From Capterra comes this great infographic showing the Top 20 Most Popular Electronic Medical Records Software Solutions.
For more on how they compiled the data go to Topping the Charts: The 20 Most Popular EMR Solutions
© 2011 Capterra, Inc.
Medical Practice Trends Podcast 35: 101 Ideas to Increase Revenue & Decrease Costs Part 2
January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
MPT Podcast 35 - 101 Ideas to Increase Revenue & Decrease Costs Part 2, with guest Mary Pat Whaley of ManageMyPractice.com. Ms. Whaley shares more of her many suggestions for increasing profit for your medical practice.
This Issue (7:30):
- Some useful tips on obtaining Meaningful Use incentives
- Why you shouldn’t purchase an EMR just for the incentives
- How do PQRI and E-Prescribing come into play?
- Are there any other financial incentives or grants you can qualify for?
Click the play button to hear the podcast
EMR – Is It Worth It?
January 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
If you comb through the blogosphere on the topic of electronic medical records, you may find a surprising amount of negative commentary. And if you mention the financial incentives for meaningful use implementation, things get downright testy: anti-government sentiment, conspiracy theories, and a call to resist the temptation to go paperless. They site studies that show that EMR has failed to improve practice efficiencies or control costs, as well as high failure rates leading to many doctors losing money. Why all the controversy now?
I think what we are experiencing is the high middle of the market adoption curve of these systems. There are many early adopter practices that have been successfully using EMR for years but now we are starting to see the more conservative and skeptical practitioners jump into the game, with very mixed results: failed implementations and abandonment, multiple purchases leading to significant write-offs, or incomplete implementations which are barely limping along. The culprit, according to these unfortunate practices, is conveniently the software itself.
But the high failure rate of EMR system implementation (30-50% in most studies) is not so much a reflection of the technology as a lack of knowledge of basic change management on the part of physicians. We don’t learn anything about business in medical school and we certainly don’t learn how to integrate complex technologies such as EMR into a small business. But it is a people management issue not a tool management one.
I disagree that EMR systems are by definition inefficient and that they don’t improve productivity. We have not found this to be the case in our own practice after 3 1/2 years of EMR use – and we have only begun to realize its full potential. But what most practices don’t realize is that it is just part of an overall sea-change in the way you practice medicine. Even the best EMR system cannot fix poor workflow processes – if anything, it will make them more obvious. Our EMR implementation was planned for 3 years before we went live and the software wasn’t chosen until half way through this process. Most doctors run out and buy the first EMR they fall in love with and then make their administrator try to implement it in three months – this is like buying a new tool and then trying to figure out how to use it.
Some feel that the financial incentives from the government, with complicity on the part of insurance companies, will ultimately prove to be a clever way of controlling physicians through the lens of promoting ‘better’ healthcare delivery. And true, any time that the government and private carriers agree on something, you have to pause and think. Rather than having to cull through stacks of paper charts, auditors can now make you upload your entire file set for their bots to search through.
But EMR systems are here to stay. Electronic practice management systems replaced paper scheduler and pegboard ledger books and paper medical records will soon be a thing of the past. Physicians can be resistant and be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. Or they can get educated and informed, perform their due diligence, and realize that this will be the most expensive and difficult thing they will have to do in their career – besides raising kids.
How to Succeed with Electronic Medical Records:8 Tips from Real Users
January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Guest Post: Katie Matlack
As I settle in to my role as Medical Software Analyst at Software Advice, I’ve begun to wonder: What separates those who realize the benefits of an EMR from those who don’t? What are the critical success factors that can help ensure a practice’s switch to EMRs is truly transformational?
To find out, I spoke with representatives of three healthcare organizations where EMRs are in place:
- Ian Kornbluth, Licensed Physical Therapist and owner of Neurac Institute and Therapy Solutions, two private practices in New Jersey.
- Hal Daugherty, Practice Administrator at Mobile Heart Specialists, a five-physician cardiology practice, in Mobile, Alabama.
- Jeanette Christopher, Information System Teams Leader; Amanda Trujillo, Quality Management, Site Manager, EHR Implementation Chair; and, Samantha Walker, Medical Records Team Leader, at Northwest Primary Care Group, a 26-physician group in Portland, Oregon.
Here are eight pieces of advice they shared with me.
1. Get Input From Your Doctors
Before you commit to switching to a particular EMR, secure buy-in from the doctors on your team. How? Solicit feedback on features they want in their EMR. Ask what’s important to them about the system they will use. In the experience of Northwest Primary Care Group in Oregon, the benefits of asking for this input were twofold. It helped them narrow-down what EMRs to even consider. And when they were later in the midst of transitioning, their doctors were on-board because the change was something that they themselves had asked for.
2. Define Who Makes Final Decisions for Your Team
While getting everyone’s input is key for garnering full support for your transition, it’s equally important to define a clear leader of the process. After the group weighs in, this leader will have the final say. The team at Northwest, whose Medical Director played this role, stressed this point. As they explained, “The doctors knew our Medical Director listened to their input, but also knew that the final decision was up to him, and they defer to him.” The takeaway? Spell out who has the final say in advance, and you’ll neutralize time-consuming power struggles and hair-splitting debates before they arise.
3. Sweat the Product Details (Then Get Them in Writing)
Before committing to buy EMR software, hammer out the details of your vendor agreement. This tip came from Hal, a practice administrator of a five-physician cardiologist group converting to a full practice management and clinicals suite. Hal, who ended up working with Oberon Medical Solutions, stressed the importance of clarifying with any vendor which modules and product versions will be included in your system. Another transaction-related tip from Hal: discuss–and get in writing–a description of responsibility for your data. If your software provider goes under, you’ll want to ensure you’ll still be guaranteed access.
4. Get Software For Your Specialty (or Plan to Customize)
Everyone I spoke with highlighted the importance of choosing a system that fits your specialty or can be easily customized to fit your practice’s needs. After all, the extent to which an EMR fits your practice will determine how much time your system will allow you to save. The Northwest team uses Vitera, a product flexible enough so a system administrator can make any changes a doctor requests within an hour. By contrast, Ian Kornbluth uses a specialty-specific solution.“The software I use, WebPT,” said Kornbluth, “was built by physical therapists, for physical therapists. Our transition process was pretty easy and painless.”
5. Phase In Hardware Ahead of Software
Learning new software can be daunting. Now imagine trying to do it while not knowing how to work a computer. For some doctors who’re new to computers, the basics of how to access files, join wireless networks, or respond to a frozen screen increases the new technology learning curve. And doctors hate to fumble in front of patients, since this might give patients misgivings about their abilities in other areas (like medicine). That’s why the Northwest team gave their doctors several months to practice at home on the specific computers they’d be using at work.
6. Have a Capable Team Create Your Records
In a paper-based office, each time a patient visits the practice there are lots of new forms to fill out. But with EMRs, you fill out a patient’s basic information just once. That places extra importance on getting the data in perfectly the first time. As Kornbluth did, you might have one staffer responsible for entering patient data and another there to check the data is accurate. It’s also important a qualified team is scanning in your documents when you’re creating those records. The team in Oregon has their regular staff members handle scanning, stressing that only staff with highly specialized training would know where to store information from a paper chart within the new record.
7. Be Systematic About Scanning Documents and Phasing-In EMR Use
Practices typically set a date to start using their EMR with active patient files. This usually means that after that date, patients have their files entered into the EMR as they come in. Most files are created through a combination of manually-entered data and scanned files accessible through the EMR. Your phase-in process might mean doctors use paper charts during patient consultations while nurses later input information from those charts into the EMR. So you’ll need to agree on a practice-wide way you’ll denote what has already been captured in your EMR and what hasn’t. A low-tech way to track what’s been scanned: “We put a diagonal line in highlighter across the front and back of sheets after they had been scanned into a patient record,” said the team in Oregon.
8. Involve Your Patients in the Switch
Patients are likely to be pleased about a system that can free up more time for you to spend with them. They’ll probably also be happy to hear an EMR can help you provide better care. It’s a definite marketing benefit if you get the right information to your patients–just be sure you tell them how their data will be secured, since one of the biggest patient concerns related to EMRs is data security. Finally, it’s also worth planning for how the new system will impact the way your doctors interact with patients. Will doctors need to turn their back to them or look away to use the EMR? Try to set up your machine so it doesn’t interfere with doctor-patient interactions.
(To read the original post, please go to SoftwareAdvice)
Older Doctors More Tech-savvy Than Most Think
December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
According to an article on the AMA Med News online, increased age of a physician is not necessarily correlated with resistance to EMR use. A study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston published in JAMA found that physicians who were at least ten years out of training and busier than their younger counterparts were actually more likely to adopt electronic medical records.
Although in general doctors who were older were less likely to be using EMR it was not because of their age, according to their research. Rather, many of these physicians were not as busy as their contemporaries and less apt to take a chance on a new technology. Their conclusion: It seems to be more about attitude than age.
Practices who are implementing EMR should take this into account. It only takes one resistant doctor to scuttle an EMR project. Don’t assume that the oldest partner is the one who is going to give you trouble. Au contraire, it might be the youngest whipper-snapper who turns out to be your saboteur.
Medical Practice Trends Podcast 32: The Changing Security Landscape – How Healthcare is Becoming More of a Target
December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
MPT Podcast 32 - The Changing Security Landscape – The How Healthcare is Becoming More of a Target, with guest Mike Meikle of Hawkthorne Group Consulting
This Issue (5:30):
- Why hackers are targeting healthcare and why medical practices should be concerned
- The impact of data breaches
- Why medicine is particularly vulnerable
- Some steps that healthcare providers can take now
Click the play button to hear the podcast
Right-click to download
EMR News Roundup 11/15
November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Is Your Practice Ready To Go Paperless?
There’s no doubt that the meaningful use incentive money, made available by the ARRA HITECH Act (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) is drawing a boatload of attention. Under this legislation, the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have set requirements for the meaningful use of healthcare information technology (HIT). If these requirements are met by eligible providers, they qualify for HHS meaningful use incentive money up to $63,750 over the next six years.
For many practices the question is not whether to go paperless to qualify for ARRA HITECH meaningful use incentives but rather, when. However, there are many factors to consider when determining whether a practice will be successful at taking the leap to 100% electronic.
A Few Questions to Consider
Is the physician practice primarily interested in receiving incentive money available through the ARRA HITECH Act?
Is the practice primarily interested in going 100% electronic, and the incentives are just a nice bonus?
Does the practice have the upfront capital to invest in a meaningful use EHR? Or does the practice require the CMS meaningful use incentive money to fund the investment?
Are the practice staff ready and eager to make the switch? Are they tech savvy?
Would the practice staff benefit from taking a slower, more measured approach to adding technology piece-by-piece into the practice?
Is the office practice prepared to scan in all patient folders to include in an EHR and devote staff time for EHR training?
The key to the ARRA HITECH Act is to increase patient safety and improve the quality of care patients receive. However, the reality is that many practices are hesitant to embark on adopting HIT. There are a variety of reasons: the belief that implementing an EHR/EMR will not provide adequate return on investment; worries that practice productivity will drop dramatically during implementation of an EHR; and the ever-looming issue of financing a new system.
Practice Options
If the practice’s long-term strategy is to go 100% paperless, this is the time to begin taking steps towards meeting CMS meaningful use requirements. Practices that adopt an EHR or EMR and demonstrate the meaningful use of the technology can be eligible for meaningful use of EHR incentive money as early as May 2011 if they are up and running with their EHR by January 2011. Eligible providers who take this route may qualify for up to $63,750 in meaningful use funds over the next six years.
Practices that wish to advantage of the ARRA meaningful use incentive money but are not prepared financially to make the dollar and time commitment required by EHR adoption can opt to install a modular EMR (electronic medical records) system which, if certified, can allow them to meet meaningful use regulations and also benefit from the incentive money. This modular approach qualifies as adoption of meaningful use EMR. As with practices that implement a complete EHR, if these practices implement their modular EMR by January 2011, they could receive CMS meaningful use incentive dollars as early as May 2011.
Providers should review and weigh all options to determine the course of action that will most greatly benefit their practice and patients. Practices that don’t pass the 100% electronic litmus test still have modular options that will keep them in the game and on their way to qualifying for meaningful use incentive funds.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
For more information, visit www.drfirst.com For more DrFirst news, visit us at blog.drfirst.com/
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How EMR Incentives Favor Early Adopters Of EMR Software
Electronic medical records are fast replacing traditional paper records around the globe. In order to encourage doctors to transition from traditional paper records to EMR software, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has made funds available for early adopters. This article will examine how healthcare facilities that adopt EMR software soon can receive tremendous incentives.
Beginning January 1st, 2011 the United States Government (via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) is offering massive incentives to physicians and medical facilities making the switch from traditional paper records to more efficient EMR software. In fact, starting in 2015 physicians who have not made the switch could start earning penalties for their failure to adopt EMR technology.
These incentives are currently being offered in order to issue in a new, more effective way of tracking patient data. Here are a few of the highlights of what a physician could receive for adopting EMR software in 2011:
1. Up to $44,000 in stimulus money from Medicare. This money can be collected over a 5 year period, with $18,000 being available the first year to physicians who meet the meaningful use standards upon initial implementation. This money is also available to each physician within a practice.
2. Up to $63,750 in funds from Medicaid. These funds can be collected over a 6 year period with $21,250 available the first year to physicians who are working toward installing an EMR system that complies with meaningful use standards. This funding is also available for each physician.
3. Avoiding penalties. Penalties will be issued starting in 2015 for physicians who have not adopted EMR software by that time. Starting in 2015 the Medicare fee schedule will be reduce by 1%, with 2% and 3% reductions to follow in 2016 and 2017 respectively. In order to avoid these penalties and receive the maximum incentive payments switching in 2011 is recommended.
4. Return on Investment. With the help of incentives EMR will also give physicians a positive ROI in a relatively short period of time. Physicians can increase their reimbursements and reduce costs associated with charts and paper records. Less clutter, more organization, and greater efficiency are just a few of the other benefits of implementing EMR software.
The earlier physicians switch, the more money is on the table. It is just a matter of finding the right company to help integrate the right software for your practice.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Electronic Health Records system funding is now available for most doctors and hospitals. EHR software systems are now being required for Medicare and Medicaid providers.
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EMR Adoption Barriers: Cost, Chaos And Culture
Electronic medical records (EMR) are seen as an optimistic advancement in efficiency, productivity and workflow throughout the entire healthcare industry. EMRs help make healthcare safer and more cost effective by lowering operating expenses, streamlining documentation and eliminating errors. Despite overwhelming evidence of the benefits of EMRs, there are still physicians and hospitals reluctant to transition into the Age of Information, with as few as 17% of physicians using EMRs today. There are three main barriers that hinder the healthcare industry from EMR adoption and implementation: cost, chaos, and culture.
Implementation costs are a big hurdle to overcome in the current economy, especially for smaller practices. In addition to the price of purchase, a practice’s revenue stream may decrease temporarily due to the slowed productivity associated with physicians learning the new system. It is tempting to focus on the system’s up-front cost, rather than how much revenue it will generate for the bottom line and save the practice in the future. Efficient and properly applied systems will pay for themselves in the first one to two years of operation.
The chaos of choosing a vendor can easily deter an interested physician. There are hundreds of vendors and systems available on the market and trying to decide on one can be overwhelming and frustrating. It is difficult for many physicians to determine which specific EMR system is the best fit for their practice. Another disincentive associated with EMR implementation is the change of operations and training neededfor implementation. It is recommended to invest in a customized system that works according to the physician or facilities’ specifications, so that a potentially chaotic change is minimal and training is cost effective.
History demonstrates that culture is hesitant to change. Medicine is often referred to as the second oldest profession and since inception, physicians and doctors have used paper records. Furthermore, news of security breaches in electronic patient information encourage skepticism in physicians, wary of privacy concerns and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations. It is important to remember that computer systems are usually very well protected, while filing cabinets, desks or paper charts are physically accessible to anyone.
The future of the healthcare industry relies on technologies like EMRs to efficiently manage practices or facilities to succeed in the Age of Information. However, there are still physicians and hospitals that are reluctant to make the transition. There are three main barriers that are holding the healthcare industry back from EMR adoption and implementation: cost, chaos, and culture. e-MDs offers a host of affordable solutions for physicians and facilities looking to modernize or enhance their services with the latest EMR technology. e-MDs is committed to providing operational solutions and delivering the clinical tools needed to succeed in today’s medical field.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Ethan Luke. e-MDs powerful software can help manage your electronic medical records
EMR By The Numbers – A Video Infographic
November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Yes, it is a commercial for GE Healthcare, but it is still cool to watch. And for those doctors trying to convince their partners about the benefits of electronic medical records (EMR), this video does list some additional points to consider.
How much does an average doctor get to keep out of every dollar they earn? How much time is spent on non-billable activities? See why using an integrated electronic medical records (EMR) system that incorporates scheduling, billing, insurance claims management, and patient records goes beyond just proving ”meaningful use.” Watch this entertaining and informative vinfographic (video infographic) from GE Healthcare´s Centricity Advance.
How to Attest for Meaningful Use: 3 Tips from a Meaningful User
October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Guest Post: Houston Neal
According to an August 3 report, 2,246 eligible providers and 100 hospitals have successfully attested to meeting Meaningful Use (MU) criteria. Among these early adopters was Premier Family Physicians, a family practice here in Austin, Texas. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Kevin Spencer, a board-certified family physician with Premier Family Physicians.
In April, seven of Premier’s eligible providers (EPs) attested for MU. After the mandatory 90-day tracking period, six providers were reimbursed the full early-adopter amount of $18,000. In total, the practice has received $108,000 so far. After their seventh EP attests, the office will be on schedule to receive $308,000 in Medicare reimbursements over the next five years. Not bad for meeting just 15 criteria.
Sure, meeting those criteria does have its challenges. But it’s possible, and there are 2,246 case studies to prove it. That’s why we are running a series to profile physicians that have successfully attested. Throughout our series, we hope to shed light on the best tips and tactics for other providers. At the same time, we want to give recognition where it’s due. Dr. Spencer and the rest of the providers and staff at Premier Family Physicians have worked hard to meet MU criteria. Here are the three key factors that helped them succeed in attesting for Meaningful Use:
1. Choose the Right EHR Software Company
Choosing the right electronic health record (EHR) software vendor is one of the keys to attesting. This is one of the first lessons Dr. Spencer shared inadvertently during the interview. Dr. Spencer and the other providers at Premier use Greenway PrimeSUITE. Not only has Greenway developed a Meaningful Use Dashboard that makes it easy for providers to track compliance, but they also offer a really good training program.
“It was excellent,” said Dr. Spencer. “They put on a MU seminar right at the beginning of the year. We were trained on the things that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) wanted to measure, and how to utilize our EHR to capture the right data.”
Greenway offers support beyond training seminars. Gina Scalapino, the Director of Operations at Premier, shared a few anecdotes about her training experience. She informed me that a Greenway rep shadowed her and provided instruction on how to change her information workflow to document into the Meaningful Use Dashboard.
Of course Greenway is not the only EHR vendor that offers this level of support. There are others taking extra measures to ensure their customers meet MU criteria. But again, the key lesson is to identify one of these vendors right from the start. It will mitigate risks and challenges of the attestation process
2. Approach with the Right Mindset
Dr. Spencer really gets it, and talking with him was like a breath of fresh air. There are many Luddites still complaining about the shortcomings of EHR technology and the government’s carrots-and-sticks plan forcing them to “adopt or else.” It was refreshing to speak with a practicing physician that understands the benefits of EHRs and that is willing to work hard to reap the benefits.
Call it a sharpen-the-saw attitude. Dr. Spencer and Premier have used the MU attestation process to improve patient care and track and grade their performance.
“We’ve used this process to be an organization that [focuses on] process, workflow and measurements so that we can really attack clinical outcomes, look at our data and grade ourselves to be better physicians going forward.” – Dr. Kevin Spencer
In addition to the post-bootcamp outcomes, Premier’s patients are also benefiting from the practice’s EHR and MU attestation process. They are more educated about their disease state; they have more information available to them, and; they can be more involved in their health care. Patients can also sign up for Premier’s patient portal and check their medication lists, drug allergies, diagnosis and treatment instructions. Currently, more than 10,600 patients have registered, which is a significant level of engagement.
However, while Premier is seeing great returns from attestation so far, Dr. Spencer anticipates most benefits to come from Stage 2 of MU attestation, which is expected to be implemented in 2013.
“I think the next phase will be where we really see great benefit,” said Dr. Spencer. “Where we have information being exchanged with immunization registries between hospitals, specialists and primary care offices. Where we can avoid duplication of services and really take care of people at the right price point.”
3. Embrace the Process
Every practice needs a physician champion to take ownership of MU attestation. Someone to “embrace the process,” as Dr. Spencer and Scalapino suggested. Attesting for Meaningful Use will require behavioral changes, and practices need a campaigner to engage others and drive organizational changes.
Call it “change management” or whatever moniker you’d like to give it. But, it is important to have an individual or team to ensure providers and administrative staff understand the process and take the necessary steps to track MU criteria. They should be the central correspondent with the EHR vendor; the coordinator organizing training sessions, and; the manager articulating the importance of the process and ensuring individuals follow guidelines. It’s critical for a successful EHR implementation and similarly, for MU attestation.
Combined, these three factors helped Premier Family Physicians attest to Meaningful Use.
(To read the original post please go to SoftwareAdvice)
Medical Practice Trends Podcast 31: Why Everyone in Your Practice Needs to Know Coding
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
MPT Podcast 31 - Why Everyone in Your Practice Needs to Know Coding, with guest Mary Pat Whaley of ManageMyPractice.com. Ms. Whaley explains why it is important for all employees and doctors need to be on the same page when it comes to medical coding.
This Issue (7:32):
- Why everyone in your practice needs to be well-versed in coding
- How ICD-10 will impact your practice
- Training staff the right way from the start
- Pros and cons of coding ‘wizards’
Click the play button to hear the podcast
