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 thought 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 of the month. You can also read previous month’s Top Ten Lists. Thank you for contributing and reading.
MU, PQRS and VBM Create New Payment Model MIPS
By Peggy Losey, Manager of Ambulatory Incentive Programs, ehealthcare Consulting Inc.
MIPS. The emerging Medicare payment model where MU, PQRS and VBM intersect, and the construction of the payment system focusing on providing value and quality, begins. How are you doing with Meaningful Use, PQRS and VBM? Are you using your QRUR as a roadmap to help get you there? Accepting a little road trip advice now will help you prepare for a safe arrival at your destination with minimal detours. CMS recently announced that the implementation of this program has begun. Are you on the right road? Continue reading on RCMAnswers.net…
HIPAA Criminal Violations on the Rise
By Matt Fisher, Attorney and chair of the Health Law Group at Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP.
Stories appear almost everyday about medical records being improperly accessed, hacked or otherwise being stolen. The number of stories about such thefts is almost matched by the number of stories about the high value placed upon medical records by identity thieves and others. This confluence of events highlights the pressure being faced by the healthcare industry to protect the privacy and security of medical records in all forms. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
Tying Together the Clinical and Financial Aspects of Population Health
By Sarianne Gruber
HealthEC gets population health, physician and patient engagement, and the power of data. I visited with Mr. Arthur Kapoor, Chairman and Founder, and Dr. Sanjay Seth, Executive VP, of HealthEC at their headquarters in Piscataway, New Jersey to learn more about their healthcare philosophy and their suite of population health management solutions. Seated across from Dr. Seth, he started the dialogue stating, “We think we are on the cutting edge of technology for population health and value based reimbursement methodologies, and that we can facilitate organizations to accomplish both things. Continue reading on HIEAnswers.net…
4 Stumbling Blocks to Avoid in System Implementation
By Steven Botana, Hayes Management Consulting
Every organization, at one time or another, goes through some type of system upgrade or implementation. Common practice is to develop a very detailed project plan. These documents are laid out to ensure that all tasks are performed and that all deadlines are met. Meetings are scheduled, milestones are agreed upon, and staff are informed of what to expect. Unfortunately what may look like a well thought out plan on paper may not address the day-to-day issues that can often disrupt a thoughtful plan. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
The Operating System for Value-Based Care
By Robert Rowley, MD, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Flow Health
Health care in the U.S. is on the threshold of fundamental change. Powered by advances in federal policy, the underlying way in which we pay for health care is moving from the traditional fee-for-service, pay-for-volume historic approach to one that pays for demonstrated value. The way in which value is measured is still evolving, but risk-sharing, measuring the health status of populations, and coordinating care in order to improve effectiveness and reduce the total cost of care are the basic planks upon which this new environment is being built. Continue reading on HIEAnswers.net…
Patient Driven Staffing Levels
By Barry P. Chaiken, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Information Officer, Infor
For more than 50 years, the Boston Ballet entertained audiences around the world with classical dance such as Swan Lake and the Nutcracker. As information technology advanced, the Boston Ballet deployed numerous systems to manage ticketing, payroll and personnel management in an effort to automate processes and lower costs. In spite of these efforts, the budget for the Boston Ballet rose every year leading to progressively higher ticket prices and a greater need for grants and donations. A performance of Swan Lake requires a minimum number of “swans,” soloists and principal dancers. Mikko Nissinen, the current artistic director, cannot progressively reduce the number of dancers to lower costs. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
The Age of Fitness Trackers
By Mark Grenga, Business Development Analyst, DICOM Grid
Fitbit… AppleWatch… Jawbone — Oh my! The age of personal fitness trackers is upon us and judging by its rapid growth, it is here to stay. Worldwide, healthcare is experiencing a massive shift in the way patients and physicians are interacting with medical records and information. Technology and Federal Regulations are among the many driving forces serving to reshape the medical industry; growing technological innovations such as Cloud technology and fitness trackers are inspiring a new era characterized by interactive, patient-centered care. With home health technologies projected to skyrocket — jumping from 14.3 million worldwide in 2014 to 78.5 million by 2020 — the ability for patients to access images, information, and updates is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
In Defense of AHRQ: A Key Component of Healthcare Delivery Science
By William Hersh, MD, Professor and Chair, OHSU
The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) is an unheralded government agency that performs a great deal of healthcare-related research out of proportion to its small size. Just browsing through the AHRQ Web site makes it clear that agency does a great breadth of work for its annual $400 million budget. Yet AHRQ has somehow attracted its share of detractors, including those in control of the House of Representatives budgeting process who propose to abolish the agency in next fiscal year. A divide-and-conquer strategy of increasing federal medical research elsewhere is also concerning. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
Affordable Care Act Initiative Supports Care Coordination in Rural Areas
By Dr. Patrick Conway, CMS Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality and Chief Medical Officer
While we have accomplished a lot to make sure Americans have access to good, quality health care, continuing to reform our health care system by increasing quality and lowering costs will need everybody to be a part of the effort. Part of that will mean continuing important work with health care providers to reform health care delivery, efforts that have already shown promising results, including through Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated, high-quality care to their Medicare patients to help them deliver better care at lower cost. Learn much more about ACOs in our fact sheet. Continue reading on RCMAnswers.net…
New Whitepaper on CMS EHR Incentive Program Attestation Audits
By Jim Tate, Roberta Mullin, and Joy Rios
The HITECH Act of 2009 was created to stimulate the adoption of electronic health care technology by a combination of financial incentives and fee adjustments. Since that time over $30 billion has been received by providers who have attested to the “meaningful use of certified technology.” To make sure those incentives are justified, a vigorous audit program has been initiated that could occur up to six years after incentive attestation. A failed audit results in recoupment of 100% of received incentives for that specific “meaningful use” year. Continue reading on HITECHAnswers.net…
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