Archive for January, 2011
January 24, 2011
Filed Under (EHR, EMR, EMR Stimulus Package, Electronic Health Records, Electronic Medical Records) by admin
Washington — Starting Jan. 3, eligible physicians and hospitals will be able to register for the Medicare electronic medical record incentive program, a prerequisite for obtaining billions in available federal bonuses, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Dec. 22, 2010. Also starting Jan. 3, registration for the Medicaid EMR incentive program will launch for Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In February, registration will open in California, Missouri and North Dakota. The remaining states probably will launch their Medicaid EMR incentive program sign-ups in the spring and summer, CMS said. Officials with CMS and the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology said they hope for broad registration by doctors and hospitals. To prepare for the process, health professionals are encouraged to visit the CMS website (www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/). “With the start of registration, these landmark programs get under way, and patients, providers and the nation can begin to enjoy the benefits of widespread adoption of electronic health records,” said CMS Administrator Donald M. Berwick, MD. David Blumenthal, MD, the national health IT coordinator, said, “It’s time to get connected.” He added that his office and CMS have numerous resources to help physicians and hospitals enroll in the program. They include a website that lists more than 130 certified EMR systems (onc-chpl.force.com/ehrcert/). Another site lists the 62 regional extension centers that can assist physicians in obtaining the bonuses (healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/community/healthit_hhs_gov__rec_program/1495/). Physicians who want to participate must register in either the Medicare or Medicaid EMR incentive programs. Participants must choose only one program — they cannot receive payments from both. However, after receiving a bonus for a given year, they may change their program selection once before 2015. In 2010, CMS finalized standards that doctors and hospitals must meet to demonstrate meaningful use of their EMR systems. Physicians can receive as much as $44,000 over a five-year period through Medicare, and up to $63,750 over six years through Medicaid. CMS on Dec. 22, 2010, announced several additional key 2011 dates for the EMR physician incentive program:
Source : http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/01/03/gvse0106.htm
January 11, 2011
A third of hospitals have integration between medical devices and electronic medical records, allowing data recorded on the devices to be uploaded automatically into EMR, according to a survey released Dec. 1 by HIMSS Analytics. Most hospitals that have linked devices and EMRs said they believe it saves staff time by eliminating manual documentation. HIMSS Analytics, part of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, surveyed 825 U.S. hospitals on their use of medical device utilization. It found the devices most likely to be interfaced are intelligent medical device hubs (networked diagnostic equipment that provide data streams) and physiological monitors. Recording and charting vital signs is one of the core measurements of stage 1 meaningful use. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services meaningful use incentives offer hospitals a base payment of $2 million each from Medicare and Medicaid. Although the stage 1 meaningful use criteria do not require the charting to be done automatically, many believe integration between medical devices and EMRs will be required later. “The transfer of data directly from a medical device to the EMR can reduce potential medical errors and improve patient care, because no manual transfer of data takes place,” said John Daniels, vice president of health care organizational services for HIMSS. “Such data integration also improves workflow by saving time for clinical staff, a valuable benefit when looking at nursing shortages in health care.” The report notes that hospitals are not yet conducting return-on-investment studies on the integration of the monitoring devices to EMRs. But some hospitals have reported that integration has saved time. St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, Wyo., reports that integration of vital sign monitors to its EMRs has yielded a 60% time savings, because staff do not have to enter the data manually. The report said a critical factor hospitals face is determining how to connect an intelligent medical device to an EMR. For those that integrate some devices to an EMR, about half use a wired local area network to provide the connectivity. Only 8% rely solely on wireless LAN connections for the integration. The report says hospitals will place more importance on integrating medical devices to EMRs when more is known about the stage 2 and stage 3 meaningful use requirements. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is working on stage 2 criteria. Source : http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/12/20/bisc1220.htm
January 06, 2011
Filed Under (ARRA, CCHIT, EHR, EMR, Electronic Health Records, Electronic Medical Records, Health, Hospital) by admin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2011 January 5, 2011 – Integrated Systems Management Inc announced today that OmniMD™ EHR, Version 11.0 is 2011/2012 compliant and was certified as a Complete EHR on January 4, 2011 by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable (eligible provider) certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The 2011/2012 criteria support the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). According to Divan Dave, CEO, of OmniMD™ “This certification is another step in our commitment to provide providers with intuitive, easy-to-use, affordable technologies that help them improve patient care, reduce their costs and qualify for government incentives”. The ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification program tests and certifies that Complete EHRs meet all of the 2011/2012 criteria and EHR Modules meet one or more – but not all – of the criteria approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for either eligible provider or hospital technology. “CCHIT is pleased to be testing and certifying products so that companies are now able to offer these products to providers who wish to purchase and implement certified EHR technology and achieve meaningful use in time for the 2011-2012 incentives,” said Karen M. Bell, M.D., M.S.S., Chair, CCHIT. OmniMD™ EHR, Version 11.0 certification number is CC-1112-484340-1. ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification conferred by CCHIT does not represent an endorsement of the certified EHR technology by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nor does it guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. The clinical quality measures to which OmniMD™ has been certified include: NQF 0421 - Adult Weight Screening & Follow-Up OmniMD™ EHR Version 11.0 is also certified in CCHIT’s separate and independently developed certification program. OmniMD™ Version 11.0 is a pre-market CCHIT Certified® 2011, Ambulatory EHR. Integrated Systems Management Inc. has certified its EHR technology in both programs to provide greater assurance to its customers. About Integrated Systems Management, Inc Founded in 2000, OmniMD™ integrated Electronic Health Records and Practice Management (PMS) products and services, offers unparalleled reliability, ease-of-use, efficiency and customizability. OmniMD™ Ambulatory EHR has also earned a designation as a pre-market CCHIT 2011 Certification with the highest 5 Star Usability Rating ensuring OmniMD™ commitment to have a comprehensive, secure, scalable, intuitive and interoperable EHR system. OmniMD™ Ambulatory EHR Version 11.0 is CCHIT 2011 Pre-Market Certified, web-enabled and support devices ranging from Tablet PCs to Smart phones. OmniMD™ offers a comprehensive set of services such as Health Transcriptions, Document Management, Patient Portal, Patient Reminder and Eligibility Verification as part of an integrated solution under one roof helping practices to effectively addressing their financial, administrative, clinical, and regulatory needs. OmniMD™ Ambulatory EHR Version 11.0 is built as a true Software as a Service solution. It can be deployed as an Enterprise or a Subscription based Service as per the practice requirements. OmniMD™ is designed to exceed the present and future needs of the healthcare industry. OmniMD™ is robust, scalable, interoperable, secure, intuitive and customizable with rapid deployment model. OmniMD™ EHR has also achieved Surescripts® Gold Solution Provider status, which allows for interoperability with the nation’s community pharmacies - improving the safety, efficiency and quality of the prescribing process. Gold Solution Provider status is granted to vendors whose software products have surpassed Surescripts’ baseline product certification, by demonstrating a higher level of commitment to e-prescribing, enhanced security, excellent customer support and service. OmniMD™ is a division of Integrated Systems Management, Inc. – ISM Inc. - (www.ismnet.com) a leader in Software Development and Information Technology Consulting since 1989. About CCHIT The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®) is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the public mission of accelerating the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology. The Commission has been certifying electronic health record technology since 2006 and is approved by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB). More information on CCHIT, CCHIT Certified® products and ONC-ATCB certified electronic health record technology is available at http://cchit.org. About ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification The ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification program tests and certifies that EHR technology is capable of meeting the 2011/2012 criteria approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The certifications include Complete EHRs, which meet all of the 2011/2012 criteria for either eligible provider or hospital technology and EHR Modules, which meet one or more – but not all – of the criteria. ONC-ATCB certification aligns with Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology published in the Federal Register in July 2010 and strictly adheres to the test procedures published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the time of testing. ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification conferred by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®) does not represent an endorsement of the certified EHR technology by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nor does it guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. “CCHIT®” and “CCHIT Certified®” are registered trademarks of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology. |
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