News 9/12/16

Top News

Medical associations quickly weigh in on last week’s “pick your pace” MACRA options from CMS. CAPG President and CEO Donald Crane is “pleased that the agency has taken into account the feedback of physician groups who are ready to go with MACRA implementation in January. CAPG has been calling on CMS to allow physician practices to begin MACRA performance in January 2017 as originally scheduled.” AMA President Andy Gurman, MD applauds the flexibility, adding that it will “help give physicians a fair shot in the first year of MACRA implementation.”

Webinar

September 27 (Tuesday) 1:00 ET. “Stanson Clinical Decision Support: Survival Kit for Evolving Payment Models and Other Regulatory Requirements.” Sponsored by Stanson Health. Presenters: Anne Wellington, chief product officer, Stanson Health; Scott Weingarten, MD, MPH, SVP and chief clinical transformation officer, Cedars-Sinai. Reimbursement models are rapidly changing, and as a result, health systems need to influence physicians to align with health system strategy. In this webinar, we will discuss how Stanson’s Clinical Decision Support can run in the background of every patient visit to help physicians execute with MACRA, CJR, et al.

View previous webinars on our HIStalk webinars YouTube channel.

HIStalk Practice Musings

Hilton has a smart marketing gimmick going with free WiFi for members of its Honors programs. I was quick to serve up my contact details to save $14.95 for daily Internet connection. The membership program is my first foray into such things, and I wonder if I’ll end up really seeing any benefit aside from free WiFi access. I’ll be traveling quite a bit in the months leading up to HIMSS, so may give some thought to joining other hotel-chain programs based on the conferences I go to. I’d appreciate any insight HIStalk Practice readers can give me as to which programs give you the most bang for your traveling buck.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

The NC Academy of Family Physicians, NC Community Health Center, and NC Pediatric Society team with Medicaid managed care network Community Care of North Carolina to form the Community Care Physician Network. CCPA will offer members resources to help practices with data collection and reporting, care and disease management, medication management, behavioral health integration, and palliative care. Group purchasing and coding and billing support may also be added in the near future.

Announcements and Implementations

The Regional Extension Center of New Hampshire reaches its goal of assisting 1,000 PCPs achieve Meaningful Use. The REC was launched in 2010 by the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative with a $6.9 million federal award. Of the 62 RECs originally created with HITECH funds, six have gone completely out of business, and 10 have run out of grant money but are still offering services.

The Maine Medical Association endorses e-prescribing software from DrFirst as its preferred solution for members. The state’s e-prescribing mandate, which also requires that prescribers participate in Maine’s PDMP, will take effect July 1, 2017.

Advocare, an independent multispecialty physician group with 190 locations in New Jersey and greater Philadelphia, selects Ethernet services from Comcast Business as part of a infrastructure overhaul to better support its GE Centricity EHR.

EHR services company ITelagen partners with Modern Compliance Solutions to offer a Web-based HIPAA security risk analysis powered by the HIPAA One portal from MCS.

Telemedicine

MDlive incorporates patient insight and analytics technology from Inovalon into its virtual consult platform, enabling its physicians to better understand gaps in care, quality measures, and risk scores.

3PointCare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medical Innovation Holdings, signs a 10-year agreement to provide management services to telemedicine company TeleLife MD, including technology, network services, implementation, support, and training.

Government and Politics

OCR Deputy Director for Health Information Privacy Deven McGraw helps spread the word about job opportunities for health information privacy specialists. Employees will develop projects and programs, and review policies and initiatives, among other duties, for between $64,000 and $100,000.

Other

Mario’s move to the Iphone has quite a few media outlets waxing poetic about the Nintendo character’s storied past, which I didn’t know included an early ‘90s stint as a doctor.

This article tells the surprisingly interesting history of the white lab coat (see Dr. Mario above), adopted by physicians in the 19th century as part of an industry-wide facelift that moved from somber black frock coats in an effort to convey an “attitude of cleanliness, purity, and a fresh start for the medical profession.”

Contacts

Jenn,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg

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Population Health Management Weekly Wrap Up 9/11/16

Hixny promotes Scott Momrow to vice president, population health strategy.

Lumeris names Matt Cox (Duke University Health System) SVP of product and solutions management.

LA County Department of Health Services (CA) chooses Cerner’s HealtheIntent for population health management.

3M Health Information Systems will incorporate Cerner’s HealtheIntent technology into its Patient-focused Episodes software, which helps providers document over 500 inpatient and outpatient encounters.

Turn-Key Health promotes Terri Maxwell to chief clinical officer, Cyndi Seiwert COO, and names John Halsey (Axon Strategy) vice president, business development.

Surescripts announces Medication History for Panel Management, which supports population health management by connecting health systems, ACOs, and analytics vendors to the medication data of 14 nationwide pharmacies.

The local paper covers the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center’s efforts to train tribal health officials on how to use software to track population health data. The training will help members from Montana’s Blackfeet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations; and Wyoming’s Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes develop health behavior surveys, and analyze and act on the data.

Off the Scale launches a chronic disease intervention program to help providers transition patients to community care teams in accessible, lower-cost settings.

Sponsor Updates

• NVoq will exhibit at the AAFP Family Medicine Experience Annual Meeting September 16-24 in Orlando.

Blog Posts

• 3 things you can do right now in Epic to kickstart your population health journey (Nordic)
• Hello, Canada! (NVoq)

Contacts

Jenn,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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News 9/8/16

Top News

CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt outlines four ways in which providers can participate in MACRA. Here they are in an extremely concise nutshell:

1. Submit some data to the Quality Payment Program, including data from after January 1, 2017, to avoid a negative payment adjustment.
2. Submit data for a reduced number of days starting on or after January 1 to qualify for a qualify for a small, positive payment adjustment.
3. Participate for a full calendar year starting January 1.
4. In lieu of reporting quality data, providers can instead participate in the QPP by joining an Advanced Alternative Payment Model in 2017.

Slavitt hints that more details about the program will be released this fall, and notes that, “However you choose to participate, your feedback will be invaluable to building this program for the long term to achieve outcomes that matter to your patients.”

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Contact Lorre for webinar services. Past webinars are on our HIStalk webinars YouTube channel.

Announcements and Implementations

Allscripts rolls out a patient and physician recruiting service as part of its new Clinical Trials Solutions service line. In addition to working with clinical research and life sciences organizations, Allscripts will work with EPatientFinder and its Clinical Trial Exchange platform to educate end-user physicians about clinical trial options and patient eligibility.

Keystone HIE in central Pennsylvania launches push notifications powered by a partnership with Orion Health and CitiusTech. The Geisinger-founded organization’s new Information Delivery Service can now send alerts, notifications, and patient information via email or Direct to members that include 251 physician practices and 18 hospitals.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

The local business paper profiles the New York-based Greater Buffalo United ACO, an affiliate of the Greater Buffalo United Independent Practice Association and one of the first groups in the state to pilot the ACO model as part of New York’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Program. GBUACO CEO Raul Vazquez, MD is excited about the possibilities. “Now you’ve got a bunch of different entities that all fall into the ACO who have a vested interest in making sure the patient gets the right care at the right time and place,” he said. “It’s a whole different approach and the concept is exciting. It’s giving doctors — and patients — the tools to get the job done.”

People

Behavioral health technology vendor AbilTo names Dorothy Gemmell (Practice Fusion) chief commercial officer, Jason Goodhand (Two Bridges) vice president of product, and Jonathan Stout (Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey) vice president of strategy.

Research and Innovation

A study of 862 providers in private practice finds that just under a quarter are already engaged in some form of concierge, direct pay, or subscription plan payment model, while 46 percent are considering moving to similar strategies within the next three years. Top motivators include wanting to spend more time with patients, reducing interactions with payers, and improving work/life balance. Those looking to alternative payment models are more likely than their conventional counterparts to want the capabilities illustrated above.

A team of German design students create a wearable to help amputees operate a keyboard with their prosthetic hands. Akin to a bracelet, the device captures signals from the hand’s remaining muscles and turns them into movements that translate into moving the cursor, clicking left and right, and scrolling.

Other

First-world problem for lefties like me: A study determines that cell phones have better call quality when held in the right hand, due to the fact that a left hand/left ear combination increases the chance of obstruction between a phone’s antenna and wireless signal. Of the nine phones analyzed, researchers found that the Iphone was worst at transmitting signals, no matter which hand was used.

More offbeat library news: The Papanui Library in New Zealand installs an “ultrasonic teenage deterrent” to prevent adolescents from loitering outside and bothering patrons. The device emits a high-pitched buzzing noise audible only to the under-25 set that can be heard within a 50-foot radius.

Contacts

Jenn,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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News 9/7/16

Top News

Apple unveils two versions of the Iphone 7, Watch upgrades, and preps for launch of IOS 10 next week. The company hasn’t added any new bells and whistles related to healthcare (unless you count activity-inducing Pokemon Go being added to the Watch), and yet I’d feel remiss if I didn’t recap the highlights: The 7 Plus, which comes in two sizes, is water- and dust-resistant, comes equipped for wireless headphones in lieu of a headphone jack, and features two rear-facing cameras for different focal lengths. Based on fanboy reaction, it seems that the pricey earbuds will have to be purchased separately. Watch upgrades include water-proofing and faster processing.

In slightly related news, Google discontinues its attempts to build smartphones with interchangeable batteries, cameras, and other parts that would have enabled consumers to upgrade phones bit by bit rather than shelling out big bucks for an entirely new device. I’m sure the Apple overlords are breathing a sigh of relief.

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Contact Lorre for webinar services. Past webinars are on our HIStalk webinars YouTube channel.

Announcements and Implementations

Austin, TX-based EMDs joins the CommonWell Health Alliance.

Independent anesthesiology practice MMC Anesthesia Group signs on with Zotec Partners for RCM technology and support services. The 10-physician practice is based out of Methodist Medical Center in Oakwood, TN.

MDsave and Healthcare Bluebook agree to offer the other’s services, which include appointment booking at pre-negotiated rates, and pricing and quality listings, within their respective online tools.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Aprima reports record double-digit growth in revenue and EBITDA during the first half of 2016, aided by contracts signed with large medical groups and university- and hospital-based practices, three of which were over $1 million each.

People

Culbert Healthcare Solutions hires Nancy Gagliano, MD, MBA (CVS Health) as CMO.

Telemedicine

MarijuanaDoctors.com, which seems to be an aggregator of physicians that offer cannabis-prescribing privileges, launches virtual consults for patients.

Government and Politics

A bipartisan group of congressmen serving on the Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce committees pen a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell outlining their concerns with MACRA’s proposed start date of January 1, 2017. While the legislators don’t call for a firm delay, they do ask that CMS “consider flexibilities for all practitioners, including small practices, to succeed.” Most industry insiders predict that the final MACRA rule will be issued in late October or early November, giving physicians – especially already overwhelmed independents – little time to get their ducks in a row by the first of the year.

The FTC hosts a half-day workshop on ransomware as part of its fall technology series. While none of the panels focused specifically on healthcare, the industry was represented by Children’s National Health System Director of Information Security Chad Wilson, who spoke on best defense tactics. A video of the sessions will be posted to the FTC website soon.

Other

Time Politics Editor Ryan Beckwith ranks one of today’s favorite buzzwords. The top (and last) choice reminds me of the 1995 movie “Hackers,” which introduced me to the concept of computer hacking, and the acting chops of Jonny Lee Miller.

Following yesterday’s sad statistics related to our nation’s reading habits, I can’t help but mention a public library’s plans to enforce strict new borrowing rules. The library, which is struggling to recoup $200,000 worth of overdue books, plans to issue $100 fines and 30-day jail terms to offenders who ignore late notices issued via text and email.

Sponsor Updates

• Aprima will exhibit at the Arizona State Physicians Association meeting September 15-17 in Scottsdale.
• EClinicalWorks will exhibit at International Vision Expo West September 15-17 in Las Vegas.

Blog Posts

• The 2016 Aprima User Conference: Another Great Meeting in the Books! (Aprima)
• Take Full Advantage of EPCS (AdvancedMD)

Contacts

Jenn,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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News 9/6/16

Top News

A 430-hour study of 57 physicians working in four ambulatory specialties finds that for every one hour of face time with a patient, two are spent on EHR and administrative work. Nearly a third of study participants who kept after-hours diaries also recorded an extra one to two hours each night documenting in the EHR. Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush added his two cents to the study results, pointing out that, “Key measures like after-hours EHR documentation and time spent in face-to-face patient care will help squelch healthcare’s technology problem, bring transparency to the most offensive solutions in the market and, more important, will chip away at care team burnout and dissatisfaction.” He brings up an interesting idea with a slippery slope – grading EHRs based on the amount of time physicians spend in them after-hours. Would physicians already facing burnout be more inclined to purchase an EHR with a record of users that spend little to no time in them after business hours?

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

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It’s HIStalk Pledge Week for new sponsors. Contact Lorre for a great deal.

Webinars

None scheduled soon. Contact Lorre for webinar services. Past webinars are on our HIStalk webinars YouTube channel.

Announcements and Implementations

Sahali Health Clinic (OR) works with local startup Kannact to offer real-time blood-glucose monitoring and coaching to patients when it opens within the next few weeks. The Portland-based vendor has raised $8.5 million since launching in 2012.

New York City-based nonprofit Fair Health works with the Connecticut Health Foundation to develop FH Cost Lookup CT, a mobile pricing transparency app built to help Connecticut residents better understand medical and dental costs, and to improve overall health literacy. Pricing is derived from Fair Health’s database of over 21 billion claims for privately billed procedures dating back to 2002.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Healthcare staffing firm Cross Country Healthcare, which counts EHR transition staffing among its services, expands its headquarters in Boca Raton, FL to better accommodate 160 office-based staff members. It employs 600 across the city, and 1,000 more in 70 branch offices across the country.

Telemedicine

The ATA goes global, signing a partnership agreement with the Telemedicine Society of India in order to foster telemedicine collaboration between the two countries. Near-term deliverables will include white papers, programs, and projects. Telemedicine has a potentially big role to play in the future of healthcare in India, given that nearly 70 percent of its population lives in remote, rural areas. Analysts predict that the country’s telemedicine market will more than double to $32 million by 2020.

EyeCrave Optics (NY) rolls out vision exams via telemedicine from Smart Vision Labs, which offers a smartphone-based autorefractor for vision testing.

Other

Nonprofit FEMR co-founder and ballet dancer Sarah Draugelis attributes her passion for healthcare technology to her time working in Haitian clinics in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. “[W]e lost a patient to complications from gestational diabetes,” she explains. “When I got back to the States, I learned that there had been another group volunteering in the same village just one month prior. I was devastated. Had we [been] emailed about that patient, my team would have brought insulin with us and saved her life. I knew there needed to be a change in the way these volunteer efforts are done. There needed to be more communication and some level of accountability.” Draugelis brought two colleagues on board to develop and launch the EHR for pop-up clinics in natural-disaster areas in 2014. She counts Epic founder Judy Faulkner as a role model: “I wonder sometimes if she and I are the only two females in the world that run EMR companies.” I’ll let readers weigh in on her assumption.

It’s a sad state of affairs when organizations start touting the fact that their doctors are “patient-centered.”

It’s also sad that one in four Americans haven’t picked up a book – in any format – in the last year. I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that the Pew Research statistic hasn’t gotten worse over the last 12 months, and that, on average, Americans read a dozen books a year. I can’t imagine not having a book within bedside reach at all times. In fact, I just started rereading “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver. My favorite Kingsolver book, however, has to be “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.” Definitely recommended reading if you find yourself thinking about starting a self-sustaining farm or dipping your toes into the world of paleo cuisine. I’m willing to bet a similarly themed tome by BIDMC CIO and gentleman farmer John Halamka would be well received.

Sponsor Updates

• Versus Technology receives top KLAS rating in eight RTLS categories, including location accuracy.
• Illinois Senator Dick Durbin visits the Intelligent Medical Objects office.

Blog Posts

• What is The Ideal Team Player? (Nordic)

Contacts

Jenn,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

Get HIStalk Practice updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.