News 7/18/13

CMS releases data that demonstrates that the use of EHR is helping providers manage patients’ care and provide more information securely. CMS notes that since 2011, providers have used EHRs to send more than 190 million prescriptions electronically, sent 4.6 million patients an electronic copy of their health information, forwarded more than 13 million patient reminders, checked drug and medication interactions over 40 million times, and shared more than 4.3 million care summaries with other providers.

Approximately 59 percent of physician practices expect the move to ICD-10 will lead to a decline in revenue, according to a eHealth Initiative/AHIMA survey. The most significant barriers for ICD-10 implementation include staffing and training, workflow and productivity, lack of knowledge, and cost of software upgrade.

CMS offers OPEN PAYMENTS mobile apps to facilitate reporting of financial ties between doctors, teaching hospitals, and drug and device manufacturers.

Aprima reports that over 1,000 former customers of Allscripts MyWay have migrated to Aprima PRM since Allscripts’ October announcement that it would not develop new MyWay updates for MU or ICD-10.

Celebration Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Institute (FL) selects simplifyMD’s EHR/PM system for its 10 providers.

Wishard-Eskenazi Health (IN) selects eClinicalWorks PM for 385 providers across eight locations.

CareCloud releases an update to its CareCloud Charts EHR that includes enhancements to charting, task management, and patient flow management.

A Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative-sponsored study finds that EHR adoption by doctors in three communities generated no statistically significant per-member, per-month cost savings, although EHR usage appeared to be associated with less-rapid cost increases.

A Black Book Rankings survey of 880 EHR consultants finds that most believe the majority of existing EHR vendors will have merged, been acquired, or cease operations within five years. Most of the failing vendors will falter because they delayed usability issues over meeting MU requirements. Well-funded smaller vendors serving niche sectors may do better than vendors who fail to resolve “fundamental flaws caused by being all things to all physicians.”

The AAFP subsidiary TransforMED selects 90 primary care practices in 65 cities as participants in a three-year patient-centered medical neighborhood pilot project.

Allscripts will offer its ambulatory clients LDM Group’s ScriptGuide patient education solutions.

E-mail Inga.