CMS publishes final rule for MU reporting
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1 published a final rule that will allow providers in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive program who previously demonstrated meaningful use (MU) to report to any continuous 90-day reporting period in 2016 and 2017 rather than a…
GAO calls for better alignment of quality measures
Editor's Note In an October 13 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to set priorities in its effort to better align healthcare quality measures across payers and programs, and to make them truly meaningful, according to the October 14 FierceHealthcare.…
Denver Health to expand text messaging program
Editor's Note Denver Health was awarded a nearly $232,000 federal grant to expand its text messaging program, the October 13 Denver Post reports. The system will use the grant to link text messages directly to patients’ electronic health records so physicians can see patients’ texts on their medical charts. Denver…
CMS launches new Twitter account
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 12 launched a new Twitter account, which will be led by the Media Relations Group in Washington, DC. @CMSgovPress will promote CMS news as it happens, offering members of the media and the public the opportunity to receive…
Survey: EHRs increase costs, reduce productivity
Editor's Note A Deloitte survey of physicians found that three out of four believe electronic health records (EHRs) increase practice costs, which outweigh any efficiency savings, and seven out of 10 say EHRs reduce their productivity, the October 3 Healthcare Informatics reports. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents want EHRs to…
Oct 1 deadline for EHR incentive program
Editor's Note First time participants in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program must attest to meaningful use for a 90-day reporting period by October 1 to avoid a payment adjustment in 2017, the September 26 AHA News reports. Returning participants must report…
Study: Most nurses dissatisfied with EHRs
Editor's Note A study by Adventist University of Health Sciences (Orlando, Florida) found that 92% of nurses were dissatisfied with their electronic health record (EHR) technology. In addition, 85% said the EHRs had flaws, and 84% said EHRs disrupted their productivity and clinical workflow. The researchers also found an increase…
CMS releases payment adjustments for 2017 EHR incentives
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that starting October 1, 2016, hospitals that are still not meaningful users of electronic health records (EHRs) will be subjected to a reduced increase in their Inpatient Prospective Payment System rate, the September 2 Healthcare IT News reports.…
Study: Physicians spend half their time on EHRs, desk work
Editor's Note In this study, researchers found that physicians spent 49.2% of their time during the day on electronic health records and desk work and 27% of their time with patients. In addition, they spent an extra 1 to 2 hours each night during their personal time on EHRs. While…
Preventing a cyber attack takes commitment--and money
Information technology (IT) has been a lifesaver and a timesaver in healthcare, bringing speed and precision to medical-surgical procedures and replacing paperwork with electronic computation, storage, and communication. But there is a dark side. Systems can be sabotaged, files can be opened, and devices used in surgery can fail at…
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