| ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHRs) |
| |
| ADOPT |
|
|
| |
|
| Plan / Assess |
|
- Assess Your EHR Readiness This tool developed by AmericanEHR Partners (AEP) will help you evaluate your preparedness for implementing and EHR. A readiness score will be generated by answering a set of simple questions relating to preparedness in key areas that affect EHR adoption.
- Best Practices Case Studies Case studies gathered by AmericanEHR Partners (AEP) that record the expriences of real practices that went through EHR implementation. These reports can help physicians gain a better understanding of the challenges and benefits of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
- Successful Meaningful Use Attestation by EHR Vendors This PDF list show you the number of individual physicians that have succesfully attested to Meaningful Use with a particular EHR system from April 1, 2011 through January 31, 2013. Before selecting a particular vendor, it is alway good to check and see how many successful attestations they have had.
- HIT Key Acronyms A list of commonly used acronyms in Health Information Technology (HIT). - pdf
- TMA Texas Region Extention Center (REC) resouce center Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are founded by grants from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to offer education, outreach, and technical assistance to help physicians implement and "meaningfully use" certified electronic medical record technology. Texas received grants to creat four RECs covering different parts of Texas.
- AMA - Answer to HIT FAQs
- Greater Houston Healthconnect-Preferred EHR Vendors As part of GHH’s preferred vendor program, EHR vendors will provide complimentary interface to the regional health information exchange. For futher information about participating vendors click on link above to go to GHH's preferred vendor Web Site.
- HELPFUL ARTICLES AND FACT SHEETS
- ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR) SURVEYS
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Select |
|
- HELPFUL ARTICLES AND FACTSHEETS
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| UTILIZE |
|
| |
|
| Implement |
|
- A Guide to Service and License Agreements (PDF) TMA guide on how to negotiate service and license agreements with EHR vendors
- AMA-Implementing Health IT
- EMR Implementation Guide, 2nd Edition - Texas Medical Association. This implementation guide offers a nontechnical view of the steps necessary for the successful introduction of HIT with an emphasis on the needs of a smaller practice. This publication will walk you through the process of acquiring and learning to use HIT.
- Training and EHR Satisfaction - This report based on a survey conducted by AmericanEHR Partners demonstrate the importance of training in achieving higher satisfaction and usability with an EHR product.
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Effective Use |
|
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Reporting EHR Concerns |
|
- EHR Safety Event Reporting Service Texas A&M University, through its Patient Safety Organization, has worked with the Texas Medical Association to develop a reporting system that is user friendly and efficient to forward concerns you may have about your EHR system.
- Reporting can be done in less than 5 minutes with mostly check-box questions.
- Allows hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers to voluntarily report issues that develop with EHR systems that could create or result in patient safety issues on a privileged and confidential basis
- EHR Safety Event Reporting Service is a service of PDR Secure™, a Patient Safety Organization (“PSO”).
- PSOs are created as a result of the Federal Patient Safety and Quality Act of 2005 with oversight and governance by iHealth Alliance
- The iHealth Alliance
- A not-for-profit organization chaired by Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., past President of Health Science Center and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for Texas A&M University System.
- The mission of iHealth Alliance is to protect the interests of patients and providers and oversees the security, privacy and data use of the PSO
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| EXCHANGE |
|
| |
|
| Interoperability |
|
- Greater Houston Healthconnect (GHH)-formerly known as Greater Houston Health Information Exchange (GHHIE).
- GHH is a regional community network for electronic health information exchange that allows all providers to securely share and access their patient’s health information for enhanced transitions of care.
- GHH Services Click on this link to sign up or read more about the services offered by GHH.
|
|
|
| |
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| INCENTIVES |
|
| |
|
| General |
|
- CMS EHR Incentive Programs - In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) established criteria for Medicare and Medicaid participating physicians to receie financial incentives for using EHRs in a meaningful manner. Implementation of certified EHR technology will enable physicians to take advantage of Federal Stimulus funding of up to $44,000 in additional Medicare payments and up to $63,750 in additional Medicaid payments between 2011 and 2015.
- Attestation for Incentive Programs
- To receive the incentive payment physicians must "attest" to meaingfully using their EHR. This means physicians have to go on the website and report yes/no as to weather they have completed the required measurements.
- CMS Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator - This online tool allows physicians to test whether or not they would successfully demonstrate meaningful use for the EHR Incentive Programs.
- CMS Attestation Webinar a 20 minute YouTube video providing a step by step demonstration on how to use the attestation system and answer common questions about attestation for the Medicare Program
- TMA-Meaningful Use Achievement Toolkit (NextGen, GE/Centricity, e-MDs, Greenway Medical) - EHR product specific screenshots and video demonstrations giving detailed demonstrations on meeting any one of the 25 meaninful use criteria
- HELPFUL ARTICLES AND FACTSHEETS
- Medicare and Medicaid EMR Incentive Comparison TMA comparison chart
- Can I benefit from these three incentive programs at once? TMA discuss PQRS, e-RX, and EHR incentive program
- CMS Tip Sheet - Comparison of EHR, E-Prescribing, and PQRS incentives
- Established EMR users - This article is for you! Meet meaningful use and receive bonus payment. HCMS Physician Newsletter, Nov 15, 2010 issue.
- CMS flow chart to help determine eligibility for incentive programs
- HIT Parade - Texas Medicare, Medicaid EHR incentives reach $30 million HCMS Physician Newsletter, Nov 1, 2011 issue
- HIT Parade - Successful reporting of clinical quality measures (CQMs) HCMS Physician Newsletter, Oct 1, 2011
- HIT Parade - Education and Assistance. TMA HIT hotline, what EHR incentive programs are right for my office? What steps are required to earn EHR incentives? HCMS Physician Newsletter, Aug 2011 issue.
- Registration for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs is now open HCMS Physician Newsletter, February 1, 2011 issue
- Health Information Technology Policy Committee advises HHS on Stage 2 Meaningful use (Jan 12, 2011)
- CMS EHR incentive programs milestone timeline
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Meaningful Use |
|
STAGE 1
- "Meaningful Use" means physicians need to show their certified EHR meets specific criterias that can be measured and reported (e.g., able to record demographic information, able to
- These criteria are expected to be adopted in 3 stages, currently we are in stage 1, stage 2 rules have been proposed but not finalized. Stage 3 is expected to be implemented in 2015.
- For stage 1, physician must meet 20/25 meaningful use objective. 15 are core objective which means that all participating physicians must meet these objectives. The remaining 5 objective can be choosen from a list of 10 menu set objectives.
- HCMS Incentive Calculator HCMS has developed a calculator to assist our members in evaluating the Medicare incentives. The calculator gives you an opportunity to see how penalties and the incentives will affect you in different scenarios new 2012 (Members only)
- TMA-Meaningful Use Achievement Toolkit (NextGen, GE/Centricity, e-MDs, Greenway Medical) - EHR product specific screenshots and video demonstrations giving detailed demonstrations on meeting any one of the 25 meaninful use criteria
- Meaningful use glossary and requirements table for 2011-2012 (AMA) (Medicare/Medicaid)
- Meaningful Use Measures Comparison Grid AMA Helpful grid comparing stage 1 and stage 2 core and menu measures required for meaningful use reporting
- Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Measures This document created by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lists all 25 objectives specified in the stage 1 rules and also give specific information on what is required to meet each objective.
- Changes to Stage 1 Meaningful Use Measures as part of the published final rule on Stage 2 Meaningful Use, CMS also made changed to the Stage 1 meaingful use objectives, measures, and exclusion for physicians. These changes will not take effect until calendar year 2014 and will be optional in 2013. Thid PDF document gives a summary of these changes.
STAGE 2
- HELPFUL ARTICLES
- HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS & WEBSITES
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Medicare |
|
- Registration for Incentive Programs
- Attestation for Incentive Programs
|
|
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Medicaid |
|
- Registration for Incentive Programs
- Attestation for Incentive Programs
- Medicaid professionals will attest through the state. (TMHP)
|
|
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| |
|
| Meaningful Use Audits |
|
| |
|
- Anyone who receives incentives could be audited by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
- 5-10 percent of physicians are undergoing a pre-pay Meaningful Use (MU) Audit.
- CMS has engaged The Garden City, N.Y., accounting firm Figliozzi & Co. to conduct these audits.
- Although these audits are not expected to involve site visits, the firm is sending letters asking for documentation supporting the meaningful use attestation.
- The four type of documentation the firm is asking for includes:
- Documentation from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT showing use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) system for meaningful use attestation;
- Information about the method used to report emergency department admissions (for hospitals);
- Documentation that the attestation for the core set of meaningful use criteria was completed; and
- Documentation that the required number of menu set meaningful use objectives was completed
- Physicians selected for audits will initially have two weeks to submit their documentation. If the auditors requests more information, physicians will then only have one week to respond with additional information.
- CMS is advising all physicians who are receiving incentives for meaningful use to retain all supporting documentation for six year.
- Common concerns or complaints from physicians undergoing audits include:
- Requests for information to support attestation that is difficult to produce (i.e. screen shots showing a requirement was met since some products cannot do this).
- Requests for information that physicians were never informed that they needed to retain.
- Extremely short response times to furnish information to the MU audit contractor.
- Physician who have received both pre-payment and post-payment audits.
- Physicians can contact the auditing firm with any questions or concerns using the information below:
- Peter Figliozzi
Figliozzi & Company, CPAs P.C.
585 Stewart Avenue
Suite 416
Garden City, NY 11530
pfigliozzi@figliozzi.com
(516) 745-6400 ext. 302
- CMS MU Audits Supporting Documentation Guide this guide will give physicians a general guideline on what type of documentation the auditors are expecting and gives additional general information on what to expect during a pre or post payment audit.
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|
| Degrees and Certification Programs in HIT |
|
- Houston Community College-Coleman College for Health Science
- 2 year Associate Degree in Applied Science. Upon completion of the program, graduates can apply for certification examination to become:
- Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA) sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
- Certified Professional Coder (CPC) sponsored by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
- Six Month Continuing Education Program (online)
- This is a six month program geared toward individuals already working in the healthcare or information technology field who would like to learn more Health Information Technology
- Students focus on one of the follwing six workforce roles:
- Practice workflow and information management redesign specialist
- Clinician/practitioner Consultant
- Implementation Support Specialist
- Implementation Manager
- Technical/Software Support Staff
- Trainer
- Upon completion of the program, graduates are expected to sit for the national competency exam developed by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
- Lone Star College System-Health Information Technology Program
- 2 year Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology. Upon completion of the program, graduates can apply for certification examination to become Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT)
- 1 year certification program. Upon completion, graduates can apply for certification examination to become a Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-School of Biomedical Informatics
- Graduate certificate program
- For professionals with a Bachelor's degree already working in the healthcare or information technology field who would like to learn more about Health Information Technology (HIT)
- The program consists of 5 semester long classes. Individuals can choose to participate in a set of 5 classes focusing on health informatics or choose any 5 classes from the catalog
- Master of Science in Health Informatics
- Traditional or on-line format offered
- Doctor of Philosophy in Health Informatics
|
|
|
| Return to Menu |
|