The article today was submitted by Dereke L.Jones
Confusion reigns due to the many transitions and federally mandated upgrades regarding medical information.
From the switch to 5010 transaction standards in preparation for ICD-10-CM/PCS to the adoption of EMR, the value of HIT expertise must soon be realized. When considering the many changes that will take place the anxiety of some healthcare organizations may face are very understandable.
In the HIM community there is excitement because HIT experts are aware of the many benefits and opportunities that will arise for healthcare facilities as a result of these technological advancements.
The ICD-10-CM is a more concise adaptation of modern medicine and a more specific billing platform. The restructuring of the disease and procedural categories will lead to increased billing and coding efficiency, thus leading to better reimbursement. ICD-10-CM along with the adoption of electronic medical records will provide increased clinical workflows and even revenue.
EMR adoption is slowly on the rise but there is still seems to be a real sense of future shock amongst physicians who are not prepared to adapt to new technologies. An increasingly competitive EMR market makes the margin for implementation error extremely wide. Increased roles of HIT men (and women) are vital in targeting the best system to fit the needs of its users and the available HITECH funds to purchase these systems.
There are many factors to consider when choosing an EMR so a professional generic alternative to ventolin should be on hand to assess clinical and administrative needs before selecting. It is extremely important to match your healthcare facility to the appropriate software.
For instance there are two very similar but different approaches to software delivery, SAAS (software as a service) and the more common ASP (application service provider). Often these terms are used interchangeably and they should not be. It’s easy to misunderstand the differences between the two because the differences are few but notable. The most apparent difference is the large upfront cost of the SAAS model to the more cost effective pay per month method of licensed ASP applications. ASP is on premise single tenant software, while SAAS offers a common set of licensed applications to multiple users from a secure internet data center. The data center eases the burden of software customization while IT support must be on site to customize and upgrade locally hosted ASP software. Usability of both are virtually the same once implemented and this is perhaps the reason some consider them equal.
During these times of transition HIT men & (women) will be helpful identifying the various subtle but not so subtle differences in EMR software.
About Dereke L. Jones:
He is an HIT specialist with an insatiable drive to help sketch the roadmap to a healthier nation by means of advanced Medical Information and offers EMR consulting services as well as standards compliance training to physician practices. Dtreljones@yahoo.com