The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission has recommended a series of changes to the federal government’s proposed rule on electronic health record certification, Healthcare IT News reports.
EHNAC, a not-for-profit standards group, issued the recommendations in response to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on EHR certification.
ONC’s proposed rule calls for the establishment of a temporary EHR certification program, which eventually would be replaced by a permanent certification program. The temporary program would allow ONC-authorized certification bodies to test and certify EHRs and EHR modules.
Recommendations
EHNAC officials said the group is concerned that the current definition of ONC-authorized certification bodies would exclude EHNAC and other organizations from consideration as certifiers of health information exchanges.
The group said its recommendations would enable EHNAC to be named a health data exchange certifier without needing official designation as an EHR certifier.
In its recommendations, EHNAC called for ONC to:
* Allow certifiers to establish a “virtual” office for conducting certification tasks;
* Extend the deadline for organizations to develop certification programs to encourage more groups to apply for designation as temporary certifiers;
* Eliminate unscheduled site visits and provide organizations with sufficient time to prepare for planned visits; and
* Refrain from considering a certified testing program a necessary requirement for the certification of health IT products (Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 5/25).
Above article publish on http://www.myemrstimulus.com/standards-organization-calls-onc-revisit-ehr-certification-rule/
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Blumenthal: NHIN, NHIN Direct Offer Paths to ‘Meaningful Use’
Last week, National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal published an open letter touting the Nationwide Health Information Network as a model to help health care providers meet the “meaningful use” requirements of the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, Modern Healthcare reports.
Under the stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records will qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Blumenthal wrote that NHIN is “not a network per se, but rather a set of standards, services, and policies that enable the Internet to be used for the secure exchange of health information to improve health and health care.”
NHIN Direct
He also acknowledged that some health care providers “may have simpler needs for information exchange, or perhaps less technically sophisticated capabilities.” He said such health care providers could benefit from NHIN Direct, which still is under development (Blumenthal letter, 5/14).
NHIN Direct is a basic version of NHIN that offers health care providers open-source software to develop a network for the electronic transmission of health information (Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Blumenthal wrote that NHIN Direct “is meant to enhance, not replace, the capabilities offered by other means of exchange.” He added that the model could “complement existing NHIN exchange capabilities and strengthen our efforts toward comprehensive interoperability across the nation” (Blumenthal letter, 5/14).
In addition, Blumenthal wrote that ONC is “on an aggressive timeline” to develop standards for NHIN Direct so health care providers can use the framework to qualify for incentive payments.
He also called for greater public participation in the NHIN Direct project through blogs and a community wiki, which are available on the project’s website (Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Above article publish on http://www.myemrstimulus.com/blumenthal-nhin-nhin-direct-offer-paths-meaningful-use/
Under the stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records will qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Blumenthal wrote that NHIN is “not a network per se, but rather a set of standards, services, and policies that enable the Internet to be used for the secure exchange of health information to improve health and health care.”
NHIN Direct
He also acknowledged that some health care providers “may have simpler needs for information exchange, or perhaps less technically sophisticated capabilities.” He said such health care providers could benefit from NHIN Direct, which still is under development (Blumenthal letter, 5/14).
NHIN Direct is a basic version of NHIN that offers health care providers open-source software to develop a network for the electronic transmission of health information (Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Blumenthal wrote that NHIN Direct “is meant to enhance, not replace, the capabilities offered by other means of exchange.” He added that the model could “complement existing NHIN exchange capabilities and strengthen our efforts toward comprehensive interoperability across the nation” (Blumenthal letter, 5/14).
In addition, Blumenthal wrote that ONC is “on an aggressive timeline” to develop standards for NHIN Direct so health care providers can use the framework to qualify for incentive payments.
He also called for greater public participation in the NHIN Direct project through blogs and a community wiki, which are available on the project’s website (Modern Healthcare, 5/17).
Above article publish on http://www.myemrstimulus.com/blumenthal-nhin-nhin-direct-offer-paths-meaningful-use/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Physician Billing Companies — the Best Option for Your Physician Practice
Deciding to incorporate medical financial services into your health practice’s workings isn’t a small action to take. It is a significant subject, considering that it comprises an extensive list of benefits, many of which will help your business to run better and increase your profit margin. Cut down on those worries and pressures and automatically ensure that your physician practice is meeting all of the government’s rules. If you’re still not convinced, let us tell you why you should utilize a reputable finance management company. The key advantage of working with this sort of service is the serious amount of time it will save you. Just think of all the time spent, every single week — consider the tracking, invoicing and handling and all of the related jobs that feature in a medical clinic’s organization. Sometimes it slows down the care of patients. Handing such responsibilities over to an experienced finance management service allows them to take care of all these concerns, not to mention several additional matters. For instance, data storage, collection and delivery services and copying. The provider’s duties may also go as far as setting up payment programs, or possibly handling compensation for workers. By choosing to hand off these requirements, you will allow your staff to focus on their key objective — taking care of clients in the most effective and efficient manner. All this could save you expense and take all that worry about those jobs off your mind. Medical professionals have better things to be concerned about and we should not require them to know about complex developments in billing industry regulations. Professional medical billing services will concentrate entirely on these specialist areas. They are the best people to consult with on concerns about any and all rules, technologies and procedures governing established medical financial matters. In addition to saving money, time and effort, it’ll reduce almost any risk of you confronting legal problems.
It is really essential to pay attention to detail when it comes to finance management work, and when you commission a professional company, you will benefit from peace of mind, knowing that measures are established to catch and resolve any unfortunate mistakes just as they occur. Commissioning dedicated businesses such as these is an intelligent financial investment for medical professionals such as doctors, dentists and GPs, and facilities like health centers and clinics. Although, just make sure you don’t make issues such as costing and size the main aspect of your choice — make sure you hire a business which can provide the best results for your billing requirements.
Above article publish on http://www.mymedicalbillingoutsourcing.com/physician-billing-companies-option-physician-practice/
It is really essential to pay attention to detail when it comes to finance management work, and when you commission a professional company, you will benefit from peace of mind, knowing that measures are established to catch and resolve any unfortunate mistakes just as they occur. Commissioning dedicated businesses such as these is an intelligent financial investment for medical professionals such as doctors, dentists and GPs, and facilities like health centers and clinics. Although, just make sure you don’t make issues such as costing and size the main aspect of your choice — make sure you hire a business which can provide the best results for your billing requirements.
Above article publish on http://www.mymedicalbillingoutsourcing.com/physician-billing-companies-option-physician-practice/
Monday, May 17, 2010
Study Shows E-Prescribing Significantly Reduces Prescription Errors
By Lebowitz & Mzhen
In a recent news that our Baltimore, Maryland Attorneys have been following, doctors are reportedly increasingly leaving behind paper when prescribing medications, and depending more and more on electronic prescriptions, or “e-prescriptions”—in an effort to avoid pharmacy misfills and medication errors, along with hard-to-read doctor handwriting, or even prescription fraud, as our attorneys reported on in our last blog.
E-prescribing immediately sends the prescriptions to the pharmacy in a digital format through a secured Internet network, from a handheld device or from their computers. The doctor simply selects the drug from a computerized list, with other symbols indicating the best drug option, different dosages, and either generic or name-brand medicine, instead of hand-writing the prescription, which can lead to medication error. Some e-prescribing programs give symbols in the form of colored or smiling faces, delineating between cheapest, preferred, or less desirable drug options.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of e-prescriptions almost tripled last year, from 68 million in the previous year, to 191 million in 2009. Surescripts, LLC, the company that handles the majority of the electronic communications in e-prescribing, reports that this represents 12% of the 1.63 billion original prescriptions, which excludes refills. The first three months of this year showed that one out of every five prescriptions is being filed electronically—a number that is rapidly growing, as nearly 25% of doctors based in offices already have the technology to e-prescribe.
In a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in February of this year, e-prescribing was found to reduce common hand-written prescriptions errors significantly, including pharmacy misfills containing the wrong dosage, or incorrect usage instructions that could lead to patient injury or even wrongful death.
The study, “Electronic Prescribing Improves Medication Safety In Community-Based Office Practices, showed that when practices started using e-prescribing for a year, they reduced their error rate from 42.5% to 6.6% on average. Medical practices with doctors who continued to hand write prescriptions on paper, rose from a 38% error rate to 39%.
E-prescribing can also contribute to prescription errors, for instance, if a doctor mistakenly presses the wrong key, or chooses the wrong form of the drug, like a pill form instead of liquid form for children. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices focuses on analyzing and reducing medication errors, and although they support electronic prescribing, they recommend that patients always ask for verbal clarification and guidance from their doctors, as well as printed out instructions before taking the medication, to avoid medication mistakes or personal injury.
At Lebowitz and Mzhen LLC, our attorneys strive to make sure that pharmacy misfill victims and their loved ones receive the personal injury compensation they deserve. Call us today at 1-800-654-1949.
More Doctors Are Prescribing Medicines Online, The Wall Street Journal, April 20, 1010
Above article publish on http://www.eprescriptionservices.com/study-shows-eprescribing-significantly-reduces-prescription-errors/
In a recent news that our Baltimore, Maryland Attorneys have been following, doctors are reportedly increasingly leaving behind paper when prescribing medications, and depending more and more on electronic prescriptions, or “e-prescriptions”—in an effort to avoid pharmacy misfills and medication errors, along with hard-to-read doctor handwriting, or even prescription fraud, as our attorneys reported on in our last blog.
E-prescribing immediately sends the prescriptions to the pharmacy in a digital format through a secured Internet network, from a handheld device or from their computers. The doctor simply selects the drug from a computerized list, with other symbols indicating the best drug option, different dosages, and either generic or name-brand medicine, instead of hand-writing the prescription, which can lead to medication error. Some e-prescribing programs give symbols in the form of colored or smiling faces, delineating between cheapest, preferred, or less desirable drug options.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of e-prescriptions almost tripled last year, from 68 million in the previous year, to 191 million in 2009. Surescripts, LLC, the company that handles the majority of the electronic communications in e-prescribing, reports that this represents 12% of the 1.63 billion original prescriptions, which excludes refills. The first three months of this year showed that one out of every five prescriptions is being filed electronically—a number that is rapidly growing, as nearly 25% of doctors based in offices already have the technology to e-prescribe.
In a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in February of this year, e-prescribing was found to reduce common hand-written prescriptions errors significantly, including pharmacy misfills containing the wrong dosage, or incorrect usage instructions that could lead to patient injury or even wrongful death.
The study, “Electronic Prescribing Improves Medication Safety In Community-Based Office Practices, showed that when practices started using e-prescribing for a year, they reduced their error rate from 42.5% to 6.6% on average. Medical practices with doctors who continued to hand write prescriptions on paper, rose from a 38% error rate to 39%.
E-prescribing can also contribute to prescription errors, for instance, if a doctor mistakenly presses the wrong key, or chooses the wrong form of the drug, like a pill form instead of liquid form for children. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices focuses on analyzing and reducing medication errors, and although they support electronic prescribing, they recommend that patients always ask for verbal clarification and guidance from their doctors, as well as printed out instructions before taking the medication, to avoid medication mistakes or personal injury.
At Lebowitz and Mzhen LLC, our attorneys strive to make sure that pharmacy misfill victims and their loved ones receive the personal injury compensation they deserve. Call us today at 1-800-654-1949.
More Doctors Are Prescribing Medicines Online, The Wall Street Journal, April 20, 1010
Above article publish on http://www.eprescriptionservices.com/study-shows-eprescribing-significantly-reduces-prescription-errors/
EMRs Top Priority For 58% Of Hospital CIOs
By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
CIOs rank electronic medical records projects higher than IT managers and directors, who are focused on PC refreshes.
With $20 billion-plus worth of meaningful use bonuses from the government at stake for their organizations, E-medical records and electronic ordering systems are the top IT priorities for hospital CIOs over the next two years, according to a survey.
However, among hospital IT managers and directors, EMR projects ranked further down on the IT priority list, with only 25% naming those initiatives as “most important” for their organization over the next two years.
The survey of 178 respondents, including 36 CIOs and 142 IT directors and managers at hospitals with 200 or more beds, was commissioned by HP and conducted earlier this year by research firm NewGrowth Consulting.
The survey was designed to ask about hospital IT leaders’ IT priorities and plans, especially those initiatives involving PCs.
Among CIOs surveyed, 58% named EMR systems as their most important IT project over the next 24 months, while computerized physician order entry came in at a close second, named by 56%.
Respondents could choose more than one answer.
The CIO results are in synch with the biggest theme in healthcare IT today — the federal government’s push for hospitals and doctor practices to implement EMR, CPOE, and other e-health systems over the next several years.
Under the HITECH portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law in February 2009, the federal government plans to begin in 2011 rewarding healthcare providers with more than $20 billion over the next several years for their meaningful use of health IT systems such as EMR and CPOE.
Coming in third among top IT priorities of hospital CIOs was security initiatives, named by 47% of respondents, followed by database initiatives, with 42%. Other IT projects on the CIO priority list include bar-coded medication administration (36%); hospital expansion (33%); PC refresh (31%); and thin client/PC virtualization (31%).
However, further down the hospital IT leadership totem pole, IT management priorities — where PCs were involved — differed somewhat from those of CIOs.
Hospital IT managers and directors named PC refresh (51%); security initiatives (42%); and CPOE (37%) as their top IT projects for the next 24 months. That was followed by hospital expansion (34%); BCMA (33%); and database initiatives (30%).
Among hospital IT managers and directors surveyed, EMR ranked 7th, being named by 25% of the respondents. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of hospital CIOs planned PC virtualization for some of their client hardware.
Also, nearly six in 10 hospital CIOs said their organizations did not have a telemedicine program, while 41% said their hospitals did have such initiatives underway. Most CIOs with telemedicine programs plan to expand those efforts in the next 24 months.
Above article publish on http://www.emrspecialists.com/2010/05/emrs-top-priority-58-hospital-cios/
CIOs rank electronic medical records projects higher than IT managers and directors, who are focused on PC refreshes.
With $20 billion-plus worth of meaningful use bonuses from the government at stake for their organizations, E-medical records and electronic ordering systems are the top IT priorities for hospital CIOs over the next two years, according to a survey.
However, among hospital IT managers and directors, EMR projects ranked further down on the IT priority list, with only 25% naming those initiatives as “most important” for their organization over the next two years.
The survey of 178 respondents, including 36 CIOs and 142 IT directors and managers at hospitals with 200 or more beds, was commissioned by HP and conducted earlier this year by research firm NewGrowth Consulting.
The survey was designed to ask about hospital IT leaders’ IT priorities and plans, especially those initiatives involving PCs.
Among CIOs surveyed, 58% named EMR systems as their most important IT project over the next 24 months, while computerized physician order entry came in at a close second, named by 56%.
Respondents could choose more than one answer.
The CIO results are in synch with the biggest theme in healthcare IT today — the federal government’s push for hospitals and doctor practices to implement EMR, CPOE, and other e-health systems over the next several years.
Under the HITECH portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law in February 2009, the federal government plans to begin in 2011 rewarding healthcare providers with more than $20 billion over the next several years for their meaningful use of health IT systems such as EMR and CPOE.
Coming in third among top IT priorities of hospital CIOs was security initiatives, named by 47% of respondents, followed by database initiatives, with 42%. Other IT projects on the CIO priority list include bar-coded medication administration (36%); hospital expansion (33%); PC refresh (31%); and thin client/PC virtualization (31%).
However, further down the hospital IT leadership totem pole, IT management priorities — where PCs were involved — differed somewhat from those of CIOs.
Hospital IT managers and directors named PC refresh (51%); security initiatives (42%); and CPOE (37%) as their top IT projects for the next 24 months. That was followed by hospital expansion (34%); BCMA (33%); and database initiatives (30%).
Among hospital IT managers and directors surveyed, EMR ranked 7th, being named by 25% of the respondents. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of hospital CIOs planned PC virtualization for some of their client hardware.
Also, nearly six in 10 hospital CIOs said their organizations did not have a telemedicine program, while 41% said their hospitals did have such initiatives underway. Most CIOs with telemedicine programs plan to expand those efforts in the next 24 months.
Above article publish on http://www.emrspecialists.com/2010/05/emrs-top-priority-58-hospital-cios/
Thursday, May 13, 2010
CMS announces $9 million in funding for Medicaid IT
By Joseph Conn
The CMS has announced the awarding of a total of just over $9 million in matching funds to be used by four states to plan for their Medicaid programs to subsidize provider purchases and the use of electronic health-record systems under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus law.
The states and their grant amounts are: New Jersey, $4.93 million; Louisiana, $1.85 million; Maryland, $1.37 million; and Minnesota, $1.04 million.
Since November 2009, 39 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have shared nearly $67.6 million in planning grants, according to news release information on the CMS website.
The stimulus law provides a 90% federal match to cover the cost of state planning efforts for the Medicaid EHR subsidy programs. According to federal estimates, the government estimates it could spend as much as $27.3 billion on the EHR subsidies under Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs.
Above article publish on http://www.myemrstimulus.com/cms-announces-9-million-funding-medicaid/
The CMS has announced the awarding of a total of just over $9 million in matching funds to be used by four states to plan for their Medicaid programs to subsidize provider purchases and the use of electronic health-record systems under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus law.
The states and their grant amounts are: New Jersey, $4.93 million; Louisiana, $1.85 million; Maryland, $1.37 million; and Minnesota, $1.04 million.
Since November 2009, 39 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have shared nearly $67.6 million in planning grants, according to news release information on the CMS website.
The stimulus law provides a 90% federal match to cover the cost of state planning efforts for the Medicaid EHR subsidy programs. According to federal estimates, the government estimates it could spend as much as $27.3 billion on the EHR subsidies under Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs.
Above article publish on http://www.myemrstimulus.com/cms-announces-9-million-funding-medicaid/
Obama launches national campaign to sell health reform, health IT
By Chelsey Ledue
WASHINGTON – After signing the healthcare reform bill into law on March 23, President Barack Obama traveled to Iowa and Maine to promote his vision, which includes the role of healthcare IT in saving lives and cutting cost.
Obama visited Iowa City, Iowa on March 25 and Portland, Maine on April 1.
At the Maine rally, Obama said passage of the healthcare reform law is a reminder that the country has the power to shape its own destiny.
“It has reminded us that we, as a people, do not shrink from a challenge,” he said. “We overcome it.”
Obama has had a history of supporting healthcare IT advancement, which includes a call for every American to have an electronic health record by 2014. The president requested $110 million in his budget this year, to strengthen healthcare IT policy coordination and research activities.
Last year, the administration backed more than $20 billion over 10 years to advance healthcare IT adoption in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
At the president’s rally in Portland, Maine Gov. John Baldacci touted healthcare IT as the means for improving quality of care, noting that Maine has been an early leader in the adoption of medical technology.
Information technology “plays a huge role” in medical reform, Baldacci told Healthcare IT News. “A huge role. It’s going to be through medical information technology that you’re going to enhance the ability of the providers to give quality care but also do it in a way that will reduce costs. It’s a critical element that needs to be part of this.”
David Howes, a physician and CEO of Portland, Maine-based Martin’s Point Health Care, said the reform law is “an enormous step forward.”
“The bill builds support for primary care and EHRs,” Howes said. “It contains flexibility and support for new models of care and Medicare quality and effectiveness measures. It is an enormous step forward for the American people and businesses.”
“I think it’s an opportunity for the president to help market the good parts of the bill,” said Gordon H. Smith, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Association, prior to the president’s visit. “I think it’s a battle for the hearts and minds of the public.”
Above article publish on http://www.ehrexperts.us/obama-launches-national-campaign-to-sell-health-reform-health-it/
WASHINGTON – After signing the healthcare reform bill into law on March 23, President Barack Obama traveled to Iowa and Maine to promote his vision, which includes the role of healthcare IT in saving lives and cutting cost.
Obama visited Iowa City, Iowa on March 25 and Portland, Maine on April 1.
At the Maine rally, Obama said passage of the healthcare reform law is a reminder that the country has the power to shape its own destiny.
“It has reminded us that we, as a people, do not shrink from a challenge,” he said. “We overcome it.”
Obama has had a history of supporting healthcare IT advancement, which includes a call for every American to have an electronic health record by 2014. The president requested $110 million in his budget this year, to strengthen healthcare IT policy coordination and research activities.
Last year, the administration backed more than $20 billion over 10 years to advance healthcare IT adoption in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
At the president’s rally in Portland, Maine Gov. John Baldacci touted healthcare IT as the means for improving quality of care, noting that Maine has been an early leader in the adoption of medical technology.
Information technology “plays a huge role” in medical reform, Baldacci told Healthcare IT News. “A huge role. It’s going to be through medical information technology that you’re going to enhance the ability of the providers to give quality care but also do it in a way that will reduce costs. It’s a critical element that needs to be part of this.”
David Howes, a physician and CEO of Portland, Maine-based Martin’s Point Health Care, said the reform law is “an enormous step forward.”
“The bill builds support for primary care and EHRs,” Howes said. “It contains flexibility and support for new models of care and Medicare quality and effectiveness measures. It is an enormous step forward for the American people and businesses.”
“I think it’s an opportunity for the president to help market the good parts of the bill,” said Gordon H. Smith, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Association, prior to the president’s visit. “I think it’s a battle for the hearts and minds of the public.”
Above article publish on http://www.ehrexperts.us/obama-launches-national-campaign-to-sell-health-reform-health-it/
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