Industry Insight

Analysis Identifies Most Popular Meaningful Use Menu Objectives

Sevocity has analyzed the December 2012 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report “EP Recipients of Medicare EHR Incentive Program Payments” to determine which menu objectives were most often selected by providers attesting to meaningful use under the Medicare EHR incentive program. To qualify for an EHR incentive payment under the program, eligible providers must attest to 15 core objectives and select five of 10 possible menu objectives.

The most popular menu objective was “implement drug formulary checks,” with almost 85% of providers selecting this as one of their five menu items. This was followed by “generate lists of patients by specific conditions to use for quality improvement, reduction of disparities, research, or outreach,” with more than 74% of providers selecting the objective. “Summary care record for transition of care” was selected least, with less than 16% of providers choosing this objective.

“Because most of the stage 1 menu objectives become core objectives with stage 2, it is important to understand those items which may currently be the most difficult for providers to achieve,” says Elaine Mendoza, president and CEO of Sevocity. “Understanding these trends will help EHR vendors work closely with customers and offer training and other support to ease their path to stage 2.”

— Source: Sevocity

 

EMRs in Canada Delivering Efficiencies, Patient Safety, Improved Communication

With a twofold increase in adoption since 2006, the use of EMRs in community-based practices in Canada has yielded efficiency and patient care benefits valued at $1.3 billion, a new independent study reveals.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study drew on more than 250 research publications from around the world and includes up-to-date Canadian results from recent studies and surveys. It was commissioned by Canada Health Infoway and uncovered the following benefits achieved over a six-year period (2006 to 2012):

• $800 million in administrative efficiencies as staff time is redeployed in community-based practices;

• $584 million in health-system-level benefits, such as reduced duplicate tests and adverse drug events;

• improved interactions and communications among care team members and between providers and patients; and

• better quality of care and health outcomes through preventive care and chronic disease management with advanced EMR use.

These results are tied to national progress in EMR adoption over the same period, which saw EMR adoption by primary care physicians more than double in Canada, from 23% in 2006 to 56% in 2012. EMR use by community-based specialists also has increased.

“Users of electronic medical records, their patients, and the health system are already seeing efficiency, safety, and teamwork benefits thanks to investments by governments and health care providers that have increased the number of clinicians using these tools,” says Richard Alvarez, president and CEO of Canada Health Infoway. “We expect significant additional gains as adoption grows, use matures, and connections to other care settings expand.”

The study also demonstrated EMRs’ potential to improve communication among care team members as well as between providers and their patients. For example, 93% of physicians in Alberta’s EMR program report access to a summarized patient history, so patients spend less time repeating the same information to care providers.

While the study illustrated how the benefits of EMR use are accruing today, it also showed the even greater potential that lies in the use of advanced features such as tools and alerts prompting follow-up that will help clinicians with illness prevention and chronic disease management. For instance, a recent study found that primary care practices with EMRs conducted reviews of patient records (eg, for medication recalls) approximately 30 times more quickly than paper-based clinics.

— Source: Canada Health Infoway

 

Report: Americans Crave Better Health Care Reviews

As more Americans spend their own money on health care, consumers are searching for reviews and ratings to guide their decision making but are not yet finding what they need, according to a report released by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute. The analysis “Scoring Healthcare: Navigating Customer Experience Ratings” found companies that translate consumer feedback into improved quality and better experience stand to reap rewards.

According to a survey conducted by the Health Research Institute, 48% of respondents said they have read health care reviews, although only 24% said they have written one. However, once consumers read a review, the information proves influential. Among those who have read health care reviews, 68% said they have used the information to select a doctor, hospital and, to a lesser extent, a health plan, pharmacy, drug, or medical device.

The analysis provides the following insight on how health organizations can tap into the power of customer ratings:

• Sort by “people like me.” Ratings and reviews exist in many shapes and sizes, but what consumers really want is information that is relevant to them.

• Exchange policies on health plans may become more popular. Medicare Advantage members can switch to a five-star-rated plan at any time if their current health plan falls below five stars. If this practice spreads to commercial plans, it could add one more reason for insurers to bolster customer service now.

• Navigator roles should connect care and coverage. Individuals, such as customer service representatives or brokers, now help consumers obtain coverage, but the assistance often stops there. Consumers need help wading through coverage and care decisions long after signing up.

• Combine experience data. As more accountable care arrangements develop, insurers, hospitals, and physicians can use experience data from several consumer surveys to create a more complete portrait of patients and a more coordinated care path.

— Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers