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Natural language processing (NLP) is one of the more intriguing health technologies. Its ability to dive into unstructured documentation to extract relevant clinical data provides organizations with multiple options to add value.
For example, as illustrated in this month’s E-News Exclusive, NLP is making gains in terms of benefitting risk adjustment programs. If that is indeed the case, revenue cycle departments will have another weapon at their disposal to improve finances.
— Lee DeOrio, editor |
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Five Ways to Use NLP for Risk Adjustment Coding
By Emmy Johnson
Historically, natural language processing (NLP) platforms don’t produce reliable results for risk adjustment programs when compared with manual coding. Concerns with NLP center around invalid codes and resources needed to reject these or even manually recode charts. Early testers of NLP platforms also found it was more expensive than traditional manual coding.
However, NLP is turning a corner thanks to significant investments in platforms that address the complexities of risk adjustment. The clinical rule sets are much more refined, and machine learning and artificial intelligence components can process millions of charts to a higher level of specificity while also understanding context, making correlations, and refining data extractions. NLP vendors are developing business rules to meet the specific requirements of risk adjustment for Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act. Implementing NLP can also lower coding costs per chart and accelerate the time from chart retrieval to final data output.
Full Story » |
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FDA Launches New Digital Tool to Help Capture Real-World Data From Patients
The FDA is announcing the MyStudies app, a new mobile technology to foster the collection of real-world evidence via patients’ mobile devices. Real-world data can be collected from a variety of sources, such as EHRs, claims and billing activities, and product and disease registries, as well as from patient-generated data including in home-use settings, or from data gathered from other sources, such as mobile devices.
As part of the agency’s work to foster greater opportunities around real-world evidence, the FDA partnered with Kaiser Permanente on a pilot study to measure the functionality and engagement of the MyStudies app. Based on the successful outcome of the study, the FDA is now releasing the open source code and technical documents that will allow researchers and developers to customize and use the FDA’s newly created MyStudies app to expand the diversity of health information available for clinical trials and studies, while directly capturing the perspective of patients. By providing the open source code, the agency is providing a tool that sponsors and developers can adapt to advance their specific clinical trial and real-world evidence needs, while also remaining compliant with the FDA’s regulations and guidance for data authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality.
Read more » |
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Get Supercharged at HIMSS19
By Heather Hogstrom
HIMSS19 challenges champions of health to unite, with the hope that attendees will get supercharged at the conference, set for February 11–15 in Orlando. Attendees won’t want to miss the opening reception on Monday evening, during which they are encouraged to wear their favorite superhero costume, in keeping with the superhero theme.
In the opening keynote, a panel of internationally recognized leaders will discuss the question “Will Consumer-Directed Exchange Disrupt the Healthcare Marketplace?” The panelists include Aneesh Chopra, president of CareJourney, who served as the first US chief technology officer; Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, who served as national coordinator for health information technology; Michael Leavitt, founder of Leavitt Partners, who served as secretary of Health and Human Services; and Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Additionally, Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services, will join Verma for Tuesday’s keynote on “Interoperability and Patient Engagement.” In the closing keynote session, “Not Impossible: Pushing the Bar on Innovation,” Mick Ebeling will inspire attendees to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks.
Read more » |
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Partners Connected Health Launches New Mobile App
To enhance its PGHDConnect platform, Partners Connected Health announces a new patient-facing mobile app that allows patients to easily and securely share personal health data with their care team from a larger selection of consumer health devices, including activity trackers, wearables, sensors, and remote monitoring devices. The PGHDConnect mobile app gives patients and providers 250 devices to choose from and connects with Apple HealthKit and Samsung Health to track activity. The HIPAA-compliant and user-friendly app is available as a free download from Google Play and the App Store.
NextGen Healthcare Launches Quality and Cost Measurement Capability
NextGen Healthcare announces the availability of Quality/Cost Fusion, a new population health analytics capability that enables health care organizations to measure the true value of care delivered to their patients. Quality/Cost Fusion measures “value,” which is the risk-adjusted summation of cost and quality. By combining clinical and adjudicated claims data, the tool helps providers successfully transition to value-based care. It also helps identify best practices that can be disseminated across an organization and identifies providers that might benefit from additional training and support. The Quality/Cost Fusion capabilities are part of the NextGen population health platform, so clients who currently leverage the platform have access to the new offering automatically. Learn more »
Patent Issued to MRO for IdentiScan Medical Record Integrity Application
MRO announces its IdentiScan medical record integrity application has been patented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Health care providers partnering with MRO for release of information (ROI) benefit from IdentiScan as an embedded feature in the ROI Online platform, used during a rigorous quality assurance process. IdentiScan uses optical character recognition technology to scan for and locate misfiled pages within patient health record sets to enable correction prior to sharing with requesters of the information. Learn more » |
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Artificial vs True Intelligence — What the C‑Suite, HIT, and RCM Need to Relearn From HIM
A deeper dive into the numbers will lend valuable insight into the effectiveness of artificial intelligence tools for document creation. Read more »
Research Pathways Open to HIM Professionals
Opportunities are plentiful for HIM professionals looking to pursue a career in a research-related field. Read more »
ICYMI: The Challenges Associated With Texting
The convenience and power of text messaging is undeniable, but use of the technology doesn’t come without its concerns. Read more »
HIT Must Put Physicians Front and Center
A physician makes an impassioned case to improve EHR usability. Read more » |
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Hospital SIESTA Project Reduces Inpatient Sleep Interruptions
University of Chicago Medicine researchers designed a study that uses “nudges” in patients’ EHRs to help avoid sleep disruptions, according to Medical Xpress.
Legal Options for Northwestern Medicine MyChart Users Just Shrank
If information on MyChart is used improperly, whether by patients or Northwestern Medicine, there are now limits to how either side can take legal action. MyChart users are now blocked from seeking jury trials and class-action lawsuits and must agree to take up disputes either in small claims court or through arbitration, reports WBEZ. |
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