Archive for June, 2008
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3 Shopping for an EMR: Who can I exclude?
Jun 23, 2008. Implementation.So you’ve decided to join the EMR revolution. Welcome! But where to begin? The field is booming- new companies are springing up every day. With so many to choose from, how do you know who to trust? What should you be looking for in an EMR solution provider? Here are a few guidelines:
1. Make sure they have a good general reputation. Ask for references and follow up. Search the internet for feedback from their customers. Have they delivered on their promises? Check with watchdog and consumer protection groups. Have they been accused of unscrupulous practices?
2. Read the contract. Look for hidden fees. What will they charge for product support? Do they offer a maintenance plan? Is there a warranty?
3. Find out how they handle version upgrades. Are upgrades free? If not, do they intend to support older versions of their product? For how long?
4. Are they prepared to customize? Will you have to change your business model to fit the needs of their product? Do they expect you to pay for features you don’t want?*
*Very few EMR providers offer totally customizable products. Click <a href=”http://www.xlemr.com/faq.html” target=”_blank”>here</a> to read more about customization.
Most EMR providers are legitimate and reliable, but there are exceptions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If what you learn makes you feel uneasy, or if the provider won’t give you straight answers, move on and don’t look back. More on shopping in future articles!
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0 Former HHS Secretary Calls for Insurers To Tie Payments to E-Rx
Jun 20, 2008. Government Initiatives, News.Former HHS Secretary Calls for Insurers To Tie Payments to E-Rx
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iHealthBeat
Health care insurers should create reimbursement policies that force physicians to adopt electronic prescriptions, Tommy Thompson, former HHS Secretary, told payers yesterday during a keynote presentation the America’s Health Insurance Plans’ Institute 2008 in San Francisco, Health Data Management reports. -
1 Follow the Money
Jun 18, 2008. Insight.Managed care and big business continue to step up to the plate in driving IT adoption to improve healthcare quality and lower costs. This is natural since doctors certainly can’t be relied upon to do so, and payors and employers feel the economic pinch most. Payors are granting technology to providers to improve revenue management. Pay-for-performance will force adoption by doctors interested in avoiding salary cuts.
Examples: Aetna is making PHRs powered by ActiveHealth Management available to their 15 million members. In Massachusetts, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation awarded $50 million to almost 100 small and medium sized medical practices for EMRs. Stark Law reform will help accelerate these efforts.
Business interests continue to come together to encourage reform. This month two more coalitions have formed. The Business Roundtable has joined the AARP and the Service Employees International Union to campaign Congress for better legislation for healthcare and retirement issues. A second expansive group unites the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, insurance companies, and advocacy groups including Families USA.
High on the agenda is healthcare for the uninsured. One in six Americans doesn’t have health insurance. Not all of these are poor – according to the Census Bureau, 70% live in a family with one worker, and a fifth are in families with household incomes above $40,000. The problem is many small and medium sized employers are doing away with healthcare benefits due to cost, or passing along the prohibitive cost to employees.
States have lost patience with Federal inaction and Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, California and most recently Pennsylvania have moved forward with their own universal healthcare plans. Most big insurers, facing dwindling medical plan enrollment, favor such state plans.
It will be interesting to see if more coalitions have deeper impact. Leapfrog Group has had limited success. A more receptive Democrat administration will likely help.
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By Shawn Whalen, SVP & Director, Healthcare IT Practice, Schwartz Communications
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1 The Benefits of Evidence-based Medicine in EHR Systems
Jun 10, 2008. Insight.Evidence-based medicine is often admired but seldom practiced. It is rarely practiced because few physicians have the time to critically appraise the medical literature; an unfortunate reality considering the impact on quality of care, and the fact it could be changed.
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0 Financial Security for Health Care Professionals: The Effect of IT on Livelihood
Jun 5, 2008. Insight.When health care professionals consider security they are generally thinking of their patient’s privacy, and what will happen to their sense of ownership as they move from paper charts to electronic data storage.
Although highly sensitive to the cost of transitioning to a paperless office, many physicians lack the time or inclination to focus heavily on business matters.
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2 Are You Thinking of Using a Web-Based EHR?
Jun 4, 2008. Insight.By Lawrence Gordon, MD, CEO of Waiting Room Solutions
Are you thinking of taking the plunge and instituting an Electronic Health Record in your practice? Before you do, consider web-based software as an alternative to the traditional on premises software. Many other industries have accepted Software as a Service (SaaS) as a viable alternative to on premises software with leading software applications like Salesforce.com and Oracle Small Business. With some new introductions to the market, there are now systems that will certainly pique your interest. All that is required to get up and get going is a broadband Internet connection, a workstation or tablet and a web browser.
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1 Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Jun 4, 2008. Implementation.By Tripp Weeks, President of XLEMR
Perhaps you have heard some of the nightmare stories about EMR implementations. You have certainly heard about the disasters and train wrecks. It seems the negative gets the most press.
In reality, however, thousands of EMR installations have been successful and are providing increased productivity and revenue to physicians’ practices. So it is of critical importance that we identify the necessary factors for a successful EMR implementation.
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3 Electronic Health Records and the Smaller-to-Medium Size Practice
Jun 3, 2008. Insight.Like many emerging software products, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have suffered from an emphasis on technology. Product design has been dictated largely by what was possible rather than on what was the best fit for the medical office, especially in smaller-to-medium size practices. In addition, product designers have been more likely to come from a technology background rather than a medical one.
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3 Electronic Health Record Usability-Do You Really Need an "Embraceable" EHR?
Jun 3, 2008. Insight.Why is it important to understand what Usability means as it relates to EHR/EMR systems and whether or not “usability” is enough? Because cost and usability related concerns are the biggest barriers to EHR adoption. According to the Medical Group Management Association 2005 survey on Medical Group’s Adoption of Electronic Health Records and Information Systems[i] the three highest rated barriers to adoption are:
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