ASPs - How the Internet is changing EMR

Healthcare, along with construction, education and retail are ranked as being the slowest adopters of IT. With more pressure than ever from government, insurers and patients, why is healthcare still so far behind?

As health care becomes more integrated, electronic medical records (EMRs) have become an integral part of any practice.

In its simplest form, the concept of EMR is electronic storage and instant availability of clinical information to authorized users at the point of care. Increased efficiency is one of the foremost benefits. Because of increasing technological advances, we are seeing the delivery and implementation model of EMR changing with the times.

Practitioners today have an option to choose either EMR on "Client-Server" or an ASP platform.

Traditionally, EMRs had been deployed directly in the clinic on a Client-Server platform using a main computer (a "server") located in the clinic. The data is then accessed using a "client" i.e. another computer connected directly to the server through the local area network (LAN).

However, with the increased demand for cost-effective EMR solutions, and advances in Web based technology, many vendors are now offering EMR on ASP platform.

The Application Service Provider ("ASP") model is a way of providing EMR to medical practices that takes advantage of the Internet. An ASP replaces the on-site server at a physician’s office with a server installed and managed at a central data center. Physicians and practice staff can access the software applications remotely via PCs connected through the Internet. It is an effective EMR solution for Solo and Medium Medical Practices.

One-stop EMR solution

Specialties covered in the OmniMD™ Electronic Medical Record system

The OmniMD™’s Internet-based Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) runs on the user’s web browser. This enables universal accessibility from a desktop, tablet PC or handheld computer.

OmniMD™ supports the specialties listed below... • Allergy and Immunology • Anesthesiology • Cardiology • Dermatology • Emergency Medicine • Endocrinology • ENT • Family Practice • Gastroenterology • Geriatric Medicine • HBOT/Wound Care • Hematology

• Internal Medicine • Nephrology • Neurosurgery • Neurology • Oncology • Ophthalmology • Orthopedics • OB/GYN • Occupational Health • Pain Management • Pediatrics

• Podiatry • Psychiatry • Pulmonology • Rheumatology • Surgery • Sports Medicine • Urology • Vascular Surgery

EMR - Features & Benefits

The OmniMD^™ Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Software automates and simplifies the patient record documentation, storage and retrieval process.

For more details on OmniMD EMR Features & benefites, Kindly visit:

http://www.omnimd.com/overview/Index.htm

Medical Billing System

The OmniMD Medical Billing system allows the practice to manage all patient billing and accounting seamlessly and efficiently. It is fully integrated with the EMR, appointment system and charge capture. Taking advantage of the information flow, it allows quick and easy billing while ensuring a high degree of accuracy and traceability.

Integrating Medical Billing with EMR

Doctors work in a competitive and changing environment. Consumers are more demanding, regulations are more stringent, costs are rising and government reimbursement is constrained. On the other hand, increased use of IT tools has revolutionized the profession by enabling efficiency in the practice workflow. There remains the problem, however, of gaps between the medical practice, its back-end systems and the physicians.

The primary concerns for a medical practice are:

• Documentation

• Revenue

• Increasing Overhead

A medical billing service is a doctor's key to getting paid. Although the medical profession is adopting various systems to streamline workflow, most doctors are still finding it difficult to get paid fairly and quickly.

In addition, insurance companies regularly change their medical review policies with respect to claim payments. Rejected claims due to non-compliance or submission errors result in a decrease in reimbursement and, hence, revenue.

It is essential that the practice be well organized and control its practice management processes efficiently to ensure profitability. It is important for the practice to recognize and address the various bottlenecks present in its workflow and information management. The need is to streamline workflow and documentation, improving communication and reducing wasted time and resources associated with patient visits.

Integrating Medical Billing with EMR

With the increasing acceptance of EMR by physicians, it is essential that they adopt a system that automates the entire billing process – starting from point-of-care through reimbursement by the payer. Information technology has provided the tools required to efficiently manage a practice.

To date, there is a tendency to have multiple systems carry out the different operations of a practice – EMR for clinical documentation, practice management for billing and financial administration, document management for patient reports, appointment scheduler for appointments and so on. Therefore, integration of such islands of data is essential to get the maximum benefit of technology. This will ultimately increase the efficiency of the billing process, leading to an increase in cash flow by creating an end-to-end solution that ties together the entire physician office from scheduling to treatment and finally, to billing.

Advantages of Integration

· Easy to Use and Easy to Manage

Once a patient record is entered in the EMR, the information is automatically shared with the billing system. Redundant entries are automatically eliminated because access to all patients' demographic and insurance information is quickly distributed from one central point to other modules. Procedure codes, diagnosis codes and other information added just once during treatment are made available for billing. Super bills with procedure and diagnostic codes are transferred to the billing system and can be used to generate and send claims.

· Improve Cash Flow and Collections

Physicians can quickly and easily select the proper procedures and diagnoses and create electronic super bills right at the point-of-care. While capturing the charge, the software checks the accuracy of the CPT and ICD codes to ensure wrong charges are not sent to the insurance company. Some systems come with an E&M wizard for capturing appropriate level of coding. This creates complete ‘super bills' with the right coding. As a result of direct integration, with all the required fields filled out correctly, the practice is able to get claims out in just a few minutes, instead of the usual day or two.

· Practice and Patient Reporting

Integration of the billing system with EMR helps in generating customized reports. Easy access to all supporting documents/reports required for claim processing helps in managing the entire process in a far more effective way - compared to a stand-alone billing system. Also in case of audits, complete patient charts and documentation is available for verification.

· Online Insurance Eligibility Check

Some EMR providers also offer the facility of instant online check for insurance eligibility to verify a patient's medical benefits. This information provides assurance that the insurance record on file is current before services are delivered. The feature streamlines the patient registration process - claims are sent to the right insurance carrier, thereby decreasing the number of rejected claims, fewer days in AR (accounts receivable) and ultimately resulting in increased revenue.

All these advantages lead to an increase in revenue generation in much less time compared to any other conventional method used for medical billing. Integrating billing with EMR reduces the large amount of associated paperwork, the problem of collecting from non-paying patients and the overall collection costs. Streamlining practice workflow in this way will enhance productivity, efficiency and quality of care.

Integrating Medical Billing with EMR

Author: Divan Da've

Doctors work in a competitive and changing environment. Consumers are more demanding, regulations are more stringent, costs are rising and government reimbursement is constrained. On the other hand, increased use of IT tools has revolutionized the profession by enabling efficiency in the practice workflow. There remains the problem, however, of gaps between the medical practice, its back-end systems and the physicians.

The primary concerns for a medical practice are:

• Documentation

• Revenue

• Increasing Overhead

A medical billing service is a doctor's key to getting paid.  Although the medical profession is adopting various systems to streamline workflow, most doctors are still finding it difficult to get paid fairly and quickly.

In addition, insurance companies regularly change their medical review policies with respect to claim payments. Rejected claims due to non-compliance or submission errors result in a decrease in reimbursement and, hence, revenue.

It is essential that the practice be well organized and control its practice management processes efficiently to ensure profitability. It is important for the practice to recognize and address the various bottlenecks present in its workflow and information management. The need is to streamline workflow and documentation, improving communication and reducing wasted time and resources associated with patient visits.

Integrating Medical Billing with EMR

With the increasing acceptance of EMR by physicians, it is essential that they adopt a system that automates the entire billing process – starting from point-of-care through reimbursement by the payer. Information technology has provided the tools required to efficiently manage a practice.

To date, there is a tendency to have multiple systems carry out the different operations of a practice – EMR for clinical documentation, practice management for billing and financial administration, document management for patient reports, appointment scheduler for appointments and so on. Therefore, integration of such islands of data is essential to get the maximum benefit of technology. This will ultimately increase the efficiency of the billing process, leading to an increase in cash flow by creating an end-to-end solution that ties together the entire physician office from scheduling to treatment and finally, to billing.

Advantages of Integration

·  Easy to Use and Easy to Manage

Once a patient record is entered in the EMR, the information is automatically shared with the billing system. Redundant entries are automatically eliminated because access to all patients' demographic and insurance information is quickly distributed from one central point to other modules. Procedure codes, diagnosis codes and other information added just once during treatment are made available for billing. Super bills with procedure and diagnostic codes are transferred to the billing system and can be used to generate and send claims.

·  Improve Cash Flow and Collections

Physicians can quickly and easily select the proper procedures and diagnoses and create electronic super bills right at the point-of-care. While capturing the charge, the software checks the accuracy of the CPT and ICD codes to ensure wrong charges are not sent to the insurance company. Some systems come with an E&M wizard for capturing appropriate level of coding. This creates complete ‘super bills' with the right coding. As a result of direct integration, with all the required fields filled out correctly, the practice is able to get claims out in just a few minutes, instead of the usual day or two.

·  Practice and Patient Reporting

Integration of the billing system with EMR helps in generating customized reports. Easy access to all supporting documents/reports required for claim processing helps in managing the entire process in a far more effective way - compared to a stand-alone billing system. Also in case of audits, complete patient charts and documentation is available for verification. 

·  Online Insurance Eligibility Check

Some EMR providers also offer the facility of instant online check for insurance eligibility to verify a patient's medical benefits. This information provides assurance that the insurance record on file is current before services are delivered. The feature streamlines the patient registration process - claims are sent to the right insurance carrier, thereby decreasing the number of rejected claims, fewer days in AR (accounts receivable) and ultimately resulting in increased revenue.

All these advantages lead to an increase in revenue generation in much less time compared to any other conventional method used for medical billing. Integrating billing with EMR reduces the large amount of associated paperwork, the problem of collecting from non-paying patients and the overall collection costs.  Streamlining practice workflow in this way will enhance productivity, efficiency and quality of care.

NJHIMA 2008 Annual Meeting

Omni MD ™ showcases its Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Medical Transcription, Practice Management, Patient Portal and Document Management Solutions at New Jersey Health Information Association (NJHIMA) 2008 Annual Meeting. Omni MD ™ ( www.omnimd.com ), a leading developer of CCHIT Certified and HIPAA compliant healthcare practice solutions, presented its new version of its Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Medical Transcription, Practice Management, Patient Portal and Document Management Solutions at New Jersey Health Information Association (NJHIMA) 2008 Annual Meeting held on June 19and 20, 2008 at the Bally's Atlantic City in Atlantic City, NJ. Electronic Medical Records, Practice Management, Medical Transcription, Document Management and Conversion, Patient Reminder and Patient Portal was highlighted at the event. New Jersey Health Information Association (NJHIMA) 2008 Annual Meeting ( http://njhima.org/AnnualMeetingHome.htm ) is New Jersey's largest meeting of Hospitals and Practices. With over 55 exhibitors showcasing their products or services, the event was an ideal platform for Hospitals and Physicians to network with peers, experts and vendors while exploring the benefits of the most innovative health information technologies. Divan Da've, CEO, Omni MD ™ says "The aim at NJHIMA 2008 Annual Meeting was to showcase Omni MD ™ Integrated EMR and Practice Management, and highlight its strong customization and point and click features. We also used this opportunity to present an overview of our integrated services such as medical transcriptions, patient portal, patient reminder and document management to private practices and hospitals." The CCHIT certified Omni MD ™ Electronic Medical Records Software (EMR) addresses the vast information needs of practices and hospitals. The EMR system also includes specific ICD codes and CPT Codes that are used to capture accurate charges and quickly generate electronic superbill at the point of care. Omni MD ™ solution is HIPAA complaint and it can be fully integrated with billing, practice management and other HL7 compliant software. To meet specific practice needs, Omni MD ™ offers customizable point­ and ­click templates and it can also accommodate specialty forms and templates that are currently being used by the physicians. Attendees were able to experience the product first hand and learn more about how EMR can improve their practice workflow and patient care by migrating from paper ­based health records to EHR systems. Omni MD ™ offers specialty EMR software for Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Neurology, OB/GYN, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Urology, Pain Management, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Pulmonology. Omni MD ™ 's Electronic Medical Records (EMR) suite comprises of Appointment Scheduler, Patient Reminder, Online Eligibility Check, Charge Capture, Prescription Writer, Specialty EMR, Point and click, Referral Management, Document Management, Lab Interface, Patient Education, Medical Transcription, Integrated Medical Billing Services and Practice Web Site. Omni MD ™ EMR Suite is a fully integrated solution for a physician who is looking to automate practice workflow without worrying about operating on different systems and platforms or implementing technology in patches.

HIPPA compliant and CCHIT certified EMR

OmniMD, with its HIPPA compliant and CCHIT certified EMR and capability to provide one-stop solutions to all healthcare IT requirements, now has emerged as one of the leaders in healthcare IT sector. Since 1999 OmniMD has been providing quality solutions to healthcare service providers. Along with more than 600 small and medium healthcare practices, OmniMD has also provided solutions to many large practices across US.

OmniMD EMR can benefit all kind of practices raging from single physician practice to large practices with profound understanding of different needs of ambulatory practices, a user-friendly system environment, effective deployment process and efficient support team said Divan Dave CEO OmniMD.

According to the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), 30 percent of Ambulatory practices are already equipped with EMR system, with another 10 percent expected to adopt EMR by the end of 2007.

Previously large practices were reluctant to adopt Electronic medical records, but vendors like OmniMD have really made it convenient for them, by providing solutions, which exactly fit into their current workflow, and also by educating staff members and physicians with appropriate training. There are several compelling reasons for Large practices to adopt EMR, including mounting pressure to use the technology to boost patient safety. Other emerging trends include insurers offering pay-for-performance initiatives or financial incentives to compel or encourage doctors to use computerized records, growing sentiment among physicians that information technology can improve productivity and efficiency, and the fact that the technology has become better and less expensive.

It is difficult for an EMR vendor to implement system in a large practice as compared to that of small and medium sized practices, reason being complex workflow, large number of staff members and complicated communication channels. Large practices are more inclined towards omnimd because of its physician friendly modules, which can be easily integrated in to the current workflow of large ambulatory practices and allow them to make practice paperless without increasing any kind of complexity. Sunny Downstate with 220 physicians, Mobile Hyperbaric Center and DOCS Medical Group are few of large practices, have recently started taking advantages of OmniMD EMR

"We would not attempt to be in this business without an electronic health record system, and for now OmniMD is getting the job done" Said Bill Price, IT Director Mobile Hyperbaric.

About OmniMD:
OmniMD – www.omnimd.com is a developer of HIPAA compliant and CCHIT certified healthcare practice software and solutions, designed to automate the work-flow of contemporary medical practices.

OmniMD software suite is composed of Specialty EMR, Appointment Scheduler, Charge Capture, Prescription Writer, Eligibility Check, Document Management, Referral Management, Patient Reminder, Lab Order Integration, and Practice portal for clinics. OmniMD not only provides software, but also services to offer an end-to-end one-stop solution for its clients. The services offered are Medical Transcription, Document Scanning and Indexing and Software Integration.

EMR, Transcription, Special EMR, EHR, Electronic Health Record

Medical Transcription in the Era of Electronic Medical Records.

EMR has revolutionized the healthcare industry in recent times. Many experts felt that EMR & Voice Recognition would totally replace Medical Transcription - however; the industry soon realized that transcription has certain advantages over point & click charting and many physicians preferred to dictate notes rather than document the data at the point of care themselves.

The most critical part of any Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is the method of data entry. EMR is about aggregation of patient encounter data at the point of care in order to provide a complete, accurate, and timely view of patient information. An electronic medical record is not just a typed record of the patient encounter, but an extremely useful decision support tool. The data can be entered into the EMR via any of the two general mechanisms: direct entry by the physician using point and click templates or transcription of dictated notes. Point and click template indicates that each data element, which is to be inserted, requires selection, navigation, point and click process for capturing patient information.

Transcriptions have been around for years for documenting patient encounters. A medical provider dictates the medical note into a phone or a recording device. The transcriptionist receives the dictation and transcribes it. It may be reviewed by the supervisor for checking errors. The final computerized file is then either emailed directly to the healthcare provider or the file is transferred to a web site and is later downloaded by the provider.

Each method has its pros and cons.
Point and Click Templates

Most EMR systems allow providers to generate clinical documentation, by selecting variable terms from pre-structured point-and-click templates. Users simply point and click to select appropriate choices from lists of choices to record a patient encounter. The end result would be a document that closely resembles a transcribed procedure note.

Advantages

• Completely customizable templates. The doctor can specify the layout of the template, which helps him to adjust the template as per his practice & procedure.
• Provide consistent, complete and accurate data. The chances of medical errors are reduced since the data is documented in customised forms.
• Provide consistent, complete and accurate data. The chances of medical errors are reduced since the data is documented in customised forms.
• Store / organize data for subsequent retrieval.
• Each click adds data elements to the database. Point-and-click systems create data that can be used to generate clinically useful reports, such as health maintenance reminders, disease management etc.
• One of the major advantages of template based charting is the time needed to make the document available as a medical record. Since notes are created within the EMR, they are available immediately upon completion.

Disadvantages

• It takes more time, and definitely more concentration for a physician to navigate through large data set and create progress notes using point and click templates.
• Templates must be customized as per the physician's requirement. Customization can be inflexible and costly.
• Well accepted by only tech-savvy doctors.
• The approach of direct data entry by the physician has generally failed because busy providers reject it altogether.
• Output from these templates is too canned and identical. It loses individuality for each patient.
• It is difficult for a provider to capture complete patient encounter on computer in front of a patient.

Medical Transcription

Transcription has long been the standard for documenting patient encounters. It is more convenient for a provider as compared to handwritten notes or electronic data entry. There are many advantages of transcription in comparison to point and click charting. There are a few disadvantages as well.

Advantages

• Corresponds intuitively to the physician's usual method of working. Dictation remains the most intuitive and least time-consuming means of data entry.
• Physicians can dictate anytime, anywhere using PDA, Dictaphone or telephone at their convenience.
• Providers need not change the way they practice just to accommodate an EMR. EMR can interact with transcription service so that transcriptions can be attached directly into the patient's electronic medical record, if such a facility is provided by the EMR vendor.
• Provides expressive power to describe patient's condition and other health related events.

Disadvantages

• Details of the exam can easily be forgotten and omitted while dictating, if dictation is not captured immediately at the point of care
• It cannot be queried for generating reports unless transcribed in pre-formatted templates
• Transcribed reports are not immediately accessible. Physicians would normally have to wait for 12 to 24 hours for charts to be delivered, unless few vendors supporting 2-4 hours short turn around time.
• Transcription provides for more efficient use of doctor's time.
• Although average transcribed report costs $2 to $4, it can reduce the doctor's time spent on data entry. Considering the value of doctor's time, transcription is not a costly proposition.
EMR should give the freedom to the physician to decide to use either Point & Click or Medical Transcription. For a physician, the EMR that fits into his practice workflow would be invaluable. A competent EMR must have a template driven charting feature and the ability to interact with a transcription service at the same time. Both are indispensable features of Electronic Medical Record Software, as doctors are not unanimous on point and click charting or transcription. Such an EMR will be both efficient and cost effective.
The trends in transcription itself are changing with Medical Transcription service providers aiming to adopt new technologies. These technologies will evolve to increase efficiency & accuracy, decrease turnaround time and support data capture. While many of these technologies like such as digital dictation and electronic signature exist today, several technologies are still on the horizon.