One of the ways that HITECH Answers is different from other media sites is the sense of community. The thought leaders in our community are good about sharing their thoughts on the issues of today. We publish at least eleven guest posts a week now, on our three sites. In case you missed some, here are the top ten read and shared guest posts in the month of August. You can also read previous month’s Top Ten Lists. Thank you for contributing and reading.
Most Played Radio Episode in August
From Healthcare de Jure, host Matt Fisher chats with Raj Rajgopal (@rrajgopal), President of Digital Business Strategy, Virtusa Corporation (@VirtusaCorp), about the digital transformation of healthcare, means of driving change and potential role for outside entities.
Most Read Thought Leader Posts in August
Healthcare Data Security: Less of a Concern for U.S. Adults than Threats to Financial Information
By Art Gross, President and CEO, HIPAA Secure Now!
Twitter: @HIPAASecureNow
Our healthcare data holds a multitude of sensitive information regarding our personal lives. That information could include our full name, date of birth, home address, health history, diagnoses, and test results to name a few pieces of information. While we know the data contained in our healthcare records is quite extensive, less than half of U.S. adults indicate they are extremely or very concerned about the security of their healthcare data; that is, according to a survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of SCOUT healthcare marketing firm. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
Value-Based Care Conundrum: Overpromised Solution or Real Change
By Matt Fisher, Attorney and chair of the Health Law Group at Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP.
Twitter: @matt_r_fisher
The path to value-based care in healthcare is becoming murky. After a few years of heightened promise and hope, the current and near future reality is not necessarily so promising. Results from innovation programs such as accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and other ideas have not been as rosy as expected while bringing a number of attendant challenges. Those troubles are underscored by the findings from a recent survey conducted by Quest Diagnostics. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
MIPS and EHR Certification: Most Asked Question
By Jim Tate, EMR Advocate
Twitter: @jimtate
The most common question I receive from EHR vendors regarding certification is this: “What is the deadline for providers to begin using 2015 Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT)?” The answer is, “It all depends”. Here is the issue: Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
Internal BAA Audits: Reigning in Costs, Improving Compliance
By Greg Waldstreicher, CEO, PHIflow
A decade ago, there was very little noise in the healthcare industry about Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). In fact, most professionals outside of legal and compliance departments had little knowledge of these important patient data protection directives. Today, Business Associates are directly liable to the Office for Civil Rights, and BAAs have moved front and center as a critical component of HIPAA compliance due to OCR’s extended jurisdiction and steady increases in security incidents and breaches. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
FHIR for CTOs
By Nicola Ryzhikov, CTO, Health Samurai
Twitter: @health_samurai
I wanted to share an introduction of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) for CTOs and technology leads interested in modern health technologies that will be around long-term. Overview of FHIR: FHIR is an interoperability standard created by the the HL7 international organization to exchange medical and other related healthcare information between systems. It’s quickly becoming the de facto healthcare data exchange standard. Continue reading on HealthDataAnswers.net…
How Evidence-Based Clinical Documentation Gives Time Back to Nurses
By Sarah Michel, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, Director of Nursing Innovation, Hospital Corporation of America
From the blog of @MEDITECH
As nurses, we know that patient care is not one-size-fits-all. Every patient has unique needs when it comes to determining the best course of treatment. But even with all of those unique patient needs, clinical documentation can be structured so that each patient gets the right individualized care while nurses use a standardized reporting system, ultimately saving nurses’ time. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
A New Home for the Electronic Prescribing Testing Tool
By Steven Posnack, M.S., M.H.S. & Carmen Smiley
Twitter:@ONC_HealthIT
Steven’s Twitter: @HealthIT_Policy
In 2017 we announced “A 5-Year Goal to Transition the ONC Health IT Certification Program’s Testing Portfolio” to include as many industry-developed and maintained testing tools as possible. This month, we reached another important milestone toward this goal: the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) has formally taken over the stewardship of the electronic prescribing testing tool approved for use under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Health IT Certification Program. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
Beyond HIPAA: 4 Security Regulations That Should Inform Your Revenue Cycle Best Practices
By Marty Callahan, President, Healthcare Markets, RevSpring
Twitter: @RevSpringInc
When was the last time you updated yourself on the slew of regulations that impact hospital revenue cycle? If you have to think too hard, that’s probably a good sign you and your organization are at risk of running afoul of one of the many standards that silently hover above your daily operations. While they might seem like an annoyance, from the right perspective, they can actually be a benefit. Continue reading on RCMAnswers.net…
Proposed CMS Changes to E/M Codes: Still a Need for Vigilant Review and Monitoring
By Vasilios Nassiopoulos, Hayes Management Consulting
Twitter: @HayesManagement
With all the hoopla surrounding the recent announcement that CMS is proposing changes to Evaluation & Management (E/M) codes, you would think the government was eliminating documentation requirements altogether. That couldn’t be further from the truth. While the modest proposal impacting 15 E/M office and outpatient visit codes for Medicare is a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing the documentation burden for physicians, it by no means suggests that you should take your eye off the ball when it comes to monitoring and auditing your coding activity. Continue reading on RCMAnswers.net…
Advancing Algorithms: The AMA’s Augmented Intelligence Policy
By Michael Maylahn, Co-founder & President, Stasis Labs
Twitter: @stasislabs
Someone, pop the bubbly. After fifteen years, the American Medical Association (AMA) has released an official statement on AI — a technology that has been gaining steam since 2005. Healthcare AI, once dismissed as a collection of hyper-glamorized algorithms, has won the AMA’s tough-earned recognition. But before tossing confetti, health-techies, quick to err on the side of “machine-everything”, should read the AMA’s statement carefully. Continue reading on HealthDataAnswers.net…
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