On balance, it would appear that members of the open-source healthcare software community are satisfied with the proposed changes in the way electronic health records systems will be tested and certified by the federally supported Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.
Earlier this month, CCHIT announced it was adding two new testing and certification regimes to meet what CCHIT Chairman Mark Leavitt called an anticipated “stampede” toward EHR adoption, triggered by an estimated $34 billion in Medicare and Medicaid subsidy payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In both new schemes, CCHIT said it would test and certify that EHR systems effectively meet the “meaningful use” standards now under development by HHS instead of just CCHIT’s own long list of discrete EHR functions used exclusively in the three previous rounds of CCHIT testing up to this point.
The stimulus law requires providers to not only use “certified” EHR systems, but also to use them in a “meaningful manner.” The CMS, which will oversee the official rulemaking process for HHS in determining “meaningful use,” is expected to have an initial set of standards ready for publication early next year.
The changes to the certification process also seem to align with requests made of CCHIT by open-source advocates to make its testing and certification process more amenable to the peculiarities of open source development, according to four open-source mavens contacted for this story. More Here EMR
Two studies assess cost of doc-office paperwork
While how much of a medical practice’s administrative overhead can be classified as “waste” is still open to debate, two new studies posted on the Health Affairs Web site attempt to put a price tag on these clerical tasks and on how much a medical practice must spend before it can extract a check from an insurance company.
In one study, researchers calculated that the annual cost of performing billing-related tasks comes to about $85,276 per physician. In the other, it was estimated that the total cost of the nation’s physician-health plan interactions is somewhere between $23 billion and $31 billion. More Here Electronic Prescription
In one study, researchers calculated that the annual cost of performing billing-related tasks comes to about $85,276 per physician. In the other, it was estimated that the total cost of the nation’s physician-health plan interactions is somewhere between $23 billion and $31 billion. More Here Electronic Prescription
Groups take DEA to task over stringent e-Rx rules
A proposed rule from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that would allow tightly monitored use of computer technology to electronically transmit prescriptions for controlled substances is meeting with resistance from some in the healthcare community.
Although many drugs may already be prescribed through electronic means, the DEA still requires written prescriptions for controlled substances such as OxyContin. The federal agency, which has jurisdiction over controlled substances, proposed its new e-prescribing rule in June and gave the public until Sept. 25 to submit comments on the proposal. More Here Electronic Prescription
Although many drugs may already be prescribed through electronic means, the DEA still requires written prescriptions for controlled substances such as OxyContin. The federal agency, which has jurisdiction over controlled substances, proposed its new e-prescribing rule in June and gave the public until Sept. 25 to submit comments on the proposal. More Here Electronic Prescription
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)