EMR Systems

• Patient Flow Tracking
• Electronic RX or E-prescribe
• EHR progress note documenting
• Orders
• Recording Vitals
• Charge Submission
• EM Coding
• Tasking and Phone Messaging

• Alphabetically
• By Medication Class
• Doctor's Favorites
• Doctor's Favorites by diagnosis
• By Problem Lists
• Previous Prescribed Medications

What is the biggest complaint about going to the doctor's office? The amount of time we spend in the waiting room! Everybody is busy and tries to save time. If my doctor was always late, I would find a new Doctor. But how do you as a doctor know if your patients are waiting for hours in the waiting room?

This is a feature that our Medical Software Systems offer. The system has a tracking system that will track the time the patient spends at your office. The medical software not only displays the whole time the patient is there, but where they spend the most of their time at.

The system starts with your schedule in the Medical Office Billing Software. Then as the patient works their way into a room and is actual seen by a provider that time is tracked by the Electronic Health System. Bradford-Scott's Medical Software systems are integrated allowing an overall report to be created on your patent's time.

This will not only allow you to better server your patients, it will also prove the amount of time you spend with your patent's for Medical Billing coding. If you were ever under an audit you could prove the level of office visit that you are coding at.

This is a great benefit not only for patient satisfaction, but also for you as a doctor being able to code visits at the level you deserve.

• What kind of training do you offer? Is it classroom training, web-based training, or self training?
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• What is your implementation plan?
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• How can you offer me better service then your competitors?
• What Medical Software support is available to me on the product?
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• What kind of Back up support do you offer is something were to happen to my EMR system?

Meaningful What? Stimulus What? Who's on first?  Can somebody explain this in 500 word or less?

Let me break down Meaningful Use as simply as I can.

• $19 billion have been allocated by the federal government to encourage the health care industry to adopt information technology (more specifically an Electronic Health Records System).
• To be eligible to get some of the $19 billion you must do 3 things

1. Be an eligible professional or hospital
2. Implement a certified EHR product between 2011 and 2014
3. Use it in a Meaningful Way

Okay, are you still with me?  Then let's go one level deeper. Let's make some assumptions:

• You are an eligible professional (doctors of medicine, etc.)
• You have or will have a certified EHR system.  (All vendors in the medical software industry will have to get their software certified (including CCHIT) or go out of business.  We are going to assume your system is or will be certified)

There are two types of incentive programs (The Medicare way or the Medicaid way).  You can pick either but you can't choose both at the same time!
 

• Medicare:  Physicians that treat Medicare patients can receive up to $44,000 payable over 5 years.

• Medicaid:  Physicians that treat Medicaid patients are eligible for up to $63,750 payable over 6 years

Are there strings attached?  Of course.  And the biggest string is called 'Meaningful Use'.  The Government isn't going to just give you some cash for buying or even implementing an EHR system.  You have to prove to them that you can use it in a meaningful way that improves patient health care.  And they plan to accomplish this string by outlining 25 objectives and ways to measure those objectives.  Most of the measurements are percentage based.  (For Example:   At least 50% of all clinical lab tests whose results are in a positive/negative or numerical format need to be recorded in the EHR as structured data.)

For a complete list of these objectives, I recommend that you check out CMS or contact Bradford-Scott.  One important note:  The Meaningful Use definition is still under a proposed state and can be commented on until March.

That's it.  That's the nutshell.  Oh, and there is one more catch.  Starting in 2015, those physicians who choose to not participate will receive a 1% reduction in their Medicare allowed charges.  This reduction will increase by 1% each year up to a maximum of 5%.

So the moral of the story is that if you have plans on implementing an EHR/EMR system don't wait.  If you begin using it in a meaningful way in 2011 you are going to get more incentive payments than implementing in 2014.  And if you don't implement by 2015 you  are going to lose Medicare reimbursements.

Do you need help on what to do next?  Whether you are cardiology, orthopedics, or family practice, contact Bradford-Scott and ask about our Sage Intergy EHR system and how it can help you prove your meaningful use and improve patient care.

(and I kept it under 500 words!)
 

• Electronic Eligibility (important in the high deductible world we now live in)
• Pre-collection of copays
• Advanced collection modules
• Clearinghouse integrations
• eStatments, eCollcetion Letters, etc.
• Claim Scrubbing
• Patient Portals via the web
• Image scanning
• and many more...

Have you put your plans for an electronic medical record system (EMR) in "time out" until the Meaningful Use law goes into effect?

If so, the wait is almost over, as the law is currently in the comment period.  Once Phase I criteria has been signed into law, the push will be on as everyone will want to get their share of  the stimulus money. 

Here are a few things to consider:



TIME:  Implementing an EMR is not an overnight process.  First things first -   commit your time!  Converting paper processes into electronic ones requires that you determine what steps you currently do and then setup the most effective way to reconstruct those electronically.  With a proposed list of 25 criteria for Phase I, you can easily see that time will be a factor.

CHANGE:  Everyone from the receptionist to the physician will be affected.  Don't make the mistake of thinking that an EMR system will only affect the physician. Take the time to get the staff invested, so they respond positively to changes in the office.  Try short meetings or lunches to review where everything stands - it's a great way to soothe anxiety.

SUPPORT:  When you select your EMR software, it's also important to pick the correct vendor.  Bradford-Scott Data Corporation provides excellent service and support to our clients.  Sage Intergy EHR V5.5 is CCHIT 2008 certified and has existing templates for multiple specialties and is easily customizable.  We use a blend of onsite, webinars, classroom and computer based training to take you live on our Intergy EHR system.  Our trainers will work with you to make the transition from paper to an electronic world.

Talk to one of our medical consultants today and see why Bradford-Scott Data Corporation customers are successful with EMR.

• Phone support for medical billing system and electronic medical records software
• Phone support for hardware, including servers, printers, backups, etc.
• Training classes for new and existing medical claims software and EMR customers
• On-site implementation of Intergy by Sage and Intergy EHR by Sage
• EDI Enrollment for new and existing customers
• R&D for our medical office billing software and EHR software
• Interface work with hospital information systems, labs, and EMR systems
• Countless other things...including blogging!

If not, you might want to give this a read...

There is a ton of content talking about EMR Systems, meaningful use, stimulus dollars, and the governments American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.   There is a tidal wave of anticipation and preparation going on in many physician offices around the country.  Rules have now been proposed and thousands of doctors are making the investment in an EMR Software now to ensure they are prepared to collect their share of the pie. 

If your office hasn't made the investment yet, it's not too late, but time may be running out.  There are several reasons why investing in an EMR System now is more important than ever.

1)  Your office may need to demonstrate meaningful use for all required measures depending on specialty.   Did you know there are 25 of them?   Healthcare IT outlines the details in this article and shows that there is much to do.  Did you know you have if you miss one of them you may not qualify for any of the money?   Timing will be key.  Physicians will want to have a comprehensive grasp of their product before they begin the reporting period.   Once you are on the clock so to speak, you want to make sure you're ready.

2) Software vendor's schedules are filling up.   Is the office down the street implementing an EMR?   Maybe the group next door as well?  There is a pretty good chance that many of your colleagues have entered into the game or soon will.   This means vendors will be swamped and schedules will fill up fast.   Don't wait until the line gets too long.  Take advantage today.

3) What if the money runs out?  We've seen it before..."Cash for Clunkers".  I'm guessing that there is a bucket of cash for this project and when it's gone, it's going to be hard to get paid.  I'd much rather be on the front end of the line then the back.   Only time will tell if there is enough money or not, but I'd rather not find out the hard way.

4) Did you know there are proposed penalties for not successfully implementing an EMR by the mandated deadlines?   As I mentioned before, each office will want ample time to implement and adjust business practices to meet the requirements. 

5) It takes time to find the right product and vendor.  You'll want to spend enough time looking at EMR Systems and completed a thourogh EMR Review.   Finding a local vendor with a nationally backed product is key.

Many practices have completed their EMR Reviews and are well on their way to meeting or exceeding the milestones necessary to qualify for stimulus money.   There is still time to get on board and tack advantage of this rare opportunity.   However, there is an expiration date, and that my friends will be here before we know it.  

Give Bradford-Scott a call at 317-713-2065 or check us out on the web at www.bradfordscott.com for all the information you need regarding the ARRA guidelines.

As always, feel free to comment.

Go Colts!

Jason

The world has become the greatest witness to all that has happened and occurred since the world started evolving.  Great historical events, famine, revolutions, liberation, natural calamities are just some facts that are few to mention.  When it comes to technology, I believe that necessity is truly the mother of all inventions, and I also believe that we should all honor the inventors that have answered all these needs.  They have provided us Technology that was only imagined ages ago. The medical field is one fastest changing fields in the entire industry. Electronic medical software is seeing changes almost as fast as the actual diagnosis and treatments the Providers are practicing. In the high-tech world we live in these days, it is our duty and responsibility to take good care of  how we use it, and how we affect others.  Awareness is the key to using it properly and how we could benefit from it proactively.

Personal files, important government documents, medical records, etc. have to be safe and secured at all times.  Just think of the time, resources and trouble we could save, when these things are safe and in order.  If an office can save time and money in these areas, just imagine what it could do for the nation, or the whole world.  During January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake.  All the victims, rich and poor,  became helpless as they witnessed their properties and livelihood devastated.  Natural Calamities like these and other remind us how easy it is to lose all of our valuable possessions. Business's are no different, because they have very important documents that are essential to their existence and continuity of providing service.  At Bradford Scott, we have Electronic Health Records and the latest technology to help your office be more efficient, save money and keep patient records accessible and safe.

 So, why not go paperless? 

Advantages and Benefits

•  Fast document retrieval
•  Elimination of paper
•  Eliminating filing systems
•  Everyone can access the documents and patient records
•  Easier to read records
•  Eliminate transcription costs
•  Free up time on phones with pharmacies and labs
•  Huge time saver
•  Huge space saver
•  Reduce expenses
•  Reduces errors
•  Reduces duplicate tests
•  Electronic prescriptions and incentives for using it

You can contact Bradford Scott Data Corp:
for all the details http://www.bradfordscott.com/index.php




 

The “red flags” rule is now scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2010, after another delay announced earlier by the Federal Trade Commission as it considers new legislation that would exempt small businesses, including medical practices, from compliance. The rule mandates the creation of identity theft prevention programs, and will apply to any organization that can be considered a creditor with “covered” accounts (i.e.-commercial accounts that involve multiple transactions). Most providers, many physician medical billing companies and some health plans are expected to comply.

The American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and other industry groups have weighed in against the rule, on the basis that physicians do not meet the definition of creditors. A completely sensible argument. But medical practices need to proactively engage in some agreed set of identity theft prevention practices.  Incidences of medical identity theft are increasing. Smaller medical practices (which account for nearly 80% of all U.S. practices) may be more vulnerable, as thieves could perceive them to be lower risk targets based on the assumption that they lack the sophisticated security procedures of hospitals or larger health care organizations.

Despite the widespread outcry from industry groups, the actual impact on a practice for complying with the red flag rule may be minimal. The new rule would simply buttress state privacy laws that already require health care organizations to respond to breaches of certain patient information. In addition, there is a great deal of overlap between the proposed FTC regulations and HIPAA, which applies to medical practices or other entities that are conducting electronic transactions. But you should still be vary aware of these red flags. You must be able to protect your patient medical records.

Here are some Red Flag identifiers:

• Suspicious documents. Has a new patient given you identification documents that look altered or forged? Is the photograph or physical description on the ID inconsistent with what the patient looks like? Did the patient give you other documentation inconsistent with what he or she has told you — for example, an inconsistent date of birth or a chronic medical condition not mentioned elsewhere? Under the Red Flags Rule, you may need to ask for additional information from that patient.
• Suspicious personally identifying information. If a patient gives you information that does not match what you have learned from other sources, it may be a red flag of identity theft. For example, if the patient gives you a home address, birth date, or Social Security number that does not match information on file or from the insurer then fraud could be afoot.
• Suspicious activities. Is mail returned repeatedly as undeliverable, even though the patient still shows up for appointments? Does a patient complain about receiving a bill for a service that he or she didn't  get? Is there an inconsistency between a physical examination or medical history reported by the patient and the treatment records? These questionable activities may be red flags of identity theft.
• Notices from victims of identity theft, law enforcement authorities, insurers, or others suggesting possible identity theft. Have you received word about identity theft from another source? Cooperation is key. Heed warnings from others that identity theft may be ongoing.
  
  
  If you’re covered by the Rule, your red flag program must:

1. Identify the kinds of red flags that are relevant to your practice
2. Explain your process for detecting them
3. Describe how you’ll respond to red flags to prevent and mitigate identity theft
4. Spell out how you’ll keep your program current.

At Bradford Scott Data Corporation our EMR systems and our medical practice billing software has several built in features that can help you protect your patients from identity theft. Please contact our sales team at : www.bradfordscott.com/medical.php

Medical practices concerned about compliance can learn more at:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/physician-resources/red-flags-rule.shtml
 

An EHR is like a good pair of shoes – you want them to fit right or you are going to feel the pain. And let’s face it, selecting the right EMR system and practice management system for your practice is not an easy task – particularly for practitioners who may not have IT expertise. Plus, there are more than 400 vendors of EHR/EMR products on the market today. It’s important to exercise caution and perform a thorough due diligence, but where should you start?

Bradford Scott Data Corp believes we have an amazing product that will truly improve your practice’s efficiencies and profitability, and we only want you to buy our software if it’s the “right fit” for you. We’ve got the insight of 25+ years of experience in the field of health information technology. But don’t just take our word for it. We encourage you to check our personal Provider references and letters.

Now you are ready to start approaching vendors and looking for the practice management and EHR solution that best fits the needs of your practice. If the vendor does not suit you, cross them off your list and continue to the next vendor. And don’t forget to demo the software. Have a vendor representative walk you through how the software works, and ask lots of questions! Once you have a shortlist of vendors, consider the following and make your decision.

1. What is involved in product implementation?
2. Is the implementation process disruptive to your day-to-day operations?
3. What kind of training is available?
4. What is the response time if you have problems next week or next year?
5. How long has the company been around?
6. What are the hardware requirements – will it require you to buy new systems?
7. Who is responsible for data back-ups?
8. How will the data be securely stored to protect your patients’ privacy?
9. How often will the software/hardware need to be upgraded and what will this cost?
10. Is the solution scalable as your practice grows?

By now, you have a couple of vendors who are standing out from the rest. The functionality meets the needs of your practice and you are starting to get excited about how the new practice management software and EHR solution can help your practice. Now it’s time to get references and ask your peers what they think about the software. Here are some questions you can ask:

1. How smooth was the implementation?
2. How well was training conducted?
3. What do you like best about the software?
4. What do you like least about the software?

Hopefully this has helped to further narrow your selection. Remember that you get what you pay for and you shouldn’t waste your time on products that don’t meet the needs you identified at the beginning of the process. Focusing on cost first could rule out some of the best products and minimize your chance to find the best solution that maximizes your potential gains – giving you a shoe that just doesn’t fit.

Please contact us for more information: http://www.bradfordscott.com/medical.php

**Last week marked the opening of the 60-day window for public comment about the HHS’ meaningful use” rules.  Input from practitioners and other stakeholders will help to refine the final version, which is expected to be completed in Spring of 2010.

**Since the Health Information Technology Policy Committee’s July 2009 meeting, many practitioners have been feeling uneasy about moving forward with what could potentially be a large financial and human resource investment without more definite and final criteria defining meaningful use. The December 2009 updates do not significantly change the committee’s earlier direction. Variations are minor, and include the ability to implement drug-drug/drug-allergy checks, e-prescribe and check insurance availability electronically.

**While the clarifications are much welcomed, many providers (and some in the health information technology community) see a long road ahead in achieving meaningful use. The first step will be adoption, and providers are reticent to adopt unless they see the potential for a better work flow and improved outcomes for their patients.

**Providers,  now’s the time to weigh in. You can accept the government’s initial effort and be subservient to the criteria, whether they are realistic or within reach. Or, make sure that the seeds are planted now for you to eventually cultivate technologies that remove complexity, are user friendly and have the greatest impact on patient care.

Is Your Practice Ready for the Red Flags Rule?

Like many of our customers, we strive to stay on the pulse of industry changes.  For me, reading up on health care trends is about more than staying in-the-know and being able to speak intelligently about the vast changes going on around us.  I try to stay current because our customers depend on it.   Today, I want to share with you my knowledge about an important industry game-changer, and explain what is included in your medical software system to  facilitate a smooth adoption of this new policy for every one of your customers. We know how important your patient medical records are to your practice.

What are some of the types of companies that must be Red Flags Compliant?

Starting June 1, 2010, the FTC will begin enforcing the Red Flags Rule. This law will require health care providers that are considered "creditors" to develop a written program to identify, detect, and respond to indicators or "red flags" of identity theft. If your organization allows deferred patient payments until services are rendered and insurance is collected, you are considered a "creditor" by the FTC, and the Red Flags Rule applies to you. In order to assist health care providers, the AMA has prepared a guidance document along with sample policies. 

Our EMR systems and practice management system has several built-in tools that facilitate adoption of your Red Flags Rule policy. These include:

• Patient "Dup Check" - Detect duplicate SSN or Last-First-DOB entries in your system.
• Patient Merge - Detect information similarities across all your patient accounts.
• Insurance Eligibility - Detect PHI that conflicts with insurance provider records.
• USPS statements Verification - Detect addresses that conflict with USPS database.
• Scanned images programs - Capture images of your patients driver's license and     insurance card.
• Patient Notes & account alerts - Flag an account in question and keep track of the investigation process.

As your medical office software provider, here at Bradford Scott data Corporation, we are dedicated to your success and we are committed to delivering quality solutions that keep you on the cutting edge of compliance.  Does your medical office billing software and EMR system cover all your needs to help you get ready for the Red Flag rule? Contact us for all of your Physician medical billing needs  bradfordscott.com/index.php