Understanding EHR

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Howard LeeCIOWirehead Technology312-286-8416wireheadtec@gmail.com

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Agenda

1. Introduction to Wirehead Technology2. Understanding E H R3. Hunt Russell Demo of 7 Medical EMR MD Suite4. Questions and Answers

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Introduction Wirehead Technology Mobile IT consulting company [started as Technocrats Consulting 2001]. Headquarters in Chicago, ILMobile IT application software development MERP [Mobile Enterprise Resource Planning] consulting services 2009: Article Enterprise Management Quarterly "Is Your Mobile Guru Costing You Money"2008: Article: Enterprise Management Quarterly "How to Plan a MERP network 2003: Member of VAR Business Magazine CMP Solution Provider Board 2002: Provided hybrid WIFI System to Chicago Public School. This was used by Proxim Technology as Case Study and profiled on CBS News and two technical publications. 2002: National Medical Association: Speaker Using mobile technology in Healthcare 2001: DCI Wireless Expo: Speaker Using mobility in the enterprise 2001: Co-authored Handheld Application Guide with Synchrologic Inc.1998: Developed CE InSight mobile training application

“Looking Beyond the Mobile Device To Create Solutions”

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Understanding EHR Getting EHR adoption right is a problem that most private practices, clinics, and small hospitals have been trying to understand with limited success.

That is because many of these practices don't ask the right questions before starting an EHR project.

Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself before starting your EHR project.

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1. Have you started your EHR network?

2. Do you know if your are eligible for the EHR Incentive Program through Medicare and Medicaid?

3. Do you have any type of medical software in place i.e. scheduling, lab reports, billing, etc. in your practice?

4. Are you aware of the Meaningful Use I time limits and penalties for not having an EHR plan in place?

Understanding EHR

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5. Can your practice survive a medical IT audit?

6. Are you waiting to start your EHR network because of policies coming out of Washington?

7. What role does mobility play in EHR?

8. Are you unsure of the cost of an EHR network?

9. Are you confused about how to pick the right IT vendor that can help you build your EHR network?

Understanding EHR

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Understanding EHR

1. Have you started your EHR network?

This first question is the most important but the hardest for many small providers to answer because they don't know where to start.

With so many different answers from government healthcare agency and no real help, most healthcare IT providers most small providers are doing nothing. Which is the wrong answer to question number one

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Understanding EHR 2. Do you know if your are eligible for the EHR Incentive Program through Medicare and Medicaid?

Many private and small healthcare providers serve Medicare or Medicaid patients and can get part of the cost of their EHR system paid through the EHR Incentive Program. But there is a limit to the funds and a time limit to file for the funds. (See Table.1)

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements up to $44,000 will be available from 2011 through 2014 to help facilities comply with the HITECH Act. However, starting in 2015, penalties on reimbursements will begin for facilities that have not achieved compliance.

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Understanding EHR

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Understanding EHR3. Do you have any type of medical software in place i.e. scheduling, lab reports, billing,etc. In your practice?

Besides reporting on all or partial EMR/EHR systems, physicians reported the computerized functionalities in their practices. Systems defined as basic include the following functionalities: patient demographic information, patient problem lists, clinical notes, orders for prescriptions, and viewing laboratory and imaging results.

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Understanding EHRSystems defined as fully-functional include all functionalities of basic systems plus the following:

medical history and follow-up, orders for tests, prescription and test orders sent electronically, warnings of drug interactions or contraindications, highlighting of out-of-range test levels, reminders for guideline-based interventions

In 2008, about 16.7 percent of physicians reported having systems that met the criteria of a basic system, and about 4.4 percent reported that of a fully functional system.

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Understanding EHRIf this is your practice and you have a basic system along with paper records you might be on your way to becoming HITECH and HIPPA compliant.

But you still have a way to go if these systems don't interact with each other or are residing on an unprotected system. You may have to migrate your old system to an Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) compliant system to become compliant.

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Understanding EHR4. Are you aware of the Meaningful Use 1 and 2 time limits and penalties for not having an EHR plan in place?

Today’s Doctors and small clinics are facing two major challenges:

The rise in the frequency of medical errors that threaten patient safety and the quality of care and new government regulations designed to help eradicate those errors. The need to comply with two new government regulations are of particular concern.

Now doctors and small clinics must reconcile medication orders before administering medication to a patient. In addition, by 2013, they must also create and maintain an electronic record of every instance that medication is administered to any patient.

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Understanding EHRFailure to create an EHR will result in substantial fines (up to $250,000), and criminal penalties can also be imposed. Enforcement, which was previously inconsistent, has been noticeably ramped up with the passing of the 1996 enforcement deadline and now the HITECH Act.

Failure to comply with HIPAA can result in civil or criminal penalties, starting at $50,000 in fines and one year in prison.

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Understanding EHR 5. Can your practice survive a medical IT audit?

One particularly interesting aspect (and potentially challenging) of HITECH is increased focus on audit and notification.

Part of HITECH enforcement that will impact covered entities is on-demand audit requests from patients with regard to who had access to their PHI.

As a result, organizations need to be continually ready to demonstrate compliance. Related notification requirements have been stepped up, and organizations are required to not only notify potentially compromised patients, but to be able to provide a full accounting of the incident (what was compromised, when, and by whom).

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Understanding EHR 6. Are you waiting to start your EHR network because of changes in Healthcare Policies?

The Healthcare rules are always changing. From HIPAA in 1996 to HITECH in 2011, federal and state legislation is increasing the demands on healthcare IT systems to protect patient data and report breaches, and fines are increasing.

So, taking action now will maximize your security budget.

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Understanding EHR 7. What Role does Mobility play in EHR?

Smartphone use is exploding exponentially and this trend is NOT going away!

The fact is, smartphones are here to stay, and their users are highly loyal. Many physicians and other hospital staff members carry smartphones in addition to their onsite or wide-area pagers.

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Understanding EHR8. Are you unsure of the cost of an EHR network?

Trying to budget the cost and time to implement an EHR network has been one of the biggest concerns of private practices and small clinics. Since most don't have the budgets of a larger hospital they have to become more creative with their budgets. Most private practices and clinics are working with only $50k to $100k budgets and are looking at the EHR Incentive Program from Medicare and Medicaid to cover their cost.

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Understanding EHR9. Are you confused about how to pick the right IT vendor that can help you build your EHR network?

Finding the right Healthcare IT vendor has been one of the hardest things that doctors and small clinics have found. Many IT firms might know IT but not Healthcare IT, which is a totally different field than regular IT.

The most significant is creating EHR applications. Many do not have ONC certification that complies with HITECH. That means if a doctor or small clinic uses them and gets audited they can pay a stiff fine should there be any kind of security breach.

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Our Healthcare Partners

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For more information:Howard Lee1-312-286-8416Email: wireheadtec@gmail.comweb: www.wireheadtec.com