ICD 10 State of Provider Readiness

 

The path to more complexity .

 

How Do Physician Groups Rate Their Overall Readiness for ICD-10 Implementation?

More than 55% of physician practices surveyed said they have not yet started ICD-10 implementation, according to a new report from the Medical Group Management Association.

In August 2012, HHS released a final rule that officially delayed the ICD-10 compliance date until Oct. 1, 2014.

The switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets means that health care providers and insurers will have to change out about 14,000 codes for about 69,000 codes.
This is based on a survey of 1,200 physician practices.

Source: MGMA, "ICD-10 Implementation Study, June 2013"

Read more:

Why all the fuss ?  In the interest of simplicity and understanding, see images:

 

Pros:

 

Cons:

 

Technorati Tags: icd10,icd9,mgma,medical group management association

Doctors And Spies Are Both Data Mining With The Same Tools by Taylor Bec|June 27, 2013

 

Imagine you've got some really important news--like, life-or-death information. Say, there's been a zombie apocalypse or a nuclear attack, and you're the only one who knows the location of meds or food that could save the world from pain or famine.

No, the doctors are not spying on you, however big pharma, medical devices manufacturing, marketing firms, even the Dept. of HHS and soon the IRS may be right by your bedside.   Theoretically HIPAA prevents you from being personally identified by safeguards in software. 

HIPAA however does not guarantee security…Anything on the internet can be hacked, now more providers are using ‘cloud solution’ for cost containment and minimizing maintenance tasks.

Activate Networks, Inc. tries to do this for the healthcare industry: data mining of doctors and patients' contacts, to find the key nodes of medical social networks. They sell the network maps they make--charting the most powerful doctors in the U.S.--to hospitals and (you guessed it) to drug companies--the wealthiest clients with incentives to access the most influential doctors to pitch them pills. By monitoring ties between people through patient records, doctors' referrals, census data, and even corporate email traffic patterns, Activate N determines people's relative "impact" or influence on their professional social network.

Meta-data derived from networks will dissect out relationships,and referral patterns. As health-care providers shift some of their care to their ACO units, there is an opportunity to control health-care costs by creating formal ACOs out of existing networks of providers in the community who already work together effectively.

These close-knit groups of physicians, or “organic ACOs,” are already coordinating care and can give the new ACO the ability to manage care processes and costs more effectively.

Better coordination almost always translates to lower costs. For example, a recent study by Craig Pollack and colleagues from Johns Hopkins found the cost of care for patients who stayed within existing closely collaborating clusters of physicians was 10 to 15 percent lower compared to organizations where physicians do not closely collaborate.

 

Technorati Tags: craig pollack,johns hopkins,meta-database,activate networks,pharma,drug companies,hipaa,hhs,irs,data mining

All is Well ! (According to John Galt)

 

John Galt is that ethereal character Ayn Rand writes about in “Atlas Shrugged’.

She was asked "Who is John Galt?" to which she replied, "We are!"

Who is John Galt?  John Galt is a character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged (1957)

Or is it in health information technology.

ONC recently posted the “Update on the Adoption of Health Information Technology and Related Efforts to Facilitate the Electronic Use and Exchange of Information.” The report provides updates on the adoption of health IT from January 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013. The report also describes CMS’ and ONC’s efforts to facilitate the nationwide adoption and exchange of electronic health information, identifies and discusses barriers to the adoption and exchange of electronic clinical data, and how HHS’ programs are helping to address those barriers.

Here’s the full PDF report.

If you read the report the glass is filling up, albeit slowly. What the report does not show is the 25% leak,or so who drop out of meaningful use and forfeit the incentive after year one and MU 2 came into existence. The glass may be filling up but it is also ‘leaking’ from the bottom.

This occurred either because an unrealistic deadline prevented compliance, or a demonstrated lack of ROI for the medical practice, even with penalties for non compliance.  (sounds a bit like the model for the Affordable Care Act.

The implementation of M.U. is complex, and dependent upon software, which constantly requires updating placing a financial burden on vendors and providers alike.

Since current incentive payments barely cover the cost (users do not receive the full amount, only a portion thereof for each step in M.U. the full expense is assigned to the provider (which is considerable for small size practices.

HHS should be responsible for the cost of M.U. upgrades.

Then again billions have already been spent in the effort to startup HIT, EMR, and HIX.  What will happen when the money stops.  Who will pay for maintenance, upgrades, and increased HIT operation. 

Silly question…………….you will

 

 

Technorati Tags: meaningful use,m.u.,john galt,hhs,incentive payment,roi,hix,hit,emr,onchit,ayn rand,atlas shrugged

The Story of Screens

 

We think of EMRs, Health Information Exchanges and Data capturing when we mention health information technology, however the digital health space extends to many more uses.

They include computerized laboratory devices, testing and diagnostic instruments, computer controlled robotic devices, monitoring and alarm systems, communication devices, and smartphones.

Add to this an important visual aid.

5 Ways Digital Hospital Displays Are Enhancing the Patient Experience   (for providers, as well)

Many facilities already use display devices to assist patients for directions, waiting times, and instructional purposes.

The following info graphic visualization created by CDW Healthcare, provider of technology solutions and services for the healthcare marketplace illustrates 5 ways to use visual solutions in a health care setting.

 

Technorati Tags: cdw,visual displays,hit,digital health space. healthit