HHS sees EHR adoption at 'tipping point'
More than half of all eligible providers nationwide have received federal incentive payments for demonstrating meaningful use of EHRs, rates that have more than doubled since last year alone, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced May 22. MORE

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HHS sees EHR adoption at 'tipping point' May 23, 2013 | Erin McCann - Contributing Writer
HHS sees EHR adoption at 'tipping point'
More than half of all eligible providers nationwide have received federal incentive payments for demonstrating meaningful use of EHRs, rates that have more than doubled since last year alone, Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced May 22.
Struggle with ECG integration permeates industry May 22, 2013 | Erin McCann - Contributing Writer
Healthcare providers and industry IT professionals have expressed concern over their ECG technology's lack of bidirectional communication and poor interoperability with electronic medical record systems, according to a KLAS report released May 21.
EHRA responds to senators' MU challenge May 22, 2013 | Mike Miliard - Managing Editor
EHRA responds to senators' MU challenge
One month after six Republican senators published a white paper calling for a new approach to the federal meaningful use incentive program, the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association has drafted a point-by-point response.
Index projects profitability downtrend May 22, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Index projects downtrend in practice profitability
CareCloud, a provider of cloud-based health technology and services, and QuantiaMD, a social learning and collaboration platform for physicians, introduced the Practice Profitability Index during the HealthBeat 2013 Conference in San Francisco on May 21. It shows healthcare reform fueling top operational challenges for medical practices.
EHR integration lessons learned May 21, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor
Panelists on deck for the Health IT Summit session entitled "EHR Data: A Touchstone for Quality Care" had plenty of diverging facets to share on the topic of EHR integration, but one primary point remained: We are all in this together.
Survey seeks physician input on apps May 21, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Survey seeks physician input on mobile apps
The University of Delaware is collaborating with HIMSS Analytics and mHIMSS to assess provider attitudes toward mobile applications. Physicians, nurses and IT staff can assist in the effort by completing a brief online survey about the use of apps in the healthcare setting.
PCP groups beta-test URAC accreditation May 20, 2013 | Bernie Monegain - Editor
Physician groups beta-test URAC clinical integration program
The independent standards organization created the new program to serve as a roadmap for health providers to achieve clinical integration and accountable care. By earning URAC accreditation, providers will demonstrate they are delivering improved patient care and reducing costs.
Medicare Advantage outshines FFS May 20, 2013 | Chris Anderson - Contributing Editor
Medicare Advantage outshines fee-for-service model in study
U.S. private insurers have created an operating model that can deliver better care at a lower cost and have a major role to play in the ongoing national efforts to improve healthcare quality, according to Stefan Larsson, co-author of a newly released report from Boston Consulting Group.

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CAH II physicians can attest for up to $39,000 in EHR incentives
Physicians who assign their reimbursement and billing to a Critical Access Hospital under Method II may participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program as eligible professionals, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CAH II physicians can begin submitting attestations in 2014.
4 reasons why ICD-10 matters May 21, 2013 | Carl Natale - ICD10Watch
4 reasons why ICD-10 matters
Robert Tagalicod, director of the Office of E-Health Standards and Services, summarizes how important ICD-10 is to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The benefits of e-prescribing May 20, 2013 | Molly Merrill - Contributing writer
The benefits of e-prescribing
Using an e-prescribing system integrated with its EHR, East Lake Pediatrics in Trinity, Fla., not only cuts down on wait times for patients, but improves efficiency for physicians and staff as well.
Drilling down on clinical summaries May 17, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Drilling down on clinical summaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated its website with two new FAQs regarding clinical summaries as they relate to the agency's incentive programs for making meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Here's the latest guidance.
3 ways practices can empower staff May 16, 2013 | Amanda Guerrero - Contributing Writer
3 ways physician practices can empower staff
How do you engage employees and get them to feel committed to your practice? You do this by making sure that they are challenged, that they feel valued, and their role within your practice is important. Here are a few tips you can use to increase empowerment among your staff.
Breaking the cycle of 'Groundhog Day' May 15, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor
How BI can break the cycle of healthcare's Groundhog Day
To ensure that your organization or practice is capturing and implementing the best data out there, Health IT Summit panelists proffered the following tips and tricks to navigating through challenges and coming out on top by wielding proper business intelligence.
How Is Your Website Feeling? May 14, 2013 | David S. Brooks - Vice President, Client Services, Doctor.com
David Brooks
[Sponsored Content] Today’s practice manager is responsible for an effective marketing strategy, especially involving the website and (more importantly) the dozens of social media platforms that patients use to find doctors. To help you make good decisions about your web marketing programs, here's a checklist of seven diagnostic questions to determine the health of your practice web site and web presence.
Double down on EHR and PQRS incentives May 13, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Double down on EHR and PQRS incentives
If you treat Medicare patients and bill for Part B services on the Physician Fee Schedule, you may be eligible for two incentive programs offered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Join Intel and CareCloud for a “how-to” webinar on practical strategies and best practices for securing sensitive data, moving from in-house EHR to cloud-based EHR, and unlocking the security, scalability and cost-saving benefits of more agile cloud solutions.
As healthcare providers implement health IT to comply with federal mandates and participate in quality of care programs, VNA solutions can play a critical role in helping them meet their needs today and in their future IT initiatives. Forward-thinking healthcare providers around the world are already successfully meeting this challenge with VNA. Download this Healthcare IT News eBook to learn how VNA enables exchange, supports data consolidation and IT simplification.
Saving Private Practice: The Front Office April 03, 2013 | Resource Central
20 million newly-insured patients will enter the healthcare system by 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act. 80% of these newly-insured patients are deemed “High Risk” for non-payment. As a practitioner, you cannot afford inefficient front office processes. In this webinar, learn about the changing healthcare landscape, how it may affect you, and best practices for ensuring you receive payment.
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Federal Government laid the groundwork for the nationwide implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems as a measure to improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and increase the level of overall public health. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) program requires providers to demonstrate meaningful use (MU) of an electronic health record system to be eligible for monetary incentives. The implementation of EHR and compliance with meaningful use regulations, should be a top priority for all eligible healthcare professionals (EPs).
Choosing the right service for your billing may be among the most important decisions for your practice. Use this guide to make sure you’re covering all of your bases when selecting this important partner. Learn why you should outsource your billing now and how to find medical billing service providers. In addition, this guide will tell you what questions to ask during your selection process and more.
Achieving the highest revenue potential in your medical practice is only found through applying innovative and proven operational principles. The Revenue Cycle Mastery Training and Companion Guide outlines how to implement these industry best practices and secure reimbursements in your practice.
EHR & Practice Management Software Buyer's Guide November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
Eliminate buyer's remorse! Make the right software choice for your medical practice the first time. This paper includes a comprehensive checklist of features and functionality that you must consider in your search for medical software. Cut to the chase to be aware of hidden costs, contract terms, and true ROI.
What You Should Know About ICD-10 Codes November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
This paper identifies what medical offices need to know about ICD-10 codes including: Facts, timing & impact of ICD-10 medical codes; expansion of ICD medical code base; ICD-10 impact on the medical practice and comparison table of ICD-9 & ICD-10 diagnosis medical codes.

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Apparently the HIPAA 5010 transition isn't over May 23, 2013 | Carl Natale - ICD10Watch
It surprises me that more than a year after the HIPAA 5010 deadline, some healthcare providers are figuring out that they can't rely on clearinghouses.
The big data bubble May 20, 2013 | Arlen Meyers - CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs
Arlen Meyers
Most doctors need targeted, small bits of information to make clinical decisions, not reams of data.
On EHR data integrity: A patient's perspective May 17, 2013 | Deborah Kohn - Principal and Founder, Dak Systems Consulting
Deborah Kohn
It's time our industry professionals address the integrity of information contained in EHRs, not just the technical and operational mechanisms for the sending and receiving of the information.
Carl Natale
I have to wonder if practice isn't a compelling enough reason for medical offices of all sizes to try dual coding.
More trouble May 14, 2013 | Rob Lamberts, MD
Rob Lamberts
I want my patients to see as few doctors, be sick as infrequently, and be on as few drugs as possible. I hope to wage an all-out assault on "more."
Comparative analytics: The future of business intelligence in healthcare May 09, 2013 | Brian Fugere - Chief Operating Officer, RemitDATA
Brian Fugere
Comparative analytics solutions leverage the concepts of business intelligence but contextually compare that data against peers and other benchmarks.
Telling a good story May 01, 2013 | Rob Lamberts, MD
Rob Lamberts
In some ways things are going about as well as could be expected with my new practice. The hard part has been that I have not been able to find tools to help me organize my business so it can run efficiently.
Sequester could doom funding for promising cancer research April 30, 2013 | Deborah J. Cornwall
Deborah J. Cornwall
In an environment where we are concerned about creating jobs, cutting research funding is not just shortsighted -- it is economically and morally wrong.

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DoctorBase, a leading mobile solution provider for medical practices, today announced it has surpassed 10,000 doctors on its mHealth-as-a-service platform (mHaaS), a 104 percent increase over the past year. DoctorBase’s PANDA software provides medical practices with free and low-cost tools that allow clinicians to interact with patients through smartphones.
Vidyo, Inc. and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) today announced that they have partnered to add Vidyo’s visual communications and collaboration capabilities to ANTHC’s existing statewide telehealth network -- AFHCAN.
GFI Software today announced the availability of GFI FaxMaker Online, a streamlined cloud-based fax solution designed to meet the needs of small and midsized businesses (SMBs). GFI FaxMaker Online provides ubiquitous faxing from any Internet-connected device, with no hardware, software or dedicated phone lines required.
Kareo Raises $20.5 Million to Fuel Rapid Growth January 23, 2013 | Industry Release
Kareo, Inc., a cloud-based medical office software provider for small medical practices, announced today the closing of a new $20.5 million equity investment led by Stripes Group with participation from existing Kareo investor Western Technology Investments. This new funding is in addition to the $18 million previously raised, bringing Kareo’s total funding to more than $38 million. Kareo will use the new capital to launch Kareo Billing Services, a technology-enabled revenue cycle management solution for small medical practices, and is extending its market reach and leadership position through new investment in sales and marketing.
UpToDate Releases MobileComplete for Android December 13, 2012 | Industry Release
Wolters Kluwer Health, a provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that UpToDate, part of Wolters Kluwer Health, released MobileComplete for Android users. A downloadable local version of its free app, UpToDate MobileComplete, is the fastest mobile version of UpToDate, providing clinicians with access to evidence-based, practical recommendations, even offline. With this release, UpToDate offers customers local access to trusted, evidence-based information across iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
MediSafe Project (www.MediSafeProject.com) launched today the first-ever cloud-synced mobile app helping families prevent emergencies caused by over- or under-dosing medications.
WellFX announced that Columbia Valley Community Health (CVCH) has deployed its first-of-a-kind, private, social platform to patients across CVCH’s obstetrics (OB) practice. The WellFX social platform delivers innovative, provider-directed care through a social community of fellow new and expecting parents and qualified educational resources. In November, CVCH launched the platform for OB patients across its seven facilities, which provide care for more than 25,000 people in Wenatchee and Chelan, WA.
ADP AdvancedMD, a leader in all-in-one, cloud electronic health record (EHR), practice management, and medical scheduling software as well as medical billing services, today announced new charge capture functionality for the ADP AdvancedMD iPad app. Hundreds of medical practices already use the ADP AdvancedMD iPad app, released last quarter. Now physicians can use the app for charge entry instead of tedious paper-based processes, saving time and minimizing missed charges.

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