EHR and EMR Management - getting data and making sense of it all

Posted by Allison on Thu, May 21, 2015 @ 03:20 PM

 

A new DOTmed article on EHR and EMR management has some good points on the use of EHR and EMR and the new rules and regulations. This article found some important information about use of EHR and EMR. 

  • Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services announced that 257,000 doctors, or about one third, had failed to achieve meaningful use of electronic health records, and would see Medicare payments cut by 1 percent in 2015. 
  • CMS announced earlier this year that it intends to modify requirements for meaningful use in 2015.
  • Hospitals and physician practices are still being required to move down the path to recording and exhanging information in a meaningful way.
  • Health IT companies are responding with new products that promise easier image sharing and workflows, time saving, and interoperability.

While the new IT is great for the advancement of healthcare, doctors are facing new burdens. The documentation burden is present more than ever before, and these doctors need assistance if they are going to provide quality care to patients. Medical scribes are growing in popularity, because they can help with the growing burden these doctors face when it comes to documentation. 

Here are some recent facts on the growth of medical scribes and EMR: 

Tags: healthIT, Scribe, EMR, EHR

EMR as a Tool for Teaching

Posted by Allison on Wed, Feb 18, 2015 @ 03:18 PM

As electronic medical records take their place in modern medicine, new questions arise as to the use of EMR, medical education and technology, and the use of electronic documentation as a tool for teaching. 

Now, first year medical students are tech-savvy and able to be on top of the times when it comes to health IT. EMR is starting to be included as part of medical curriculum.  This new addition to many medical education programs adds value. EMR is relevant to medical education because electronic documentation is becoming a necessity, especially with new meaningful use requirements and the shift to ICD-10. 

EMR education can be beneficial to not only medical students, but also to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. The electronic medical record can be useful in guiding through the process of assessing the patient. The EMR helps give insight into the background of the patient and can help lead to the key facts and information to reach a potential diagnosis. EHR use can help in listing red flags, risk factors, and warnings about potentials risks for the patient in reaching a diagnosis. For example, EMRs can warn about patient drug allergies or interactions and assist in addressing patient treatment programs. This can help providers to limit their liability. For medical students and healthcare professionals learning the new technology and where technology intersects with patient care, EMR teaching can be truly beneficial. 

Information gathered via LinkedIn post:Using the Electronic Medical Record as a Teaching Tool

Tags: EMRs, Improve Efficiency, healthIT, patient satisfaction, EMR, EHR

Scribe to Attend AAEM Scientific Assembly February 28-March 4

Posted by Allison on Wed, Feb 04, 2015 @ 03:05 PM

Scribe Solutions will attend the American Academy of Emergency Medicine's 21st Scientific Assembly. This conference will be held in Austin, Texas and will run from February 28th through March 4th. 

Interested in hiring medical scribes? Do you have staffing needs in terms of EMR documentation? Scribe Solutions can help! Feel free to stop by the Scribe booth to speak with a representative from our company and to grab an information packet.

BOOTH 302 is where Scribe will be! 

Would you like some background on EMR and medical scribes now to see if scribes might be right for you?

Read this information segment below and then stop by our booth at AAEM in a few weeks...we'll see you then! 

Connection Between Scribes and EMR:

By definition provided by the U.S government Health IT website, an electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient’s medical history from one practice. An EMR is mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment.

EMRs are more beneficial than paper records because EMRs lead to improved efficiency and organization of records. Digital management systems for tracking patient care and maintaining that patients are properly informed about their health via online records is key to keeping up in the digital age.

Using EMRs can be overwhelming to doctors who are more accustomed to paper charts. 

This is where the scribes come in! Medical scribes focus on completing all of the electronic record work while the physician focuses on the patient.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians the following are the main duties of scribes:

  • to follow a physician through his or her work day and chart patient encounters in real-time using a medical office's Electronic Health Record and existing templates

  • generate referral letters for physicians, manage and sort medical documents within the EHR system, and assist with e-prescribing

    Thus, by handling data management tasks, scribes allow physicians to have more time with patients and to better manage their patient treatment time.


Tags: EMRs, Improve Efficiency, healthIT, Scribe, EHR

Could EMRs Save Health Care? Is a Medical Scribe the Answer?

Posted by Allison Dewan on Wed, Dec 10, 2014 @ 11:13 AM

A recent article in the Houston Business Journal, titled, "How EMRs will save health care" looks at some of the benefits of EMRs and how the technology is aiding many in the healthcare industry. 

 One physician group, the Southeast Texas Medical Associates LLP, was featured in the article as an example of a physican-owned health care organization that finds EMRs to be beneficial. James Holly, CEO of the physician group (SETMA) said that EMRs "play a big role in making the process more efficient for patients." His group uses EMRs to send data between specialists and primary care physicians within the network, according to the article. 

Holly went on to discuss just how important he finds EMRs to be, and as the head of a physician group, how he thinks EMRs are changing health care as we know it. He says that he thinks EMRs can only improve in the future, saying " I think in 10 more years, we're going to be in a much more robust position than we are now...I think the (health care information exchange) will be mature, and most practices, if not all, will be integrated through the HIE."

While Holly is forward-thinking and seems to embrace the technology, that is not the case with mnay physicians. Also, Holly is optimistic towards the HIE, which in theory is a groundbreaking idea. But, in reality, many physicians and healthcare workers are skeptical of the HIE, and worry that a lack of communication many occur between different health care systems and different physicians and hospitals. Another question that many physicians and healthcare workers alike are raising is the question of errors in reporting when using EMRs.

As for the fear of, and the room for errors when using EMRs, there are many options to prevent errors. Medical scribes can assist in this space and can allow for more accuracy and less room for error when using EMRs. Scribes work side-by-side with the physicians and serve as personal assistants and data entry specialists when it comes to the EMRs. This allows physicians more time for patient care, and this also prevents physician data entry errors on EMRs. 

It seems that EMRs are here to stay, especially with Meaningful Use requirements coming up and the need for electronic documentation of patient records. Scribes can help doctors, especially since there is such a high learning curve for these clinicians. Doctors prefer to care for their patients, and they want to provide quality care; physicians do not want to type into EMRs all day long. EMRs and the HIE still have some kinks to work out, but as with any new technology and concept, it takes time to enact and adapt to change. Healthcare workers, be it physicians, physician assistants, nurses or nurse practitioners need to embrace change in order to increase efficency, and many can do this using a medical scribe.

Tags: healthcare, EMRs, Improve Efficiency, Scribe, EMR, EHR, Medical Scribes

The Importance of ICD-10 in Big Data's Future

Posted by Allison Dewan on Thu, Nov 20, 2014 @ 11:40 AM

ICD-10 and Big Data

Some doctors might find ICD-10 to include too many codes, but these codes and the new advances of ICD-10 are necessary for big data success in the medical field.

According to resident physician William Rusnak as quoted in a FierceHealth IT article, "doctors will never detect the one-in-a-million disease when it matters". 

Change isn't always easy, but it is here to stay. ICD-10 will be beneficial to doctors and in the big picture the shift to ICD-10 can allow for more efficient and precise coding.

The resident physician quoted in the article, Rusnak, went on to explain the big data benefits of ICD-10, emphasizing that with advanced computing power that can accurately record human behavior, ICD-10 can aid in crucial healthcare situations and lead to further efficiency. 

Rusnak states that there needs to be a code for even the rarest condition that a patient may have, and that a code should represent specific details of any procedures performed as well.

Following Rusnak's advice that codes need to represent all conditions and procedures and even the variations of both, doctors can then collect big data in a precise manner. 

This, in turn, will lead to proper and more accurate decisionmaking when reporting on health. 

ICD-10 will help with big data because the coding will lead to clear-cut reporting on health events and outcomes. 

Tags: wellness, ICD10, healthIT, patient satisfaction, EHR

Doctors Discuss EHR and Ups and Downs

Posted by Allison Dewan on Thu, Oct 30, 2014 @ 03:44 PM

As you all know, EHR is present in modern health care, and it is here to stay.

That being said, it is not being welcomed by all, and many are criticizing EHR. Some doctors are less than thrilled with EHR capability and ease of use. But, while there is criticism, like with any new tool introduced into an industry, EHR is useful and changing modern health care for the better. Yes, EHR can be overwhelming and too much to handle at times for the physicians, but that is why medical scribes exist. Hiring scribes can help.

One doctor in particular discussed his thoughts on EHR in a recent article, and his comments were interesting and important, because they help us understand the physician perspective.

Dr. Danny Newman discussed EHR with Georgia Health News. He realizes that electronic health records are here to stay, and he has seen firsthand some of the benefits of replacing paper charts with electronic ones. He said that one advantage of EHR is electronic prescribing of medications, which he says reduces mix-ups caused by illegible or messy handwriting.

But, as mentioned above, we all know that physicians are still not thrilled with EHR, despite seeing some of the benefits associated with going electronic.

Newman highlights his frustration, saying, “They’re (EHR) supposed to be more efficient...but I think they’re less efficient”. According to the article, for Newman a patient visit now produces five pages of notes, instead of a single page in the pre-EHR days, and it takes about five minutes to fill in the EHR for one visit. Newman is pretty clear in his frustration with EHR, when he says, “It’s taking away time from my patients".

As Newman says, nowadays “Many doctors feel like they’re data entry clerks”.

But they don’t have to be, and there is a helpful solution: scribes.

Take note, physicians: don’t resist EHR and let it bog you down. You can hire a scribe. 

Tags: EMRs, Scribe, EHR

Meaningful Use's Roots in HITECH Act

Posted by Allison Dewan on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 @ 05:10 PM

As most of you probably know, Meaningful Use is rooted in the HITECH act. If you don't already know or understand the HITECH act, here is a "snippet" from Health and Human Services website:

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 17, 2009, to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.  Subtitle D of the HITECH Act addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information, in part, through several provisions that strengthen the civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules.  

HITECH act allows for financial incentives for EHR use. The goals behind these incentives include the desire by the U.S. Government to have an efficient and centralized National Health Information Network and better quality care for patients. 

To qualify for government's financial incentives, the practices need to demonstrate meaningful use and purchase and use of a government certified EHR system. Physicians must meet all meaningful use requirements to qualify for incentives from the government. 

See more info here at CMS.gov 

Tags: meaningful use, healthIT, Scribe, EHR

Evolution of EHR

Posted by Allison Dewan on Mon, Oct 06, 2014 @ 05:38 PM

You may be surprised to learn that the majority of U.S. medical records are not available electronically. Despite this alarming fact, the U.S. medical industry is increasingly switching to EHR. According to the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), in 2008, fewer than 10% of hospitals utilized a basic EHR system.

But, by 2009, doctors and hospitals were starting to adapt and began to switch to EMR due to funding from the stimulus from Medicare and Medicaid payments. 

The EMR switch is sweeping the U.S. medical space, with 60% of hospitals having adopted at least a basic EHR system today, according to AJMC. 

Health IT is becoming more important each and every day. As doctors and hospitals become more and more accountable to the quality of the care they provide to patients, high-tech, high-performing electronic medical records will be key to successful treatment and management of patients.  

Tags: healthcare, EMRs, healthIT, EMR, EHR

EHR Benefits are Visible

Posted by Allison Dewan on Wed, Sep 17, 2014 @ 04:38 PM

EHR Benefits are Visible

It is now becoming even more apparent that EHR as a whole is positively impacting the healthcare industry.

Specifically, when it comes to EHR alerts, these benefits are highly visible. Now, with new EHR alert systems in place, results are being seen in a variety of areas. One area is HIV testing. The implementation of EHR alert and documentation has increased regular HIV testing rates at multiple facilities. Two places that have seen astounding results from EHR alerts are New Orleans and New York City. This news of increased HIV testing rates due to EHR alerts can only bolster the health IT industry and lead to more screening of this disease, but also others. There is a clear, strong, future for the use of EHR alerts in modern health care.

See some results from the use of alerts in New Orleans and New York:

  • LSU Hospital - in the emergency dept. rise from 17% in 2012 to 26% in Dec. 2013 for HIV screening 

  • In New Orleans urgent care center - rise from 3% in 2012 to 17% in Dec. 2013

  • Urban Health Plan with 16 facilities in New York City saw an increase in HIV testing from 8% to 56% over a three year period 

Tags: healthIT, Scribe, EHR