EHR. Electronic Healthcare Records: Certified and Guaranteed Q&A. Certification. Advertorial Prepared by SourceMedia Custom Solutions

Transcription

1 EHR Electronic Healthcare Records: Certified and Guaranteed Q&A Advertorial Prepared by SourceMedia Custom Solutions

2 has been a lot of confusion over certification and over what CCHIT s role will be in the market, says Alisa There Ray, executive director of the Chicagobased organization. But we have not really wavered from our original mission, which is to encourage the adoption of electronic health records. And, we really believe that certification is a great vehicle that helps to reduce risk and encourage adoption. To that end, CCHIT continues to develop new programs that better serve the health care information technology market. For instance, CCHIT has expanded its independently developed certification programs to meet the needs of special patient populations, special care settings and specialty practices. The commission recently launched certification programs for behavioral health, dermatology and long-term and post-acute care EHRs. In addition, workgroups are busy developing certification programs for women s health and oncology EHRs. These certification programs represent the commission s ongoing commitment to increase the value of health information technology for patients and providers by addressing the needs of individual medical specialties, care settings and patient populations, says Karen Bell, M.D., CCHIT chair. These independently-developed CCHIT certified programs go beyond the current federal minimum requirements in order to meet the longer-term needs of healthcare providers for robust EHRs with integrated functionality, interoperability and security. The criteria and inspection processes for these new CCHIT Certified programs were developed by work group volunteers representing a broad range of expertise, including physicians, hospitals, health IT developers, payers, health care purchasers and consumers. The certification development process included evaluating provider needs, understanding currently available standards, analyzing public response to drafted criteria and test scripts, and publication of a future roadmap of certification requirements for these new areas. A2

3 CCHIT Focuses on Mission: The Adoption of Electronic Health Records The Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) plans to stay the course while simultaneously responding to all of the curves that the federal government throws its way. As a result, CCHIT is forging ahead with a variety of certification programs to better serve the industry and, at the same time, is continuing to stay on top of the government s requirements for testing bodies under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Karen Bell M.D., CCHIT chair These independently-developed CCHIT certified programs go beyond the current federal minimum requirements in order to meet the longer-term needs of healthcare providers for robust EHRs with integrated functionality, interoperability and security. This CCHIT is intended to serve health care providers looking for maximal assurance that a product will meet their complex needs. As part of this independent evaluation, successful use is verified at live sites and product usability is rated. Under this program, CCHIT uses specialized criteria to evaluate a variety of electronic records, ensuring that the technology can meet the needs of specialized users. In addition to the three new programs, CCHIT offers certification in areas such as ambulatory child health, cardiovascular medicine as well as inpatient EHR, e-prescribing and emergency department. The federal government and the rule itself represents the floor, not the ceiling of certification, Ray says. We are supporting providers by offering certification that goes above and beyond basic ARRA certification. We are offering the extra rigor and testing and interoperability requirements and because of this we feel that we are offering more to providers in terms of not only meeting the government s meaningful use requirements but to leverage the use electronic records to improve care process within their organizations. We feel that we are offering a more rigorous certification and more support in meeting the goals of electronic health records. (continued on page A10) A3

4 EHR The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. How does your EHR software provide clients with a tangible return on investment? To address the key HITECH priority to improve care coordination, Siemens has transferred business process management technologies proven in other industries to address challenges specific to healthcare. Built on the Soarian service-oriented architecture, this capability can help providers make certain that the patient s care is coordinated within and between all the systems and people involved in patient care. Streamlined processes yield improved operations efficiency as a result, which in turn lead to ROI gains. This tool also supports provider initiatives for minimizing costly medical errors. John Glaser Ph.D., chief executive officer, Health Services, Siemens Healthcare What enhancements do you plan to add this year and next specifically because of changes to meaningful use criteria in the final rule? Soarian enhancements for addressing the final rule will include broader medication reconciliation capabilities for faster, more seamless order entry process and electronic prescribing of medications as part of discharge reconciliation. Its interoperability technologies are designed to satisfy requirements for the continuity of care document, facilitating exchange of coded patient data to help improve care coordination. Enhancements also include advanced analytical and reporting tools to support the measurement and evaluation of readiness for meaningful use. The software will also support syndromic surveillance data initiatives, access to patient education content and immunization registries to address initiatives to improve population and public health. What final meaningful use criteria also are complementary to meeting anticipated requirements under the health care reform law, and could streamline compliance with both regulations? We need to look beyond the individual criteria to the concept and goals of meaningful use. The successful implementation of ARRA the broad adoption and meaningful use of HIT to address the goals of health reform moves us toward a new healthcare paradigm that stretches across many milestones and years. This successful implementation of ARRA will establish a broad HIT infrastructure enabling ubiquitous access, sustainable workflow process change, and data-driven decision making the necessary ingredients to providing exceptional care and efficiency. Health reform builds on this to establish a new healthcare delivery paradigm based on an information-rich infrastructure. Contact Siemens Healthcare, 51 Valley Stream Parkway, Malvern, PA A4 A A1-4A00

5 Can my Healthcare IT partner deliver the right information to the right place at the right time? Siemens rapidly synchronizes decision-making information to enhance throughput and maximize outcomes. By directing vast amounts of data all across your healthcare system, Siemens transforms information into intelligence. So you can create more efficient workflows, optimize revenues, and ultimately advance patient care delivery. Let Siemens point your healthcare enterprise in exactly the right direction Answers for life. A A1-4A Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 EHR athenahealth offers integrated practice management, electronic health record (EHR) and patient communication services that help your practice work more profitably and efficiently, so you can focus on delivering patient care. With easy to use web-based CCHIT-certified software, and robust back-office services, you get paid faster and more fully without costly setup or upgrades. Jonathan Bush President & CEO athenahealth What final meaningful use criteria also are complementary to meeting anticipated requirements under the health care reform law, and could streamline compliance with both regulations? The meaningful use criteria that relate to clinical guideline support and patient engagement (patient access to health information and patient education) align well with the health care reform law goals of establishing more effective healthcare delivery models. The movement toward rewarding physicians for quality outcomes and efficiency is one we at athenahealth are strongly committed to. Our recently announced Medical Home EHR Rewards Program with Humana is an example of an innovative model for improving care coordination and efficiency that derives clear benefits for patients and doctors alike. What is the biggest final meaningful use criterion that was not in the proposed rule or was modified, that your customers must tackle? One notable change to the interim final rule is the reintroduction of the patient specific education resources requirement. This creates new challenges for many physicians, though the long-term benefits to patients is clear. Fortunately, all providers on athenaclinicals SM will benefit from access to Healthwise, one of the nation s leading providers of health content, making it possible for patients to find information regarding injuries, conditions, symptoms, and preventative care. When such resources are made easily available within integrated clinical solutions, new requirements for meaningful use don t have to mean additional burdens for doctors. How does your EHR software provide clients with a tangible return on investments? athenaclinicals, our integrated web-based EHR solution, involves a low up-front investment and is designed to drive revenue for physicians throughout every stage of the patient encounter. It does so in the following ways: As a web-based solution there is no hardware, maintenance or upgrade costs, no costly IT infrastructure. Removes and manages clinical paperwork, reducing cost and hassle, through document services support. Guarantees federal stimulus Medicare incentives for eligible physicians. Manages and enrolls clients in Pay for Performance, PQRI, Medical Home and other programs, helping them bank every incentive dollar they qualify for. MGMA booth #818 Contact athenahealth 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA A6

7 Dr. Paul Carlan, Valley Medical On the network since 2000 Federal Stimulus Dollars Guaranteed * Go electronic, not nuts. Their approach. Huge upfront costs They may defer start-up costs with free loans or promotions for your new electronic health records (EHR) system. But even if you get federal stimulus dollars, you ll still owe thousands and thousands for hardware, software, and licensing fees. Expensive, stagnant software Some software vendors might guarantee that their EHR functionality will evolve to meet the standards for meaningful use, but that s all they can promise. Let s face it, health reform is happening at a revolutionary speed and traditional software can only keep up at an evolutionary pace. More than being slow, typical EHR and PMIS software requires costly upgrades and maintenance not to mention periodic manual updates you have to pay for just to stay current. Our approach. The Only Meaningful Federal Stimulus Bonus Payment Guarantee Program There is a significant amount of stimulus money being offered to physicians by the government over the next few years. We are so convinced that we can help you get these government stimulus payments that we guarantee it and we are putting our own money on the line.* Low risk, low investment, web-based software We re able to guarantee you ll be qualified for HITECH Act reimbursement because we respond to mandates from Washington in real-time with updates that are immediately available to you and everyone in your practice. No matter what they might lead you to believe, traditional software simply can t do that. Plus, our software is web-based, so there is no expensive hardware or software to install or maintain ever. And, our virtual back-office service team will help providers enroll in the program, report on necessary clinical measures, and collect payment. Real-time database of payer rules, government incentives, and clinical protocols You re always up to date with the latest clinical and billing requirements, and government regulations (including all new HITECH Act mandates) with our proprietary rules database, so you get paid more, faster. Contact us now to find out more about your eligibility for federal stimulus dollars and how our integrated physician billing, practice management and EHR service guarantees your qualification. l or athenahealth.com/hdm1 * athenahealth s Guarantee Program applies only to eligible clients using our integrated solution (athenaclinicals with athenacollector). As a service-based EHR, our monthly fee is the only payment we receive from our clients for our EHR. If you don t receive the Federal Stimulus reimbursement dollars when they re available, we will credit you 100% of your EHR service fees for up to six months until you do. This offer applies to HITECH Act reimbursement payments only. Additional terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Talk to your athenahealth sales representative to learn more. To learn more stop by booth #818 at the MGMA 2010 Annual Conference.

8 EHR Greenway Medical Technologies provides integrated ambulatory healthcare and clinical research business solutions to more than 35,000 healthcare providers in 30 specialties and subspecialties through its integrated, single-database electronic health record (EHR), practice management and interoperability solution PrimeSuite. Greenway s PrimeSuite is a certified and KLAS-award winning core of a complete physician s infrastructure of clinical, financial and administrative streamlined functionality inherent in securing ARRA meaningful use implementation funds backed by the Greenway Meaningful Guarantee. For more information, visit Tee Green President & CEO Greenway Medical Technologies What is the biggest final meaningful use criterion, that wasn t in the proposed rule or was modified, that your customers must tackle? One of the few criteria additions to the Final Rule is the requirement to provide patientspecific educational resources. What that really comes down to is Greenway s examination of the available evidence-based materials that have quality content offerings and high-quality digital translations to integrate with our existing resources and templating, and make sure it is a resource practices can truly utilize matching their patient populations and medical specialties. This may sound like a minor undertaking, but we take very seriously the growth in the patient portals we offer through PrimePatient and the advent of Patient-Centered Medical Homes and Accountable Care Organizations that will also play a role in patient empowerment. What enhancements do you plan to add this year and next specifically because of changes to meaningful use criteria in the final rule? As data exchange and interoperability functions become increasingly critical to population health and quality outcomes, we were careful to note the new Final Rule requirement for immunization data exchange to registries requiring CDC HL7 versions or 2.5.1, and the utilization with CCD language exchange of HITSP C32 Version 2.5. Yes, these are very technical applications customers should simply expect, but I bring these up because based on Greenway s selection by HHS for NHIN and CDC interoperability pilot projects, and with the growth in public registry and data exchange expected in Stage 2 and 3 requirements, we are satisfied with our ability to provide Stage 1 functionality and focus on developing the expanding goals of future stages. How does your EHR software provide clients with a tangible return on investment? Customers have historically experienced the baseline, but very important, ROI realities of going paperless, which leads to savings through increased daily patient volume, decreased transcription costs and staff hours and a much improved claims management process, just to name a few well-traveled benefits of EHR adoption. It is gratifying now that we are entering an age when Greenway can offer customers advanced ROI through inclusion in automated clinical studies through PrimeResearch, as well as easily-captured quality reporting income through PQRI and erx incentives, and then of course, Meaningful Use. There simply should be no end to how the merging of data liquidity and financial benchmarking can impact practices. A8 MGMA booth #517 Contact Greenway Medical Technologies 121 Greenway Blvd., Carrollton, GA 3017 info@greenwaymedical.com

9 ehealth Made EASY was formed in 2006 to develop an EMR with a powerful quality reporting engine at its core. Our 10 years of SaaS-based Healthcare Information Technology experience and unique knowledge of broadband and cellular telecommunication technologies meld together to produce our products, offering inexpensive browser-based EMRs, PQRI Registries and eprescribing. Our EMR system is intuitive, easy to use and is accessible from anywhere, at any time. EHR What final meaningful use criteria also are complementary to meeting anticipated requirements under the health care reform law, and could streamline compliance with both regulations? One of the Meaningful Use objectives (generate lists of patients by specific conditions to use for quality improvement, reduction of disparities, research or outreach) can be directly associated with the Health Care Reform Law objective to assure that healthcare will be delivered to all groups, including the underserved. In general, this criterion complies with both regulations by enhancing access to quality healthcare for every patient. What is the biggest final meaningful use criterion, that wasn t in the proposed rule or was modified, that your customers must tackle? The Quality Measure reporting requirement, as now defined in the Final Rule, is extremely complex. There are numerous options for eligible providers, and it is not always apparent what must be completed in order to remain fully eligible for incentives. As this criterion has not been fully and clearly described, it could be the most time consuming Meaningful Use component to achieve. On the other hand, quality of care can be dramatically improved by integrating quality measures as a baseline into day-to-day practices. Fortunately, at the very core of ehealth Made EASY s EMR is a rule-based quality reporting engine. This proven engine is extremely valuable to practitioners because Phase 2 of Meaningful Use will emphasize extended quality reporting measures. What enhancements do you plan to add this year and next specifically because of changes to meaningful use criteria in the final rule? ehealth Made EASY meets or exceeds all elements of Meaningful Use and was the first Company to achieve preliminary ARRA 2011 by CCHIT for all 24 components after release of the Final Rule in July. As we receive user feedback, we will enhance our system as desired by our users. How does your EHR software provide clients with a tangible return on investment? ehealth Made EASY s EMR requires no upfront investment; thus, yielding an enormous ROI. Additionally, our EMR will improve profitability, by reducing operating costs and enhancing total practice revenue. 1. Practice revenue will be enhanced because ehealth Made EASY s system facilitates sending reminders to patients, per patient preference for follow-up, as well as by enabling electronic visits. Significantly, patient eligibility will be simplified and coordinated with outstanding patient balances. 2. As a SaaS-based EMR, our product is far less expensive than server-based products, which have significant upfront investment costs and require expensive Tech Support. Moreover, practice operating expenses will be reduced for transcription costs, storage space, chart pulls for both patient encounters and prescription renewals; but more notably, time spent clarifying illegible prescriptions and other pharmacy questions will be virtually eliminated. 3. In addition to increased profitability through enhanced revenues with reduced expenses, practitioners will be able to earn bonuses by participating in quality reporting initiatives offered by insurance companies and CMS. George Blumenthal President & CEO ehealth Made Easy LLC Contact ehealth Made EASY LLC 599 Lexington Avenue 20th Floor New York, NY A9

10 The Adoption (continued from page A3) At the same time, CCHIT is planning to continue to play a significant role as a certifying body in the federal government s EHR incentive program as outlined ARRA. The government is offering two sequential certification programs. Under the temporary program, the government is planning to authorize one or more Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Bodies (ONC-ATCBs). On August 30, CCHIT was among the first named as an official ATCB. We are gratified to be among the first organizations authorized to certify EHRs by ONC, says Bell. As the originator of EHR certification, CCHIT has tested and certified hundreds of EHRs. Our experience has enabled us to promptly adapt our processes to accommodate the certification and standards adopted by HHS to support the meaningful use of EHRs by healthcare providers. With the government s blessing, CCHIT is authorized to offer HHS certification for complete EHRs that meet all of the Stage 1, 2011/2012 HHS/ONC criteria, as well as certification for modular EHR products that meet one or more but not all of the criteria. CCHIT had planned on launching its authorized HHS certification program on September 20 with a Town Call Web-cast describing its application and testing process. CCHIT had planned to take new health IT developer applications immediately after at and the first group of HHS certified complete EHRs and EHR modules would be announced within weeks of that launch. CCHIT is also planning to apply to become an approved testing body under ONC s permanent accreditation program. The permanent program will replace the temporary program with a more complex structure. Under this program, ONC will recognize one approved accreditor and also recognize one of more authorized certification bodies. Organizations would first have to be accredited by ONC-AA to become an accredited testing body. While waiting to be named an ATCB, the commission also offered a separate yet complimentary certification program specifically designed to meet ARRA requirements. The program is meant to reduce the impact of cross dependency with the federal government s evolving certification requirements. Preliminary ARRA is a certification program that tests complete EHRs or EHR modules against the meaningful use stage 1 certification criteria issued by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Preliminary ARRA program is designed to demonstrate that a vendor s product is extremely well prepared to be certified once CCHIT becomes accredited by ONC. Vendors who participated in the preliminary program are expected to pass through CCHIT s ARRA certification more quickly and, therefore, meet meaningful use requirements more expediently. About 75 vendors had participated in the program as of August. CCHIT had planned to leverage all of its testing resources to work with these vendors and get them certified under ARRA as quickly as possible. As such, these vendors could, in turn, work quickly with providers to move them toward meeting the government s meaningful use requirements. CCHIT also is working to advance the adoption of EHRs by developing programs that ultimately will help providers move toward meaningful use. For example, CCHIT is specifically serving the needs of some providers by offering a site certification program for EHR modules and selfdeveloped EHRs. Alisa Ray Executive Director, CCHIT Many hospitals especially large academic medical centers have self-developed EHRs or a mix of vendor products that make up their comprehensive EHR. Many hospitals especially large academic medical centers have self-developed EHRs or a mix of vendor products that make up their comprehensive EHR. We recognized that these providers need an alternate certification program for their customized technology, Ray says. For example, a large academic medical center might use three or four systems to make up its comprehensive EHR. One or two of the system could be certified but then the provider would need to get the other modules which could be self-developed software certified as well. This program fills that gap, Ray says. As such, these providers do not have to throw away their customized EHRs in favor of a certified system that comes from a vendor. Instead, they can certify each module of their overall EHR separately and confidently move toward the meaningful use requirements. n A10

11 Over two decades ago, Marshfield Clinic had a vision: to effectively apply information technology to improve the quality and safety of patient care. This vision has been realized through the development of an integrated suite of powerful clinical and data management applications. The Cattails Software applications have been tested, proven and awarded for excellence in a large-scale, widely distributed, health care environment. EHR What is the biggest final meaningful use criterion, that wasn t in the proposed rule or was modified, that your customers must tackle? As the information systems department of a major medical facility (Marshfield Clinic), Cattails Software understands the impact of the meaningful use criterion on both the applications we develop as well as the medical practices we support. Based on this unique perspective, the CPOE requirement represents the highest hurdle to achieving meaningful use that our customers must address. While the bar was lowered significantly for stage 1, it remains high for stages 2 & 3. The challenge with this particular requirement is its potential effect on physician workflow. Cattails is working diligently with our clients to minimize any impact, however, in addition to product development, additional training effort will be employed to ensure the CPOE requirement is satisfied by all Cattails customers. What enhancements do you plan to add this year and next specifically because of changes to Meaningful use criteria in the final rule? Because of the changes in the final rule, the number of enhancements required to achieve stage 1 certification is minimal. However, Cattails Software is moving forward with an aggressive development road map for compliance with all meaningful use (MU) stages. Existing and prospective customers can be confident that Cattails will continue to adapt to the changes in the healthcare industry. We view our customers as partners and remain committed to the ultimate goal of improving patient care. We firmly believe that this approach will result in the use of technology that meets or surpasses all government requirements. A list of our planned enhancements includes: 1. CPOE interface enhancements to our order entry module How does your EHR software provide clients with a tangible return on investments? While the economic stimulus package provides additional near term monetary advantages for adopting an EHR, the fundamental reason for developing and offering CattialsMD is to improve the practice of medicine by improving patient outcomes and decreasing the cost of care. Examples of performance and financial benefits that some of our clients have achieved through the use of CattailsMD include: Improved chronic disease management 2. HIE interface enhancements for information exchange Increased reimbursement for services rendered Proactive scheduling of preventative services 3. Enhanced problem list to support clinical decision support requirements Elimination of paper chart storage and handling costs 4. Addition of a Meaningful Use Compliance Auditing Tool Productivity gains associated with improved work flows While the specific benefits will vary among customers, CattailsMD TM is a proven EHR for improving patient care in and lowering costs. Dr. Mike Cummens Asst. Chief Medical Information Officer MGMA booth #126 Contact Cattails Software A Service of Marshfield clinic 1000 N. Oak Avenue, F1A Marshfield, WI A11

12 EHR Electronic Healthcare Records: Certified and Guaranteed Q&A