November Newsletter

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Athens Pulmonary in the NEWS

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

EMR/EHR survey information

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Meaningful use remains the strongest driver to implement electronic health records for physicians, according to a new survey that finds both potential EHR buyers and current users valuing the technology, but with substantially different perceptions and expectations.

Sage Healthcare Division, a developer of electronic health records for medical practices across North America, worked with Forester to conduct a survey among physicians nationwide in an effort to examine perceptions and determine attitudes toward these systems. The sample included both physicians using EHR and those in the market for the technology.

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of potential cost savings, benefits of these systems to small and mid-sized practices and to find any intangibles of using EHRs, such as physicians providing care from multiple locations or helping physicians have more time away from the office because of increased mobility and connectivity.

“Implementation of EHRs in the U.S. continue to grow as an increased number of physicians and staff gain a better understanding of the efficiency and cost-saving benefits of using the technology,” said Betty Otter-Nickerson, president of the Sage Healthcare Division. “However, a significant number of office-based practices have yet to implement an EHR solution. Sage’s survey was conducted to examine current perceptions and predominant trends that will help us design the best solutions to maximize the benefits of EHR.”

The survey findings indicated that meaningful use incentives are still one of the strongest drivers for most physicians (64 percent) to implement EHR technology, but for 32 percent of those who are in the market for EHRs, insufficient capital is still a key challenge to the switch.

The survey found that EHR users said they measure their success through reporting and tracking healthcare outcomes (64 percent) and error reduction (62 percent), but those who have yet to purchase EHR responded they would measure EHR success through increased revenue (74 percent) followed by reporting and tracking healthcare outcomes (60 percent).

Also, current EHR users are more aware of additional benefits than those who haven’t implemented the technology yet and expected achievements with EHR are stronger for those who have already purchased the solution.

Key findings of the survey in general:

• 77 percent saw ease of use and quickness as a top characteristic in an EHR solution
• 39 percent of respondents ranked improved and timely access to accurate patient information as the most important reason to achieve their EHR goals, followed by reduced time spent in information search and management (34 percent)
• Physicians who have already implemented EHRs perceive more value in lower costs and improved staff efficiency than those in the market for an EHR solution (35 percent versus 25 percent)
• When surveyed physicians were asked about SaaS as an alternative to an in-office solution, both those with or without EHR (39 percent) had security and data privacy concerns about the outsourced solution

For EHR users:

• Physicians who have already implemented EHR largely reached their business goals of lower costs and improved patient service (80 percent) and improved staff efficiency (74 percent)
• 72 percent of those surveyed saw the increased availability of floor space that was previously occupied by paper records as a major advantage of EHR, second only to reduced administrative costs (82 percent)
• 56 percent see error reduction as the number one tangible benefit of EHR, followed by ability to share patient information (38 percent)
• 68 percent have seen mobile access to information as the biggest intangible benefit of EHR (34 percent)
• Of all the EHR users surveyed, 52 percent said that reduced paper and office expenses saved them the most money
• 76 percent of respondents said they would invest in EHR again

For non-EHR Users:

• Of all non-EHR users, 30 percent would prefer having in-office EHR to an outsourced solution, such as SaaS or off-client software

“Some of our EHR customers have indicated they are spending more time away from the clinic because of the system’s efficiency and accessibility off-site,” said Otter-Nickerson. “This accessibility also saves them time during each patient visit, which translates into more quality time spent with the patient. Another great advantage of EHR is that doctors can look up a patient’s entire history and have a comprehensive view of their health. Consequently, doctors can make more informed decisions, thus improving the quality of care and potentially generating better health outcomes.”

GLOSTREAM EMR/EHR

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

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Penalties Fast Approaching for Doctors

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) providers must write 10 electronic prescriptions by June 30, 2011 or Medicare will assess you a penalty equalling 1% of your annual billing.

Avoid that penalty by investing in DrFirst’s award-winning, Surescripts Gold and CCHIT-eRx certified e-prescribing solution Rcopia-Classic.

If you have been putting off making a decision, it’s important that you don’t delay any longer!

DrFirst E-prescribing Benefits:
• Comply with Federal mandates – avoid 1% Federal penalties
• Increase patient safety and higher quality care
• Avoid drug/drug and drug/allergy interactions
• Obtain patient medication history instantly
• Increase office efficiency due to fewer phone calls and faxes
• Carry your patient data in your pocket
• Earn 1% incentive bonus payments
• And more!
Act Fast:
Our training schedule is filling up quickly with providers trying to beat the June deadline. Remember, you need to have 10 Medicare e-prescriptions written and billed by June 30!

Please contact us ASAP for more Information.

E-Prescribing Penalties Fast Approacing

Monday, April 4th, 2011

WARNING: Only 91 DAYS LEFT!
Medicare providers will be faced with a 1% reimbursement decrease
if they do not write 10 prescriptions electronically by June 30th!

Time Sensitive
The June 2011 deadline to avoid federal MIPPA/electronic prescribing penalties is approaching fast.

The E-prescribing Penalty Countdown has Begun
Federal penalties are headed your way if your practice isn’t e-prescribing by the end of June! Don’t let your practice miss the deadline to avoid costly federal Medicare Part B payment reductions.

How Can You Avoid the Federal Penalties?
Start e-prescribing now to avoid a mass panic rush in May.

Would you trade just a few dollars a day to avoid federal
penalties for a big incentive check?

Virtualization and Healthcare

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Health care organizations are moving forward with server virtualization whether electronic health records (EHR) vendors are ready or not. In fact, many vendors aren’t supporting a virtualized environment yet. Nevertheless, the technology offers so many benefits over physical servers — from lowering hardware costs to facilitating systems interoperability and health information exchange, to faster disaster recovery — that health care providers simply cannot wait for EHR software vendors to catch up.

Yet health care is a little different from other businesses, because of the life-and-death needs of patients and their caregivers. Virtualization helps build redundancy of resources into the network, while saving space and energy, said Pacer Hibler, network engineer.

Career opportunities with MOBILE IT SOLUTIONS

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

As Mobile IT Solutions continues to grow look for some employment adds circulating.
Current positions that are currently being interviewed for are.

1. Director of Healthcare Sales
2. Director of SMB Sales
3. Senior Engineer
4. Citrix Engineer
5. VMWARE Engineer

ALERT: Breaking News on Red Flags Rules

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

The Red Flag Program Clarification Act of 2010 has been passed by both the House and the Senate and now awaits signature by the President. This Act clarifies the definition of creditor. According to industry interpretation, based on the updated definition, physician and dental practices will not be classified as creditors and thereby will no longer have to comply with the Red Flags Rule.

TMC will continue to update you as the President and the Federal Trade Commission responds to this new legislation. If you have additional questions, please email: service@totalmedicalcompliance. com .

The New Amendment:

S. 3987
To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to the applicability of identity theft guidelines to creditors. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Red Flag Program Clarification Act of 2010’’.
SEC. 2. SCOPE OF CERTAIN CREDITOR REQUIREMENTS.
(a) AMENDMENT TO FCRA.—Section 615(e) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681m(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this subsection, the term ‘creditor’—
‘‘(A) means a creditor, as defined in section 702 of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691a), that regularly and in the ordinary course of business—
‘‘(i) obtains or uses consumer reports, directly or indirectly, in connection with a
credit transaction;
‘‘(ii) furnishes information to consumer reporting agencies, as described in
section 623, in connection with a credit transaction; or
‘‘(iii) advances funds to or on behalf of a person, based on an obligation of the
person to repay the funds or repayable from specific property pledged by or on behalf of the person;
‘‘(B) does not include a creditor described in subparagraph (A)(iii) that advances funds on behalf of a person for expenses incidental to a service provided by the creditor to that person; and
‘‘(C) includes any other type of creditor, as defined in that section 702, as the agency described in paragraph (1) having authority over that creditor may determine appropriate by rule promulgated by that agency, based on a determination that such creditor offers or maintains accounts that are subject to a reasonably foreseeable risk of identity theft.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
this section shall become effective on the date of enactment of this Act.
Passed the Senate November 30, 2010 and Passed the House on December 7, 2010.

Cyber Monday Limited time Sale

Monday, November 29th, 2010