Posts Tagged Implementation
Interoperability designated major component of “meaningful use”
Posted by Jim Denny in ARRA/Stimulus, Interoperability on January 5th, 2010
We now have our first look at the official shape “meaningful use” of electronic health record (EHR) technology will likely take – in the near future, at least. As many had anticipated, one of the principal underlying themes is interoperability.
The long-anticipated proposed rule defining meaningful use finally was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Dec. 30. On the same day, we also received the interim final rule setting initial EHR technology standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). You can view draft copies of both rules at www.federalregister.gov/inspection.aspx.
As it turns out, CMS will define meaningful use objectives in three distinct stages. Providers who meet the criteria in each of the three stages may be eligible for thousands of dollars in incentive bonuses through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). In this proposal, however, CMS has only defined the requirements for Stage 1, which focuses on:
ICD-10-CM: Have you mapped out your transition plan?
Posted by Ken Bradley in Clearinghouses, EMR, ICD-10, Practice Management System on September 10th, 2009
Even if you’ve worked in healthcare only a short time, you’ve probably noticed that many providers are overwhelmed by the idea of ICD-10-CM and may not know quite where to start. In addition, transition to these new diagnosis code sets has been pending for so long that healthcare professionals aren’t convinced these deadlines are “really real.” The common quip for years now: “I’ll be retired before it happens!”
But the truth is that you already lag behind suggested timelines if you haven’t begun mapping out your transition plan.
The Oct. 1, 2013, implementation date seems a long way off. But you can expect the compliance deadline to hold firm; many of the current administration’s new value-based purchasing initiatives depend on the level of detail available in ICD-10 codes. Read the rest of this entry »
Getting your hands on critical business intelligence
Posted by Ken Bradley in ARRA/Stimulus, Business Intelligence, EMR, Revenue Cycle Management on August 19th, 2009
The ARRA’s focus on physician adoption of EMR technology, with its emphasis on implementation deadlines and reimbursement incentives, has dominated headlines to date.
But just as important – if not more – is the legislation’s directive that healthcare providers select systems that promote clinical interoperability and data transfer.
Most physicians and practice managers who have made the transition to EMR will tell you their systems capture plenty of information – overwhelming amounts, in some cases. The problem lies not in collecting data, but in how effectively it is shared and ultimately used. Read the rest of this entry »