Healthcare IT News For VARS — December 12, 2014
By Megan Williams, contributing writer
In this week’s news, no delay on ICD-10 in Congressional spending bill, and tips on adopting UDI for medical devices.
No ICD-10 Delay In Congressional Spending Bill
Proponents of another ICD-10 delay have had at least one of their options eliminated with the release of the final form of the 2015 Congressional spending bill. It was expected that a two year delay of the implementation the coding system could have been included. While options still remain in pushing the date out beyond the current October 1, 2015 deadline, the exclusion of a delay from the spending bill means providers can be a bit more certain that they can plan on facing implementation next year. Read more at EHR Intelligence.
Adopting UDI For Medical Devices
The FDA announced last year that all medical devices must have an unique device identifier (UDI) within the next few years. In response, the Brookings Institute has helped in developing a roadmap for “adopting and integrating UDI technology in order to improve patient safety and provide better data for research and analytics”, according to EHR Intelligence. The roadmap breaks down crucial steps in integrating UDIs into provider systems, administrative transactions, and patient-directed tools.
Smartphone App Aims To Address Mental Health Issues
According to the Standard Examiner, three northern Utah healthcare organizations are teaming up on a healthcare app project that aims to tackle mental health issues. “Utah SmartCare” will focus on high-cost patients who suffer from “mental illness, generalized anxiety, and generalized depression in conjunction with a serious physical health condition such as diabetes or heart disease”, and specifically focus on low-income patients who are either uninsured, or covered through Medicaid. The app works by tracking individual activity, and sending questions to patients about their mood and symptoms. The data is then analyzed and sent to workers who are notified if a patient needs to be checked in with.
Using Technology To Provide Revenue Cycle Transparency
ZirMed is sponsoring an on-demand webcast that covers the use technology tools of the Baptist Health Medical Group clearing house to increase operational efficiency. Their director of revenue cycle and CBO management present on the medical group’s management of multiple, disparate practice management systems and how they deployed a credit card management tool, implemented standard eligibility, and claims and remit management tools to address RCM challenges. You can read more, and access the on-demand presentation here at Revenue Cycle Intelligence.
Institutions Working Together To Convert EHR Data Into Phenotypes
According to HealthData Management, The national Science Foundation is funding a four-year, $2.1 million project to convert EHR data into phenotypes that are focused on diseases and specific health traits. The project will involve The Georgia Institute Of Technology, Northwestern University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Vanderbilt University. Previously, it has taken six to eighteen months to develop an algorithm for just one phenotype, and the project aims to shorten that time period.
Talking Points
Patient Data Should Stay In The Cloud
This article from the Boston Globe, argues that patient data should remain in the cloud. It uses the example of the theft of a laptop that left Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center paying a $100K settlement. It proposes that facilities that are making efforts to ensure computers are encrypted and healthcare workers attest to that encryption, is the incorrect approach in protecting data, and points to the increase in resources this type of solution requires as compared to more lean and flexible cloud solutions.
Additional Suggestions For Next Week
http://ehrintelligence.com/2014/12/05/large-scale-ehr-adoption-transforming-pharmacy/
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HR-311113/Medical-Scribes-May-Ease-EHR-ICD10-Aches
I also forgot about the Next Gen article, so we could still do that.