News 3/6/12

From MUse “Re: Stage 2 for EPs. Don’t know if you have seen this but American Medical News has a good summary of how the proposed Stage 2 rule will impact eligible providers.” Thanks. The article highlights some of the major differences between Stage 1 and Stage 2 requirements for EPs, including the higher thresholds for several measures.

MGMA asks HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to consider adding due diligence to the ICD-10 timeline and limit its required adoption to hospitals if possible.  MGMA also urges HHS to consider adding several steps to its timeline before making ICD-10 mandatory and include a cost benefit analysis, a pilot, staggered implementation dates, and an evaluation of alternate code set approaches.

Doctors having online access to patients’ tests in the ambulatory care setting are more likely to order imaging and lab tests, according to a Health Affairs-published study. Researchers found that point-of-care access to electronic imaging results were associated with a 40-70% great likelihood that an imaging test was ordered; the study also notes that women receive more imaging studies overall and that surgeons and other specialists are more likely to order imaging tests than primary care physicians.

TriState Neurological Surgeons (PA) selects the ChartLogic EHR suite for its 11 provider office.

SRS EHR customer Pediatric Associates of Savannah (GA) chooses SRS Patient Portal for its 10 provider practice.

Medical malpractice insurance company the Doctors Company reports that 30% of physicians have implemented EHR that Meaningful Use criteria, 14% intend to do so within the next three years, and 17% have no plans to use an EHR in their practice. The same survey of 5,105 finds that 14% of doctors plan to participate in an ACO, 57% are undecided, and 29% do not plan to participate.

Reminder: we are conducting our annual HIStalk Practice reader survey and would appreciate two minutes of your time to give us feedback. Thanks.

The 26-physician Radiological Consultants Association (TX) selects Zotec Partners to provide medical billing and practice management.

HIMSS and MGMA release an Ambulatory HIE Toolkit to educate physician offices on participation in health information exchanges. The toolkit includes details on business and financial models, leadership and governance, technical architecture, and value proposition.

Medical liability experts offer some tips for reducing liability risks when using EMRs. Pointers include: refrain from copying and posting EMR data; do not become overly dependent on electronic diagnosis tools; and, keep meticulous electronic notes and take time to document each patient encounter.

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