Archive for category Health Information Technology
The difference between interoperability and integration
Posted by Ken Bradley in Health Information Technology, Integration, Interoperability on November 23rd, 2009
“What’s so hard about interoperability, anyway? Lots of hospitals and physician practices already have integrated practice management (PM) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems…” That’s the kind of comment heard quite often in this business, from all manner of intelligent, informed professionals.
Unfortunately, an important matter of semantics sometimes unwittingly leads us to heated debate or a dismissive, “They don’t know what they’re talking about!” attitude. It’s imperative to be aware that discussions of “interoperability” and “integration” can easily leave people talking apples and oranges without ever knowing it.
Here’s the reason: People from so many disparate backgrounds – technological, clinical, business, regulatory, governmental – all play a role in the current push to better automate healthcare. Everyone understands the generalities behind the idea of one HIT system “talking” to another, but most folks have no need to delve into nitty-gritty technical specifics. As a result, “interoperability” and “integration” have become broad-brush terms many of us use synonymously as a way to express the general concept of data connectivity. Read the rest of this entry »
Use technology to aid – not substitute for – self-audits
Posted by Ken Bradley in Audits, EMR, Health Information Technology on October 30th, 2009
In this age of automation, it is tempting to rely on technology solutions to ease the burden of coding operations. And that’s OK; that’s the purpose behind the many extremely valuable coding and documentation tools available from many EMR applications.
However, I’d like to offer one caveat: Please don’t allow confidence in technology to detract from the value of self-audits. Technological aids don’t render coding and billing audits obsolete. As advantageous as some coding tools are, ongoing self-evaluation remains the single best way to ensure optimal coding practices – those that garner appropriate reimbursement while also protecting against payer investigations.
Take, for instance, evaluation and management visits (otherwise known as E/M services). They are the lifeblood of many practices, yet they still account for a significant portion of the errors found in Medicare’s Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) audits. Perhaps that accounts for certain E/M services remaining on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Work Plan for 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
The times they are a’changing
Posted by Jim Denny in ARRA/Stimulus, EMR, Health Information Technology, Practice Management System, Revenue Cycle Management on August 25th, 2009
There is no way Bob Dylan could have been thinking about HIT when he released his 1964 album predicting a new vision for America. Yet his words seem remarkably appropriate as healthcare leaders from coast to coast wonder how best to prepare themselves for the game-changing technology initiatives that loom on the horizon.
The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February 2009 created unprecedented interest in electronic medical records – and with good reason. The legislation promises incentives for providers implementing an EMR system within the next few years and penalties against slow adopters shortly thereafter. Physicians have naturally begun worrying about how to select the “right” system – and how they would pay for it. HIT vendors added to the frenzy by intensifying marketing efforts in order to grab a piece of the EMR pie sooner rather than later.
But amidst the noise and confusion of early reactions to the ARRA, both healthcare and technology leaders may have overlooked the overarching objective behind the push for EMRs: To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system. This is an opportunity to improve clinical outcomes while reducing cost to all stakeholders, including patients. Read the rest of this entry »
Beyond EHR: Select open systems that promote interoperability
Posted by Jim Denny in EMR, Health Information Exchange, Health Information Technology, Infrastructure, Interoperability on August 11th, 2009
Besides electronic health records, the information technology components of the 2009 federal stimulus bill emphasize interoperability and infrastructure. The intent is to nudge the country in the direction of a National Health Information Network (NHIN).
The logic is simple. Paper patient medical records limit access to information: Only the person with the chart in hand can review or augment the contents. Likewise, a stand-alone EHR delivers information to only those providers affiliated with the independent medical group. The information may be digitized, but it is still housed in a data silo. Patient information – whether it is medical history, allergies, demographics or insurance coverage – increases in value exponentially when it is appropriately made available to clinical staff and practice managers across the care continuum.
This is an important factor to keep in mind when selecting an EHR or other information technology such as lab reporting software, practice management systems or human resource management applications. To achieve optimal performance, practices must have the freedom to adopt “best-of-class” core applications and complementary software that meet their unique needs. At the same time, practices are best served when the technology they adopt promotes connectivity among a wide range of applications and software packages. The benefits of doing so are wide-ranging:
- Comprehensive access to multiple applications allows users to exchange information easily for increased efficiency;
- Connectivity ensures that data vital to patient care and clinical operations are available as needed; and
- Automatic data exchange eliminates the need for information to be re-entered into disparate applications – a labor-intensive process that increases the risk of error. Read the rest of this entry »