News 7/22/10

Eligible ClearPractice clients can now qualify for a 2% e-prescribing reimbursement using ClearPractice’s e-prescribing solution, following authorization from CMS. CMS will also extend a 2% PQRI reimbursement for physicians reporting through ClearPractice’s EMR.

Quest Diagnostics blames a slowdown in physician office visits for its 1.4% decline in second quarter revenues to $1.87 billion. Profits were slightly ahead of estimates but analysts were looking for almost $1.93 billion in revenues.

From the Annals of Family Medicine comes the latest study in support of EMRs. Researchers from Brown University concluded that implementing an EMR can improve practice efficiency and time management without impairing patients’ strong sense of trust in the physician-patient relationship.

Heartland Surgical Associations (MO) implements iPads running Pulse Systems’ PulsePro.

Eugene Heslin, MD, who is with the six- physician Bridge Street Medical Group (NJ), will travel to Capitol Hill next week to talk HIT. Heslin is scheduled to meet with the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health to tell why lawmakers why he believes HIT is essential to healthcare. Here’s a preview:

“I speak on behalf of my patients, representing their stake in health IT. Ultimately, my patients are why meaningful use of health IT is important. Federal incentives can help me persuade my colleagues that there is critical mass, that it is doable at the community level, and that they need to move now along the same pathway to benefit their patients and the community.”

It appears CCHIT will have plenty of competition as an EHR certification body. ONC reports that it has received six or seven completed applications out of the 30 sent to requesting organizations.  Multiple certification bodies means more price competition and quicker certification, which of course benefits vendors and ultimately end-users.

Marshfield Clinic (WI) hires Preferred Medical Marketing to provide contract monitoring services for its 700 physician practice.

Avisena is the latest HIT vendor to secure a patent for its software. The patent covers the proprietary technology and methodology of Avisena’s revenue cycle management software and services.

One hundred fifteen doctors and up to 25,000 patients are enrolled in the OpenNotes Study, which will track the sharing of chart notes between physicians and patients. Researchers will investigate whether patients given access to their chart notes through a portal, do indeed review their charts. They will also monitor what happens if patients find errors and what they do with their health information. Physicians will be tracked to see if they censor themselves or write more patient-friendly notes.

The AMA and other doctor groups send a letter to health insurers, criticizing the industry’s increased use of physician grading systems. The physician groups say the often unreliable and unfair ratings have lead some insurers to charge patients lower out-of-pocket costs for choosing a preferred physician. The latest healthcare reform legislation requires physician grading systems be implemented by 2013.

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