As health care enters a more advanced electronic age, dermatologists have begun to implement sophisticated technology as one way to keep practices efficient and profitable. One system that has progressively improved since its development is electronic health record (EHR) systems.
As practicing physicians, we interface with EHR systems on a day-to-day basis for a multitude of responsibilities. Properly designed EHR systems eliminate the need to transcribe notes on paper, may provide data that helps improve patient outcomes, and can potentially streamline physician workflows—increasing efficiency and improving productivity. Of course, the adoption of modern technology can bring on new challenges that are often unavoidable for physicians.
Recent government mandates—such as ICD-10, Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and Meaningful Use—make it challenging for physicians to remain compliant, while still addressing practical business tasks like workflow, billing, and improving patient outcomes. The need for advanced technology in order to address these mandates is at its all-time high and it is essential for dermatologists to recognize which EHR systems are best equipped to evolve with the ever-changing health care industry.
To help guide you through some of the main challenges physicians face today, I have provided a few thoughts to consider when looking at how to best capture your current EHR system’s capabilities, as well as advice on what qualities to look for if choosing a new system.
Still Making the ICD-10 Transition?
Perhaps, one of the most widely known issues with EHR systems is the burden they place on physicians when it comes to reporting. Many EHR models, while loaded with information, are extremely time-consuming, taking away valuable patient time from the physician. The transition to ICD-10 has made data entry that much more difficult; jumping from roughly 13,000 codes to more than 68,000. Learning all of the ICD-10 codes—even just the ones commonly used in dermatology—would be an impossible feat. An insect bite (a simple diagnosis) increased from one standard code in ICD-9, to more than 180 possibilities in ICD-10.
That said, the mapping of ICD-10 codes is extremely important. Physicians unable or unwilling to properly upgrade their EHR systems are likely putting their patients’ outcomes and practice’s bottom line at risk.
Additionally, physicians will need to go through a series of investigations should they not properly comply with ICD-10 including:
• Initiate an ICD-10 assessment from a financial impact perspective. Frequently review metrics and look for rejection trends. Evaluate if commercial carriers are rejecting claims that have unspecified codes.
• Determine whether or not the delay in productivity was caused by the staff’s familiarity with the new coding set. If so, identify where retraining is necessary.
• Specify if the technology your practice implemented correlates with the needs of the practice and patient population.
• While change is difficult, instituting a tool that can completely automate the coding process, without any manual labor from the doctor, can transform a practice. Work closely with your health information technology vendor to make sure you are using the technology to its full extent and determine if they recommend any “best practices” when generating a code and/or superbill.
Be sure to use your EHR system and its services; if they are inadequate look into other options for your practice.
Struggling to Capture “Quality”?
While the value-based payment model was built with the intention to improve the quality of care, efficiency, and overall value of health care to consumers, it can also take time away from those services if approached without the necessary tools. Innovative, modern solutions like automated PQRS data collection can supply physicians with ways of documenting quality without costing time. If physicians are struggling to meet the demand of outcome-based reporting, they must:
• First look at the day-to-day workflow. Pinpoint what tasks are the most time-consuming and determine if documentation is being done in a structured format that automates quality data collection.
• Create a common language using static global assessments so patients and doctors can understand what therapies work and do not work in the real world. Physicians need software that tracks their patient’s outcomes over time to justify complex medical decision-making and reimbursement from biologic therapy to procedures. Health care is a zero-sum game. Doctors will be paid after demonstrating how their interventions result in the best outcomes at a reasonable cost.
• Use business intelligence tools and benchmarks. Doctors need feedback to see how they are doing to position their practice for an upward adjustment on reimbursement. Software that provides near real-time tools to manage population health will give physicians the competitive edge they need to make their practices thrive.
Know that measuring quality does not mean you should give up efficiency. Find and employ an EHR system that can automatically handle the value-based payment modifier and enable quality reporting.
While there are internal steps physicians can take to address these common issues and improve internal workflow, physicians also need to address the need for advanced technology as the industry continues to advance. Physicians need to ensure their EHR vendors are aware and accountable for these evolving legislations. If they are deemed insufficient, it is never too late to implement the appropriate technology that will meet the needs both internally and externally.
Dr Sherling is the cofounder and chief medical officer of Modernizing Medicine. He is responsible for developing and designing the dermatology-based EHR software, EMA Dermatology, and supervising the design of Modernizing Medicine’s other EMA specialties. For more information, please visit www.modmed.com.
Disclosure: The author reports no relevant financial relationships.
As health care enters a more advanced electronic age, dermatologists have begun to implement sophisticated technology as one way to keep practices efficient and profitable. One system that has progressively improved since its development is electronic health record (EHR) systems.
As practicing physicians, we interface with EHR systems on a day-to-day basis for a multitude of responsibilities. Properly designed EHR systems eliminate the need to transcribe notes on paper, may provide data that helps improve patient outcomes, and can potentially streamline physician workflows—increasing efficiency and improving productivity. Of course, the adoption of modern technology can bring on new challenges that are often unavoidable for physicians.
Recent government mandates—such as ICD-10, Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and Meaningful Use—make it challenging for physicians to remain compliant, while still addressing practical business tasks like workflow, billing, and improving patient outcomes. The need for advanced technology in order to address these mandates is at its all-time high and it is essential for dermatologists to recognize which EHR systems are best equipped to evolve with the ever-changing health care industry.
To help guide you through some of the main challenges physicians face today, I have provided a few thoughts to consider when looking at how to best capture your current EHR system’s capabilities, as well as advice on what qualities to look for if choosing a new system.
Still Making the ICD-10 Transition?
Perhaps, one of the most widely known issues with EHR systems is the burden they place on physicians when it comes to reporting. Many EHR models, while loaded with information, are extremely time-consuming, taking away valuable patient time from the physician. The transition to ICD-10 has made data entry that much more difficult; jumping from roughly 13,000 codes to more than 68,000. Learning all of the ICD-10 codes—even just the ones commonly used in dermatology—would be an impossible feat. An insect bite (a simple diagnosis) increased from one standard code in ICD-9, to more than 180 possibilities in ICD-10.
That said, the mapping of ICD-10 codes is extremely important. Physicians unable or unwilling to properly upgrade their EHR systems are likely putting their patients’ outcomes and practice’s bottom line at risk.
Additionally, physicians will need to go through a series of investigations should they not properly comply with ICD-10 including:
• Initiate an ICD-10 assessment from a financial impact perspective. Frequently review metrics and look for rejection trends. Evaluate if commercial carriers are rejecting claims that have unspecified codes.
• Determine whether or not the delay in productivity was caused by the staff’s familiarity with the new coding set. If so, identify where retraining is necessary.
• Specify if the technology your practice implemented correlates with the needs of the practice and patient population.
• While change is difficult, instituting a tool that can completely automate the coding process, without any manual labor from the doctor, can transform a practice. Work closely with your health information technology vendor to make sure you are using the technology to its full extent and determine if they recommend any “best practices” when generating a code and/or superbill.
Be sure to use your EHR system and its services; if they are inadequate look into other options for your practice.
Struggling to Capture “Quality”?
While the value-based payment model was built with the intention to improve the quality of care, efficiency, and overall value of health care to consumers, it can also take time away from those services if approached without the necessary tools. Innovative, modern solutions like automated PQRS data collection can supply physicians with ways of documenting quality without costing time. If physicians are struggling to meet the demand of outcome-based reporting, they must:
• First look at the day-to-day workflow. Pinpoint what tasks are the most time-consuming and determine if documentation is being done in a structured format that automates quality data collection.
• Create a common language using static global assessments so patients and doctors can understand what therapies work and do not work in the real world. Physicians need software that tracks their patient’s outcomes over time to justify complex medical decision-making and reimbursement from biologic therapy to procedures. Health care is a zero-sum game. Doctors will be paid after demonstrating how their interventions result in the best outcomes at a reasonable cost.
• Use business intelligence tools and benchmarks. Doctors need feedback to see how they are doing to position their practice for an upward adjustment on reimbursement. Software that provides near real-time tools to manage population health will give physicians the competitive edge they need to make their practices thrive.
Know that measuring quality does not mean you should give up efficiency. Find and employ an EHR system that can automatically handle the value-based payment modifier and enable quality reporting.
While there are internal steps physicians can take to address these common issues and improve internal workflow, physicians also need to address the need for advanced technology as the industry continues to advance. Physicians need to ensure their EHR vendors are aware and accountable for these evolving legislations. If they are deemed insufficient, it is never too late to implement the appropriate technology that will meet the needs both internally and externally.
Dr Sherling is the cofounder and chief medical officer of Modernizing Medicine. He is responsible for developing and designing the dermatology-based EHR software, EMA Dermatology, and supervising the design of Modernizing Medicine’s other EMA specialties. For more information, please visit www.modmed.com.
Disclosure: The author reports no relevant financial relationships.
As health care enters a more advanced electronic age, dermatologists have begun to implement sophisticated technology as one way to keep practices efficient and profitable. One system that has progressively improved since its development is electronic health record (EHR) systems.
As practicing physicians, we interface with EHR systems on a day-to-day basis for a multitude of responsibilities. Properly designed EHR systems eliminate the need to transcribe notes on paper, may provide data that helps improve patient outcomes, and can potentially streamline physician workflows—increasing efficiency and improving productivity. Of course, the adoption of modern technology can bring on new challenges that are often unavoidable for physicians.
Recent government mandates—such as ICD-10, Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and Meaningful Use—make it challenging for physicians to remain compliant, while still addressing practical business tasks like workflow, billing, and improving patient outcomes. The need for advanced technology in order to address these mandates is at its all-time high and it is essential for dermatologists to recognize which EHR systems are best equipped to evolve with the ever-changing health care industry.
To help guide you through some of the main challenges physicians face today, I have provided a few thoughts to consider when looking at how to best capture your current EHR system’s capabilities, as well as advice on what qualities to look for if choosing a new system.
Still Making the ICD-10 Transition?
Perhaps, one of the most widely known issues with EHR systems is the burden they place on physicians when it comes to reporting. Many EHR models, while loaded with information, are extremely time-consuming, taking away valuable patient time from the physician. The transition to ICD-10 has made data entry that much more difficult; jumping from roughly 13,000 codes to more than 68,000. Learning all of the ICD-10 codes—even just the ones commonly used in dermatology—would be an impossible feat. An insect bite (a simple diagnosis) increased from one standard code in ICD-9, to more than 180 possibilities in ICD-10.
That said, the mapping of ICD-10 codes is extremely important. Physicians unable or unwilling to properly upgrade their EHR systems are likely putting their patients’ outcomes and practice’s bottom line at risk.
Additionally, physicians will need to go through a series of investigations should they not properly comply with ICD-10 including:
• Initiate an ICD-10 assessment from a financial impact perspective. Frequently review metrics and look for rejection trends. Evaluate if commercial carriers are rejecting claims that have unspecified codes.
• Determine whether or not the delay in productivity was caused by the staff’s familiarity with the new coding set. If so, identify where retraining is necessary.
• Specify if the technology your practice implemented correlates with the needs of the practice and patient population.
• While change is difficult, instituting a tool that can completely automate the coding process, without any manual labor from the doctor, can transform a practice. Work closely with your health information technology vendor to make sure you are using the technology to its full extent and determine if they recommend any “best practices” when generating a code and/or superbill.
Be sure to use your EHR system and its services; if they are inadequate look into other options for your practice.
Struggling to Capture “Quality”?
While the value-based payment model was built with the intention to improve the quality of care, efficiency, and overall value of health care to consumers, it can also take time away from those services if approached without the necessary tools. Innovative, modern solutions like automated PQRS data collection can supply physicians with ways of documenting quality without costing time. If physicians are struggling to meet the demand of outcome-based reporting, they must:
• First look at the day-to-day workflow. Pinpoint what tasks are the most time-consuming and determine if documentation is being done in a structured format that automates quality data collection.
• Create a common language using static global assessments so patients and doctors can understand what therapies work and do not work in the real world. Physicians need software that tracks their patient’s outcomes over time to justify complex medical decision-making and reimbursement from biologic therapy to procedures. Health care is a zero-sum game. Doctors will be paid after demonstrating how their interventions result in the best outcomes at a reasonable cost.
• Use business intelligence tools and benchmarks. Doctors need feedback to see how they are doing to position their practice for an upward adjustment on reimbursement. Software that provides near real-time tools to manage population health will give physicians the competitive edge they need to make their practices thrive.
Know that measuring quality does not mean you should give up efficiency. Find and employ an EHR system that can automatically handle the value-based payment modifier and enable quality reporting.
While there are internal steps physicians can take to address these common issues and improve internal workflow, physicians also need to address the need for advanced technology as the industry continues to advance. Physicians need to ensure their EHR vendors are aware and accountable for these evolving legislations. If they are deemed insufficient, it is never too late to implement the appropriate technology that will meet the needs both internally and externally.
Dr Sherling is the cofounder and chief medical officer of Modernizing Medicine. He is responsible for developing and designing the dermatology-based EHR software, EMA Dermatology, and supervising the design of Modernizing Medicine’s other EMA specialties. For more information, please visit www.modmed.com.
Disclosure: The author reports no relevant financial relationships.
