opting for quality medical care, hospitals and clinics find it hard to maintain their medical records and reports up to date. The pragmatic solution to this problem would be to rely on cost-effective and reliable medical transcription service. A number of transcription companies have now emerged in view of the increased demand for medical transcription in the industry.
The advantages of hiring a reputable transcription company are the low turnaround time, reduced expenditure and assured security. These companies offer services to all English speaking countries such as the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Transcription services are available for all specialties such as radiology, cardiology, orthopedics and more.
Medical transcriptionists are specially selected and trained to excel in their work. These professionals make use of the latest technology and infrastructure to offer the best possible service. Clients are assured of the quality and accuracy of the processed work as every medical transcription company would necessarily have a dedicated team of quality analysts and proofreaders. Peace of mind is assured as the work is processed and sent within the stipulated time period and security protocols comply with HIPAA
Cost-effective and reliable medical transcription service substantially reduces the workload of a physician or surgeon so that they get more time to focus on their patients instead of worrying about office work. It is advisable to assess the productivity and efficiency of a medical transcription company before engaging in a long term contract. This will allow you to frame a general idea of what you can expect form them in future. It is essential to ensure that they undertake any volume of work lest you find difficultly in the later stages.
Choosing The Right Software For Your Practice
If you have an in-house medical billing system and the necessary staff to handle the workflow, using medical billing software can dramatically improve the productivity and revenue cycle of your practice. Software can help automate the labor-intensive parts of the medical billing process and considerably speed up time-consuming (and error-prone) tasks such as patient data entry, claims submission, and payment application.
There are many good software applications that are available on the market and choosing the right one can be a daunting task if you don’t know what to look for.
Below are some features to check for when doing your research:
Medical Codes
One of the biggest advantages of using billing software is that you can eliminate cumbersome paper manuals on coding. Medical billing software gives you and your staff the ability to quickly search and insert billing codes with the simple click of a mouse. This vastly simplifies the process of claims preparation.
It is important however, to ensure that the medical billing software comes with an exhaustive and updated list of CPT, ICD, and HSPCS codes with a reliable system for periodically updating this list. Most software companies provide annual updates that can be bought for a small fee and installed either through a disc or downloaded from an online location.
It is also advisable to test-run the software to check for ease of use. The software should ideally offer a simple graphical interface for creating claims with easy search options and point-and-click functionality for choosing codes from a list.
HIPAA compliance
Apart from improving efficiency and reducing the number of errors, medical billing software can also help your practice meet HIPAA regulations related to individual privacy and security of healthcare information. There are many tools employed by different software development companies to meet these regulations. While these tools may not make your practice 100% HIPAA compliant, they can make a significant contribution. Most good medical billing software applications have several or all of the following tools built in:
Data encryption – This ensures that any information transferred online is intelligible only to the authorized recipients. 128-bit encryption is considered the industry standard.
Multi-level user authentication – This includes measures such as password protection, role-based access to restricted areas of the software/database, and automatic (timed) log off in case a workstation has been idle for some time.
Audit trails – Audit trails are records of all system activities including login information, files accessed, changes made to patient data, etc. These records are crucial for internal security audits.
Scheduled backups – These are necessary to prevent data loss. Most medical billing software comes with scheduled backup systems that allow you to periodically download critical patient data onto your hard drive or other secure location.
Claims Management
Electronic claims transmission not only speeds up the payment cycle but also reduces the number of rejected claims. Medical billing applications come with several time & cost saving features that can help practices improve their claims management system.
Visual Editors
Visual editors allow users to create and edit insurance claims forms through a graphical interface. Users can quickly add notes, make changes and submit claims at the click of a mouse.
Error Correction
This feature helps in minimizing rejected claims by highlighting missing information, mismatched ICD/CPT codes, and invalid insurance policy numbers, etc. before a claim is submitted for processing. This is a big time-saver and naturally reduces the possibility of claims being declined due to incorrect/incomplete forms.
Claims Submission
Submitting claims electronically can save hours of labor, reduce the number of rejected claims, and also speed up claims processing. Some insurance companies delay paper claims to up to 28 days, while electronically submitted claims can take just 24-48 hours.
Depending on the medical billing product you choose, there are several methods available for submitting claims electronically. One option is to send all claims to a clearinghouse. The clearinghouse will then forward the claims to the appropriate insurance carriers. This may, however, turn out to be expensive because of the per claim fee charged by the clearinghouse. Costs can be reduced by submitting claims directly to Medicare and Medicaid and processing the remaining through a clearinghouse.
Another option is direct online billing at the websites of the insurance carriers. Although there are no additional fees involved in this method, you must be an in-network provider with the relevant carrier to be able to submit claims at the carrier’s website.
Revenue Management
Medical billing software can significantly improve the payment cycle of any practice. This is through the account receivable module that comes with most software applications. This module helps practices keep track of payments received and payments outstanding. The software application also helps with faster payment applications to specific claims/charges, tracking how much of a payment remains to be applied, reporting payments receivable, automatic calculation of the write-off amounts, tracking billing, and other activities for improving the A/R cycle.
When choosing medical billing software, it is advisable to look for applications that either have these accounting features built-in or allow for easy integration with external accounting software such as Quicken or Peachtree. It’s also a good idea to thoroughly test the software to see if it has all the features required for your particular practice.
Medical Scheduling
Many software packages come with medical appointment schedulers that allow for easy management of patient appointments. Multiple features such as making or editing appointments, viewing daily, weekly, monthly appointments, viewing relevant patient demographics along with appointment details, scheduling recurring/multiple appointments, etc., can make these schedulers very useful for busy practices.
Trial period and Training
Most medical billing software developers offer trial versions of their software. Some also include on-site training for staff members who handle billing for a practice. These features give you the opportunity to not only check if the software has all the features advertised but also to test the suitability of the application for your particular practice. The usual trial period is of 30 days and provides you ample time to thoroughly test the software.
Technical support
As with all software applications, you and your staff would need ongoing technical assistance for the correct use and maintenance of the medical billing software. It’s therefore important to choose a vendor who can provide the necessary installation, training, and technical support. Most vendors provide an initial period of free support and then monthly or annual paid services.
There are many other features that can be compared and considered when deciding on the perfect medical billing software for your practice – software applications are constantly evolving to include more and better functionalities – but keeping these basic features in mind can help you make a reasonable choice.
There are many good software applications that are available on the market and choosing the right one can be a daunting task if you don’t know what to look for.
Below are some features to check for when doing your research:
Medical Codes
One of the biggest advantages of using billing software is that you can eliminate cumbersome paper manuals on coding. Medical billing software gives you and your staff the ability to quickly search and insert billing codes with the simple click of a mouse. This vastly simplifies the process of claims preparation.
It is important however, to ensure that the medical billing software comes with an exhaustive and updated list of CPT, ICD, and HSPCS codes with a reliable system for periodically updating this list. Most software companies provide annual updates that can be bought for a small fee and installed either through a disc or downloaded from an online location.
It is also advisable to test-run the software to check for ease of use. The software should ideally offer a simple graphical interface for creating claims with easy search options and point-and-click functionality for choosing codes from a list.
HIPAA compliance
Apart from improving efficiency and reducing the number of errors, medical billing software can also help your practice meet HIPAA regulations related to individual privacy and security of healthcare information. There are many tools employed by different software development companies to meet these regulations. While these tools may not make your practice 100% HIPAA compliant, they can make a significant contribution. Most good medical billing software applications have several or all of the following tools built in:
Data encryption – This ensures that any information transferred online is intelligible only to the authorized recipients. 128-bit encryption is considered the industry standard.
Multi-level user authentication – This includes measures such as password protection, role-based access to restricted areas of the software/database, and automatic (timed) log off in case a workstation has been idle for some time.
Audit trails – Audit trails are records of all system activities including login information, files accessed, changes made to patient data, etc. These records are crucial for internal security audits.
Scheduled backups – These are necessary to prevent data loss. Most medical billing software comes with scheduled backup systems that allow you to periodically download critical patient data onto your hard drive or other secure location.
Claims Management
Electronic claims transmission not only speeds up the payment cycle but also reduces the number of rejected claims. Medical billing applications come with several time & cost saving features that can help practices improve their claims management system.
Visual Editors
Visual editors allow users to create and edit insurance claims forms through a graphical interface. Users can quickly add notes, make changes and submit claims at the click of a mouse.
Error Correction
This feature helps in minimizing rejected claims by highlighting missing information, mismatched ICD/CPT codes, and invalid insurance policy numbers, etc. before a claim is submitted for processing. This is a big time-saver and naturally reduces the possibility of claims being declined due to incorrect/incomplete forms.
Claims Submission
Submitting claims electronically can save hours of labor, reduce the number of rejected claims, and also speed up claims processing. Some insurance companies delay paper claims to up to 28 days, while electronically submitted claims can take just 24-48 hours.
Depending on the medical billing product you choose, there are several methods available for submitting claims electronically. One option is to send all claims to a clearinghouse. The clearinghouse will then forward the claims to the appropriate insurance carriers. This may, however, turn out to be expensive because of the per claim fee charged by the clearinghouse. Costs can be reduced by submitting claims directly to Medicare and Medicaid and processing the remaining through a clearinghouse.
Another option is direct online billing at the websites of the insurance carriers. Although there are no additional fees involved in this method, you must be an in-network provider with the relevant carrier to be able to submit claims at the carrier’s website.
Revenue Management
Medical billing software can significantly improve the payment cycle of any practice. This is through the account receivable module that comes with most software applications. This module helps practices keep track of payments received and payments outstanding. The software application also helps with faster payment applications to specific claims/charges, tracking how much of a payment remains to be applied, reporting payments receivable, automatic calculation of the write-off amounts, tracking billing, and other activities for improving the A/R cycle.
When choosing medical billing software, it is advisable to look for applications that either have these accounting features built-in or allow for easy integration with external accounting software such as Quicken or Peachtree. It’s also a good idea to thoroughly test the software to see if it has all the features required for your particular practice.
Medical Scheduling
Many software packages come with medical appointment schedulers that allow for easy management of patient appointments. Multiple features such as making or editing appointments, viewing daily, weekly, monthly appointments, viewing relevant patient demographics along with appointment details, scheduling recurring/multiple appointments, etc., can make these schedulers very useful for busy practices.
Trial period and Training
Most medical billing software developers offer trial versions of their software. Some also include on-site training for staff members who handle billing for a practice. These features give you the opportunity to not only check if the software has all the features advertised but also to test the suitability of the application for your particular practice. The usual trial period is of 30 days and provides you ample time to thoroughly test the software.
Technical support
As with all software applications, you and your staff would need ongoing technical assistance for the correct use and maintenance of the medical billing software. It’s therefore important to choose a vendor who can provide the necessary installation, training, and technical support. Most vendors provide an initial period of free support and then monthly or annual paid services.
There are many other features that can be compared and considered when deciding on the perfect medical billing software for your practice – software applications are constantly evolving to include more and better functionalities – but keeping these basic features in mind can help you make a reasonable choice.
Survey finds 4 in 10 doctors use an EHR
By, Molly Merrill
ATLANTA – Four of every 10 office-based physicians use electronic health records, according to 2009 preliminary estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The estimates are based on the CDC’s National Ambulatory Medical Survey (NAMCS), an annual nationally representative survey of patient visits to office-based physicians that collects information on the use of electronic medical records or electronic health records. A supplementary mail survey was also conducted in 2008 and 2009.
According to the estimates for 2009, 43.9 percent of physicians reported using full or partial EMR/EHR systems (not including systems used solely for billing) in office-based practices. About 20.5 percent reported having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system, and 6.3 percent reported using a fully functional system.
A basic system is defined as having patient demographic information, patient problem lists, clinical notes, orders for prescriptions and viewing laboratory and imaging results. Systems defined as fully functional also include medical history and follow-up, orders for tests, prescription and test orders sent electronically, warnings of drug interactions or contraindications, highlighting of out-of-range test levels and reminders for guideline-based interventions.
The survey indicates that from 2007-2008, physicians’ use of any EMR system increased by 18.7 percent and the percentage of physicians reporting having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system increased by 41.5 percent. Researchers conclude that the 2009 preliminary estimates did not change significantly from 2008.
Researchers say data from the 2009 NAMCS will be combined with the mail survey to obtain a final 2009 estimate.
ATLANTA – Four of every 10 office-based physicians use electronic health records, according to 2009 preliminary estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The estimates are based on the CDC’s National Ambulatory Medical Survey (NAMCS), an annual nationally representative survey of patient visits to office-based physicians that collects information on the use of electronic medical records or electronic health records. A supplementary mail survey was also conducted in 2008 and 2009.
According to the estimates for 2009, 43.9 percent of physicians reported using full or partial EMR/EHR systems (not including systems used solely for billing) in office-based practices. About 20.5 percent reported having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system, and 6.3 percent reported using a fully functional system.
A basic system is defined as having patient demographic information, patient problem lists, clinical notes, orders for prescriptions and viewing laboratory and imaging results. Systems defined as fully functional also include medical history and follow-up, orders for tests, prescription and test orders sent electronically, warnings of drug interactions or contraindications, highlighting of out-of-range test levels and reminders for guideline-based interventions.
The survey indicates that from 2007-2008, physicians’ use of any EMR system increased by 18.7 percent and the percentage of physicians reporting having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system increased by 41.5 percent. Researchers conclude that the 2009 preliminary estimates did not change significantly from 2008.
Researchers say data from the 2009 NAMCS will be combined with the mail survey to obtain a final 2009 estimate.
HIMSS Analytics looking to go international with its EMR Adoption Model
CHICAGO – HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model is gaining interest internationally, according to Dave Garets, the company’s CEO and president.
HIMSS Analytics, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, collects IT data on every non-federal hospital in the country and some hospitals in Canada through an annual study that tracks the implementation and adoption of electronic medical record applications.
Garets said the HIMSS Analytics EMR Model, which rates hospitals on a scale from 0 to 7, is garnering interest in some European and Middle Eastern countries and Australia. With slight modifications, he said, the model has the ability to work on an international level.
“The model has gotten international acceptance because it is a standard way of doing it,” he said. “It makes sense to most everybody.”
When data indicates a hospital has reached Stage 6, HIMSS Analytics contacts the CIO to make an independent validation. Garets said half of those phone calls lead to a determination that the hospital isn’t at Stage 6 yet.
“What’s striking about Stage 6 hospitals is the amount of different vendors that are represented. It’s a very nice thing because it shows it’s not the software, it’s what you do with it,” said Garets.
When a hospital’s data suggests it has reached Stage 7 – the highest level of the model – HIMSS Analytics performs an on-site visit. Garets said nothing is off limits during this visit, and HIMSS Analytics officials have the freedom to look at the hospital’s IT systems in action.
Garets said only one hospital has not met the Stage 7 requirements after a site visit.
“As more healthcare organizations move toward EMR implementation, the Stage 7 hospitals offer valuable best practices focused on using EMR applications to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient care delivery efficiency,” said Mike Davis, HIMSS Analytics’ executive vice president.
HIMSS Analytics, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, collects IT data on every non-federal hospital in the country and some hospitals in Canada through an annual study that tracks the implementation and adoption of electronic medical record applications.
Garets said the HIMSS Analytics EMR Model, which rates hospitals on a scale from 0 to 7, is garnering interest in some European and Middle Eastern countries and Australia. With slight modifications, he said, the model has the ability to work on an international level.
“The model has gotten international acceptance because it is a standard way of doing it,” he said. “It makes sense to most everybody.”
When data indicates a hospital has reached Stage 6, HIMSS Analytics contacts the CIO to make an independent validation. Garets said half of those phone calls lead to a determination that the hospital isn’t at Stage 6 yet.
“What’s striking about Stage 6 hospitals is the amount of different vendors that are represented. It’s a very nice thing because it shows it’s not the software, it’s what you do with it,” said Garets.
When a hospital’s data suggests it has reached Stage 7 – the highest level of the model – HIMSS Analytics performs an on-site visit. Garets said nothing is off limits during this visit, and HIMSS Analytics officials have the freedom to look at the hospital’s IT systems in action.
Garets said only one hospital has not met the Stage 7 requirements after a site visit.
“As more healthcare organizations move toward EMR implementation, the Stage 7 hospitals offer valuable best practices focused on using EMR applications to improve patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient care delivery efficiency,” said Mike Davis, HIMSS Analytics’ executive vice president.
Study: Implementing EHR, e-prescribing is challenging, but beneficial over time
Benefits from EHR and e-prescribing investments come under very broad, diverse categories but are very individual and specific to the retrospective context of an investment, according to a study by the European Commission. There is no single correct strategy for implementing EHRs and e-prescribing systems, yet the results of the study give grounds for optimism in the success, value and deployment of interoperable EHR and e-prescribing systems after a few years.
The European Commission investigated the qualitative socio-economic impact of interoperable EHR and e-prescribing systems in 11 practice cases in Europe, the U.S. and Israel to provide insight into factors surrounding successful EHR and e-prescribing deployment. Nine of the cases also underwent a quantitative evaluation of their socio-economic impacts.
“Decisions to invest in EHR and e-prescribing systems should [involve the adoption of] strategies that fit their local or regional setting and be designed to succeed by meeting clearly identified, measurable needs,” concluded the Commission.
The socio-economic gain to society from interoperable EHR and e-prescribing systems eventually exceed the costs, according to the commision. While it found that a typical development can reach an annual socio-economic return (SER) of up to 400 percent, it can take at least four–and up to nine–years before initiatives produce their first positive annual SER.
According to the European Commission, it can take an average of nine years to realize a cumulative net benefit. “Plans to invest in EHRs and e-prescribing systems should have a clear focus on achieving changes at the right time,” the commission reported. Longer time scales are generally associated with a lower risk of failure, according to the report.
In the study, the average distribution of costs were allocated from citizens (2 percent), providers (11 percent), health provider organizations (80 percent) and third parties (7 percent). The average distribution of benefits were dispursed between citizens (17 percent), providers (17 percent), health provider organizations (61 percent) and third parties (5 percent).
“From a systematic perspective, no single or small group of benefits comprise a sufficient reason for investment in EHR and e-prescribing systems,” the report found.
The total value of invested financial and non-financial resources at the evaluated sites was extremely wide with 42 percent of these expenditures on information and communication technologies.
According to the organization, an opportunity exists for all EHR and e-prescribing systems to facilitate a productive dialogue between users and information and communication technology experts before spending large sums of money on actual solutions. “Continouous engagement with healthcare professionals from the outset is essential and time-consuming, but must not be avoided,” stated the report. “If it is, it has bigger costs downstream.”
Another potential opportunity is to use interoperability as a prime driver of benefits. “Without the meaningful hearing and exchange of information, the gains would be marginal and not justify the cost of investments,” said the report.
The European Commission investigated the qualitative socio-economic impact of interoperable EHR and e-prescribing systems in 11 practice cases in Europe, the U.S. and Israel to provide insight into factors surrounding successful EHR and e-prescribing deployment. Nine of the cases also underwent a quantitative evaluation of their socio-economic impacts.
“Decisions to invest in EHR and e-prescribing systems should [involve the adoption of] strategies that fit their local or regional setting and be designed to succeed by meeting clearly identified, measurable needs,” concluded the Commission.
The socio-economic gain to society from interoperable EHR and e-prescribing systems eventually exceed the costs, according to the commision. While it found that a typical development can reach an annual socio-economic return (SER) of up to 400 percent, it can take at least four–and up to nine–years before initiatives produce their first positive annual SER.
According to the European Commission, it can take an average of nine years to realize a cumulative net benefit. “Plans to invest in EHRs and e-prescribing systems should have a clear focus on achieving changes at the right time,” the commission reported. Longer time scales are generally associated with a lower risk of failure, according to the report.
In the study, the average distribution of costs were allocated from citizens (2 percent), providers (11 percent), health provider organizations (80 percent) and third parties (7 percent). The average distribution of benefits were dispursed between citizens (17 percent), providers (17 percent), health provider organizations (61 percent) and third parties (5 percent).
“From a systematic perspective, no single or small group of benefits comprise a sufficient reason for investment in EHR and e-prescribing systems,” the report found.
The total value of invested financial and non-financial resources at the evaluated sites was extremely wide with 42 percent of these expenditures on information and communication technologies.
According to the organization, an opportunity exists for all EHR and e-prescribing systems to facilitate a productive dialogue between users and information and communication technology experts before spending large sums of money on actual solutions. “Continouous engagement with healthcare professionals from the outset is essential and time-consuming, but must not be avoided,” stated the report. “If it is, it has bigger costs downstream.”
Another potential opportunity is to use interoperability as a prime driver of benefits. “Without the meaningful hearing and exchange of information, the gains would be marginal and not justify the cost of investments,” said the report.
43.9% of Office-Based Physicians Used EHRs in 2009, CDC Finds
More than 40% of office-based physicians used electronic health record systems in 2009, according to the latest National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, MedPage Today reports.
The latest findings suggest that EHR adoption has increased significantly during the past decade, up from 18% in 2001.
Survey Details
For the report, NCHS interviewed 3,200 physicians and sent mail surveys to an additional 2,000 doctors (Walker, MedPage Today, 1/8).
Researchers used the surveys to estimate that 43.9% of office-based physicians were using EHRs in 2009. Of those, they note that:
* 20.5% reported having EHRs that included basic features such as clinical notes, laboratory results and prescription orders; and
* 6.3% reported using fully functional EHRs that included additional features such as digital reminders, drug interaction alerts and electronic order transmissions (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 1/11).
2008 Survey
In 2008, the survey found that:
* 17% of physicians had basic EHRs; and
* 4.4% had fully functional systems (MedPage Today, 1/8).
The report notes that the number of physicians using any EHR system increased by 18.7% between 2007 and 2008. During the same period, the number of physicians using basic systems increased by 41.5% (Healthcare IT News, 1/11).
The latest findings suggest that EHR adoption has increased significantly during the past decade, up from 18% in 2001.
Survey Details
For the report, NCHS interviewed 3,200 physicians and sent mail surveys to an additional 2,000 doctors (Walker, MedPage Today, 1/8).
Researchers used the surveys to estimate that 43.9% of office-based physicians were using EHRs in 2009. Of those, they note that:
* 20.5% reported having EHRs that included basic features such as clinical notes, laboratory results and prescription orders; and
* 6.3% reported using fully functional EHRs that included additional features such as digital reminders, drug interaction alerts and electronic order transmissions (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 1/11).
2008 Survey
In 2008, the survey found that:
* 17% of physicians had basic EHRs; and
* 4.4% had fully functional systems (MedPage Today, 1/8).
The report notes that the number of physicians using any EHR system increased by 18.7% between 2007 and 2008. During the same period, the number of physicians using basic systems increased by 41.5% (Healthcare IT News, 1/11).
Advantages of Medical Billing Software
Most companies use computers these days to track their business expenses, income, employees, customers and other relevant information. While many companies use software were all familiar with to track their business information, some companies decide to use more specialized software that is tailored to their specific kind of business.
Billing software has become a common place in many if not most doctors offices and hospitals today. Even though it can be difficult to change how we do things, the advantages of using billing software far outweigh any challenges we may find in the change.
For example, with software, fewer mistakes are made because it fixes mistakes before the invoices or claims are sent out. In addition, using the same billing, we can schedule appointments and access patient records with the push of a button.
billing software saves time as well as space in the office by reducing the unfathomable amount of paperwork and money, simply by reducing human error. As if that werent enough, by keeping records on a computer, especially online, one drastically reduces the risk of losing important records in a fire or other disaster.
Another advantage to medical billing software is the ability to access records from other offices; offices that are affiliated with the office where the care took place can pull up the records from another computer. Medical billing software enables the entire office to run smoother and more efficiently. This translates into better care for the patients and an easier job for the employees.
If you are looking to purchase medical billing software you can easily locate a vendor that deals with medical billing software online. What may not be so easy is determining what vendor offers you the best price on medical billing software and what vendor supplies enough support to accompany the product. Consequently, knowing what questions to ask the vendor will help you determine which vendor you should purchase your medical billing software from.
When you decide upon a certain vendor, dont hesitate to ask questions about the medical billing software they are offering. It is important to remember that the software is meant to make your office run more efficiently, not create unwarranted hassles. Do bear in mind however, that until the office employees get used to the functionality of the medical billing software purchased, little snafus may crop up. See if the vendor supplies training for the medical billing software you are considering and also ask what kind of support accompanies the product.
Billing software has become a common place in many if not most doctors offices and hospitals today. Even though it can be difficult to change how we do things, the advantages of using billing software far outweigh any challenges we may find in the change.
For example, with software, fewer mistakes are made because it fixes mistakes before the invoices or claims are sent out. In addition, using the same billing, we can schedule appointments and access patient records with the push of a button.
billing software saves time as well as space in the office by reducing the unfathomable amount of paperwork and money, simply by reducing human error. As if that werent enough, by keeping records on a computer, especially online, one drastically reduces the risk of losing important records in a fire or other disaster.
Another advantage to medical billing software is the ability to access records from other offices; offices that are affiliated with the office where the care took place can pull up the records from another computer. Medical billing software enables the entire office to run smoother and more efficiently. This translates into better care for the patients and an easier job for the employees.
If you are looking to purchase medical billing software you can easily locate a vendor that deals with medical billing software online. What may not be so easy is determining what vendor offers you the best price on medical billing software and what vendor supplies enough support to accompany the product. Consequently, knowing what questions to ask the vendor will help you determine which vendor you should purchase your medical billing software from.
When you decide upon a certain vendor, dont hesitate to ask questions about the medical billing software they are offering. It is important to remember that the software is meant to make your office run more efficiently, not create unwarranted hassles. Do bear in mind however, that until the office employees get used to the functionality of the medical billing software purchased, little snafus may crop up. See if the vendor supplies training for the medical billing software you are considering and also ask what kind of support accompanies the product.
Some of the Legal Issues with Electronic Medical Records
A good electronic medical records system must be able to demonstrate a process for maintaining the legal integrity of its records. Here we cover some of the top considerations when moving your practice from paper to digital.
As a practice makes the transition from paper to electronic medical records, they may encounter a variety of legal concerns. Some important decisions must be made to ensure the legal integrity of digital records. Additionally, there will be some surprises in store regarding compliance, privacy, and security. In matters of electronic medical records, the best offense is a good defense. Here are some issues to consider:
When you write a medical exam on a piece of paper and sign it, you’ve created a legal document. By now you are probably well aware of the importance of documentation, and the dangers which alterations to medical records invite. A paper chart’s integrity is usually rather simple to determine. However, an electronic chart is often more complicated. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, an electronic record must be stored in a legally correct manner - otherwise it may be considered hearsay, challenged as legally invalid.
So, why is this important? Well, if your electronic medical records don’t meet the Federal or State requirements for a medical record, payors can deny a claim. Or, even worse, you may subject your practice to an increased risk of an adverse outcome in litigation. It’s not only important to be sure your electronic medical records are not altered, but you also need the ability to demonstrate the procedures which prove this fact.
How do you make sure an electronic record cannot be altered? The ideal system must balance the user’s desires, including ability to correct mistakes and make changes, with the legal integrity of the record itself.
- Does your EMR system “time stamp” each entry to produce an audit trail? This could include an unalterable record of every entry and event in order to prove the validity of the record.
- Does it restrict access to certain templates or features? You wouldn’t want a front desk employee changing patients’ intraocular pressures, for example.
- Does the system keep track of which person documented what? You wouldn’t want your name associated with another user’s entry.
- Does it have a strict but not too time-consuming security protocol? Some solutions include alphanumeric passwords that are changed periodically, biometric access, and automatic logout after a period of inactivity.
- Does it have a secure yet practical “lock-out” feature? A typical one might allow the doctor to make changes at the end of the day, but after 24 hours the record locks. This may seem a bit harsh, but it could actually serve to protect you by preventing unauthorized changes.
As a practice makes the transition from paper to electronic medical records, they may encounter a variety of legal concerns. Some important decisions must be made to ensure the legal integrity of digital records. Additionally, there will be some surprises in store regarding compliance, privacy, and security. In matters of electronic medical records, the best offense is a good defense. Here are some issues to consider:
When you write a medical exam on a piece of paper and sign it, you’ve created a legal document. By now you are probably well aware of the importance of documentation, and the dangers which alterations to medical records invite. A paper chart’s integrity is usually rather simple to determine. However, an electronic chart is often more complicated. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, an electronic record must be stored in a legally correct manner - otherwise it may be considered hearsay, challenged as legally invalid.
So, why is this important? Well, if your electronic medical records don’t meet the Federal or State requirements for a medical record, payors can deny a claim. Or, even worse, you may subject your practice to an increased risk of an adverse outcome in litigation. It’s not only important to be sure your electronic medical records are not altered, but you also need the ability to demonstrate the procedures which prove this fact.
How do you make sure an electronic record cannot be altered? The ideal system must balance the user’s desires, including ability to correct mistakes and make changes, with the legal integrity of the record itself.
- Does your EMR system “time stamp” each entry to produce an audit trail? This could include an unalterable record of every entry and event in order to prove the validity of the record.
- Does it restrict access to certain templates or features? You wouldn’t want a front desk employee changing patients’ intraocular pressures, for example.
- Does the system keep track of which person documented what? You wouldn’t want your name associated with another user’s entry.
- Does it have a strict but not too time-consuming security protocol? Some solutions include alphanumeric passwords that are changed periodically, biometric access, and automatic logout after a period of inactivity.
- Does it have a secure yet practical “lock-out” feature? A typical one might allow the doctor to make changes at the end of the day, but after 24 hours the record locks. This may seem a bit harsh, but it could actually serve to protect you by preventing unauthorized changes.
Officials Announce ?Meaningful Use,? EHR Certification Criteria
Last week, CMS released proposed regulations defining the “meaningful use” of electronic health records, Reuters reports (Wutkowski/Heavey, Reuters, 12/31/09).
In addition, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released an interim final rule describing the required certification standards for EHR technology (Simmons, HealthLeaders Media, 12/31/09).
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs will qualify for incentive payments through Medicaid and Medicare.
Officials will offer a 60-day public comment period after both regulations are published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13. The interim final rule on EHR certification is scheduled to take effect 30 days after publication (Goedert, Health Data Management, 12/30/09).
Phased Approach to Meaningful Use
CMS’ plan proposes phasing in meaningful use requirements over three stages between now and 2013.
The first stage of the meaningful use criteria emphasizes:
* Collecting electronic health data in coded formats;
* Implementing clinical decision support tools;
* Reporting clinical quality measures and public health data; and
* Using EHR data to track conditions and coordinate care (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 12/30/09).
The criteria call for physicians to submit at least 80% of their orders electronically and for hospitals to submit at least 10% of orders electronically. The proposed rules also call for health care providers to use EHRs to check for potential drug interactions (Perrone, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 12/30/09).
In addition, the rule requires health care providers to provide patients with electronic copies of their medical records within 48 hours of a request (Hensley, “Shots,” NPR, 12/31/09).
A list of Stage 1 criteria for physicians and a list of Stage 1 criteria for hospitals are available from Healthcare IT News (Healthcare IT News, 12/30/09).
The Stage 2 criteria are expected to focus on structured data exchange and continuous quality improvement. CMS is scheduled to release the second phase criteria by the end of 2011.
The Stage 3 criteria are expected to center on advanced decision support and population health. CMS is scheduled to publish the third phase criteria by the end of 2013.
Certification Criteria for EHRs
ONC’s interim final rule outlines the technical standards and features that EHR systems must include to receive certification for meaningful use.
The rule includes:
* Standard formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions;
* Standard terms to describe clinical problems, laboratory tests, medications and procedures; and
* Standards for secure transmission of online data.
The rule focuses solely on standards for certified EHRs. Later in 2010, ONC is scheduled to release additional guidance on the process for EHR certification.
Reduced Budget for Incentive Payments
When federal officials released the two new regulations, they also announced that the government might distribute less money than anticipated for the incentive payment program.
Initially, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that total federal incentive payouts could reach $34 billion (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 12/30/09).
However, officials last week said the outlays are likely to range from $14.1 billion to $27.3 billion.
They added that the government might pursue further budget revisions after evaluating the popularity of the incentive payment program (Schulte/Schwartz, Huffington Post Investigative Fund, 12/30/09).
In addition, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released an interim final rule describing the required certification standards for EHR technology (Simmons, HealthLeaders Media, 12/31/09).
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs will qualify for incentive payments through Medicaid and Medicare.
Officials will offer a 60-day public comment period after both regulations are published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13. The interim final rule on EHR certification is scheduled to take effect 30 days after publication (Goedert, Health Data Management, 12/30/09).
Phased Approach to Meaningful Use
CMS’ plan proposes phasing in meaningful use requirements over three stages between now and 2013.
The first stage of the meaningful use criteria emphasizes:
* Collecting electronic health data in coded formats;
* Implementing clinical decision support tools;
* Reporting clinical quality measures and public health data; and
* Using EHR data to track conditions and coordinate care (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 12/30/09).
The criteria call for physicians to submit at least 80% of their orders electronically and for hospitals to submit at least 10% of orders electronically. The proposed rules also call for health care providers to use EHRs to check for potential drug interactions (Perrone, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 12/30/09).
In addition, the rule requires health care providers to provide patients with electronic copies of their medical records within 48 hours of a request (Hensley, “Shots,” NPR, 12/31/09).
A list of Stage 1 criteria for physicians and a list of Stage 1 criteria for hospitals are available from Healthcare IT News (Healthcare IT News, 12/30/09).
The Stage 2 criteria are expected to focus on structured data exchange and continuous quality improvement. CMS is scheduled to release the second phase criteria by the end of 2011.
The Stage 3 criteria are expected to center on advanced decision support and population health. CMS is scheduled to publish the third phase criteria by the end of 2013.
Certification Criteria for EHRs
ONC’s interim final rule outlines the technical standards and features that EHR systems must include to receive certification for meaningful use.
The rule includes:
* Standard formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions;
* Standard terms to describe clinical problems, laboratory tests, medications and procedures; and
* Standards for secure transmission of online data.
The rule focuses solely on standards for certified EHRs. Later in 2010, ONC is scheduled to release additional guidance on the process for EHR certification.
Reduced Budget for Incentive Payments
When federal officials released the two new regulations, they also announced that the government might distribute less money than anticipated for the incentive payment program.
Initially, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that total federal incentive payouts could reach $34 billion (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 12/30/09).
However, officials last week said the outlays are likely to range from $14.1 billion to $27.3 billion.
They added that the government might pursue further budget revisions after evaluating the popularity of the incentive payment program (Schulte/Schwartz, Huffington Post Investigative Fund, 12/30/09).
What is E-prescribing and What are the benefits?
E-prescribing Overview:
E-prescribing has been described as the solution to improved patient safety and reducing sky-rocketing medication costs. It is estimated that approximately 7,000 deaths occur each year in the United States due to medication errors. These errors are predominately due to hand-writing illegibility, wrong dosing, missed drug-drug or drug-allergy reactions. With approximately 3 billion prescriptions written annually, which constitutes one of the largest paper-based processes in the United States, the writing of prescriptions can be streamlined and efficient by using an e-prescribing system.
What is e-prescribing?
E-prescribing is simply an electronic way to generate prescriptions through an automated data-entry process utilizing e-prescribing software and a transmission network which links to participating pharmacies.
1. Improved patient safety and overall quality of care:
* Illegibility from hand-written prescriptions is eliminated, decreasing the risk of medication errors and decreasing liability risks.
* Warning and Alert systems are provided at the point of prescribing: It has been documented that medication errors are often the result of inadequate access to current drug reference information. E-prescribing systems can provide an overall medication management process through drug utilization review (DUR) programs. DUR programs perform checks against the patient’s current medications for drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy interactions, diagnoses, body weight, age, drug appropriateness, correct dosing; contraindications, adverse reactions, duplicate therapy alert etc. and alerts the provider if interactions are found. E-prescribing software can also include such drug reference software programs as ePocrates Rx. Pro and the PDR.
* Access to patient’s medical history. Knowing the patient’s medical history at the time of prescribing can serve as an alert to drug inappropriateness.
2. Reduces or eliminates phone calls and call-backs to pharmacies. Physician offices receive over 150 million call-backs from pharmacies with questions, clarifications and refill requests. According to HIMSS article on e-prescribing under Topics and Tools at their website almost 30 percent of the 3 billion prescriptions written annually require a call backs. This equals 900 million prescription-related telephone calls annually1.
3. Eliminates faxes to pharmacies.
4. Streamlines the refill’s requests and authorization processes. Refill authorization from the pharmacy can be a completely automated process and refills can usually be generated in one click. The pharmacist generates a refill request/authorization that is delivered through the network to the provider’s system, the provider then reviews the request, approves or denies the refill and the pharmacy system is immediately updated.
5. Increases patient compliance. It is estimated that 20% of paper-based prescription orders go unfilled by the patient. E-prescribing systems expedite the filling of prescription at the pharmacy and drug literature can be printed for patients as well.
6. Improves Formulary adherence. By checking with healthcare formularies at point-of-care, generic substitutions and generic first-line therapy choices are encouraged thus reducing patient costs.
7. Increases patient convenience by reducing patient trips to the pharmacy and reducing wait times.
8. Offers true Provider Mobility Full mobility can be attained when using a wireless network to write or authorize prescriptions anytime from anywhere.
9. Improves reporting ability. Query reporting may be performed which would be impossible with a paper prescription system. Common examples of such reporting would be: finding all patients who have had a particular medication prescribed to them during a drug recall, the frequency of medication prescribed by certain providers etc..
Note: controlled substances are currently not permitted to be filled via electronic means. If a user attempts to send a controlled substance electronically – a system message informs the user that this medication can not be filled this way and offers options to print or fax.
What your practice needs to do to get started e-prescribing:
1. Decide whether you wish to choose a stand-alone e-prescription software or a full EMR system which includes e-prescribing functionality.
2. Choose an e-prescribing software vendor. The e-prescribing vendor will need to utilize a company which supplies the electronic prescribing network (hub or gateway for transmissions). There are a few different e-prescription networking companies. Among the industry leaders are SureScripts (http://surescripts.com/), RxHub (http://www.rxhub.net/index.html), and ProxyMed (http://www.proxymed.com/). It is unlikely that physicians would have any reason to have direct contact with the electronic networking vendor. SureScripts, the nation’s largest electronic prescribing network, provides a true, seamless electronic connection between physician offices and pharmacies. This network provides secure and reliable two-way transmissions between physicians and pharmacies. More than 85% of chain and independent pharmacies have tested and certified their systems to connect to the SureScript electronic prescribing network.
3. Install an internet connection; high speed is highly recommended.
4. Purchase hardware such as desktop PC’s, laptops, pocket PC’s, tablet PC’s , PDA’s utilizing a wired or wireless network.
E-prescribing has been described as the solution to improved patient safety and reducing sky-rocketing medication costs. It is estimated that approximately 7,000 deaths occur each year in the United States due to medication errors. These errors are predominately due to hand-writing illegibility, wrong dosing, missed drug-drug or drug-allergy reactions. With approximately 3 billion prescriptions written annually, which constitutes one of the largest paper-based processes in the United States, the writing of prescriptions can be streamlined and efficient by using an e-prescribing system.
What is e-prescribing?
E-prescribing is simply an electronic way to generate prescriptions through an automated data-entry process utilizing e-prescribing software and a transmission network which links to participating pharmacies.
1. Improved patient safety and overall quality of care:
* Illegibility from hand-written prescriptions is eliminated, decreasing the risk of medication errors and decreasing liability risks.
* Warning and Alert systems are provided at the point of prescribing: It has been documented that medication errors are often the result of inadequate access to current drug reference information. E-prescribing systems can provide an overall medication management process through drug utilization review (DUR) programs. DUR programs perform checks against the patient’s current medications for drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy interactions, diagnoses, body weight, age, drug appropriateness, correct dosing; contraindications, adverse reactions, duplicate therapy alert etc. and alerts the provider if interactions are found. E-prescribing software can also include such drug reference software programs as ePocrates Rx. Pro and the PDR.
* Access to patient’s medical history. Knowing the patient’s medical history at the time of prescribing can serve as an alert to drug inappropriateness.
2. Reduces or eliminates phone calls and call-backs to pharmacies. Physician offices receive over 150 million call-backs from pharmacies with questions, clarifications and refill requests. According to HIMSS article on e-prescribing under Topics and Tools at their website almost 30 percent of the 3 billion prescriptions written annually require a call backs. This equals 900 million prescription-related telephone calls annually1.
3. Eliminates faxes to pharmacies.
4. Streamlines the refill’s requests and authorization processes. Refill authorization from the pharmacy can be a completely automated process and refills can usually be generated in one click. The pharmacist generates a refill request/authorization that is delivered through the network to the provider’s system, the provider then reviews the request, approves or denies the refill and the pharmacy system is immediately updated.
5. Increases patient compliance. It is estimated that 20% of paper-based prescription orders go unfilled by the patient. E-prescribing systems expedite the filling of prescription at the pharmacy and drug literature can be printed for patients as well.
6. Improves Formulary adherence. By checking with healthcare formularies at point-of-care, generic substitutions and generic first-line therapy choices are encouraged thus reducing patient costs.
7. Increases patient convenience by reducing patient trips to the pharmacy and reducing wait times.
8. Offers true Provider Mobility Full mobility can be attained when using a wireless network to write or authorize prescriptions anytime from anywhere.
9. Improves reporting ability. Query reporting may be performed which would be impossible with a paper prescription system. Common examples of such reporting would be: finding all patients who have had a particular medication prescribed to them during a drug recall, the frequency of medication prescribed by certain providers etc..
Note: controlled substances are currently not permitted to be filled via electronic means. If a user attempts to send a controlled substance electronically – a system message informs the user that this medication can not be filled this way and offers options to print or fax.
What your practice needs to do to get started e-prescribing:
1. Decide whether you wish to choose a stand-alone e-prescription software or a full EMR system which includes e-prescribing functionality.
2. Choose an e-prescribing software vendor. The e-prescribing vendor will need to utilize a company which supplies the electronic prescribing network (hub or gateway for transmissions). There are a few different e-prescription networking companies. Among the industry leaders are SureScripts (http://surescripts.com/), RxHub (http://www.rxhub.net/index.html), and ProxyMed (http://www.proxymed.com/). It is unlikely that physicians would have any reason to have direct contact with the electronic networking vendor. SureScripts, the nation’s largest electronic prescribing network, provides a true, seamless electronic connection between physician offices and pharmacies. This network provides secure and reliable two-way transmissions between physicians and pharmacies. More than 85% of chain and independent pharmacies have tested and certified their systems to connect to the SureScript electronic prescribing network.
3. Install an internet connection; high speed is highly recommended.
4. Purchase hardware such as desktop PC’s, laptops, pocket PC’s, tablet PC’s , PDA’s utilizing a wired or wireless network.
Meaningful Use ? Interim Final Rule Published
The HITECH Stimulus Act is legislation designed to promote the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) among physicians. Passed near the beginning of 2009, the HITECH Act will reimburse qualified physicians who purchase and implement a certified EHR system. If a physician’s practice includes 30% Medicaid patients or more, they could qualify for up to $64,000. Medicare incentives could total up to $44,000, depending upon allowable charges.
“Meaningful Use” is a core concept of the HITECH Stimulus Act. Physicians must do more than simply seeing a certain amount of Medicaid or Medicare patients. “Meaningful Use” outlines a set of EHR features that physicians must use in their practice. On December 30th, 2009, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) along with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a final recommendation for the meaningful use definition.
Meaningful use is broken up into several stages. In Stage 1, physicians will have to use features like Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), implement drug-to-drug, drug-to-allergy, and drug-to-forumlary checks, and maintain an updated problem list with ICD-9 or SNOMED, along with a whole host of other requirements. For the most part, the final recommendations look much the same as the initial recommendations from the ONC committee earlier in 2009. The final recommendations will take effect in approximately thirty days; the public is encouraged to comment for the next sixty days. CMS could decide to change the recommendations before final adoption, but most think any changes will be minor.
Deliberations over the meaningful use definitions created a great deal of uncertainty in the EHR market. Most physicians put their buying plans on hold, rather than taking the chance of purchasing an EHR that may not meet the requirements. While caution is understandable, physicians who wait too long may have trouble implementing an EHR in time to qualify for the 2011 reimbursements.
Purchasing an EHR is not like buying off-the-shelf software. With all the vendors, systems, and options, it normally takes several months to make a purchase decision. Once they sign papers, physicians may need to wait up to six months for installation to begin because of vendor backlogs. After installation, physicians and their staff still have to train, which can take weeks for more complicated systems.
Fortunately, the wait is over. CMS and ONC have published their final recommendations. EHR vendors are busy making sure their systems meet the meaningful use requirements. Likewise, physicians need to get busy with their EHR search. Physicians need to make a decision as soon as possible to qualify for 2011 and avoid increasing vendor backlogs. If you are interested in participating in the HITECH Stimulus, ask an EHR vendor to perform a needs analysis for your practice.
“Meaningful Use” is a core concept of the HITECH Stimulus Act. Physicians must do more than simply seeing a certain amount of Medicaid or Medicare patients. “Meaningful Use” outlines a set of EHR features that physicians must use in their practice. On December 30th, 2009, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) along with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a final recommendation for the meaningful use definition.
Meaningful use is broken up into several stages. In Stage 1, physicians will have to use features like Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), implement drug-to-drug, drug-to-allergy, and drug-to-forumlary checks, and maintain an updated problem list with ICD-9 or SNOMED, along with a whole host of other requirements. For the most part, the final recommendations look much the same as the initial recommendations from the ONC committee earlier in 2009. The final recommendations will take effect in approximately thirty days; the public is encouraged to comment for the next sixty days. CMS could decide to change the recommendations before final adoption, but most think any changes will be minor.
Deliberations over the meaningful use definitions created a great deal of uncertainty in the EHR market. Most physicians put their buying plans on hold, rather than taking the chance of purchasing an EHR that may not meet the requirements. While caution is understandable, physicians who wait too long may have trouble implementing an EHR in time to qualify for the 2011 reimbursements.
Purchasing an EHR is not like buying off-the-shelf software. With all the vendors, systems, and options, it normally takes several months to make a purchase decision. Once they sign papers, physicians may need to wait up to six months for installation to begin because of vendor backlogs. After installation, physicians and their staff still have to train, which can take weeks for more complicated systems.
Fortunately, the wait is over. CMS and ONC have published their final recommendations. EHR vendors are busy making sure their systems meet the meaningful use requirements. Likewise, physicians need to get busy with their EHR search. Physicians need to make a decision as soon as possible to qualify for 2011 and avoid increasing vendor backlogs. If you are interested in participating in the HITECH Stimulus, ask an EHR vendor to perform a needs analysis for your practice.
An Efficient Medical Transcription Service Can Decrease Costs And Increase Margins
Want to organize physician’s handwritten notes and prescriptions into electronic documents without spending a fortune? A medical transcription service is the perfect solution for you.
All medical institutions require computerization of medical notes for clean and compact record-keeping, insurance claims processing, quick reference, conferencing and various other reasons. Hospitals and clinics have long been hiring full time transcriptionists to do the same. But this is an expensive option and not the ideal solution if you have varying volume of transcription needs. Alternatively, you can give transcription duties to other clerical staff or use voice recognition software. But these solutions can be quite inaccurate, putting the health of your patients at stake. Your clerical staff may not be well trained for medical transcription and accuracy of voice recognition usually is too low to be useful. A medical transcription service gives you the best combination of expense, quality and accuracy.
How does a medical tanscription service work?
* Physicians dictate their notes into a recording device, usually a toll-free phone line or handheld digital recorder. Most medical transcription services support both these methods. Some services also accept recorded cassettes. Mp3 is the preferred sound format when using digital recorders, though other formats can also be used.
* The recorded information is then sent to the medical transcription service provider. Information security during transfer is critical. Your patients’ personal information must not be leaked out at any cost. Digital recordings are submitted via the Internet. This can be done using a secure web site and file transfer protocol (FTP) using custom software from the provider, or even through encrypted email. In case of a toll-free line, the information is directly recorded on the provider’s servers.
* The recorded notes are then transcribed and returned to the hospital or clinic. Information is usually returned as word files, though other formats like pdf can also be specified. Delivery methods include secure web sites, FTP, custom software, encrypted email and in some cases fax.
More comprehensive medical transcription services are also available. They offer an online system that stores both the audio files and transcripts, organizes them by date, doctor, or patient, and keeps track of progress as they’re being transcribed. These services are more expensive but offer substantial management benefits.
Important Considerations
Accuracy: The returned work must have accuracy close to 100 per cent. Select a medical transcription service that employs experienced and skilled medical transcriptionists and quality assurance professionals who review the transcriptions before delivering them to you. Your doctors should review and evaluate each transcript on delivery to prevent any damage to your patients’ health and well-being.
Turnaround Time: It refers to the maximum time within which medical transcripts will be delivered to you after submitting the audio recordings. Most medical transcription services offer a turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. Most also include a STAT service that allows you to specify a turnaround time of one-, two- or four-hours at an additional cost. Different types of notes can have different turnaround times.
Security: Medical transcription services are subject to HIPAA rules about patient confidentiality. The industry standard for internet security is 128-bit SSL security. Physical security at the provider location is also important. Careful employee screening and tracking is essential. Audit trails can assist in tracking employees. An audit trail keeps track of each individual who accesses a given set of notes and the modifications they make.
Sound Quality: Good quality of sound recording is essential for performance. Digital handheld recorders provide better sound, though they carry an additional hardware cost. Some medical transcription services charge lower prices if you provide them with better quality recordings.
Location of service: Many medical transcription services use both domestic and international transcriptionists. There is generally no difference in quality and accuracy between the domestic and outsourced services. Having transcription teams all around the world enables the service providers to meet deadlines. You will most like pay more for service if you insist on using medical transcriptionists located in a developed country like the US.
How much will you have to pay?
You are charged per line of text. The industry standard is 65 characters in a single line including spaces. Some service providers however, include lesser number of characters in a single line. Price usually ranges from $.05 to $.20 per line. Before you select a vendor, compare price quotes from multiple medical transcription companies.
Most medical transcription service providers offer free trial runs. Carefully assess the provider’s ability to meet deadlines, the accuracy of transcripts, and ease of interaction with their customer service representatives during the trial run. Many providers assign a dedicated team of transcriptionists for long term contracts and also offer lower prices. Carefully evaluate your requirements, the providers and the available services before making a decision.
Access realistic things to know about directory – make sure to study the site. The times have come when proper info is truly only one click of your mouse, use this possibility.
All medical institutions require computerization of medical notes for clean and compact record-keeping, insurance claims processing, quick reference, conferencing and various other reasons. Hospitals and clinics have long been hiring full time transcriptionists to do the same. But this is an expensive option and not the ideal solution if you have varying volume of transcription needs. Alternatively, you can give transcription duties to other clerical staff or use voice recognition software. But these solutions can be quite inaccurate, putting the health of your patients at stake. Your clerical staff may not be well trained for medical transcription and accuracy of voice recognition usually is too low to be useful. A medical transcription service gives you the best combination of expense, quality and accuracy.
How does a medical tanscription service work?
* Physicians dictate their notes into a recording device, usually a toll-free phone line or handheld digital recorder. Most medical transcription services support both these methods. Some services also accept recorded cassettes. Mp3 is the preferred sound format when using digital recorders, though other formats can also be used.
* The recorded information is then sent to the medical transcription service provider. Information security during transfer is critical. Your patients’ personal information must not be leaked out at any cost. Digital recordings are submitted via the Internet. This can be done using a secure web site and file transfer protocol (FTP) using custom software from the provider, or even through encrypted email. In case of a toll-free line, the information is directly recorded on the provider’s servers.
* The recorded notes are then transcribed and returned to the hospital or clinic. Information is usually returned as word files, though other formats like pdf can also be specified. Delivery methods include secure web sites, FTP, custom software, encrypted email and in some cases fax.
More comprehensive medical transcription services are also available. They offer an online system that stores both the audio files and transcripts, organizes them by date, doctor, or patient, and keeps track of progress as they’re being transcribed. These services are more expensive but offer substantial management benefits.
Important Considerations
Accuracy: The returned work must have accuracy close to 100 per cent. Select a medical transcription service that employs experienced and skilled medical transcriptionists and quality assurance professionals who review the transcriptions before delivering them to you. Your doctors should review and evaluate each transcript on delivery to prevent any damage to your patients’ health and well-being.
Turnaround Time: It refers to the maximum time within which medical transcripts will be delivered to you after submitting the audio recordings. Most medical transcription services offer a turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. Most also include a STAT service that allows you to specify a turnaround time of one-, two- or four-hours at an additional cost. Different types of notes can have different turnaround times.
Security: Medical transcription services are subject to HIPAA rules about patient confidentiality. The industry standard for internet security is 128-bit SSL security. Physical security at the provider location is also important. Careful employee screening and tracking is essential. Audit trails can assist in tracking employees. An audit trail keeps track of each individual who accesses a given set of notes and the modifications they make.
Sound Quality: Good quality of sound recording is essential for performance. Digital handheld recorders provide better sound, though they carry an additional hardware cost. Some medical transcription services charge lower prices if you provide them with better quality recordings.
Location of service: Many medical transcription services use both domestic and international transcriptionists. There is generally no difference in quality and accuracy between the domestic and outsourced services. Having transcription teams all around the world enables the service providers to meet deadlines. You will most like pay more for service if you insist on using medical transcriptionists located in a developed country like the US.
How much will you have to pay?
You are charged per line of text. The industry standard is 65 characters in a single line including spaces. Some service providers however, include lesser number of characters in a single line. Price usually ranges from $.05 to $.20 per line. Before you select a vendor, compare price quotes from multiple medical transcription companies.
Most medical transcription service providers offer free trial runs. Carefully assess the provider’s ability to meet deadlines, the accuracy of transcripts, and ease of interaction with their customer service representatives during the trial run. Many providers assign a dedicated team of transcriptionists for long term contracts and also offer lower prices. Carefully evaluate your requirements, the providers and the available services before making a decision.
Access realistic things to know about directory – make sure to study the site. The times have come when proper info is truly only one click of your mouse, use this possibility.
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