Free Electronic Health Record (EHR) Demo

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Jessica Andresen
 

Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified and is designed to complement the clinical approach of your practice. With the local presence of Bradford-Scott Data Corporation to ensure you get the proper hand holding needed and the national backing of Sage Software to continue to keep this product on the leading edge of technology; this is a duo that is untouched.

The latest Intergy EHR release focuses on maximizing clinical connectivity in order to optimize your patient’s experience and enhance your bottom line. Intergy EHR does this by touching every aspect of your practice, from enhancing patient care to maximizing billing procedures.

  • Click here for a free Intergy EHR demo!Guideline-driven care for preventive measures and treatments protocols
  • Advanced clinical flow-sheets provide a view of a patient’s progress and treatment effectiveness
  • ePrescribing enhances accuracy and provides interaction alerts
  • Orders & Tasks allow you to easily create and track orders such as mammograms, blood tests, etc.
  • Drug Utilization Review (DUR) On Demand and ePrescribing provide you instant access to drug interaction information
  • Clinical record summary for Interoperability improves efficiency by sharing information
  • Automated patient visit templates improve documentation & analyze coding
  • Patient Privacy options ensure the security of sensitive patient data
  • Specialty specific product features provide tools designed for your practice
Contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation today for your customized Intergy EHR demo.

Reasons for Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Jessica Andresen
 Even with all the talk about incentives and mandates, many are still wondering why they need an EHR system.  Here are just a few of the obvious reasons.

• Improved Coding - With better documentation tools, your coding will be more accurate, leading to better reimbursements.

• Storage - Keeping paper charts on-site takes up too much space and keeping them off-site takes up too much of your money.  

• e-Prescribing - Did you know that, on average, your staff spends 10 minutes handling prescription refill calls alone?  How many of these calls are they taking each day?  

• Malpractice Premiums - Some insurance carriers offer discounts to those providers using EHR.

• No More Chart Pulls - This one speaks for itself.  :)

If you wait until you are forced to implement an Electronic Health Records system, chances are that you'll end up with one that is not a good fit for your practice or specialty.  Start looking now and remember to look only at those that are CCHIT certified.

It's not a question of "if", it's a question of "when".

EHR Referral Incentives

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Jessica Andresen
 Do you know of any practices or physicians that are...
• New to your area?
• Building a new office or expanding?
• Breaking away from a hospital network?
• Unhappy with their current system or service?
• Currently seeking an EHR (Electronic Health Record) system, aPractice Managementsystem,  an automated patient messaging system (PhoneTree), or a Paperless Office system?

 
If you are the first client to notify us, and they become a Bradford-Scott Data Corporation customer, we'll pay you $500!!


To submit your referral, please provide the following information for your practice as well as the referred practice:
• Organization Name
• Contact Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address (if available)

With the approval of The Stimulus Plan and the training and support of Bradford-Scott Data Corporation, there has never been a better time to implement an EHR..  and did I mention that Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified?!

Big 10

Friday, March 12, 2010 by Mike Beer
The Big 10 tournament is here in town so I thought I'd run down the top 10 reasons why Intergy by Sage and Intergy EHR by Sage will transform your office:
  1. Bradford-Scott can help you qualify for EHR Stimulus money
  2. Sage Intergy EHR v 5.5 is CCHIT certified
  3. Go paperless
  4. EHR adoption is contagious, get started now
  5. BSDC provides Indiana EMR, Ohio EMR, Illinois EMR, Kentucky EMR and Michigan EMR
  6. CMS Incentives, Medicare Incentives, and Medicaid Incentives for EMR adopters
  7. Electronic prescriptions from your exam room.
  8. Comply with physician quality reporting initiative (PQRI) measures
  9. We offer the best training in the Midwest
  10. We offer the best support and service in the Midwest
  11.  


Purdue is my home team in the Big 10, and Bradford-Scott Data Corporation is the home team among EHR companies in the Midwest.  Call us to schedule an EHR demo!

Boiler Up!
Cheers,
Mike

EMR & Lab Interfaces

Friday, March 12, 2010 by Kathy Reinhardt

The ARRA Program (also known as the Stimulus package) has split the implementation of EMR and meaningful use into three phases.  The first proposed "Meaningful Use" Rule has a component for a lab interface. 

The objective is to be able to send requisitions and receive lab reports back electronically through an interface from system to system. 

The advantages to a lab interface are easy to see in our Intergy EHR system.

          Time, Efficiency and Better Patient Care -

  • Lab results are posted to client accounts automatically when reports are retrieved. 
  • A task is automatically sent to the physician that results are available to be reviewed.  Flowsheets can also be viewed to look at results over time and can be graphed.
  • The physician may review and forward tasks to staff members for whatever is needed in followup.
  • The patient receives better care as a result of this process.

Have questions about purchasing and implementing an electronic medical record system?  Contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and let us show you a better way to practice medicine.


 


EHR vs. PHR

Friday, March 12, 2010 by Mike Beer
 A lot has been written about your EHR, or Electronic Health Record.  But recently there has been a push to allow patients to create and manage a PHR, or Personal Health Record.  While a hospital or provider with an electronic medical records system keeps track of your electronic health records, maintenance of a PHR is up to a patient.

According to myOptumHealth.com, any or all of the following information can be kept in a PHR:
  • Family medical history
  • Existing conditions
  • Allergies
  • Medications
  • Surgeries
  • Hospital stays
  • Labs tests and results
  • Dental and vision records
  • Religious information
  • Immunization records
  • Emergency contacts
  • Living wills
There are paper-based, computer-based, and Internet-based PHRs available.  Obviously the Internet-based one is the most portable, but some may have reservations about the security of those.  As EHR adoption grows, electronic health records will become more and more available too.  Bradford-Scott Data Corporation can provide you with an EHR demo of our Sage Intergy EHR product.  Call 317-713-2065 or reply to this blog for more details.

Cheers,
Mike

Lab Donations for Gastroenerologists

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Mike Bessignano

Bradford-Scott Data Corporation and GI Pathology are pleased to announce the opportunity for your Gastroenterology practice to participate in a lab donation program for EHR software, consistent with applicable law.

 

Donation Period: March 15, 2010 – June 15, 2010

Donation Geographic Area: National Offering

Donation: GI Pathology, PLLC, will donate to qualified providers, up to 85% of the cost of eligible expenses for licensing, implementation, training and ongoing maintenance for Electronic Health Records (EHR). Donations are subject to specific terms not communicated in this letter, pursuant to the August 8, 2006 Final Rule of the HHS Office of Inspector General, establishing safe harbors for the donation of certain EHR technology. The donation is not conditioned on the recipient doing any business with GI Pathology for your laboratory testing needs.

Qualifying Criteria: 

·        The Gastroenterology practice has not purchased, been given or otherwise implemented EHR software or signed a contract to purchase .

·        The practice has at least one full time employed Gastroenterologist.

 

If your practice would like to participate in this donation program, please fill out the return card and drop in the mail or contact Bradford-Scott representative today at (317) 713-2065 or visit our website www.bradfordscott.com for more information.

EMR in the Midwest!

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Carey Fulwider

Bradford-Scott is located in the Indiana in the heart of the Midwest. We are known as one of the largest Medical Software Vendor in the area. Currently Bradford-Scott Data Corp is launching a campaign to bring EMR to you.  We would love to come to your office and give an EHR Demo to display our systems capabilities as your new EHR System.

Our EHR and Medical Billing software is a high tech integrated system that is easy to understand and use. We are able to help you customize the system to fit your Medical office. This will not only improve the efficiency in your office, but will also qualify you for the available EHR Stimulus package.


The government is forcing the industry to all move towards an EHR system. They are offering an EHR Stimulus credit to those practices that have implemented an EHR system by 2012-2015. After that they are still requiring the medical practice to move to EHR, but with no stimulus offered.

So do not be left in the cold, get your EHR demo scheduled today and let us show you our product and services available!

EHR Systems Lab Portal

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Carey Fulwider

When you are shopping for a new EHR System, a very important functionality to ask about is the Lab Portal feature. A lap portal allows you to connect to your Lab through your Practice Management or EHR System. This will also directly import lab results to your chart and allow for flowsheet tracking on each component or test.

Lab Portal Services is not only a great enhancement for the provider but is also a requirement in meeting meaningful use and achieving the EMR Stimulus Credit.  Bradford-Scott Data Corp is already affiliated with many labs across the United States. This will allow for an immediate connection to your Lab through your EHR system.

Using an EHR System with Lab Portal capabilities will not only allow you to receive your EHR stimulus but also a great time saver and will free up your clinical staff to preform other duties.

EHR on the road!

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Carey Fulwider
This week Bradford-Scott Data Corp traveled to Ohio to implement our EHR System at an OBGYN Medical Practice.  The practice has three providers and a supportive clinical staff. Bradford-Scott has done much research on how to successfully implement an EHR System and we find that taking a client live in two phases is usually the best method. This gives them time to absorb the information they are trying to learn and then use it in a live atmosphere.

Here are a few of the EMR System features that they are currently using:
  • Patient Flow Tracking
  • Electronic RX or E-prescribe
  • EHR progress note documenting
  • Orders
  • Recording Vitals
  • Charge Submission
  • EM Coding
  • Tasking and Phone Messaging
After the days on site, one of the providers felt that they had a good start on understanding and using the EHR system. They focused on the GYN side of the practice and are currently entering all of their patient information for their GYN visits in the system.

One of the favorite features was the phone messaging. The providers felt as if they were able to concentrate more on the visits and answer phone messages when available instead of constantly being interrupted. Plus the system keeps a history of phone messages in each patient chart. This allows them to easily see repeat issues for that patient.

Meaningful Use = Meaningful Spending

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Mike Beer
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has published a survey showing that the "Meaningful Use" segment of the ARRA Regulations will spur health care IT spending in 2010.  Nearly 3/4 of respondents report that their practice will increase their spending this year, largely driven by the CMS Incentive program.



Thirty-five percent of respondents said they plan to have a fully functioning electronic health records (EHR) system within two years.  Under ARRA rules, health care companies that make meaningful use of electronic medical records and electronic prescriptions will be eligible for Medicare incentives and Medicaid incentives.

Bradford-Scott Data Corporation offers 2008 CCHIT-certified Sage Intergy EHR v5.5.  If you want to find out how you can take advantage of the EHR stimulus money set forth by the ARRA program reply to this blog to schedule an EHR demo.  It's looking to be a busy, busy year for EMR adoption and we're ready to help you.

Cheers,
Mike

HIPAA Privacy

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Mike Beer
Did you think HIPAA had ridden off into the sunset?  Just when you thought it was safe, the new ARRA Regulations have defined new rules for notifying individuals when their protected health information has been breached.  The ARRA Rules include a HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act which became effective in September.

Health care entities are required to notify individuals affected by a breach.  A breach is defined as "Any impermissible acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of unsecured protected health information that compromises the security or privacy of the information."  Documentation must be provided and include the following:

  • What happened to the information
  • The nature of the information
  • Steps that could mitigate the potential harm
  • The number of individual identifiers present in the information
Bradford-Scott Data Corporation's Intergy by Sage and Intergy EHR by Sage will provide your office with important HIPAA-compliant security.  To learn more about these products, click their links for more information or call us at 317-713-2065.

Cheers,
Mike


Concerened about EHR Stimulus?

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jeremy Weaver
Tired of reading about EHR/EMR Stimulus? 
Are you thinking that if the government is involved then you aren't going to get paid?  Are you wondering which incentive program to participate in (Medicare Incentives vs. Medicaid Incentives)?

Then talk to somebody with 27 years of customer service experience in the medical health care industry who is a local partner with a nationally backed product.  Talk to Bradford-Scott.  Bradford-Scott will sit down with you, speak plain English and determine what path is the best path for you practice and specialty.  You don't have to figure this out alone.  Bradford-Scott can help.

EHR for your specialty practice

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jon Jacobs

 

The guiding principle in selecting the right Electronic Health Record (EHR) for your practice is simple.  In order for an EHR to work, physicians and clinicians should be able to use the technology in a way that enhances their workflow rather than impedes it.

Sage Intergy EHR enables you to leverage clinical information by providing you with a customizable system that adapts to existing workflows rather than forcing you to change how you work. Plus, special enhancements for primary care, as well as both surgical and non-surgical specialties, mean Sage Intergy EHR easily adapts to the needs of any size or type of practice.


With over 50 years of combined experience in the healthcare market, Sage and its Channel Partner Bradford-Scott Data Corporation understand that the needs of a Gastroenterology practice can vary greatly from those required by an OB/GYN group. When it comes to choosing an electronic health records (EHR) system, it's important to consider how that technology will work for your practice, whatever the specialty.  Sage Intergy EHR was built to accommodate those unique needs, so you can be sure the system works, thinks and moves the way you do.

Sage Intergy EHR has built-in features for the following types of specialty practices:

  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics
  • Primary Care
  • Radiology
  • Urology

Contact a member of Bradford-Scott sales team to see how we can support your specialty practice.


Get your Patients Online with the Practice Portal

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jeremy Weaver
The Intergy Practice Portal provides an online communication solution between your patients and your medical practice. Access to the portal is as simple as opening a web browser. Through a secure login, your patients can access real-time information right out of your system.

Not only can the patient access practice specific information such as office hours, locations, etc. but also the following features:
  • Patient Specific Medical Information
  • Personal Medications
  • Pharmacies
  • Health Conditions
  • Online Patient Services
  • New Patient Registration
  • Appointment Requests
  • Prescription Refill Requests
  • Pre Visit Forms
Another feature is secure messaging that will allow you to communicate with patients about lab results and action plans straight from the Intergy EHR system.  Any information in the secure messaging can also be saved easily in the patients medical chart for future reference.

For more information contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation.

What is Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI)?

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jason Yonkman
In 2007, PQRI established a financial incentive for Eligible Professionals to participate in a voluntary quality reporting program.   If EPs uses a minimum of 3 PQRI measures for a specified group of patients, that Eligible Professional can earn a bonus payment of 2% of all their Medicare billing for one year.  In 2010 there are 179 PQRI measures and 13 different groups.

Eligible Professionals can use two ways to submit PQRI measures to CMS.

1. Claims Reporting Method: The billing system uses specialized CPTII codes that are submit as part of the normal claim.

2. Registry Reporting Method: EPs can use a CMS approved registry to submit data for collection multiple times throughout the year.

The rapid EHR adoption is expect to impact the growth of the Registry Reporting.   Today many EHR vendors are creating reporting methods designed to capture incentive dollars.  PQRI reporting among other is an effective way to offset cost and increase revenue in your practice.  If you would like to learn more about our software can help your practice contact us at 317-713-2065 or visit us on the web at www.bradfordscott.com.

As always, feel free to comment!

Jason

Medicare’s Exclusion of Consultation Codes - Affects More Than Physician Payment

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jessica Andresen

The decision to stop recognizing Current Procedural Terminology® (CPT) codes 99241–99245 and 99251–99255 in the Medicare program as of January 1, 2010, took many by surprise. In justifying its decision, CMS cited a 2006 Office of Inspector General report that 75 percent of consultations were billed incorrectly.

Offsetting the elimination of those payments, the codes CMS directs physicians to use instead received modest increases in the work relative value units (wRVUs). The small boost to units associated with these E/M codes, espouses CMS, means the decision to eliminate payment for consults is budget neutral for the Medicare program.

CMS’ exclusion of consultation codes for Medicare patients will certainly affect physician revenue, especially if private payers follow suit. Physicians must also devise new strategies for coding and documentation to continue getting reimbursed for seeing these Medicare patients, or else just decline to see them at all.

Here are answers to common questions physicians are asking about the new Medicare consultation policy:

How do I code consults for Medicare patients? 
Use the appropriate E/M code. For a patient in the hospital, code from the series CPT 99221-99223 for the initial encounter and 99231-99233 for subsequent encounter(s).

Can I ask the patient to sign an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN), and collect directly from the patient? 
CMS no longer recognizes the consultation codes as valid, as opposed to non-covered; therefore, you cannot use an ABN and bill the Medicare patient.

If physicians are directed to use the initial hospital visit code, how is an admission identified? 
To report an admission for Medicare, append AI (“a” – “eye”), the principal physician of record, to the initial hospital care code (99221-99223) or initial nursing facility care code (99304-99306). The new modifier is informational only; no additional remuneration is provided.

How will I get paid when a referring physician requests my opinion? 
CMS directs physicians to use the appropriate E/M code and will reimburse the physician even when services are requested within a practice within given parameters: “Medicare may pay for an inpatient hospital visit or an office or other outpatient visit if one physician or qualified NPP in a group practice requests an evaluation and management service from another physician in the same group practice when the consulting physician or qualified NPP has expertise in a specific medical area beyond the requesting professional’s knowledge.” Remember, this policy relates to Medicare, so you can continue using the consultation codes for non-Medicare patients.

Should physicians stop using consult codes altogether? 
It may be the easiest path from a process perspective but most payers, other than Medicare, continue to pay for consults. Because the payment differential is significant – consults pay up to 30 percent more than a visit code at the corresponding level – experts don’t advise dropping them altogether.

How do I handle Medicare as a secondary payer (MSP)? 
This may be the most confusing situation of all because CMS essentially authorizes you to change codes when it is the secondary payer. CMS instructs: “Bill the primary payer using a consultation code that is appropriate for the service, and then report the amount actually paid by the primary payer, along with an E/M code that is appropriate for the service [our emphasis], to Medicare for determination of whether a payment is due.” Develop processes for “crosswalking” codes on MSP claims, catching MSP claims before they are submitted to Medicare, and re-working any denied claims that miss your crosswalk process.

Does this policy change apply to Medicare Advantage plans? 
Medicare Advantage plans aren’t required to embrace the new payment policy, but some have. It’s important to check with the plans with which you participate.

Is it no longer necessary to send reports to referring physicians? 
Although it’s no longer necessary to follow CMS’ documentation rules specifically related to consults, CMS states: “…physicians should continue to follow appropriate medical documentation standards and communicate the results of an evaluation to the requesting physician.” Furthermore, one of the proposed “meaningful use” criteria for the HITECH Act’s electronic health record bonus program is: “Provide summary care record for each transition of care and referral”.

How can I get more information?
Review the MLN Matters 6740: Revisions to Consultation Services Payment Policy.

In jettisoning consultation codes for Medicare, CMS cited audits showing high levels of inappropriate consultation coding, physician confusion about its rules, and its own disagreements with the consultation coding guidance in the AMA’s CPT® Manual. The new day for consultation coding is here. Let’s see how it works.

 

Written by Elizabeth W. Woodcock, MBA, FACMPE, CPC of Woodcock & Associates.


Intergy EHR by Sage - Perfect Fit for OB/GYN Praactice!

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jessica Andresen
 Albany Obstetrics and Gynecology knew they needed to make some changes to streamline and improve the management of their practice.

The Problems:

• Albany Obstetrics and Gynecology outsourced their billing.  Since the billing was handled outside the practice, they had to wait to get financial reports, and they never seemed to come back in time to adequately manage the practice.
• They were using a "homegrown" scheduling system.  "It was more like a scheduling book on a computer screen", said Jane Quinlan, Practice Administrator.
• They were using paper charts.  This created problems and consumed too much time when they had to pull charts for patient information, address billing concerns, and phone inquiries from patients, pharmacists, and other physicians. 

The Solution:
  Intergy Practice Management and EHR (Electronic Health Records).

With Intergy Practice Management and EHR, Ms. Quinlan explained, "I was pleased to see that I could get data the way I wanted it.  It was part of the Sage Software family so I knew they had the resources to continue to develop the product to meet our current and future needs."

The Results:
  • Albany Obstetrics and Gynecology experienced 20% fewer missed appointments
  • Patient information became increasingly more up to date
  • Verifying coverage for patients reduced denied claims by as much as 70%
  • The days in accounts receivable has been reduced to less than 30
  • Phone nurses quickly accessed/updated information - relieving front desk congestion
  • With EHR, paper charts aren't needed, saving over 3 hours per day in chart pulls
  • Physicians are able to view patient information from outside the office

Why Bradford-Scott Data Corporation?
"It's invaluable that the physicians can look at patient records when they are on call, especially being able to see lab results,"
 Ms. Quinlan stated, "this is the way to go for anyone that wants to take their practice to a point where you can truly operate electronically to the benefit of the entire staff.  We have the ability to access and update information from anywhere in the practice or from the Web and the ability to manage data so that we can see what is happening in our practice whenever we need it."

Would you like more information about Intergy Practice Management and EHR?  View a video now and contact Bradford-Scott Data Corporation to learn more!

How Early Can You Receive ARRA EHR Stimulus Money?

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Jessica Andresen
Everybody wants to know just how early they can get their ARRA EHR stimulus money so let's take a look....  Considering that you already have a "certified EHR" and you have been showing "meaningful use" of it for 90 days, here's what you may be able to expect...
  • Medicaid - When it comes to Medicaid, it is up to each state to determine how they will pay out the ARRA EHR stimulus money.  Sure, some will most likely try to keep it as to close to the Medicare model as possible, but we'd be silly to thing that some states wouldn't go in a completely different direction. 
  • Medicare - The earliest that we'll see Medicare ARRA EHR stimulus money is in the spring of 2011.  Remember, you have to prove "meaningful use" of your "certified EHR" for a minimum of 90 days to receive the incentives.
So what does this mean for you?  If you are going after Medicare payments, and you want your first check of $18,000 as early as spring 2011, you need to purchase, implement, fully train and be using your new EHR by fall 2010.  If you want to have that done, you need to be purchasing now.  It will take months to install and train you for EHR, and there are already lines forming.  So what are you waiting for?

Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by Mike Beer
Are you participating in the 2010 Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program?  No?  What is it?  It's an incentive plan separate from and in addition to the physician quality reporting initiative (PQRI).  Eligible providers do not need to participate in PQRI to participate in the e-prescribing incentive program.  Here are some things you need to know about this program:

  • Providers must have and use a qualified eRx system and report on his or her adoption and use of electronic prescriptions
  • Providers must meet the criteria for successful electronic prescriber specified by CMS for a particular reporting period
  • At least 10% of a successful eRx provider's Medicare Part B covered services must be made up of codes that appear in the denominator of the eRx measure.
To participate in the 2010 eRx Incentive program, providers may report on their adoption and use of a qualified eRx system to CMS via a qualified electronic health record (EHR) product.  Bradford-Scott Data Corporation is proud to offer Intergy EHR by Sage as that product.  For information regarding EHR/EMR, electronic prescriptions, or to schedule an EHR demo, contact us at 317-713-2065 or reply to this blog.

Cheers,
Mike