HIT Vendor Executives – Advice for Dr. David Blumenthal

We asked several EMR and consulting executives the following question:

If you could give national coordinator David Blumenthal one piece of advice, what would it be?

Evan Steele, CEO, SRSoft

My advice to David Blumenthal would be to think about EMR adoption more intently from the physician’s perspective. What is needed to truly facilitate the purchase and successful implementation of EMRs is what I have termed “EMR Reform” — a plan that would provide physicians with the unbiased information they need to make an informed EMR purchase decision.

The barriers to EMR adoption will not be overcome by the mere promise of $44,000 because the true barrier to adoption is the historically high rate of implementation failure. Physicians are rightfully gun-shy and will not be coerced into purchasing technology if that technology will not work for them, regardless of the incentive. If the government wants to stem the tide of failures and achieve its goal of increased EMR adoption, it should focus on protecting physicians from purchasing products that are not right for their practice and on making it easy for them to identify the products that are.

EMR reform would include the following three components, which I have described in detail in an EMR Straight Talk blog post, EMR Reform: A Plan to Spur Adoption:

1. Increase product quality and usability through competitive benchmarking. Give practices the tools to objectively compare efficiency and give vendors an incentive to create more usable products.
2. Provide transparency by issuing audited vendor report cards. Base the report cards on implementation success (by specialty), rather than on certification requirements.
3. Establish an EMR Lemon Law. Remove the purchase risk by allowing providers to return EMR licenses if they do not perform as promised.

EMR Reform would go a long way towards leveling the playing field and restoring the balance between vendors and physicians. This is the only way to instill physician confidence and encourage widespread adoption.

Betty Otter-Nickerson, President, Sage Healthcare

Sage is largely in agreement with the Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and the interim final rule (IFR) that David Blumenthal released which calls for separates testing and certification of EHR systems as reasonable first steps toward the goals outlined under HITECH.

Though some in the practice physician community feel meaningful use is just another hoop they must jump through in an effort to retrieve incentive dollars, we have been educating providers and working with them to overcome their fear and trepidation by explaining the dramatic improvement in quality of care and the enormous public health benefits that will come as a result of implementing health information technology and EHRs.

To that end, however, we continue to convey to providers that if they wait too long, they are likely to be in a situation where they will have to meet the Stage 1, 2 and 3 requirements of meaningful use in a more compressed timeframe, which could ultimately prove very challenging.

At the same time, as we have expressed in our open comments, we feel that Dr. Blumenthal should consider softening the “all or nothing” approach of the NPRM so as to encourage maximum adoption during Stage 1, and to ensure that the final rule is more easily achievable for all physicians. We are concerned that if the bar is set too high, too few physicians may attempt to achieve meaningful use. This could deter overall improvement of quality care and the public health.

Jim Bodenbender, President, RelayHealth Connectivity Solutions

The investments our country is making toward a more efficient, quality-focused healthcare system are commendable. The focus on foundational technologies is important because many of our country’s greatest healthcare assets are small, community-based private practices.These small practices are hesitant to adopt technology for a number of reasons, particularly cost, return on investment, and the vast variety of products available. Thus in order to quickly expand clinical connectivity throughout our healthcare system, we must focus on community-level interoperable connectivity.

In mid-May, you stated that “…all of our efforts must be grounded in a common foundation of standards, technical specifications and policies.” One need only look at how states are deploying HIE-targeted federal funds to agree with this statement. A “common foundation…of policies” would bring more consistency and certainty to the expansion of healthcare connectivity.

The variability among the states in supporting HIE will likely delay the anticipated benefits and, in many cases, may result in programs that will not be sustainable. The large variation of standards, technical specifications and policies ensure that a significant portion of the funds intended for HIE are used for ancillary services in an attempt to develop strategies, select solutions and provide oversight – thus slowing the expansion of clinical integration, eroding the funds available for the acquisition of technology, and thwarting the forward momentum our healthcare system is trying to achieve.

Additionally, while the secure exchange of healthcare information is imperative, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that for information to be valuable, it must be actionable. While the ability to share and view information is helpful and will surely help reduce testing redundancies and improve a provider’s view of a patient’s total healthcare picture, making information actionable will enable the workflow and cost efficiencies – and value – that will expand provider adoption.

Throughout the entire process, the focus of connectivity efforts must remain firmly on the patient and the related benefits in doing so. One might surmise that a major reason for our healthcare systems’ current inefficiencies is that the patient is disengaged from his or her own healthcare. Putting the patient at the center of healthcare connectivity and encouraging consumer engagement into the process will assure that we can create a more effective, fiscally sustainable healthcare system.

Finally, privacy and security are imperative to the process. To ensure that we build the most securely connected system possible, we must standardize the implementation, application and enforcement of HIPAA regulations across the nation and in doing so we must give consideration to the technologies that are evolving to provide the most comprehensive capabilities to support health information exchange. Nationwide consistency with regards to HIPAA will ensure that all patients are afforded the most stringent protections available – without hindering the expansion of connectivity.

Dr. Blumenthal, you also said, “Ultimately, simple exchange will be part of a package of broader functions that allows any provider, and ultimately consumers, to exchange information over the internet, enabled by NHIN standards, services and policies.” We couldn’t agree more…and “simple exchange” will expansively occur when community-level interoperable connectivity is the focus of our efforts.

Tee Green, President and CEO, Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc.

My respectful advice for ONC Director Dr. David Blumenthal and certainly every stakeholder with a hand in the formation and evolution of Meaningful Use is to construct its future on foundations of standards-based — and therefore manageable — functionality, interoperability and reporting seen thus far with Stage 1 criteria.

What I mean by that are the foundations created and recommended by the Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), which were largely in alignment with existing electronic health record (EHR) certification criteria and therefore existing EHR functionality.

Together these foundations can lead to an understandable and achievable Stage One setting, crystallized by the majority of thoughtful public comment and anticipated in final form in the coming month. This is the course to follow for Stages 2 and 3 as this public-private collaboration continues on its mission to improve care coordination and healthcare outcomes nationally while reducing costs and clinical errors.

It is important for administrators like Director Blumenthal to keep in the forefront of their minds that for the creation of a true national health information network, small practices critical to this venture do not have large IT budgets, layers of CIO and IT staff, and must rely on the expertise and functionality created within EHRs to meet — and be trusted to meet — the Meaningful Use functionality, interoperability and quality reporting standards.

Small practices that may not participate within an REC, for example, cannot be expected to fully write and support multiple interface expansions to keep up with unexpected or lofty criteria beyond what is presently expected. As expertise from bodies like HITSP, IHE, the National Quality Forum (NQF) and other supporting entities hopefully evolve meaningful use, Director Blumenthal should take — and I am satisfied has taken — public comment to heart and will not exorbitantly add to EHR implementation, interoperability, and support costs.

It is well understood that the future stages of Meaningful Use will heighten and advance functionality, interoperability, and reporting demands, but those steps can be equally built upon recommended standards. Unexpected deviations would cause eligible professionals and their organizations to play a costly game of catch up, which could dampen the acceptance and enthusiasm Meaningful Use is increasingly showing.

Building future Meaningful Use stages — their functionality, interoperability, and reporting criteria — on the standards-based foundations hopefully found in Stage 1 will continue to attract all stakeholders into the program.

Michael Stearns, MD, President and CEO, e-MDs, Inc.

I would suggest to Dr. Blumenthal that, if statute allows, timelines for the RECs to reach their goals be extended so that the period in which they receive the 90/10 funding does not expire prematurely.

As the Meaningful Use definitions and certification process have yet to be finalized, many providers have delayed their EHR purchasing decisions. This has the potential to create a sudden increase in the demand for EHR vendor services that could create an implementation and training backlog. The RECs are dependent upon the vendors for implementations so these delays could unfairly penalize them even if they are effective in encouraging physicians to invest in EHR software.

Peter McClennen, President, North America, dbMotion

This is a controversial position, given the amount of work to be done by many to meet the basic tenants of Meaningful Use, but I would advise him to stick to his guns. Dr. Blumenthal needs to continue to reinforce the goals of the program and the timelines for success. Many people are lobbying that the bar needs to be set significantly lower — that connected healthcare is an unrealistic goal based upon the current state of disintegration of our healthcare system. Those voices are likely to get louder as we enter the tougher years of 2013 and 2015 from the original Meaningful Use charter.

I express this opinion while having a true appreciation for the work in front of us and the stakes at hand. I know that in some cases, fiscal viability of entities will be tied to achieving Meaningful Use and that not every entity that sets out to meet the guidelines will succeed in the given timeframe. However, we cannot afford to do this twice, so we need to make sure we get the largest impact for the stimulus dollars resulting in a truly connected healthcare system.

What we need most from Dr. Blumenthal now is unwavering leadership. If we revisit the goals of the program we will create “lowest common denominator solutions” that do not result in an adequately connected healthcare system. It’s time to turn from goals to actions to achieve the goals.

Right now, it is critical to have tremendous leadership to meet the challenge. I believe stellar leadership is setting high expectations and then helping people meet them. We can help people meet them by amplifying some of the tactics used to date — highlight the winners, setup programs to knock down barriers to success and never waiver on the goals.  As we all know deep down, the time is now to get down to the hard work of connecting healthcare.

Glen Tullman, CEO, Allscripts

While I would have some personal thoughts to share with Dr. Blumenthal, I think that it would be more important in my role as chief executive officer of the nation’s largest electronic health record and practice management company to share the concerns of our 160,000 physician clients and the other healthcare providers we serve in over 800 hospitals and 9,000 post-acute organizations.

They consistently tell us three things:

FINALIZE THE IFR ASAP!

First, they want the ONC to release the Certification IFR as soon as possible. Once that is public, all of the ARRA processes can be finalized — the certification bodies can be accredited, vendors can proceed with product certification, and physicians can implement the systems. Until that is done, many physicians are simply waiting, which is exactly the opposite of the desired outcome the legislation was meant to produce.

Speed is imperative. Many physicians remain skeptical that the ARRA money will be available, and most are confused about the details of the program. If we want to prove to the skeptics that ARRA is for real and the money is flowing, then it’s critical that as many physicians as possible be ready to collect the incentives early in 2011. If enough physicians receive incentives next year, then their peers who are hesitating today will finally have the motivation to move forward. If, on the other hand, only a handful of physicians take advantage of the 2011 payout, then the whole program could be at risk and, along with it, the health of America’s patients and America’s healthcare system.

PROVIDE CLEAR DIRECTION TO RECS

Second, based on discussions I’ve had with leaders of RECs across the nation, I would say that many of them are confused about Meaningful Use, certification and the whole complex of issues associated with ARRA, as well as what programs are most effective in driving EHR adoption. As a result, there is wide disparity in the models that the different RECs are implementing.

While disparity is OK, confusion is not. The uncertainty about how they should proceed is slowing the RECs down and limiting their ability to hit the mandated guidelines in their grants. This appeared to be even more true after the meeting held for the RECs in Washington DC last week. The RECs were looking for direction and didn’t receive enough clarification. In fact, a number of them called to tell us they were instructed not to spend any money or sign any contracts yet!

Dr. Blumenthal could help by ensuring that CMS provides the RECs with clear, consistent guidelines to help clarify this program. If we are serious about providing primary care physicians across the US with help in selecting and implementing an EHR, then we had better ensure that the folks who are doing the hard work of helping them have the tools they need to succeed.

HIGHLIGHT REAL PRACTICES USING AFFORDABLE SYSTEMS

Third, and perhaps most important, our clients consistently tell us that many of the physicians, practice administrators, and others in the field that have successfully deployed electronic health records in ways that can be replicated (affordable systems that work today at small and mid-size practices and even larger groups) are not included in the process.

The ARRA program is not about Kaiser.

Kaiser was working well before the Stimulus and delivers great care; I expect it will continue to do so. But their model is not one that can be replicated or afforded by the 50 percent of physicians who work in small practices, nor those in most larger groups.

Why not ask the major vendors in the target markets (Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, NextGen and Greenway) to invite their key clients to a conference hosted by Dr. Blumenthal wherein they give their feedback and ideas? The vendors don’t have to attend. Let their most successful clients have a forum to share ideas and successes and then publicize them. Open the process up and we all win when the nation sees that the future of healthcare is already here today in our best physician practices. It’s not about software. It’s about leadership.

(See www.allscripts.com/go for hundreds of examples and best demonstrated practices of physician practices effectively deploying EHRs).

FORCE THE VENDORS TO CONNECT; PUNISH THOSE WHO DO NOT

So, that’s what our clients are saying. I will add one personal suggestion: Dr. Blumenthal should actively be meeting with all of the vendors and pushing them to interface, integrate and build the “Connected System of Health” that we all want and need.

There are still large vendors who are fighting connectivity and refusing to share patient information. This hurts patients and raises costs. Dr. Blumenthal should be actively highlighting vendors who are working together and challenging those who are not. We need to focus on delivering One Patient Record across every healthcare setting, independent of the system being used, not the outdated “everyone will use one system idea.” And we need to get there quickly.

Dr. Blumenthal has a large job and an even larger responsibility that goes beyond programs to include leadership.  We wish him success on both the program and leadership fronts and stand ready to help in any way we can.

News 5/27/10

From Anonymous: “Re: EMR bug. Major vendor releases a version of clinical software with a bug that causes patient assessment information to be saved on another patient’s chart. End users have no way of knowing which assessment is correct and/or where the lost information is located. Support comments: ‘I apologize, but … the developers did not create the utility to drill down to specifics and us at Client Support have no way of helping the client as much as we would like, to identify the correct assessment or modification. If your agency utilizes (a) warehouse, you could query the answers from the assessment. Other than that, there is no other way.’ I’m no Deborah Peel, but come on! This is scary. Have other end users experienced this sort of problem? I remember seeing something similar in an EMR 8-9 years ago, but in today’s environment, I find this shocking.”  Readers? I agree that it’s scary and we should be far better than this by now. I can hear the rants of the FDA advocates as I type.

Humana and BCBS-RI top the 2010 PayerView Rankings, an annual report that examines how well health insurers are paying physicians. The data, which is pulled from athenahealth’s athenaCollector platform, indicates insurance companies are paying physicians an average seven days faster than last year, and denying 12-18% fewer claims. Humana led in the major payer segment, though BCBS-RI was the highest ranked overall payer. The rankings are based on insurers’ financial performance, administrative performance, and transaction efficacy. Full list here.

HIT vendors continue to announce the availability of their applications on the iPad. EMR and medical transcription service provider MxSecure is the latest to jump on the iPad bandwagon, saying its MxChart EMR systems is now iPad compatible. Before long, we’ll be better off compiling lists of applications that won’t run on the iPad.

Another hot trend: vendors offering special finance programs to help providers add EHR in time to achieve Meaningful Use objectives. NextGen announces an option for new practices to signing up for EHR over the next month: deferred payments until 2011 and pay zero interest for two years.

Here is some technology all my doctors need. MedWait Time is a Web-based tool that allows patients to check to see if their doctor is behind schedule. Up to two hours before their appointment, patients can see if their doctor is running late, and if necessary, receive instructions for a new arrival time. This detail can be accessed via the Web or as a text message. The service is reasonable $50 a month, but, requires that staff manually update wait-time information. Sounds like a great marketing tool for practices.

Speaking of doctor office visits, I accompanied a family member on a visit last week and stealthily took this photo. The practice was computer-less over the weekend while their old EMR was converted to GE Centricity. Monday morning I spoke to a receptionist, who shared that things were going well, though the staff was still trying to figure out how to navigate patients’ charts.

Davis County Hospital (IA), Paynesville Area Hospital (MN), and Renville County Hospital and Clinic (MN) select McKesson’s Practice Partner Patient Records EHR and PM for their employed and affiliated physicians.

CCHIT extends 2011 Ambulatory EHR certification to a few new products, including meridianEMR version 4.2, NeoMed EHR 3.0, Nortec EHR 7.0.

A local paper reports that patient electronic medical records were temporarily unavailable at the local OSF Medical Group offices. I wonder if the general public really cares, or if it was just a slow news day? In any case, a spokesperson says no care was compromised and the cause was undetermined. OSF runs Epic.

OmniMD signs a co-branding partnership agreement with BalineMD, giving BalineMD the opportunity to market OmniMD products. Meanwhile, Tech Data Corporation signs up as the latest reseller for gloStream, a developer of  EMR and PM systems.

The 72-year old former president of American Lung Association of Washington is accused of prescription fraud and his medical license is suspended. Police say the doctor was writing prescriptions for a 22-year-old woman who was not his patient in exchange for sexual contact. Pathetically sad.

Use of EMR systems may help physicians determine if patients are filling prescriptions, according to one author of a recent Harvard Medical School study. The researchers found that at least 20% of first-time patient prescriptions were never filled, but, suggest the use of technology could improve prescription adherence.

We’ll soon be posting the latest responses to HIT Vendor Executive question. The question: If you could give David Blumenthal one piece of advice, what would it be? You can bet a few of the answers are colorful!

E-mail Inga.

News 5/25/10

A couple of weeks ago a reader tipped us off that Sage was about to hire a new VP of sales. I checked their website today and see Lee Horner is now listed on the leadership page. Horner is the former VP of sales for CA (Computer Associates). Other previous gigs included DataCore Software, ADIC, and Seagate Software.

Over on HIStalk, a reader mentions the rumor that Allscripts could be trying to buy GE’s Centricity business. It’s strictly a rumor at this point but readers share some interesting commentary on why and why not such a deal would make sense. My take: taking over the Centricity business would give Allscripts a bigger base to sell into, something it needs in order sustain revenue growth. I’m sure Allscripts would also like to improve its odds of winning over Centricity Business clients (the old IDX Flowcast,) many of whom also run Allscripts EHR. As more of these facilities dump GE for Epic, Allscripts needs more leverage to ensure it does not lose some of its largest EHR clients.

NaviNet adds nearly 1,000 providers its New Jersey HIE in April. The company says that about 85% of the state’s providers are enrolled in NaviNet, making it New Jersey’s largest health information network.

MediConnect Global changes the name of its PHR and consumer health portal from PassportMD to myMediConnect. The CEO says the new name reflects the central role of the PHR and portal in the company’s vision for improving the quality and cost of healthcare. I wonder if the company also found the PassportMD name was too easily confused with Passport Health.

St. Luke’s (MN) selects eClinicalWorks EHR/PM for its 200 employed physicians and two affiliated practices.

Speaking of eClinicalWorks, I see they’ve set up a Web-site for their 2010 National Users’ Conference. The conference runs from October 30 to November 2nd, with an expected attendance of over 3,0000. The eCW folks reminded me that last year’s conference drew a record 2,200, which was more than doubled their 2008 numbers.

The AMA, American Osteopathic Association and the Medical Society of DC file a lawsuit to prevent the FTC from requiring physicians to comply with the “Red Flags Rule.” The organizations say the rule, which strives to reduce identity theft, should not apply to physicians since they don’t fit the rule’s definition of “creditor.” In addition, the medical societies charge that the FTC’s rule exceeds the powers delegated to it by Congress and that its application to physicians is “arbitrary, capricious and contrary to the law.”

A recent paper in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety concludes that HIT solutions are critical to reducing missed tests, though physicians must first have the right procedures for handling test results. One of the top recommendations: test results should be routed to ordering physicians and physicians should be made responsible for follow up.  Not exactly innovative, since everyone has been making the same general suggestions for years. It’s probably time for more “how-to” papers on ways to make this happen.

Dragon Medical 10 now supports Windows 7.

Software Advice makes a stab at estimating market share in the outpatient EHR market. The company estimates that Epic, Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, and NextGen own a combined three-quarters of the market, with Epic serving slightly more physicians than its competitors. Software Advice points out that some of the calculations are “fuzzy” since the data sources aren’t necessarily reliable. Still, the pretty charts provide a nice snapshot of what’s happening in the ambulatory EHR world.

AAFP Subsidiary TrasforMED launches its “Small Practice Package,” a two-year program aimed at helping small primary care offices implement a medical home model of care. TransforMED’s virtual option is $1250/practice/quarter; an onsite option is $2500/practice/quarter.

The American Academy of Private Physicians claims that more than 1,000 doctors now practice concierge care or retainer medicine, including the 380 associated with MDVIP. A growing trend, perhaps, but still a miniscule percentage of all doctors.

Patients using home monitoring are 50% more likely to have their blood pressure in check, according to Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s Institute for Health. KP’s study involved home blood pressure monitors that electronically uploaded result’s into KP’s electronic registry.

MinuteClinic names Paulette J. Thabault, RNC, MS, JD as its new Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer. Thabault  most recently served as Vermont State Commissioner of Banking, Insurance Securities and Health Care Administration.

E-mail Inga.

Intelligent Healthcare Information Integration 5/23/10

A History of the Future of EHRs

Amid the carved skulls at the great Mayan monument of Tzompantli, a recently discovered hidden chamber revealed an amazing revision to the well known Mayan Calendar which describes the end of the world in 2012. Apparently cast aside for its heretical proclamations, this new Calendar is most impressive for both the time extension it allows humankind as well as the incredible glyphs just now decoded which appear to describe the tumultuous rise of electronic health records and the NHIN, known in Mayan as the MHIN.

For the first time, the heterodox Mayan timeline for the history of the future of EHRs is revealed:

2011 — Vast turmoil as great masses of people are running willy-nilly under the misplaced perception that EHR adoption is a “do or die” decision.

2012 — Multiple EHR vendors collapse or are subsumed by larger corporations as scrambling to meet federal guidelines has created near panic in the EHR streets. Many end users struggle with poorly researched EHR purchases and inadequate staff workflow change preparation. In conjunction with insufficient “boots on the ground” support, both in numbers and in abilities, massive installation failures ensue. (Some are disappointed that December 21st, the predicted End of Days, passes without event.)

2014 — Numerous HIT-RECs failing as greed, misappropriations, and planning failures waste billions of dollars. The unexpected bailout of the global oil giants diverts most of the remaining funds intended for Meaningful Use success, leading to massive global flooding from the tears of the disappointed.

2015 — The loss of funding leads to great innovation and a torrent of development of healthcare informational tool “apps.” The new ease of use and miniscule learning curves seem to assuage the fears and disappointments of discouraged end users. Massive installation failures abate.

2017 — The rise of the “Age of Minority Report.” Freeing end users from mice, pens, and smudgy monitor screens, MR-style, floating in air, graphical displays along with air guitar-esque user input methods allow everyone to adopt digital health record technology. Seamless integration into healthcare provision workflows without loss of revenue stream or diminished patient care capacities lead to true “paper-less” healthcare. (The Mayan symbol for this Age looks uncannily like Tom Cruise.)

2019 — Rejuvenated HIE efforts build upon the foundations of the only three surviving HIT-RECs remaining from 2010. The seeming HITECH debacle seems to have bottomed out and the refocus appears to be gaining momentum.

2020 — Patients, providers, hospitals, and all sorts of associated players begin to reap amazing benefits from the integration of personalized medicine, advances in genomics, and (finally) a tremendous push toward patient-centric medical care and community-empowered health management.

2021 — The NHIN (MHIN) reaches true “total integration.”

2022 — December 21, 2012, brings about the recalculated end of the current b’ak’tun cycle and the true End of Days.

Well, heck, at least we get an extra decade and are granted enough time to see this frustrating HIT thing through to its eventual success!

From the modified Mesoamerican Long Count trenches…

“It’s not denial. I’m just selective about the reality I accept.” – Bill Watterson

 

Dr. Gregg Alexander, a grunt in the trenches pediatrician, directs the “Pediatric Office of the Future” exhibit for the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a member of the Professional Advisory Council for ModernMedicine.com. More of his blather…er, writings…can be found at his blog, practice web site or directly from doc@madisonpediatric.com.

News 5/20/10

digiChart partners with PeriGen to integrate the digiChart OB-Gyn EHR with PeriGen’s clinical decision support system, PeriBirth.

About half of all parents would like to be able to communicate with their children’s doctors online, according to a poll by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Even though many parents think online tools would be great for requesting records or refills, less than one in six say they currently have the ability to electronically connect with their kids’ providers.

Hill Physicians Medical Group (CA) says that more than 1,000 of its doctors are using EHRs, and requests for new installations is at an all time high. The IPA also reports 2009 net income of $4.7 million and revenue of $419 million. That compares to 2008 revenues of $420.6 million and a net loss of $4.4 million. In 2009,  Hill spent $4.7 million on EHR installation and support, and paid out $32 million in bonuses to member physicians who met clinical quality and patient satisfaction criteria.

The US Patent and Trademark Office issues athenahealth a patent related to its self-service implementation capability that allows practices to virtually implement athenahealth services.

National Medical Billing Services, a billing company focused on ambulatory surgery centers, names Nader Samii CEO. Samii founded Ajuba International, an RCM outsource company.

NightHawk Radiology issues its “Rules of Engagement” for servicing hospitals directly or indirectly through a non-radiologist-owned entity. The commitments are meant to demonstrate NightHawk’s alignment with radiologists and reduce concerns that NightHawk is attempting to undermine radiology practices. Among other promises, NightHawk vows it will only consider providing services if the hospital does not have an existing radiology group offering services, or, if the invite comes from a radiology group already providing that hospital services.

Quality Systems, the parent company for NextGen, is named a finalist in 10 different categories in the 2010 American Business Awards competition.

More than half of all doctors delay the adoption of medical innovations because they fear possible litigation, according to a Jackson Healthcare survey. Surgery subspecialists and OB-Gyns are the most likely to delay adopting new pharmaceuticals, procedures, and medical devices.

AMA membership dipped over 3% in 2009, but operating profit surged 560% to $16.5 million. The profit figures are actually less than numbers posted in the last few years ($30 million in 2006 and $24 million in 2007.) About 16% of the AMA’s revenues come from membership dues, so the decline in membership has to hurting the bottom line. Since 2007, membership has fallen from 241,000 to 228,000.

Good news if you are a physician concerned about online reviews from your patients: a study of posted comments finds that most reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Furthermore, patients really aren’t all that interested in rating sites for physicians. Turns out that restaurant reviews are far more popular. And who doesn’t want to know if the new Japanese place down the street has great sushi, before plopping down a few Andrew Jacksons?

E-mail Inga.