September 11, 2012 Pete Rivera
blog
You cannot make a blanket policy to say that the coding software will be used exclusively. This is like telling a pilot to trust their instruments, although the ground is getting closer and closer.
September 7, 2012 John DeGaspari
blog
How is the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule being received now that providers are taking a closer look at the mandates? In many ways the perception of the challenges has a lot to do with the provider’s resources and the progress it has already made.
August 30, 2012 Gabriel Perna and Mark Hagland
article
When it comes to the aftermath of the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule, released recently by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), EHR vendors find themselves relieved, but still very much under the gun. Even with the delay to the start of attestation, these EHR vendors, with large client bases, are acknowledging that time is of the essence.
August 30, 2012
news
According to a recent report from KLAS Research, an Orem, Utah research firm, most providers have not attested for meaningful use Stage 1, citing quality measures and reporting as their biggest challenges. This has led them to increasingly reach out to consultants for assistance, says the KLAS report, Rapid Growth of Meaningful Use Consulting: Why Providers Are Reaching Out.
August 29, 2012 Gabriel Perna
blog
After the CMS released the proposed rule for Stage 2 of meaningful use, it received a ton of pushback from providers on the patient engagement requirement, which asked for 10 percent of patients look at their data, download it, or transmit it to others through a portal. While it lowered the threshold by five percent, the point has been reinforced. Whether you like the patient engagement requirement or not, it’s time to push forward.
August 28, 2012 John DeGaspari
article
Initial reactions to the meaningful use Stage 2 final rule released last week by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have overall been fairly positive, but also point to significant challenges. While CMS has raised the bar in several important areas, it also showed some flexibility by lowering the thresholds and moderating reporting periods. Yet experts interviewed this week also note that the new mandates may pose special challenges for small, critical access hospitals and large medical groups.
August 28, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
Across the industry, the responses to CMS’ Stage 2 Final Rule are coming into focus. The changes from the proposed rule to the final rule represent a compromise, lessening the burden on providers while establishing a clear path forward.
August 24, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued the final rule for Stage 2 meaningful use under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (ARRA-HITECH) Act. The first reactions have begun to come in from various provider-based organizations, and the reaction to the Stage 2 final rule is mostly positive.
August 23, 2012
article
On Aug. 23, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule for Stage 2 meaningful use under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (ARRA-HITECH) Act.
July 25, 2012 John DeGaspari
blog
At the Healthcare Financial Management Association ANI annual conference last month in Las Vegas, I heard a presentation by Randall Gehle, D.O., about his involvement with helping his medical group make the transition to the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model. He described the transition process, some of its challenges, and how it has had an impact on his family medicine practice.
July 24, 2012 David Raths
blog
Ninety-eight percent of Denmark's general practitioners and all pharmacies and hospitals use a national health data network, as do 74 percent of specialists, according to a recent Accenture study. A national e-health portal acts as a single access point to healthcare services for both citizens and health professionals.
July 5, 2012 David Raths
article
Stage 3 of meaningful use may seem a long way off. After all, the Stage 2 final rule has yet to be released. Yet for members of the Meaningful Use Work Group of the federal Health IT Policy Committee, deadlines are fast approaching. They are working to make initial Stage 3 recommendations by Aug. 1, so that a Request for Comment can by issued in November and final recommendations can be published by May 2013.
