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October 23, 2012 News 9 Comments

Top News

10-23-2012 7-08-18 PM

Pam McNutt, SVP/CIO of Methodist Health System of Dallas, tells me that she has received a detailed fraud survey from OIG that covers a lot of territory. She will send it over if the hospital’s legal department gives the OK, but in the mean time, she provided a summary of what’s on OIG’s mind:

  • Computer-assisted coding
  • HIPAA security practices related to access to the EHR, both remote and internal
  • Numerous questions on practices and protections involving allowing patients and non-employees to access EHR data
  • Seventeen questions about audit log capabilities and how audit logs are monitored
  • Thirteen questions on clinician progress notes, whether cut/paste/copy is allowed, and how record changes are performed
  • General HIPAA privacy compliance questions

OIG Survey

UPDATE: Thanks to another reader who provided a copy of the survey, which is specific to hospitals. I found Question #44 involving patient access to their EHR data to be the most interesting given that this is a fraud questionnaire. Not only is allowing patients to see information about them a good thing in general, they can be on the lookout for questionable billing for services on their behalf. Click here for larger, printable version of the survey from my original upload.


Reader Comments

10-23-2012 8-56-40 PM

From THB: “Re: Sherman Health in Chicago. I’ll bet a dollar to your favorite charity that they join Cadence since it’s an Epic shop.” Drop a buck into a Salvation Army kettle: Sherman chooses the other suitor, Advocate.

From Back from CHIME: “Re: HIStalk. As a long-time HIStalk follower, I think everyone should know about it for keeping current. Few of my peer group seem to. How can that gap be bridged?” Let’s crowdsource some reader ideas: what should I do to make HIStalk imperative CIO reading or make them more aware of its existence?

10-23-2012 7-32-36 PM

From Michael: “Re: EHRs in the NFL. I thought HIStalk would appreciate this.” Indeed I did. A New York Times article talks about NFL teams that use technology to maintain the health of their expensive biological assets (players). Among them: electronic medical records, concussion evaluation apps, sideline video replays so trainers and doctors can quickly figure out the source of a player’s injury, and iPads for viewing player X-rays. The league hopes to move all teams to a cloud-based EHR system soon so that prospects won’t need to be X-rayed by every team that’s considering their services. According to the SVP of medical services for the New York Giants, “Electronic medical records league wide would save a player from a lot of unnecessary radiation. All of this helps on so many levels from before the game to during the game to after the game. It all just makes it easier to help the players stay healthy.” ”


HIStalk Announcements and Requests

Inga and Dr. Jayne are having quite a time for themselves at MGMA, apparently. Inga’s posts (with lots of pictures since she’s determined to wave her iPhone 5 around at every opportunity) are up from MondayTuesday, and Tuesday Part 2. Inga is #4 on the list of Twitter influencers using the #mgma12 hashtag, she told me proudly.

On the Jobs Board: Systems Implementation Engineer, Billing Services Manager, Database Administrator (Oracle).

10-23-2012 9-00-26 PM

Welcome to new HIStalk Platinum Sponsor Craneware. The company is all about revenue integrity: charge master management solutions, business intelligence, and revenue cycle management. I was startled to see its growth from the days long ago when my hospital signed up as an early adopter, and now I see that 25 percent of US hospitals are its customers for a variety of products: Chargemaster ToolkitBill Analyzer, Physician Revenue Toolkit, InSight Medical Necessity, Patient Charge Estimator, Pricing Analyzer, and even more solutions for supply management, denials, audits, payment variance analysis, and a broad line of professional services. Thanks to Craneware for supporting HIStalk.


Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

10-23-2012 9-26-24 PM

Health education systems vendor HealthStream acquires provider enrollment and credentialing system vendor Sy.Med Development. Both companies are located in the Nashville area. HealthStream also announces Q3 results: revenue up 28 percent, EPS $0.08 vs. $0.08. 

Perceptive Software saw a 78 percent revenue increase in Q3, according to filings by parent company Lexmark.

Vocera shares were the biggest percentage decliner on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, down 6.7 percent. They regained 2.32 percent Tuesday amidst a big market selloff, however.


Sales

Memorial Hospital (CO) will deploy SIS Analytics across its three facilities.

10-23-2012 9-13-13 PM

Beaufort Memorial Hospital (SC) selects Wolters Kluwer Health’s ProVation Order Sets.

Vanguard Health Systems (TN) will deploy AirStrip’s complete mHealth platform throughout its 28 hospitals.

10-23-2012 9-29-47 PM

Samaritan Health Services (OR) will use Passport Health’s Patient Access and Payment Certainty solutions throughout its enterprise.

Huntington Medical Foundation (CA) selects Allscripts RCM for its 50 providers to integrate with its Allscripts EMR.

HealthEast Care System (MN) chooses the Wellcentive Advance Outcomes Manager population health management solution.

Carroll County Memorial Hospital (KY) chooses OfficeEMR from iSALUS.


Announcements and Implementations

10-23-2012 9-31-01 PM

eClinicalWorks launches an all-inclusive RCM service at MGMA that includes its PM/EHR and services for 2.9 percent of monthly revenue collections.

10-23-2012 9-14-40 PM

Vitera announces Intergy Stat, a pre-configured subscription- and cloud-based PM/EHR system for independent physicians. Also announced: Vitera Intergy Mobile, an iPad app that provides mobile providers with read-only access to Vitera Intergy v8.00.

Oncology solutions vendor Prowess will incorporate tools for e-prescribing, medication adherence, and communications from DrFirst.


Government and Politics

Northern Ireland’s health minister is attending a Boston conference to urge healthcare vendors to test their products in his country, touting its single integrated health and social care system. Among the American speakers at the EU-US eHealth Markeplace are Anand Basu (ONC), David Seltz (Massachusetts governor’s office), Dave Whitlinger (New York eHealth Collaborative), Doug Fridsma (ONC), Farzad Mostashari (ONC), Joy Pritts (ONC), Judy Murphy (ONC), Katherine Luzuriaga (UMass), Laura Raimondo (UPMC Italy), and Bill Hersh (OHSU).

10-23-2012 9-39-45 PM

The VA hasn’t made much progress on encrypting its computers since a high-profile 2006 data breach, a report investigating an anonymous tip finds. The agency bought 400,000 encryption licenses for almost $6 million, but has installed the software on only 65,000 devices. The VA’s technology office says they had compatibility problems with older computers and stopped the encryption program until the computers were upgraded. The OIG report says they don’t even know if the software meets the VA’s needs and blames poor planning and project management for the outcome.


Technology

10-23-2012 7-58-07 PM

Apple announces the slightly smaller iPad mini, pricing it surprisingly high at $329 for a Wi-Fi only model. Concerns are that it still can’t compete with the $199 Kindle Fire (subsidized by the Amazon product sales it generates) or the $199 Google Nexus (sold at cost.) It could, however, take away from sales of its $499 big brother. Also announced: yet another generation of the iPad to make the one(s) you already have obsolete, thinner MacBook Pro laptops featuring the Retina display, and upgrades to the iMac and Mac Mini. Apple shares closed down 3.26 percent.

10-23-2012 9-46-17 PM

Diagnotes wins an Indiana innovation contest for its On Call program that connects hospital staff to offsite physicians who can view medical records on their smart phones and send orders back via secure messaging. The company’s CEO is Dave Wortman, who I interviewed many years ago when he was running Mezzia,  the healthcare budgeting company he formed in 1999. It was sold to VFA in 2006.


Other

A University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemistry professor whose research involves the flowering of plants is arrested after police find that the specimens in his lab are actually marijuana. My first reaction: sounds like “Breaking Bad” since I’m watching that on Netflix.

In England, a hospital blames an unspecified technical issue in apologizing to 120 breast cancer patients whose incorrect estrogen receptor biopsy results caused them to miss potentially needed hormonal therapy. The hospital is also on shaky financial ground, saying it could run out of cash in January.

An internist’s Wall Street Journal opinion piece on electronic medical records concludes:

At first I thought EMR sounded like a good idea. Then our practice started using one … checking patients into the office is an odyssey involving scanners and the collection of demographic data—their race, their preferred language, and so much more—required by Medicare to prove that we are achieving "meaningful use" of our EMR … it seems as if this is all about taking care of the chart, as opposed to taking care of the patient … With all the data entry the electronic system requires, my laptop presents a barrier between my patient and me, both physically and metaphorically. It’s hard to be both stenographer and empathetic listener at the same time.

Life Sciences Angel Network will present a November 20 conference, “Healthcare Information Technology: Change, Outlook, and Opportunity,” at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Investor Esther Dyson will deliver the keynote; program panelists include representatives from Aetna, Nike, Continuum Health Partners, Castlight Health, and the FDA. Registration is $120.

10-23-2012 8-31-17 PM

Medical students from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland who volunteer at Baltimore Rescue Mission develop an EMR system for the free clinic using open source software. They plan to expand it to similar organizations and connect it to Maryland’s CRISP HIE. They’ve formed an organization called Networking Health.

Here’s a music video from the recent CHIME conference. I recognize quite a few of the stars.


Sponsor Updates

  • Imprivata announces the agenda of its first annual user conference in Boston.
  • Gartner positions Informatica in the leaders quadrant in its 2012 Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management of Customer Data Integration report.
  • GetWellNetwork experiences a 125 percent growth surge year over year as patient engagement becomes an imperative component for MU reimbursements.
  • First Databank releases its enhanced drug knowledge to support interoperable medication management.
  • Iatric Systems receives ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 Certification for its PtAccess V1.0.11.
  • QlikView expands its mobile access with QlikView for iOS, available for the iPad.
  • NextGate signs 15 new clients during its third quarter for its EMPI and Provider Registry solutions.
  • Park Place International introduces its Sustaining Healthcare IT blog to assist Meditech hospitals in achieving sustainability.
  • Anesthesia Healthcare Partners chooses to McKesson Revenue Management Services for 30 locations across eight states.
  • AdvancedMD releases its survey results at MGMA indicating that only 26 percent of physicians feel they are in control of their finances, while more than half expect their patient load to increase because of the Affordable Care Act.

Contacts


Mr. H, Inga, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg.

More news: HIStalk Practice, HIStalk Mobile.



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Currently there are "9 comments" on this Article:

  1. I’ll drop two – but maybe we are on to something? – non-profit betting? where the loser pays to the winners’ favourite charity?
    could be fun during this holiday season

  2. The CIO’s who do read this need to go to CHIME and endorse HISTalk. I have done them with them regarding Anthony Guerrera’s work at Healthsystemcio.com. What CIO would not want to listen to what others are doing in their respective organizations. We CIO’s have ego’s that are far too large. Let us put that aside for the sake of the industry, embrace what others are doing and learn from their experience. Both HISTalk andhealthsystemcio.com shoule be embraced by CIO’s and CHIME. I will go to CHIME and verbalize that opinion.

    Thanks,
    Bill

  3. How about approving vendors to put a small tabletop 8 1/2 x 11 flyer on their tables at state and local trade shows? If you are okay with that, just let us know. I agree that too many don’t know about you. Lets start a grass roots campaign!!

  4. Thanks Bill – It would just be silly if they didn’t – the search for workflow optimization and simplification both professional and personal continues …

  5. Sherman in Chicago chooses Advocate as buyer and bid winner. Very interesting, but Epic didn’t have much to do with it. Sherman is a Cerner shop and Advocate is all over the map with a little of every EMR system available. Will Advocate finally choose one (1) EMR for all?

  6. Thanks for posting eCW’s new pricing. Looks like there’s going to be even more downward pressure on EMR companies to provide more software and services for less cost and hardware. Ambulatory vendors are in for the squeeze yet again.

  7. OIG MU audits, OCR HIPAA audits with emphasis on ONC privacy and security criteria…and ONC has laid out over $7 billion on MU Bonuses to date. I guess they think it’s time to start taking some back. Remember miss just one MU criteria and it all goes out the window.

    Next, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that providers that get dinged by OIG/OCR audits go after the vendors that ‘guaranteed’ them they would meet MU.

  8. WSJ Opinion… Ok, so remote chart access, legibility, e-scribe, patient portal access, lab and rad imbedded results, no searching for paper charts, internal clinic communications with chart linking don’t count here? I mean, yeah, the current gen EHRs still stink at a lot but there is a baby in that bath water.







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