Rewarding healthcare facilities and physicians with reimbursement incentives to convert records to an electronic system and go paperless might have gone by the wayside with Medicare reimbursement declines. So, other incentives may come into play….like “threats”. Adopt electronic medical records or lose your license to practice medicine. This is what Massachusetts is currently looking to [...]
According to the Florida Board of Medicine earlier this month, electronic medical systems incorrectly used or improperly designed emr programs may actually be creating more patient care errors than the old hand-written ones that they are designed to replace. “Doctors are being inundated by vendors who are selling newly developed electronic medical record systems, some [...]
There are 200,000 physicians who have implemented electronic medical systems thus far. Many are in the investigational phase. The vast majority are still pacing, considering the pros and cons and sitting on the fence. However, for those of you who are on the fence- it’s time for you to come down. The sensible question is [...]
Why is it that the huge varieties of electronic medical systems for healthcare providers can’t “talk” to each other? Vendors and IT developers have created systems that are distinct from one another and due to proprietary laws and ownership, can not interface or communicate with each other. Can you imagine if the person that developed [...]
As of June 1, the interim final rule, rolled out by The Drug Enforcement Administration (on March 24,2010) takes effect. This clears the way for physicians, hospitals and pharmacies to prescribe controlled substances electronically. No longer will there have to be a separate paper process for controlled substances apart from the electronic prescribing of other [...]
According to the International Health Policy Survey, polling ten thousand primary care physicians in 11 nations, the United States lags behind other countries in implementation of health information technology and decreasing the overall access to care. The decline in IT and primary physicians is directly lowering the quality of healthcare here. Only 46% of U.S. [...]
Vendors will represent themselves as being “omnipotent”, able to handle all groups within the practice, or all specialties within a healthcare facility and all functions. While this may come as a welcome relief, it may not actually be the best solution for you. Check thoroughly to see what specialties and what programs the vendor is [...]
Before signing an agreement with a particular vendor, it is crucial to sit down and outline your wish list- the Request for Proposal (RFP). This is an extensively detailed document, which leaves nothing to chance or guesswork. If it is not written into the document, even if a service was promised to you, it may [...]
According to healthcare supporters, Stark Laws intruded into medical practice and caused obstacles in managed care networks. President Clinton agreed and vetoed the regulations in 1995. Now we can fast-forward to the present. Starting October 1 of this year, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ban fee payments in space and equipment leases [...]
