Articles by Michael.Young on ArticleSnatch.com

New Electronic Health Records Laws Go Into Effect in 2012

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:55:15 -0500

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced in September that new regulations would go into effect October 2012 allowing patients to have access to their electronic health records. “We want patients to take control of their own health and to make the choices easy,” U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin told USA TODAY. Why new electronic health record laws? According to Health and Human Services, about 20 percent of abnormal test results don’t ever make it to the patient. With electronic health records, patients will not only be able to quickly see test results but can also read doctor’s recommendations and details of prior surgeries, treatments and billing records. The new regulations aren’t just helpful to the patients, though. Doctors will be able to send prescriptions directly to a pharmacist instead of using a written prescription and specialists can see tests and medications other doctors have ordered for their patients. Health and Human Services explains that these new electronic health record laws will also mean fewer duplicate tests and doctors will be less likely to make prescriptions that could have adverse effects when combined with the patient’s other medications. **End Summary** Topics: electronic health record]]>]]> About the Author: ]]>

Everything You Need to Know About the Recent Meaningful Use Stage 2 Recommendations

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:14:24 -0400

According to a new report from consultancy firm, Computer Sciences Corp, the final rule that is expected to be published next year on requirements under Stage 2 of the EMR meaningful use program is unlikely to be materially different from the recent recommendations from the Health IT Standards and Policy Committees. The CSC report lays out the recommended measures for Stage 2 of the EMR meaningful use program. These include measures unchanged from Stage 1, unchanged but no longer optional in Stage 2, higher thresholds in Stage 2, and new measures unique to Stage 2. Providers will have three years through 2013 in which to verify that they have met Stage 1 meaningful use requirements. The delay is among the Stage 2 recommendations that the Health IT Policy Committee approved at its meeting on June 8, 2011. With the final rule expected to be released next year, both providers and vendors have contended that they will not have enough time to test and implement updated systems before the required 2013 start date. **End Summary** Topics: EMR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EMR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EMRs.

e-MDs Receives 2010 Surescripts White Coat of Quality Award

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:26:00 -0400

AUSTIN, TX – e-MDs the provider of the nation’s most highly rated electronic medical records, is pleased to announce they have been awarded a 2010 Surescripts White Coat of Quality for upholding the highest quality of standards in e-prescribing. The Surescripts White Coat of Quality is a critical part of Surescripts’ overall quality program, designed to ensure the safety benefits of EHRs and e-prescribing are fully realized. By receiving a White Coat of Quality, e-MDs Solution Series is recognized as a product capable of increasing safety, improving efficiency and reducing the cost of healthcare for all users. e-MDs demonstrated their commitment to providing quality e-prescribing and health information technology by satisfying Surescripts’ White Coat of Quality criteria for 2010. e-MDs provided a signed commitment from company leadership affirming their commitment to quality, measured quality metrics as specified in the published industry guidelines, reported those metrics to Surescripts each month, implemented changes to software that addressed issues identified in quality reporting, and raised prescriber awareness through training. Receiving the White Coat of Quality for e-MDs Solution Series provides further validation of the physician-founded, physician run company’s continued pursuit of technical excellence and usability; **End Summary** Topics: electronic medical records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. electronic medical records - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your electronic medical records.

e-MDs Client is Kansas' First Physician to be Federally Certified for Meaningful Use

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:00:41 -0400

Dr. Jen Brull of Plainville, Kansas, has a passion for improving the quality of health care and for her patients, enough is never enough. She always goes the extra mile. It was this philosophy that gave her the drive to pursue a federal certification for Meaningful Use for her groundbreaking implementation of electronic health records, or EHR. Working closely with the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc to reach this milestone, Dr. Brull became one of the first physicians in the United States to achieve Meaningful Use status, thereby leaving her mark in the world of medicine with her determination and dedication to better quality care for her patients. As a client of e-MDs, a leading developer of EHR and practice management software, Dr. Brull sought to revolutionize the world of medicine by incorporating a more comprehensive kind of EHR into her private practice. By doing so, she hoped to maximize its usefulness by using every aspect of the software to her advantage. At its most basic, an EHR is a computerized patient record that a physician can plug into a network of enterprise information systems. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EHR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

Everything You Need to Know About Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs)

Mon, 16 May 2011 04:16:42 -0400

Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) were created to provide medical patients a unified home-base from which all healthcare needs could be addressed. As new studies suggest that Patient-Centered Medical Homes improve healthcare and reduce unnecessary costs such as those incurred in duplicate procedures, large and small healthcare providers throughout the nation are restructuring their practices as PCMHs. A Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model for medical care that seeks to enhance quality and reduce costs by unifying a patient’s needs through a central expert, their primary physician. The primary physician maintains a vested and continuous interest in the patient, monitoring, assisting, and following up on any and all medical care a patient receives. Patient-Centered Medical Homes have been defined by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) as a model of patient care that maintains the following joint principles: 1. A personal physician maintains a relationship with the patient and provides for the patient’s initial medical care. 2. The personal physician guides and directs a team of staff members, and collectively, this team is responsible for patient care. This is called Physician Directed Medical Practice. 3. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EHR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

Everything You Need to Know About Regional Extension Centers

Mon, 16 May 2011 04:02:28 -0400

A cornerstone of the newly passed healthcare bill is the creation and implementation of coordinated care across groups of physicians and providers. Studies show that coordination of care results in higher quality and lower costs. As Accountable Care Organizations, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, and advocates for similar programs begin to restructure the landscape of healthcare and demand stronger, more reliable, and more easily manageable health record coordination, it’s crucial to move from paper health records to electronic health records (EHRs). This move can be daunting, especially for smaller practices, such as primary care physicians. Regional extension centers are non-profit, unbiased, federally-funded centers that help practices manage the switch from paper to electronic records. Regional extension centers are composed of a team of researchers and community healthcare advocacy centers, as well as financial and EHR experts. Often, local universities and well-known community care non-profits are a part of a regional extension center team. These teams are awarded federal grants and exist for the sole purpose of creating cost-effective solutions to local providers making the EHR switch. They are members of the community that have specific ties and knowledge about the unique challenges that healthcare providers face in various regions. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EHR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

E-MDs Wins Two "Best in KLAS" Awards

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:02:05 -0400

AUSTIN, TX — The practice management software of e-MDs, a leading provider of electronic health records, has been named “Best in KLAS” in two of the 2010 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Software and Professional Services report. e-MDs Solution Series™ Version 7.0 received Best in KLAS in the Ambulatory EMR (2-5 physician) category, and Best in KLAS for Practice Management (2-5 physician). Best in KLAS rankings are awarded annually and recognize vendors that have received the highest provider scores for software, professional services, and medical equipment. KLAS ratings are the measuring stick by which thousands of hospitals and clinics evaluate vendor performance.This year’s Best in KLAS awards continue the consistent pattern of high user ratings that e-MDs has received from physician surveys, including those conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Physicians, and AmericanEHR Partners. KLAS is an independent organization that reports medical device and health information system performance ratings based on evaluations submitted by thousands of healthcare providers throughout the United States and Canada over a 12-month period. KLAS rankings measure a vendor’s performance in the areas of product quality, implementation, service and support. **End Summary** Topics: electronic health records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. electronic health records - Secure your electronic health records with e-MDs.

E-MDs Client is Nationâs First Physician Recipient of EHR Incentive Payment

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:57:02 -0400

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- (JANUARY 14, 2011) – e‐MDs, an Austin-based company rated by physicians as the number #1 provider of electronic health records (EHR), recently made modern medical history. e-MDs client, Gastorf Family Clinic of Durant, Oklahoma is the nation’s first physician recipient of the electronic health records incentive payment program administered through Medicare. The US medical system has been working in cooperation with the federal government to put into practice a nationwide implementation of electronic health records through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As an incentive to physicians, Medicare is offering a tiered payment plan based upon medical organizations adapting to the new standard. The first payments for the program were scheduled to be administered beginning the first of 2011. e-MDs is nationally recognized as a leading provider of EHR solutions. The use of electronic health records is designed to provide for more accurate patient health delivery, more efficient and effective treatment options, and to reduce costs for physicians, and ultimately, patients themselves. Because e-MDs has vigorously worked over the past several years to prepare for this massive change, the company already had a number of their clients ready for the rollout. **End Summary** Topics: electronic health records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. electronic health records - Secure your electronic health records with e-MDs.

Registration Began for Medicare EHR Incentive Program

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:49:42 -0400

Shortly after the new year, eligible physicians and hospitals began registering for the Medicare electronic health records (EHR) incentive program, a prerequisite for obtaining billions of dollars in available federal bonuses. Implementation of this program will streamline health information services and provide more efficient patient care delivery. Here is some information that will help you understand the registration process for the Medicare EHR incentive program, which began on January 3rd. Projected Rollout Not all areas of the country will be implementing registration at the same time, so it is important to have an EHR representative to guide your facility through the process. Registration for the EHR incentive program will launch in January for Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In February, registration will open in California, Missouri and North Dakota. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the remaining states will launch their EHR incentive program sign-ups in the spring and summer. Resources Available Officials with the CMS and the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology said they hope for broad registration by doctors and hospitals. **End Summary** Topics: EMR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EMR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EMRs.

Meaningful Use Significantly Benefits Radiologists

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:46:40 -0400

Radiologists who choose to upgrade to the new ARRA-defined standards of meaningful use will see a notable enhancement of health care service to patients. The intent of meaningful use is to help ensure that radiologists who use Electronic Health Records (EHRs) implement the software in a manner that supports higher quality and more efficient delivery of services. Most radiologists do qualify for these benefits and discover that implementing meaningful use is advantageous to radiologists in several significant ways. More Efficient Utilization of EHRs in a clinic environment will help to improve the delivery of patient care by its efficient, digitized format. This reduces the amount of record-keeping involved per patient and provides the radiologist with more information for efficient analysis of care delivery. Customized Care Delivery With meaningful use standards adopted, the radiologist will have a patient’s complete history in an easy to use format. Having a comprehensive medical history allows the health care provider to implement more accurate treatment and customize services to the needs of the patient. Reducing Consumer Costs Maximized efficiency and delivery benefit patients by reducing health care costs. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

e-MDs Partners With Apple Valley Medical Clinic To Implement Meaningful Use Strategies

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:43:36 -0400

Austin, TX – Apple Valley Medical Clinic of Minnesota has selected e-MDs as their provider of meaningful use applications. The partnership between e-MDs and Apple Valley developed to fulfill EMR requirements and complete practice management planning for the clinic. e-MDs has provided Apple Valley’s 13 physicians and 24/7 urgent care facility with the resources to implement meaningful use strategies. After a year long process, Apple Valley Medical Clinic chose e-MDs based on several significant factors. Those factors included e-MDs longevity in the industry, the large customer base, experience in supporting thousands of primary care providers nationwide, and outstanding customer service. Each of these key elements is essential in providing a successful meaningful use program. “e-MDs is proud to partner with such a forward-thinking clinic that has committed to excellence in patient care through the use of information technology,” said Michael Stearns, MD, CEO of e-MDs. “Apple Valley Medical Clinic is a leader in Minnesota’s movement toward EHR implementation and Meaningful Use. Patients will benefit from the clinic’s use of advanced clinical decision support tools at the point of care and their provider’s instant access to all relevant health information. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

e-MDs Has Received Meaningful Use Certification

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:25:01 -0400

e-MDs, a leading developer of health care software solutions, announced that their electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) software, e-MDs Solution Series™ Version 7.0, has been successfully tested and certified by Drummond Group's Electronic Health Records Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) program. The program provides Meaningful Use certifications for EHR systems and applications. This vital certification will enable e-MDs clinicians and health care providers to receive Meaningful Use funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). "e-MDs' attainment of Complete EHR Ambulatory certification is integral to our efforts in helping providers improve the quality of care in the United States through Meaningful Use of electronic health records," explained Michael Stearns, MD, the CEO of e-MDs. "We went to great efforts to ensure that the Meaningful Use components were developed in a way that will make attaining Meaningful Use as easy and straightforward as possible. We also made sure that the certification included every clinical quality measure and the optional accounting of disclosures criteria, which demonstrates the robustness of e-MDs Solution Series," continued Dr. Stearns. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston EHR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

3 Ways to Maximize Meaningful Use Incentives with EHR Systems

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:22:03 -0400

Beginning in 2011, hospitals that are able to meet 19 requirements of the first stage of the Meaningful Use Rule will be able to receive incentive payments provided by Medicare and Medicaid. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, healthcare providers are able to qualify for incentive payments when they have successfully demonstrated Meaningful Use of healthcare information technology, particularly electronic health records. Three key ways for hospitals to maximize these Meaningful Use incentives include: Work on the Basics Understanding the basics of Meaningful Use is one of the most important ways to take advantage of incentives for your practice. Assess the formula in the regulation and calculate your maximum reimbursement based on this formula. Hospitals, depending on eligibility under the Medicare fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid programs, should calculate the maximum amount of incentive payment based on the formulas outlined in the final rule and set that maximum amount as a goal. Form a Steering Committee One of the smartest ways to maximize Meaningful Use incentives is to form a steering committee comprised of representatives from all clinical and administrative departments. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful Use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful Use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Made For Texans, By Texans

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:19:28 -0400

When it comes to solutions for affordable and integrated Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and practice management software, e-MDs is a leader in the field of personalized medicine. With company roots that are “deep in the heart of Texas,” e-MDs manufactures EMR technology in Texas, with almost two million Texas prescriptions processed last year using e-MDs superior software. e-MDs is also committed to partnering with academic institutions in an effort to further the development and implementation of EMRs and practice management solutions. With their success in the creation of UT’s information technology program, and with 1 in 8 prescriptions in the state of Texas processed using their equipment, e-MDs is the leading source for EMR solutions for Texans, by Texans. e-MDs Helps Create Health Information Technology Certificate Program e-MDs is playing an integral role in the creation of a very successful Health Information Technology (HIT) Certificate program at The University of Texas at Austin (UT). e-MDs’ senior management team was involved in launching of the program, and e-MDs CEO, Dr. Michael Stearns, served on the program’s curriculum committee. **End Summary** Topics: EMR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston EMR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EMRs.

Understanding the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid Meaningful Use

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:13:41 -0400

Nationwide, physicians who treat Medicaid or Medicare patients must begin establishing “meaningful use” of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) by 2015 or risk having their reimbursements reduced. Meaningful Use is a term that refers to a set of EMR usage requirements that qualified providers must meet in order to receive incentive payments. The intent of Meaningful Use is to help ensure that providers using EMRs implement the software in a manner that supports higher quality and more efficient delivery of healthcare. Because physicians may not receive both Medicaid and Medicare incentives, it is important to understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid Meaningful Use before participating. Incentive Money Under Medicare, the incentive amount is 75% of the physician's Medicare allowed charges for the year, up to a maximum of $44,000. Under Medicaid, it is 85% of the physician's Medicaid allowed charges up to $63,750 per year. Incentive payments for the Medicare program are spread out over five years and for the Medicaid program over six years, with diminishing amounts available to those who start in later years. For providers in federally designated health professional shortage areas, incentive payments will be 10% greater. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful Use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful Use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

How to Develop a Successful Strategy for Achieving Meaningful Use

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:09:22 -0400

In February 2009, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided a comprehensive plan to stimulate the economy, which included over $20 billion in grants, loans and incentives for the development of a strong IT infrastructure in America’s heath care system. To receive these incentives, hospitals and clinics must demonstrate “meaningful use,” which ARRA has defined through three stages that clinicians must achieve when implementing Electronic Health Records (EHR). It is definitely a challenge to achieve ARRA-defined meaningful use, but the benefits are immeasurable for patients, hospitals and clinicians. Using ARRA’s three stages as a guideline, your planning team can effectively develop a strategy and timeline for successfully achieving meaningful use. Developing a Meaningful Use Strategy The most important step in strategically planning for meaningful use is to assess your EHR system and ensure that it is ARRA-certified. Whether upgrading your current system or integrating a new one, a certified EHR system plays a pivotal role in laying a foundation for meeting each criteria in the three stages of meaningful use. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR): A 2010 Progress Report

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:03:44 -0400

The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided a wide-range plan to stimulate the economy, including over $20 billion in grants, loans and incentives to expand the use of IT health infrastructures in hospitals and clinical practices. To receive these incentives, clinicians must implement Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and demonstrate their “meaningful use,” the criteria of which has been officially defined by ARRA. Electronic Medical Records: A Gradual Transition With purposeful planning, achieving ARRA-defined meaningful use is accomplished in incremental phases over an extended period of time. A transition of this magnitude will certainly happen gradually and require a lot of effort, but throughout the process, health care providers will recognize the long-term, truly meaningful impact of their efforts: better care for patients, and improved efficiency for medical professionals. While the share of U.S. hospitals that had adopted either basic or comprehensive electronic medical records rose modestly between 2008 and 2009, from 8.7 percent to 11.9 percent, many hospitals have proactively progressed toward full meaningful use compliance in 2010. **End Summary** Topics: Electronic Medical Records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Electronic Medical Records - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your electronic medical records

âMeaningful Useâ Rule Clarifies EHR Implementation Standards

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:50:14 -0400

The nation’s healthcare system is undergoing a dramatic change with the increased use of Electronic Health Records (EHR). The implementation of EHRs reportedly increased after the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) created programs that provided incentive payments for the meaning use of officially recognized EHR technology. However, for many months the parameters and requirements by which meaningful use could be established was unclear to medical providers. On July 28, 2010, the National Institute for Standards and Technology released an official definition for meaningful use, clarifying the technology and standards that medical providers need to implement in order to qualify for incentive programs. Changes to Meaningful Use Requirements One of the most significant changes in the new definition of meaningful use offers providers some flexibility in the requirements to achieve meaningful use. While the proposed rule required hospitals and providers to demonstrate 23 to 25 objectives, the final rule divided the meaningful use requirements into two categories – a set of "core" objectives that must be met and a set of ten "menu" objectives of which providers must meet at least five. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful use EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston Meaningful use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

How to Avoid Technology Problems with Successful EHR Implementation

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:05:57 -0400

If you purchase an EHR system expecting instant profit without any added effort, you are setting your practice up for failure. EHR implementation has a better chance of success if strategic technological solutions are applied to prevent technology problems from thwarting the implementation process. Technology EHR experts may believe that human error leads to almost all partial EHR implementations and failures rather than problems with technology. They may emphasize that the same EHR system and hardware were purchased by both a practice that failed and one that was successful. However, many physicians and health care providers have recognized that having technology solutions in place often determines the success or failure of an EHR implementation. Testing All new software products and updates should be methodically tested before being used in the live clinical environment. Otherwise, simply updating the system could cause your EHR to inconveniently fail in the middle of a busy workday. Your IT personnel should perform extensive testing before a new implementation. It is important for you to obtain a detailed description of all the recommended testing techniques from your EHR vendor and confirm that the testing was completed by IT personnel. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Heather Preston. EHR - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

Three Critical Strategies for Successful EHR Implementation

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:58:31 -0400

If you purchase an EHR system expecting to make a fortune without any additional work, you are setting your practice up for failure. EHR implementation has a better chance of success if effective strategies are employed throughout the implementation process, and if all staff has an understanding of these strategies. EHR Strategies While the leadership of EHR implementation is important, success of the outcome will depend on the strategies deployed during the implementation process. New obstacles will arise frequently throughout the implementation process, but with the appropriate strategy in place you will have the ability to conquer them. Planning Planning is absolutely critical to the success of EHR implementation. Write out a plan before beginning the implementation process, and make sure the leader(s) and other involved participants have a thorough understanding of it. Using project management software, talking to experts and other users of the same EHR system, and site visits to other clinics and practices that successfully implemented EHRs are all good components of a successful implementation plan. Workflow Redesign EHR implementation offers practices a workflow redesign, which will help the practice work more efficiently by automation and eliminating extra steps. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Ethan Luke. EHR â e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

Why Leadership is Critical for Successful EHR Implementation

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:49:59 -0400

If you purchase an EHR system expecting to make tons of money without any additional work, you are setting yourself and your practice up for failure. EHR implementation is more likely to succeed if all staff involved can participate. Everyone in your practice plays a role in the implementation process, although some roles have more responsibility than others. Leadership While the quality of your EHR technology is critical, people are the key to successful implementation and meaningful use of an EHR system. Success starts at the top with good leadership. A successful EHR implementation needs three types of leaders: a physician advocate, a CEO, and a project manager. Physician Advocate The physician advocate should be a well-respected clinician within your practice who is a great communicator and an enthusiastic supporter of the EHR system. They should be the driving force behind your practice’s motivation and passion for change. With the full support of the CEOand the rest of your practice’s senior management team, the physician advocate should be able to successfully lead implementation. CEO In a small practice the CEO and the physician advocate may be the same person. This often helps facilitate success with EHR implementation. **End Summary** Topics: EHR]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Ethan Luke. EHR â e-MDs powerful software can help manage your EHR.

The Future of Healthcare: Meaningful Use Objectives Through 2015

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:37:51 -0400

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their proposed meaningful use objectives that could shape the future of hospitals across the nation. The government is offering hospitals and healthcare providers tax credit incentives, stated in the Recovery Act, for those who prove meaningful use. These tax credits are designed to promote widespread adoption of electronic medical records, which could vastly improve health care quality, efficiency, and patient safety. **End Summary** Topics: Meaningful use]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> John Haines. Meaningful use EHR - e-MDs meaningful use EHR helps manage your electronic health records.

Using Electronic Health Records with Meaningful Use: Structured Clinical Documentation

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 01:33:37 -0400

Throughout the history of modern medicine, doctors’ handwritten clinical notes concerning medical cases have generally been circulated within a small group of primary care providers. For those physicians, a shared technical vocabulary and scribbled notes have been considered sufficient for developing diagnosis and treatment. However, as society migrates towards a digitally efficiency, this age-old system is exposing drawbacks: illegible handwriting, unavailable files, and non-aggregated data. In short, not all clinical information has been or is being properly documented. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a brief discussing an incremental approach to adopting standardized clinical documentation techniques such as electronic health records (EHRs). The brief describes an initial set of standards to enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility, and security of EHRs to encourage meaningful use of health information technology (HIT). With the consistent and unambiguous clinical documentation provided by EHRs, physicians can accurately share critical patient information with multiple users, including specialists, behavioral care providers, insurers, labs and pharmacies, public health entities, and research organizations. **End Summary** Topics: Electronic Health Records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Ethan Luke. Electronic Health Records - secure your electronic health records with e-MDs.

Electronic Health Records: The Future of Medical Data

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:46:13 -0400

Upon the passage of health care reform, our country’s medical industry is expected to add approximately 23 million additional users to the health care system. For an already burdened system, digitizing medical data is a viable solution for easing the transition into universal healthcare. But migrating an entire nation’s health records to electronic health records systems will do more than simply reduce the excess workload, it will change the way people manage their own care. Changing Social Dynamics The future of medical data is changing with our nation’s social dynamics. With increased access to individual health information through electronic health records systems, or an instant messaging session with a doctor, the traditional role of patient and physician is evolving into something more modern. No longer will patients walk into an appointment uninformed and uneducated. Rather, they will have had access to their electronic health records online, reviewed their latest lab results, and read recommended articles concerning their conditions before walking through the door. Increased access to personal medical information will be a welcome change for a younger generation used to status updates, instant messaging, and social networking. **End Summary** Topics: Electronic Health Records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Ethan Luke. Electronic Health Records - secure your electronic health records with e-MDs.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Release Stage 1 Criteria for âMeaningful Useâ

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:18:24 -0400

The current health care conversation doesn’t just encompass policy reform, it also relates to modernizing our entire health care system with innovative, progressive technology that will better treat the health of our nation. Electronic medical record systems (EMRs) benefit our health care system and the overall health of our nation. However, a recession and credit crunch over the past year have created an adoption barrier for EMRs. Enter the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)to help overcome this issue. The Recovery Act authorizes the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reimburse eligible physicians and medical facilities who successfully implement electronic medical record technology with ‘meaningful use’. But until recently, ‘meaningful use’ hasn’t been clearly defined. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology recently proposed a working definition for ‘meaningful use’ of an electronic medical records system. The definition is based upon a framework of national priorities to help focus on performance improvement. These priorities, determined by the National Priorities Partnership, include: patient engagement, reduction of racial disparities, improved safety, increased efficiency, coordination of care, increased privacy, improved security, and improved population health. **End Summary** Topics: Electronic Medical Records]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Ethan Luke. Electronic Medical Records - e-MDs powerful software can help manage your electronic medical records.