News 3/17/09

From: Neil Finn.”Re: Specialists and EMR. The author kind of misses the point; these specialists have enough revenue and margin they can go EMR or not and being in Plano, their Medicare/Medicaid mix isn’t all that great.” Neil is referring to this article discussing how a group’s failed EHR experience is now causing them to be cautious about going down that road again – stimulus money or not. Neil claims the group struggled with the old A4 product years ago. How many other profitable specialists will snub their noses at stimulus money, either out of fear or because the money just isn’t enough?

Current and former physician employees of Medical Edge Healthcare Group (TX) file a suit against the company, charging them of improper billing and practices that violate state laws prohibiting corporate control over physicians. The doctors say Medical Edge used “deceptive accounting practicing” and charged them unfairly for taxes, benefits and other expenses.

A RAND Corporation study finds that California physicians given financial incentives to improve the quality of medical care are beginning to adopt new quality measures, including adding EMR and tracking physician performance. However, the financial incentives averaged between $1,500 and $2,000 annually per physician, which failed to stimulate significant change among most doctors. Those declining to participate suggested incentives needed to be two to five times higher in order to achieve quality improvements.

Fifty physicians are set to receive their first rewards for participating in New Jersey’s Bridges to Excellence Program, which is designed to recognize and reward providers that demonstrate safe, timely, effective, and patient-centered care.

Fair Lawn Diagnostic Imagining Center (NJ) selects IMAGINEris and IMAGINEradiology for practice management and RIS billing and collection.

Technology Partners, Inc. (dba IMAGINE Software), a leading provider of medical billing technology, announces that Fair Lawn Diagnostic Imaging Center (FLDIC) of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, has chosen IMAGINEris and the IMAGINEradiology™ practice management system for their RIS/billing and collection needs.

The LA Times publishes an article discussing how HIT has the potential to advance healthcare. The piece discusses some of the benefits realized by a 10-doctor family practice group, including the elimination of 6-1/2 FTE’s and tens of thousands of paper charts.

KLAS releases a report entitled “The Rise of eClinicalWorks: Separating Fact from Fiction.” KLAS examines why ECW is growing faster than any other EMR vendor and whether if it could sustain the grown and still provide effective support. While customers expressed strong satisfaction on functionality and cost, support was noted by many users as the worst aspect of their ECW relationship. Users also claim that integration with other clinical systems was a challenge.

If you read HIStalk you may have seen the notice that Mr. H is in the world of no Internet this week, so Inga is flying solo. I am awaiting encouragement.