A Focus on Literacy: Communication Skills Training to Improve Outcomes (Sarah Coles MD)
Medical education requires learning a complex new vocabulary to effectively communicate with physicians, the health care team, and the scientific community. However, this jargon does not translate to effective communication with patients. Patients remember little of what is discussed during a clinical encounter. Written advice, teach back techniques, and plain language can improve retention and compliance. Additionally, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) expect physicians to provide a clinical summary to patients following at least 50% of encounters to meet requirements for stage 2 of meaningful use. ...
Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded - April 19, 2016 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Testing new payment models: One pilot program ’s success
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As physicians await the final rule on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), specialty societies across the country are getting a head start in testing out possibilities for alternative payment models (APM) to shift the health care system toward value-based care and payment. One practice at the University of Colorado recently showed that a new model could reduce frequent emergency department (ED) visits by roughly 40 percent. < /p > < p > < strong > How the pilot program reduced ED visits < /strong > < /p > < p >
In 2012, the Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) in Colorado was selected as a...
Source: AMA Wire - April 19, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Troy Parks Source Type: news
How doctors are developing new payment models for their specialties
New regulations under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) are on their way, and physicians will have a choice to participate in the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System or alternative payment models (APM). It’s important that physicians are involved and leading the way now in the design of APMs to ensure they work for both their patients and their practices. Learn how one physician got involved with his specialty society to develop new payment models.
Building future payment models
As a radiation oncologist in Seattle, Shilpen Patel, MD, saw opportunity in the APM option and began working wit...
Source: AMA Wire - April 15, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Amy Farouk Source Type: news
Evaluation of the Regional Extension Center Program: Final Report
Overview of methods and findings about the Regional Extension Center (REC) program implementation and impact on adoption and meaningful use of electronic health record systems. Includes discussion of ways in which RECs operating in rural areas structured their programs, given limited infrastructure. -- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center - April 13, 2016 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news
9 Safeguards to Avert Ransomware at Your Practice
Small practices can take steps to avoid being hit with ransomware. The key focus should be on implementing technical safeguards and working with staff. (Source: Physicians Practice)
Source: Physicians Practice - April 12, 2016 Category: Practice Management Authors: Stephen McCallister, CPHIT Tags: HIPAA Meaningful Use Technology Patient Confidentiality Source Type: news
From meaningful use to MACRA: What you need to know now
An AMA Viewpoints post by AMA Board Chair Stephen R. Permut, MD
A new quality reporting and payment system for Medicare is on its way. As physicians we need to understand the choices we will make about participation. This change has been a long time coming, and it will take physicians leading the way to make sure it is a step in the right direction.
How we got to this point
Thanks to years of advocacy efforts and physician voices on the matter, we were able to secure passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) early in 2015. This legislation repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formul...
Source: AMA Wire - April 5, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Troy Parks Source Type: news
EHR search platform speeds up image interpretation
A health intelligence software platform that automates retrieval of information...Read more on AuntMinnie.comRelated Reading:
3 ways to make health IT work at your hospital
Image sharing presents challenges to the enterprise
MetroHealth CIO gets clinician buy-in for content management
More than blind faith: A guide for CIOs at HIMSS 2016
Data analytics: The cornerstone of meaningful use (Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines)
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - April 5, 2016 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
Call for Applications -- Consumer Shark Tank on the Main Stage
Applications are being accepted for the 2016 Datapalooza Shark Tank, which encourages the submission of innovations related to data meaningful use, utility to patient/consumer/caregiver, with a potential to health impact and accessibility. (Source: HSR Information Central)
Source: HSR Information Central - April 4, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Projection: Even without Meaningful Use, 75 percent of adults will use PHRs in 2020
A group of researchers from Johns Hopkins, the Ohio State University, and the National Cancer Institute argue that, based on projections from NCI survey data, 75 percent of US adults will use personal health records (PHRs) by 2020, even without additional interventions. (Source: mobihealthnews)
Source: mobihealthnews - March 31, 2016 Category: Information Technology Source Type: news
More Meaningful Use Misery from One Doc
Meaningful Use continues to be a pain in the neck for one doctor, who is struggling to attest as a private practice physician. (Source: Physicians Practice)
Source: Physicians Practice - March 29, 2016 Category: Practice Management Authors: Georgia L. Newman, MD Tags: Blog Health IT Healthcare Reform EHR Meaningful Use Source Type: news
Public Health Agencies (PHAs) Getting ready for Modified Stage 2 (2015-2017), and Stage 3 MU: Guidance is being made available
PHAs preparing for Meaningful Use Modified Stage 2 and Stage 3 will have guidance documents created by the MU PH Reporting Requirements Task Force to help in implementation of the new processes. (Source: HSR Information Central)
Source: HSR Information Central - March 24, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
AAFP Argues for Extended 90-day MU Reporting Period
As the meaningful use program winds down, the AAFP is telling CMS it should maintain flexibility in the program's reporting requirements. (Source: AAFP News)
Source: AAFP News - March 18, 2016 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
Can EHRs Get You a Tax Break?
Tax experts provide insight on meaningful use payments and tax write-offs for EHR-related investments. What do practices have to know before April 15th? (Source: Physicians Practice)
Source: Physicians Practice - March 15, 2016 Category: Practice Management Authors: Aine Cryts Tags: Health IT Law & Malpractice EHR Operations Source Type: news
Four Things to Know About the 2016 OIG Work Plan
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) publishes an annual Work Plan that describes its priorities for investigating and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse of federal healthcare programs. The report is available every fall, for the following fiscal year.Reading the Work Plan should be an important, annual risk-management task for practice managers. (Source: Physicians Practice)
Source: Physicians Practice - March 9, 2016 Category: Practice Management Authors: Sarah Wiskerchen, MBA, CPC Tags: Pearl Meaningful Use Medical Billing & Collections Payers Pearls Physician Compensation Source Type: news
CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Initiative Program-Stage 3 and Modifications to Meaningful Use in 2015 Through 2017; Corrections and Correcting Amendment
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released final rules with corrections concerning Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive payment eligibility for providers and requirements for stage 3 Meaningful Use. (Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center)
Source: Federal Register updates via the Rural Assistance Center - March 4, 2016 Category: Rural Health Source Type: news
