Medical Transcription simply means re-presentation of dictated words into etched form, the dictation by the physicians and healthcare experts regarding patient valuation, progress, medical actions, clinical progression, diagnosis, prognosis, in order to file patient care and provide various healthcare services. Simply putting, medical transcripting is typing out a recorded voice message of a doctor. A medical transcriptionist is a medical language specialist who, using a computer, headphones and a foot pedal, transcribes the recorded audio into automated data. This data is further examined for parsing and accuracy by a proofreader. The common practice followed by doctors is to dictate and record information and reports of the patient, either into audiotape, Dictaphone or on to digital voice processing systems. These tapes are then sent to external medical transcription companies involved in medical transcription to convert these voice dictations into hard text reports. These reports represent the patient's treatment history, including impost and are called Medical transcripts.
A transcriptionist requires the skill of literateness. Because there is the opportunity for just about any word in a given language to be used during the course of a meeting or session that will require transcription, the listener must have the ability to transliterate what is heard precisely. This includes understanding idioms that may be employed by various speakers, being able to use punctuation in such a way that the enunciation of the speakers are captured as much as possible, and being able to record the dialogue exactly as it occurred. To understand and accurately record dictated reports, Medical Transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments. They also must be able to translate medical terminology and abbreviations into their expanded forms. To help identify terms appropriately, transcribers refer to standard medical reference materials-both printed and electronic; some of these are available over the Internet.
Medical transcription services can be performed by MTs who are working in hospitals or who work at home as telecommuting employees for the hospital; by MTs working as telecommuting employees or independent freelancers for an outsourced service that performs the work offsite under contract to a hospital, clinic, physician group or other healthcare provider; or by MTs working directly for the providers of medical transcription services, either onsite or telecommuting as employees or contractors. Hospital facilities often prefer electronic storage of medical records due to the sheer volume of hospital in house patients and the accumulation of tons of paperwork. The electronic storage in hospitals database gives immediate access to concerned departments and even medical transcription services providers regarding the patient's care to date, amount of previous or present medications, notification of allergies, and establishes a history on the patient to facilitate healthcare delivery regardless of geographical distance or location. This has to be done quickly and efficiently.
Medical transcription India is served by highly qualified team of experts to provide incomparable medical transcription services. Medical transcription companies consist of a team of transcriptionist, copyreaders, quality regulators and proofreaders, who have great proficiency in utilizing the software tools and dictation apparatus. The experts of medical transcription field transcribe complex medical records and reports into 100% error free documents. Professionals serving in the industry need to have good listening and language skills of several medical descriptive. Person interested in this field need to undergo full-fledged training in order to meet the demand of this service sector.
This article was originally posted Here
Feb 27, 2012
Amplify EHR Efficiencies with Medical Transcription Services
With the widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHR) in the last few years, physicians have generally been presented with two options: modernize, or get left behind with old-fashioned paper medical records. However, with the implementation of EHRs, some physicians feel typing in a computer is not only inefficient, but also unfriendly to the practice of medicine.
While there are numerous advantages for using EHRs, they are often criticized for slowing down physicians and for removing the personal element from doctor-patient care. Physicians do not want to be typists. A physician serving as a typist, or using point-and-click entry in the EHR, can be grossly inefficient. Physicians do not have the extra time to function as a data-entry clerk for the EHR. Rather, they prefer to spend quality time with their patients.
Medical Transcription Services, when integrated with EHRs, make EHRs much more efficient. Instead of typing their notes, physicians dictate using their preferred dictation method and the transcribed note is returned directly to the EHR within the contracted turnaround time (TAT). Transcribed reports are customized to the needs of the EHR and the physician, so they are personalized notes -- not cookie-cutter templates like many EHRs produce.
Transcription companies who employ discrete reportable transcription (DRT) can take the transcription-EHR relationship a step further by importing the transcribed information directly into specific fields or sections in the EHR. Gone are the days where transcribed reports become scanned attachments in the patient chart. Today, the transcribed information is incorporated directly into the medical record.
Medical transcription services make the use of EHRs more efficient, while preserving the personal element of doctor-patient interactions. In addition, transcription enables physicians to use EHRs and continue the workflow used today in their practice of medicine. Employing medical transcription services with EHRs benefits physicians and the patients they serve.
Is your EHR amplified with medical transcription?
This article was originally posted at http://ping.fm/1GMYM
While there are numerous advantages for using EHRs, they are often criticized for slowing down physicians and for removing the personal element from doctor-patient care. Physicians do not want to be typists. A physician serving as a typist, or using point-and-click entry in the EHR, can be grossly inefficient. Physicians do not have the extra time to function as a data-entry clerk for the EHR. Rather, they prefer to spend quality time with their patients.
Medical Transcription Services, when integrated with EHRs, make EHRs much more efficient. Instead of typing their notes, physicians dictate using their preferred dictation method and the transcribed note is returned directly to the EHR within the contracted turnaround time (TAT). Transcribed reports are customized to the needs of the EHR and the physician, so they are personalized notes -- not cookie-cutter templates like many EHRs produce.
Transcription companies who employ discrete reportable transcription (DRT) can take the transcription-EHR relationship a step further by importing the transcribed information directly into specific fields or sections in the EHR. Gone are the days where transcribed reports become scanned attachments in the patient chart. Today, the transcribed information is incorporated directly into the medical record.
Medical transcription services make the use of EHRs more efficient, while preserving the personal element of doctor-patient interactions. In addition, transcription enables physicians to use EHRs and continue the workflow used today in their practice of medicine. Employing medical transcription services with EHRs benefits physicians and the patients they serve.
Is your EHR amplified with medical transcription?
This article was originally posted at http://ping.fm/1GMYM
Why you should opt for Online Medical Transcription
Medical sciences are seeing rapid advancements, and with these advancements come the need for comprehensive and accurate medical records that are vital for great quality healthcare. Medical transcriptions main purpose is to ensure accurate documentation of patient care, so that healthcare records can be saved and used for archives, reference, or as legal proof of medical advice.A growing and serious business ‘online medical transcription' refers to the outsourcing of medical transcription to differentmedical transcription office.
But first a little background into the entire service, Medical dictation is received in a digital format from the client (hospital or company), which is then transcribed by our qualified Medical Transcriptionists into a computer file. The transcribed computer file, often referred as Medical Transcript is passed on to the primary quality assurance team where qualified employees check the hard copy files for content and accuracy. Reports are then passed on to a second level quality assurance team, where the reports are randomly checked by our staff doctors. Once approved by our final QA teams, the reports are transmitted to the client in the specified format; this entire process is referred to as Medical Transcription Service.
One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing this service is that they are both cost-effective and convenient. Outsourcing companies can save both energy and time as well. Another major benefit of outsourcing medical transcription is that the healthcare organization would save on infrastructure, training and hiring of the right personnel to handle transcription needs. With the ever-burgeoning growth of the healthcare industry and the workload that has increased its dimensions in manifold, the healthcare units can outsource the work at a lesser price by cutting down on 40-60% of their costs.
India has become the most preferred destination for medical transcription outsourcing and it's no wonder then that Medical Transcription in India has become such a profitable market. In fact according to a latest Nascom survey the Indian Transcription Market makes between 220-240 million each year.
The medical transcription company that gets into a contract with the outsourcing company or companies has a team of transcriptionists who are versatile, talented and competent being trained in all medical specialties. This has added to the benefits as the main outsourcing company can be confident about the final result of the transcripts. These medical transcription companies have to adhere to the HIPAA and HITECH standards of the healthcare industry and conform to the safety and privacy of all medical records. The companies hence ensure that the medical transcription modules are processed and comply with these important standards.
With so many benefits listed above its no wonder that more and more companies offering medical transcription are now being formed. It's not only companies but a number of graduates are now looking for a career as a transcriptionist. The growth of Online Medical Transcription Outsourcing growth has surprised everybody but this is just the beginning for this industry.
But first a little background into the entire service, Medical dictation is received in a digital format from the client (hospital or company), which is then transcribed by our qualified Medical Transcriptionists into a computer file. The transcribed computer file, often referred as Medical Transcript is passed on to the primary quality assurance team where qualified employees check the hard copy files for content and accuracy. Reports are then passed on to a second level quality assurance team, where the reports are randomly checked by our staff doctors. Once approved by our final QA teams, the reports are transmitted to the client in the specified format; this entire process is referred to as Medical Transcription Service.
One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing this service is that they are both cost-effective and convenient. Outsourcing companies can save both energy and time as well. Another major benefit of outsourcing medical transcription is that the healthcare organization would save on infrastructure, training and hiring of the right personnel to handle transcription needs. With the ever-burgeoning growth of the healthcare industry and the workload that has increased its dimensions in manifold, the healthcare units can outsource the work at a lesser price by cutting down on 40-60% of their costs.
India has become the most preferred destination for medical transcription outsourcing and it's no wonder then that Medical Transcription in India has become such a profitable market. In fact according to a latest Nascom survey the Indian Transcription Market makes between 220-240 million each year.
The medical transcription company that gets into a contract with the outsourcing company or companies has a team of transcriptionists who are versatile, talented and competent being trained in all medical specialties. This has added to the benefits as the main outsourcing company can be confident about the final result of the transcripts. These medical transcription companies have to adhere to the HIPAA and HITECH standards of the healthcare industry and conform to the safety and privacy of all medical records. The companies hence ensure that the medical transcription modules are processed and comply with these important standards.
With so many benefits listed above its no wonder that more and more companies offering medical transcription are now being formed. It's not only companies but a number of graduates are now looking for a career as a transcriptionist. The growth of Online Medical Transcription Outsourcing growth has surprised everybody but this is just the beginning for this industry.
CMS releases meaningful use proposed rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has laid out the details for how it will raise the bar for healthcare providers to qualify for incentives with the release Feb. 23 of its proposed rule for Stage 2 of meaningful use of electronic health records.
Among its provisions, CMS will delay the start of Stage 2 until 2014 instead of 2013.
As expected, the next stage of meaningful use builds on the criteria of the first stage, including increasing the threshold for performance of existing measures and pushing providers to actually exchange information in various transactions to drive continuous quality improvement.
In Stage 2, CMS said it would keep the same core-menu structure for required measures. Physicians will meet 17 core objectives and three of five menu options. Hospitals will meet 16 core measures and two of four menu options.
Health information exchange will be ramped up to a more “robust transitions of care” core objective, and the measure to provide patients with an electronic copy of their data is replaced by “electronic/online access” as a requirement.
The proposed rule had been widely expected sooner, and agency senior leaders faced disappointed crowds the day before at HIMSS12 without a rule in hand but gave them a “sneak peek” summary of the objectives.
The public will be able to comment on the 455-page proposed rule for 60 days after which CMS will finalize the regulation during the summer.
CMS decided to delay the onset of Stage 2 by one year to 2014 because the original 2013 timeframe does not give vendors enough time to design, develop and test new functionality and providers to deploy it and track measures over the one-year reporting period. As a result, Stage 1 is extended until 2014.
CMS is also trying to make the reporting of quality measures in 2014 easier for providers. For physicians, the clinical quality measures will align with existing quality programs, such as those used for the Physician quality Reporting System and CMS’ Shared Savings Program. For hospitals, the clinical quality measure will line up with the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting and the Joint Commission’s hospital quality measures.
Physicians will report 12 clinical quality measures, while hospitals 24. The agency also outlines how providers may electronically submit the quality measures, and. CMS wants public feedback on methods for it, including aggregate-level and group reporting options and through existing quality reporting systems.
Some of the core measures to meet during the reporting period include:
• More than 60 percent of medication, lab and radiology orders created by a provider using computerized physician order entry (CPOE)
• Implement five clinical decision support interventions for five or more clinical quality measures at relevant point in care; use functionality for drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks
• More than 55 percent of clinical lab test results whose results are positive/negative or numerical format are incorporated into EHR as structured data
• More than 50 percent of patients seen during reporting period are provided within four business days of visit online access to their information subject to provider’s discretion to withhold certain data
• Provider performs medication reconciliation for more than 65 percent of transitions of care in which patient moves into care of physician or admitted to hospital or ER
• Provider that transitions or refers patient to another care setting or provider supplies summary of care record for more than 65 percent of transitions of care and referrals
• Conduct or review security risk analysis, address encryption or security of data at rest and execute security updates as necessary and correct identified security deficiencies.
Among its provisions, CMS will delay the start of Stage 2 until 2014 instead of 2013.
As expected, the next stage of meaningful use builds on the criteria of the first stage, including increasing the threshold for performance of existing measures and pushing providers to actually exchange information in various transactions to drive continuous quality improvement.
In Stage 2, CMS said it would keep the same core-menu structure for required measures. Physicians will meet 17 core objectives and three of five menu options. Hospitals will meet 16 core measures and two of four menu options.
Health information exchange will be ramped up to a more “robust transitions of care” core objective, and the measure to provide patients with an electronic copy of their data is replaced by “electronic/online access” as a requirement.
The proposed rule had been widely expected sooner, and agency senior leaders faced disappointed crowds the day before at HIMSS12 without a rule in hand but gave them a “sneak peek” summary of the objectives.
The public will be able to comment on the 455-page proposed rule for 60 days after which CMS will finalize the regulation during the summer.
CMS decided to delay the onset of Stage 2 by one year to 2014 because the original 2013 timeframe does not give vendors enough time to design, develop and test new functionality and providers to deploy it and track measures over the one-year reporting period. As a result, Stage 1 is extended until 2014.
CMS is also trying to make the reporting of quality measures in 2014 easier for providers. For physicians, the clinical quality measures will align with existing quality programs, such as those used for the Physician quality Reporting System and CMS’ Shared Savings Program. For hospitals, the clinical quality measure will line up with the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting and the Joint Commission’s hospital quality measures.
Physicians will report 12 clinical quality measures, while hospitals 24. The agency also outlines how providers may electronically submit the quality measures, and. CMS wants public feedback on methods for it, including aggregate-level and group reporting options and through existing quality reporting systems.
Some of the core measures to meet during the reporting period include:
• More than 60 percent of medication, lab and radiology orders created by a provider using computerized physician order entry (CPOE)
• Implement five clinical decision support interventions for five or more clinical quality measures at relevant point in care; use functionality for drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks
• More than 55 percent of clinical lab test results whose results are positive/negative or numerical format are incorporated into EHR as structured data
• More than 50 percent of patients seen during reporting period are provided within four business days of visit online access to their information subject to provider’s discretion to withhold certain data
• Provider performs medication reconciliation for more than 65 percent of transitions of care in which patient moves into care of physician or admitted to hospital or ER
• Provider that transitions or refers patient to another care setting or provider supplies summary of care record for more than 65 percent of transitions of care and referrals
• Conduct or review security risk analysis, address encryption or security of data at rest and execute security updates as necessary and correct identified security deficiencies.
HL7 offers domain model for EHRs for free
LAS VEGAS – At HIMSS12 this week, Health Level Seven International (HL7) announced a pilot program that will offer some of its intellectual property, free of charge, in an effort to spur further EHR implementations.
“HL7 is keeping its promise to lower the barriers to adoption of electronic healthcare records by making portions of our valuable intellectual property freely available to our stakeholders,” said Charles Jaffe, MD, CEO of HL7.
“We believe that caregivers, academic centers and vendors will greatly benefit from this significant enhancement for access to valuable HL7 material,” he added.
Through the project, HL7 will open up no-cost licensing of its domain models (DAMs) and functional profiles. The offer is a first for the organization, officials say.
The DAM is a set of requirements that explore and analyze the business of a particular clinical “domain.” Domain analysis is the first step in creating HL7 standards for a specific care or research environment. The domain analysis process produces documentation describing the stakeholders, activities, interactions and information for a particular domain and serves as the source of requirements used in the design of HL7 standards.
Standalone DAMs will be made available at no cost during this one-year pilot, including:
Functional profiles for the HL7 Electronic Health Record System Functional Model (EHR-S FM) will be available as part of the pilot, too, officials say. The model was the industry’s first standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to specify the functional requirements EHR systems.
HL7’s functional profiles outline the important features and functions of an EHR system, such as criteria to support functions including medication history, clinical decision support and privacy and security. Profiles that are available to support specific uses across the continuum of care include child health, behavioral health, long-term care, clinical research and records management and evidentiary support.
“HL7 standards are the most widely used in the industry,” said Don Mon, chair of HL7's board of directors, who noted that they "will be especially useful to physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, as well as health information management/technology professionals."
Offering them free, he added, "will further our mission to enhance the exchange, integration, sharing and retrieval of electronic health information around the world.”
The HL7 DAMs and functional profiles can be accessed at HL7.org http://www.hl7.org/.
This article was originally posted at http://ping.fm/i9FrY
“HL7 is keeping its promise to lower the barriers to adoption of electronic healthcare records by making portions of our valuable intellectual property freely available to our stakeholders,” said Charles Jaffe, MD, CEO of HL7.
“We believe that caregivers, academic centers and vendors will greatly benefit from this significant enhancement for access to valuable HL7 material,” he added.
Through the project, HL7 will open up no-cost licensing of its domain models (DAMs) and functional profiles. The offer is a first for the organization, officials say.
The DAM is a set of requirements that explore and analyze the business of a particular clinical “domain.” Domain analysis is the first step in creating HL7 standards for a specific care or research environment. The domain analysis process produces documentation describing the stakeholders, activities, interactions and information for a particular domain and serves as the source of requirements used in the design of HL7 standards.
Standalone DAMs will be made available at no cost during this one-year pilot, including:
- HL7 Version 3 DAM: Cardiology; Acute Coronary Syndrome
- HL7 Version 3 DAM: Clinical Trials Registration and Results
- HL7 Version 3 DAM: Analysis Model: Vital Records
Functional profiles for the HL7 Electronic Health Record System Functional Model (EHR-S FM) will be available as part of the pilot, too, officials say. The model was the industry’s first standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to specify the functional requirements EHR systems.
HL7’s functional profiles outline the important features and functions of an EHR system, such as criteria to support functions including medication history, clinical decision support and privacy and security. Profiles that are available to support specific uses across the continuum of care include child health, behavioral health, long-term care, clinical research and records management and evidentiary support.
“HL7 standards are the most widely used in the industry,” said Don Mon, chair of HL7's board of directors, who noted that they "will be especially useful to physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, as well as health information management/technology professionals."
Offering them free, he added, "will further our mission to enhance the exchange, integration, sharing and retrieval of electronic health information around the world.”
The HL7 DAMs and functional profiles can be accessed at HL7.org http://www.hl7.org/.
This article was originally posted at http://ping.fm/i9FrY
Article Asks: Is Shift Away from RHIOs Wise?
The authors question whether a shift away from regional healthcare information organizations to the use of point-to-point information exchange (such as the Direct Project) and private HIEs is wise. “We write this article to prompt a pause for reflection on the wisdom of this approach. We describe the history of RHIOs, the value of RHIOs to patients and communities, the changes in the policies of the Office of the National Coordinator, and likely the consequences of these changes. Based on this analysis we call for an open debate and the development of scientific consensus before irrevocable commitment to one model or another for the NwHIN is made.”
The de-emphasis on RHIOs is opening the door to private networks, such as those of delivery systems, networking firms like SureScripts and VisionShare, and electronic health records vendors, the authors contend. These networks have an advantage over RHIOs as they are not obligated to provide services necessary for a community health system or universal coverage for a region. “They can recruit participants based on favorable economics, reaping profits without having to meet the requirements for undertaking the truly difficult tasks in health information exchange. Further, health information exchange with business partners on private networks will likely meet proposed Stage 2 criteria for meaningful use incentives.”
Authors of the article are Leslie Lenert and David Sundwall of the University of Utah, a region served by the long-established Utah Health Information Network; and Michael Edward Lenert of the University of San Francisco. The article, “Shifts in the Architecture of the Nationwide Health Information Network,” is free here, but registration is required.
This article was originally posted at http://ping.fm/Y5Nld
HHS Intends to Delay ICD-10 for ?Certain Health Care Entities?
As part of President Obama’s commitment to reducing regulatory burden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius today announced that HHS will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).
The final rule adopting ICD-10 as a standard was published in January 2009 and set a compliance date of October 1, 2013 -- a delay of two years from the compliance date initially specified in the 2008 proposed rule. HHS will announce a new compliance date moving forward.
“ICD-10 codes are important to many positive improvements in our health care system,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead. We are committing to work with the provider community to reexamine the pace at which HHS and the nation implement these important improvements to our health care system.”
Feb 23, 2012
Medical transcription outsourcing: A sustainable model for creating patient medical records
A commonly acknowledged fact about the healthcare sector is that it is a complex service involving a series of healthcare related and other factors that enable the delivery of quality healthcare on a timely basis. Therefore most healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals focus on lessening the burden of factors other than the actual process of healthcare on healthcare professionals and support staff. Creating patient medical records is one such function. It is essential for not only timely and efficient delivery of care, but also for other aspects like receivables management, risk management and meeting statutory obligations but is not part of the core functions.
Healthcare professionals and other support staff have various options for creating patient medical records, but over time medical transcription has proven to be one of the most efficient methods of documenting the care process. Moreover medical transcription is one such function that lends itself to being outsourced. Outsourcing medical transcription to a professional medical transcription company has many advantages one of the main being the sustainability of this model.
How do outsourcing transcription services provide sustainable support to healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals?
To understand how medical transcription services provide a sustainable model for creating patient medical records it is important to understand the main components of quality medical transcription. Quality medical transcription is defined as accurate, timely, secure and cost effective transcription. The main requirements for quality medical transcription are:
• Team
• Technology
• Processes
By outsourcing medical transcription to a professional medical transcription company, the onus of all these three resources is shifted to the medical transcription service provider, lessening the burden of healthcare facilities. However the process of choosing the right medical transcription service provider needs to be based on the right criteria to ensure seamless services.
Given below are the criteria on which the medical transcription company needs to be evaluated:
Team
• Sourcing: It is important to assess the service provider on the basis of their policy for sourcing and hiring the right talent. This needs to be continuous process to ensure that there is no dearth of medical transcriptionists to meet the changing needs of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.
• Developing: Once the right talent has been sourced it is important to provide these medical transcriptionists with the right training to ensure accurate and timely transcription. Considering that medicine is a vast subject with various specialties, it is important to train medical transcriptionists on different specialties based on their acumen to make them domain experts.
• Work allocation and continuous education: Apart from sourcing and developing the right talent it is important to allocate medical transcription work based on the specialty of medical transcriptionist team. It is also important to provide resources for medical transcriptionists to keep their knowledge updated.
Technology
• Maximum benefits: Considering the hectic work schedules of healthcare professionals it is important for medical transcription companies to use technology that provides maximum benefits. This should have options for collection of audio files as well as options for delivery of transcripts
• Easy to use: It is equally important for medical transcription companies to keep the technology as easy to use as possible to ease the burden on healthcare professionals and other support staff.
• Secure: Another aspect of the right technology includes providing security during the entire process of transcription
• Updated: Keeping in consideration the changing healthcare documentation scenario, medical transcription companies should constantly update technology and services to include the latest developments like HL7 interface, proofreading and editing services for speech recognition software transcription
Processes
• For quality: It is important to assess whether the medical transcription company subjects transcripts to multiple level quality checks to minimize errors
• For security: As protecting the confidentiality of patient information is both a legal and ethical responsibility it is important to source a medical transcription company who has processes in place to ensure HIPAA and HITECH compliance.
Healthcare professionals and other support staff have various options for creating patient medical records, but over time medical transcription has proven to be one of the most efficient methods of documenting the care process. Moreover medical transcription is one such function that lends itself to being outsourced. Outsourcing medical transcription to a professional medical transcription company has many advantages one of the main being the sustainability of this model.
How do outsourcing transcription services provide sustainable support to healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals?
To understand how medical transcription services provide a sustainable model for creating patient medical records it is important to understand the main components of quality medical transcription. Quality medical transcription is defined as accurate, timely, secure and cost effective transcription. The main requirements for quality medical transcription are:
• Team
• Technology
• Processes
By outsourcing medical transcription to a professional medical transcription company, the onus of all these three resources is shifted to the medical transcription service provider, lessening the burden of healthcare facilities. However the process of choosing the right medical transcription service provider needs to be based on the right criteria to ensure seamless services.
Given below are the criteria on which the medical transcription company needs to be evaluated:
Team
• Sourcing: It is important to assess the service provider on the basis of their policy for sourcing and hiring the right talent. This needs to be continuous process to ensure that there is no dearth of medical transcriptionists to meet the changing needs of healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals.
• Developing: Once the right talent has been sourced it is important to provide these medical transcriptionists with the right training to ensure accurate and timely transcription. Considering that medicine is a vast subject with various specialties, it is important to train medical transcriptionists on different specialties based on their acumen to make them domain experts.
• Work allocation and continuous education: Apart from sourcing and developing the right talent it is important to allocate medical transcription work based on the specialty of medical transcriptionist team. It is also important to provide resources for medical transcriptionists to keep their knowledge updated.
Technology
• Maximum benefits: Considering the hectic work schedules of healthcare professionals it is important for medical transcription companies to use technology that provides maximum benefits. This should have options for collection of audio files as well as options for delivery of transcripts
• Easy to use: It is equally important for medical transcription companies to keep the technology as easy to use as possible to ease the burden on healthcare professionals and other support staff.
• Secure: Another aspect of the right technology includes providing security during the entire process of transcription
• Updated: Keeping in consideration the changing healthcare documentation scenario, medical transcription companies should constantly update technology and services to include the latest developments like HL7 interface, proofreading and editing services for speech recognition software transcription
Processes
• For quality: It is important to assess whether the medical transcription company subjects transcripts to multiple level quality checks to minimize errors
• For security: As protecting the confidentiality of patient information is both a legal and ethical responsibility it is important to source a medical transcription company who has processes in place to ensure HIPAA and HITECH compliance.
Medical Related Transcription Outsourcing ? Business Decision
When you are looking into how to educate yourself medical transcription, you’re usually looking to keep the prices down. When you land the position, your ability to help you type fast medical transcription training together with accurately becomes much more vital. No matter the route you decide to try locate your job of preference, using the Internet to take some action is beneficial as it will allow you to search a good deal of websites in much very less time of time. They’ve already toll free mobile and the physicians can use those for dictating. They do not touch patients but you have to understand the procedures regarding medical record documentation as they are dealing with top secret information. In truth an online health-related transcription course can be described as perfect fit for your military lifestyle, since the health related transcription online program eliminates a number of the burdens standing when it comes to a traditional health related transcription course. For that reason, you may find certification an improvement when operating coming from a home business natural environment.
Following some systematic and scientific method to outsourcing medical transcription can assist the healthcare premises avail maximum advantages of outsourcing option. Seeking to wrangle the most savings due to medical transcription services are probably not the obvious way to approach saving funds. However, for those who tend not to yet have any skill, you can visit and learn these folks. The person could be qualified from the twelfth grade in science that could be a basic requirement to your course. The corporation sector outsourcing MT services registered some considerable growth medical transcription schools within the last few few yrs despite global economic problems. Indians are by and large good at English language when compared with many other international locations like China.
Legibility – Accomplishing this of creating sufferer medical records makes certain that the audio within the patient- healthcare specialist encounter is neatly keyed in the appropriate review format/template. They convert the run information to documents then arrange them on files for painless retrieval. Assembly turnaround time standards would be sure the process connected with providing healthcare is unhindered and in addition ensure that the approach of reimbursement comes about on time. These types of documents are sent such as easily retrievable files for making the work simpler with the medical professionals. You will be also taught statement processing and keyboarding.
By exactly the same token, Medical Transcription, too is a simple growing aspect in the medical career arena. They guantee that they finish that shipment well in advance in order that the client does not suffer in the slightest degree. Consistency of information captured inside patient record is important as it affects both human eye healthcare as very well as reimbursements. Doctors are based upon those in medical transcription that provides reliable data as well as accurate translations through dictation. But there exists a need to use a record of those observations.
Medical transcribing India is 1 popular service that health centers and medical doctors are taking the benefit to transcribe this audio versions in to text format. These rules are essential when transcribing considering patient cases and even records especially medical care insurance medical transcriptionist salary records are influenced by law. It matches turnaround time criteria and which further facilitates the task of reimbursement in timely manner. Continuing to keep lower rates ensures that you receive more clients and makes certain that your clients stay loyal too. Characteristics like uploading audio recordings, downloading transcripts, tracking patient archives, adoption to EMR, varied modes regarding document delivery, HIPAA/ HITECH compliance while in the transcription process is going to be provided for with the service provider. When you’ve your medical transcribing certification you have the capacity to work for many companies such because hospitals, private doctor’s practices, medical insurance companies and much more.
Guest post by Loguidice P. Greg Orem
Following some systematic and scientific method to outsourcing medical transcription can assist the healthcare premises avail maximum advantages of outsourcing option. Seeking to wrangle the most savings due to medical transcription services are probably not the obvious way to approach saving funds. However, for those who tend not to yet have any skill, you can visit and learn these folks. The person could be qualified from the twelfth grade in science that could be a basic requirement to your course. The corporation sector outsourcing MT services registered some considerable growth medical transcription schools within the last few few yrs despite global economic problems. Indians are by and large good at English language when compared with many other international locations like China.
Legibility – Accomplishing this of creating sufferer medical records makes certain that the audio within the patient- healthcare specialist encounter is neatly keyed in the appropriate review format/template. They convert the run information to documents then arrange them on files for painless retrieval. Assembly turnaround time standards would be sure the process connected with providing healthcare is unhindered and in addition ensure that the approach of reimbursement comes about on time. These types of documents are sent such as easily retrievable files for making the work simpler with the medical professionals. You will be also taught statement processing and keyboarding.
By exactly the same token, Medical Transcription, too is a simple growing aspect in the medical career arena. They guantee that they finish that shipment well in advance in order that the client does not suffer in the slightest degree. Consistency of information captured inside patient record is important as it affects both human eye healthcare as very well as reimbursements. Doctors are based upon those in medical transcription that provides reliable data as well as accurate translations through dictation. But there exists a need to use a record of those observations.
Medical transcribing India is 1 popular service that health centers and medical doctors are taking the benefit to transcribe this audio versions in to text format. These rules are essential when transcribing considering patient cases and even records especially medical care insurance medical transcriptionist salary records are influenced by law. It matches turnaround time criteria and which further facilitates the task of reimbursement in timely manner. Continuing to keep lower rates ensures that you receive more clients and makes certain that your clients stay loyal too. Characteristics like uploading audio recordings, downloading transcripts, tracking patient archives, adoption to EMR, varied modes regarding document delivery, HIPAA/ HITECH compliance while in the transcription process is going to be provided for with the service provider. When you’ve your medical transcribing certification you have the capacity to work for many companies such because hospitals, private doctor’s practices, medical insurance companies and much more.
Guest post by Loguidice P. Greg Orem
Medical transcription services are inexpensive
I started off gradual and gradually figured out their process. I did start out getting my treasured medical professionals and my manufacturing elevated. I was getting the dangle of it and getting compensated for it! I was so proud that I accomplished some thing I set out to do. I labored 3-1/two decades for this business, which in some occasions is a long time contemplating it was my initial and only business I labored for. I was concentrating on specialties that interested me. I acquired to cherry decide some of my treasured medical professionals. I was pleasantly stunned that my treasured specialties turned out to be cardiology and psychiatry. In my impression, if you are doing work on specialties that bore you to tears, or provide you to tears for that make any difference, then the career turns into additional of a chore fairly than a enthusiasm, which brings me to the not-so-nice half of my encounter.
Medical transcription expert services have turn into pretty much indispensable in fast paced health care settings, where by medical professionals have to commit most of their time to affected person care. Accurately transcribed medical reviews that are neatly organized, managed and easily available can help doctors have a very clear thought about the therapy remaining supplied to their patients and even boost the quality of affected person care. Consequently additional and additional medical professionals and health care establishments are based on medical transcription companies that can provide precise and timely expert services. Before entrusting your medical transcription to this sort of a business, you ought to know what to assume and search for in a reputable service provider.
With the abundance of on-line resources, alongside with effectively-respected organizations like AHDI and MTIA, the medical transcription industry is steadily getting to be a significant presence in the medical field. Not only are there a lot of employment for MTs, but there are also quite a few organizations that are advocating for the career, which is earning additional respect in the medical field yr right after yr.
Health care transcription is easy and all can be a transcriptionist: This is a typical medical transcriptionist salariesfalse impression about transcription, presented that entry into this occupation is comparatively easy. No recognized qualifications are necessary apart from for a grasp above for the English language, fantastic typing aptitude and a keen ear. In spite of the easy entry to satisfy the standards as a medical transcriptionist, an personal has to be subjected to exhaustive training in medical phrases, procedures and medication. This career also desires men and women to frequently teach by themselves on the most recent progress in the medical industry
Subsequent, a medical dictionary is also a fantastic Become A Medical Transcriptionist merchandise to have in your workplace. You can obtain Medical Transcriptionist Companies numerous used dictionaries at bargain rates on Amazon. Lastly, as with any career where by you sit and kind a good deal, make investments in a cozy chair and desk. You may also want to consider a search at wrist help or an ergonomic keyboard. These will spend for by themselves in the long run.
3. Neighborhood Doctors Offices – It s true, there are plentitude of doctors offices in your group that would like to retain the services of anyone to do the job from bag for them because most are in dire need to have of quality transcriptionists. When you go to implement, just provide a double of your uphold and cover letter rank with your degree of endure and evidence of certification. That ought to be all you need to have to intend the career.
The reason we have established this nice little history is not to start out nevertheless yet another discussion on funds vs. enthusiasm, but to introduce you to this career referred to as medical transcription and help you have an understanding of where by you stand fiscally ought to you pick out this career.
The Health Career Institute is usually a exceptional possibility for doctors and those in hospital administration seeking to train and train medical transcription by by themselves.They are a modest but incredibly influential and hugely regarded publishing organization within the medical information self-control. Countless numbers of medical transcriptionists throughout the English-speaking planethave figured out medical transcription with their recourses. The SUM Method for Medical Transcription Teaching, developed by Health Professions Institute (HPI), stands out as the foremost medical transcription schooling application used in faculties, non-public hospitals, and transcription companies throughout the English-speaking globe. The SUM Software is also available to men and women who are contemplating self-directed examine. So have a search at their site
We feel to be a really disenchanted group with the current solutions in professional associations, based on the responses about why we will not belong or why we depart. In that question, we figured out that quite a few will not sense it has made a difference or held a reward for them, though many others felt the desires of the personal MT are no more time addressed.
Medical transcription expert services have turn into pretty much indispensable in fast paced health care settings, where by medical professionals have to commit most of their time to affected person care. Accurately transcribed medical reviews that are neatly organized, managed and easily available can help doctors have a very clear thought about the therapy remaining supplied to their patients and even boost the quality of affected person care. Consequently additional and additional medical professionals and health care establishments are based on medical transcription companies that can provide precise and timely expert services. Before entrusting your medical transcription to this sort of a business, you ought to know what to assume and search for in a reputable service provider.
With the abundance of on-line resources, alongside with effectively-respected organizations like AHDI and MTIA, the medical transcription industry is steadily getting to be a significant presence in the medical field. Not only are there a lot of employment for MTs, but there are also quite a few organizations that are advocating for the career, which is earning additional respect in the medical field yr right after yr.
Health care transcription is easy and all can be a transcriptionist: This is a typical medical transcriptionist salariesfalse impression about transcription, presented that entry into this occupation is comparatively easy. No recognized qualifications are necessary apart from for a grasp above for the English language, fantastic typing aptitude and a keen ear. In spite of the easy entry to satisfy the standards as a medical transcriptionist, an personal has to be subjected to exhaustive training in medical phrases, procedures and medication. This career also desires men and women to frequently teach by themselves on the most recent progress in the medical industry
Subsequent, a medical dictionary is also a fantastic Become A Medical Transcriptionist merchandise to have in your workplace. You can obtain Medical Transcriptionist Companies numerous used dictionaries at bargain rates on Amazon. Lastly, as with any career where by you sit and kind a good deal, make investments in a cozy chair and desk. You may also want to consider a search at wrist help or an ergonomic keyboard. These will spend for by themselves in the long run.
3. Neighborhood Doctors Offices – It s true, there are plentitude of doctors offices in your group that would like to retain the services of anyone to do the job from bag for them because most are in dire need to have of quality transcriptionists. When you go to implement, just provide a double of your uphold and cover letter rank with your degree of endure and evidence of certification. That ought to be all you need to have to intend the career.
The reason we have established this nice little history is not to start out nevertheless yet another discussion on funds vs. enthusiasm, but to introduce you to this career referred to as medical transcription and help you have an understanding of where by you stand fiscally ought to you pick out this career.
The Health Career Institute is usually a exceptional possibility for doctors and those in hospital administration seeking to train and train medical transcription by by themselves.They are a modest but incredibly influential and hugely regarded publishing organization within the medical information self-control. Countless numbers of medical transcriptionists throughout the English-speaking planethave figured out medical transcription with their recourses. The SUM Method for Medical Transcription Teaching, developed by Health Professions Institute (HPI), stands out as the foremost medical transcription schooling application used in faculties, non-public hospitals, and transcription companies throughout the English-speaking globe. The SUM Software is also available to men and women who are contemplating self-directed examine. So have a search at their site
We feel to be a really disenchanted group with the current solutions in professional associations, based on the responses about why we will not belong or why we depart. In that question, we figured out that quite a few will not sense it has made a difference or held a reward for them, though many others felt the desires of the personal MT are no more time addressed.
Benefits Of A Medical Transcription Service
Managing of people; keeping of records; upgrading your process, technology, maintenance, tools and equipment; keeping up with your turn around time; and all other variables involved in the medical transcription makes and takes a lot of time, effort and money. A timely billing and account reimbursement is directly correlated to strengthen the financial aspect of your health care business. Here are some of the benefits that your health care facility will enjoy because of a1. High quality and accurate medical records. There are standards and certifications that each medical transcription service must follow thus managing your medical records are of high quality and are done accurately. You will not worry on editing, reviewing of records and proofreading. All of these are managed and handled precisely. A group of quality assurance professionals will measure performance and will impose penalties and sanctions to make sure that prescribed quality levels are achieved and turnaround time are adhered to. There are a lot of benefits of acquiring such service.
2. Reduced administrative costs. The hiring process must be scrutinized. In order to get better results, the hiring process must be thorough and precise making sure that only the best are being hired to provide better output. Medical transcription service will help reduce all these administrative costs while providing the best and accurate service.
3. Cost effective. As mentioned, labor costs, training costs and maintenance on equipments and tools are expensive. Medical transcription service will take good care of all these and at the same time will provide you with a better service.
A carefully selected transcriptionist with a passion of quality must be selected in order to get quality result of your physical or discharge reports. Another area that you must consider is the security and confidentiality of your patient's records. The service provider must have a process that is as straight forward as possible in handling a high security level so that any personal information is kept confidential. Customers will remember you and would want to come back if they get the kind of service that they expect. Finding the best professionals who can do a medical transcription service is one of the most important decision a physician can do. So instead of worrying on how to get the reports done or on how to make sure that the records are accurate and on saving administrative cost start checking the best medical transcription service, today.
Author:Fernando Morados
Source:http://ping.fm/LREW6
AHIMA: Time to think about training - and keeping - your coders
LAS VEGAS – The enigmatic duration of HHS’ intended delay of ICD-10 is giving payers and providers hope for a little breathing room when it comes to training coders – but it simultaneously creates a need to ratchet up employee retention efforts.As such, providers need to plan for both training and retention regardless of what new deadline HHS might issue for ICD-10 compliance, said Bonnie Cassidy, AHIMA past-president during a presentation at HIMSS12 on Wednesday.
Some coders, for instance, learned ICD-10 decades ago via on-the-job-training, others came out of college programs, and while those different coders might have different approaches to learning ICD-10, many will likely need Anatomy and Physiology training in order to use ICD-10, be it for the first time or as a refresher.
How much time will you dedicate to training? Will you enable them to learn ICD-10 on the job, or expect that they do so on nights and weekends?
And how much will it cost? Cassidy pointed to an AHIMA survey of 600 HIM directors that found “hospitals may be greatly underestimating the amount of money it will take to train coders for ICD-10-CM/PCS.”
Many are thinking it will cost $2,000 per coder. Cassidy recounted one HIM director who put in a $2,000 budget request for training each coder, and got back $400.
“It’s not going to get done for $100,” Cassidy said.
Alongside the training Cassidy urged attendees, in turn, to consider retention – most important once the training and certification money has been spent.
“What are you doing to keep employees that have been trained and certified?” Cassidy asked. “You have to know your staff.”
Indeed, some providers are already seeing ripple effects of the delay particular to staffing. Tom Pacek, CIO of South Jersey Healthcare during a panel discussion in Monday’s ICD-10 symposium that, despite a new compliance deadline, his hospital plans to push forward – but that talk of the push back has already made it harder to convince human resources of the need to replace some coders that recently left their jobs. “This has created more headaches for me,” Pacek sad.
Dispelling myths about EHR and up-to $44,000 ARRA incentive
As you likely know, 2011 was the first pay-out year for doctors choosing to implement EHR (electronic health records) and choosing to take advantage of up to $44,000 in ARRA incentives. Over $2 billion has already been paid to providers and hospitals for achieving meaningful use in 2011. That includes chiropractors.
I've been fortunate to be involved in the entire process, including interacting and meeting at HHS with many of the decision- and policymakers in Washington, D.C., regarding adoption of EHR and technology's connection to it.
Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of misinformation out there about the incentive and EHR in general.
Following is a list of the greatest myths I've encountered ... and the truth behind them:
MYTH: Chiropractors are not eligible for the up-to-$44,000 incentive for implementing certified EHR software.
FACT: The government uses the definition of "physician" from the Social Security code, which includes chiropractic physicians. Thus, doctors of chiropractic are eligible to receive reimbursement for implementing EHR, as long as they meet the other established guidelines.
In fact, hundreds of Future Health DCs have already gone through the processes of implementation and attestation—in addition to our Meaningful Use Workshops—and have received their 2011 payments.
You can still receive the full incentive by starting in 2012 and performing meaningful use for just 90 days in your first year.
MYTH: Any electronic system will qualify me for reimbursement.
FACT: Only CERTIFIED EHRs that are used in a meaningful way will be considered for incentive payments.
It's important to note that there are two distinct classifications of Certified software: Modular and Complete.
EHR with Complete Certification—like Future Health eConnect and CVOS—can help you qualify for up to $44,000 using just that software. Future Health eConnect and CVOS received Complete Certification July 21, 2011.
Other EHR software with Modular certification requires you to find complementary software to piece together with the modularly certified software in order to be eligible.
MYTH: If I choose not to implement EHR in my clinic, nothing will happen to me.
FACT: Beginning in 2015, penalties will be assessed to doctors who choose to not transition to electronic health records. The penalties will be in the form of Medicare reimbursement payment reductions.
MYTH: I will only get reimbursed for the amount I spend on my EHR software.
FACT: The incentive payment amounts have been set by the federal government and have nothing to do with how much you spend on your EHR.
The government wants to motivate doctors to implement an EHR as soon as possible, and has created a strong financial incentive plan to move the process forward swiftly. The sooner doctors implement, the more incentive payments they can receive. The chart included with this column shows that incentive payments may be as high as $44,000, a substantially higher benefit than the average cost to implement a system.
Here's how the payments break out –
The government recognizes that there are hardware costs, training costs and possible revenue
loss during the initial conversion to your new system, and those costs have accounted for those costs in the $44,000 incentive payments.
MYTH: Individual doctors do not receive incentive payments for implementing EHR, but rather the clinic.
FACT: The incentive payments program has been set up to benefit individual eligible providers specifically. This means that several DCs who practice in the same clinic can each qualify for incentive payments, as long as all the individual doctors are using a qualified system meaningfully, according to the incentive payments requirements.
MYTH: Now that the government is incenting all eligible providers to adopt EHR, the government will be able to dictate how we deliver care.
FACT: Nowhere in any of the legislation does it indicate that the government will impose on the methods of delivery of patient care. Rather, an agency called the Office of the National Coordinator of Healthcare Information Technology (ONCHIT) was established in 2004 to facilitate the implementation of EHRs across healthcare entities.
The office is only given authority to organize the implementation process, and is not charged with overseeing actual delivery of care and how you treat patients.
There's still time to take advantage of the full $44,000.00 incentive
The government decided earlier this year that eligible providers—including DCs—could still qualify for the full $44,000 incentive if they implement a Certified EHR in 2012 and demonstrate 90 consecutive days of meaningful use.
That means there's still time to take advantage of this incentive for doing something many of us know we should be doing anyway.
For detailed information about the EHR/ARRA Incentive, sign up for a free, no-obligation webinar now atwww.FHeConnect.com.
About Steven J. Kraus, DC, DIBCN, CCSP, FASA, FICC
Steven J. Kraus, DC, DIBCN, CCSP, FASA, FICC, is founder and CEO of Future Health - the nation's #1 provider of chiropractic-specific EHR/practice management software. Future Health software is ONC-ATCB Certified as a Complete EHR, helping you qualify for up to $44,000.00 in EHR/ARRA incentives. Sign up for a free software demo and ARRA update now at www.FHeConnect.com or call Toll Free 1-888-919-9919, ext. 656.
Dr. Kraus is an acknowledged expert in Health IT, including EHR (electronic health records) and the up-to-$44,000 ARRA incentive program to implement EHR.
He has served and continues to serve on numerous committees and boards, including:
• Electronic Health Records Committee for the ACA
• Past President of Iowa Chiropractic Society
• Past Chairman and Board Member of the Iowa Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Dr. Kraus frequently travels to Washington D.C. to represent the chiropractic profession, helping ensure DCs are considered in healthcare discussions and policymaking.
He is also an expert on practice management, with more than 23 years' experience in his own practice. He has developed and sold 18 practices and has provided strategic consulting to more than 400 healthcare businesses nationwide. He lectures to state associations and at industry events regarding EHR and the relationship to documentation, and he presents monthly webinars on how EHR usage will impact doctors of chiropractic.
I've been fortunate to be involved in the entire process, including interacting and meeting at HHS with many of the decision- and policymakers in Washington, D.C., regarding adoption of EHR and technology's connection to it.
Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of misinformation out there about the incentive and EHR in general.
Following is a list of the greatest myths I've encountered ... and the truth behind them:
MYTH: Chiropractors are not eligible for the up-to-$44,000 incentive for implementing certified EHR software.
FACT: The government uses the definition of "physician" from the Social Security code, which includes chiropractic physicians. Thus, doctors of chiropractic are eligible to receive reimbursement for implementing EHR, as long as they meet the other established guidelines.
In fact, hundreds of Future Health DCs have already gone through the processes of implementation and attestation—in addition to our Meaningful Use Workshops—and have received their 2011 payments.
You can still receive the full incentive by starting in 2012 and performing meaningful use for just 90 days in your first year.
MYTH: Any electronic system will qualify me for reimbursement.
FACT: Only CERTIFIED EHRs that are used in a meaningful way will be considered for incentive payments.
It's important to note that there are two distinct classifications of Certified software: Modular and Complete.
EHR with Complete Certification—like Future Health eConnect and CVOS—can help you qualify for up to $44,000 using just that software. Future Health eConnect and CVOS received Complete Certification July 21, 2011.
Other EHR software with Modular certification requires you to find complementary software to piece together with the modularly certified software in order to be eligible.
MYTH: If I choose not to implement EHR in my clinic, nothing will happen to me.
FACT: Beginning in 2015, penalties will be assessed to doctors who choose to not transition to electronic health records. The penalties will be in the form of Medicare reimbursement payment reductions.
MYTH: I will only get reimbursed for the amount I spend on my EHR software.
FACT: The incentive payment amounts have been set by the federal government and have nothing to do with how much you spend on your EHR.
The government wants to motivate doctors to implement an EHR as soon as possible, and has created a strong financial incentive plan to move the process forward swiftly. The sooner doctors implement, the more incentive payments they can receive. The chart included with this column shows that incentive payments may be as high as $44,000, a substantially higher benefit than the average cost to implement a system.
Here's how the payments break out –
The government recognizes that there are hardware costs, training costs and possible revenue
loss during the initial conversion to your new system, and those costs have accounted for those costs in the $44,000 incentive payments.
MYTH: Individual doctors do not receive incentive payments for implementing EHR, but rather the clinic.
FACT: The incentive payments program has been set up to benefit individual eligible providers specifically. This means that several DCs who practice in the same clinic can each qualify for incentive payments, as long as all the individual doctors are using a qualified system meaningfully, according to the incentive payments requirements.
MYTH: Now that the government is incenting all eligible providers to adopt EHR, the government will be able to dictate how we deliver care.
FACT: Nowhere in any of the legislation does it indicate that the government will impose on the methods of delivery of patient care. Rather, an agency called the Office of the National Coordinator of Healthcare Information Technology (ONCHIT) was established in 2004 to facilitate the implementation of EHRs across healthcare entities.
The office is only given authority to organize the implementation process, and is not charged with overseeing actual delivery of care and how you treat patients.
There's still time to take advantage of the full $44,000.00 incentive
The government decided earlier this year that eligible providers—including DCs—could still qualify for the full $44,000 incentive if they implement a Certified EHR in 2012 and demonstrate 90 consecutive days of meaningful use.
That means there's still time to take advantage of this incentive for doing something many of us know we should be doing anyway.
For detailed information about the EHR/ARRA Incentive, sign up for a free, no-obligation webinar now atwww.FHeConnect.com.
About Steven J. Kraus, DC, DIBCN, CCSP, FASA, FICC
Steven J. Kraus, DC, DIBCN, CCSP, FASA, FICC, is founder and CEO of Future Health - the nation's #1 provider of chiropractic-specific EHR/practice management software. Future Health software is ONC-ATCB Certified as a Complete EHR, helping you qualify for up to $44,000.00 in EHR/ARRA incentives. Sign up for a free software demo and ARRA update now at www.FHeConnect.com or call Toll Free 1-888-919-9919, ext. 656.
Dr. Kraus is an acknowledged expert in Health IT, including EHR (electronic health records) and the up-to-$44,000 ARRA incentive program to implement EHR.
He has served and continues to serve on numerous committees and boards, including:
• Electronic Health Records Committee for the ACA
• Past President of Iowa Chiropractic Society
• Past Chairman and Board Member of the Iowa Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Dr. Kraus frequently travels to Washington D.C. to represent the chiropractic profession, helping ensure DCs are considered in healthcare discussions and policymaking.
He is also an expert on practice management, with more than 23 years' experience in his own practice. He has developed and sold 18 practices and has provided strategic consulting to more than 400 healthcare businesses nationwide. He lectures to state associations and at industry events regarding EHR and the relationship to documentation, and he presents monthly webinars on how EHR usage will impact doctors of chiropractic.
Read More Here
HHS Intends to Delay ICD-10 for ?Certain Health Care Entities?
The Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 16 issued a statement announcing its intent to push back the Oct. 1, 2013, compliance deadline for ICD-10 “for certain health care entities:”
As part of President Obama’s commitment to reducing regulatory burden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius today announced that HHS will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).
The final rule adopting ICD-10 as a standard was published in January 2009 and set a compliance date of October 1, 2013 -- a delay of two years from the compliance date initially specified in the 2008 proposed rule. HHS will announce a new compliance date moving forward.
“ICD-10 codes are important to many positive improvements in our health care system,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead. We are committing to work with the provider community to reexamine the pace at which HHS and the nation implement these important improvements to our health care system.”
Read Full Here
As part of President Obama’s commitment to reducing regulatory burden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius today announced that HHS will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).
The final rule adopting ICD-10 as a standard was published in January 2009 and set a compliance date of October 1, 2013 -- a delay of two years from the compliance date initially specified in the 2008 proposed rule. HHS will announce a new compliance date moving forward.
“ICD-10 codes are important to many positive improvements in our health care system,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead. We are committing to work with the provider community to reexamine the pace at which HHS and the nation implement these important improvements to our health care system.”
Read Full Here
Smart Content Reviewed: Text Analytics & Semantic Content Enrichment&
Spurred on by an online debate about the distinction between text analytics and semantic content enrichment, I turn in this article to the pressing question: "What does semantic content enrichment mean?"
As IBM's Marie Wallace remarked, it’s great to see the term semantic content enrichment generating discussion although, she continued, "I suspect that most people still don’t differentiate it from just text analytics."
The Distinction
Oh, but there is a difference. Let’s explore it via the definitions that follow, first of text analytics, then content analytics and finally content enrichment and where the ensemble takes us.
First definition:
Text analytics is a set of software and transformational steps that discover business value in “unstructured” text. (Analytics in general is a process, not just algorithms and software.) The aim is to improve automated text processing, whether for search, classification, data and opinion extraction, business intelligence or other purposes.
To expand on this definition a bit, to bridge from text to the wider content world:
Text analytics draws on data mining and visualization and also on natural-language processing (NLP). Supplement NLP with technologies that recognize patterns and extract information from images, audio, video and composites and you have content analytics.
The concept of content enrichment is easy to grasp: Every link in this article — Web links are accomplished via the HTML “a” anchor tag — is a bit of content enrichment. And semantic content enrichment? Marie Wallace puts it this way, focusing on text but with concepts that extend to the broad set of content types:
When I think about semantic enrichment, I see it as transforming a piece of content into a linked data source. In order to do this you do indeed need text analytics for entity and relationship extraction, but you need more than that…. A text analytics engine might recognize that [Marie Wallace] is a person, [Ireland] is a place, and Marie comes from Ireland and annotate the entities/relationships found. However when doing semantic enrichment, I would want to convert those annotations to openly addressable URIs that contribute to the linked data cloud.
URIs are uniform resource identifiers, Semantic Web terminology for IDs, unique within a namespace, that name or locate things. Web URLs (e.g., http://whitehouse.gov/) are a type of URI.
Rather than write my own annotation elaboration, I’ll reuse one from Ontotext, a semantic-technology developer:
Annotation, or tagging, is about attaching names, attributes, comments, descriptions, etc. to a document or to a selected part in a text. It provides additional information (metadata) about an existing piece of data.
Semantic Annotation goes one level deeper:
- It enriches the unstructured or semi-structured data with a context that is further linked to the structured knowledge of a domain.
- It allows results that are not explicitly related to the original search.
The earliest specific semantic content enrichment reference I’ve encountered is in an Ontotext paper, Towards Semantic Web Information Extraction, presented at the 2003 International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC).
The paper covers work based on Ontotext’s Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) platform, which in turn relies on GATE, the General Architecture for Text Engineering, an open-source text-analysis framework and toolkit, Apache Lucene and other technologies. The Ontotext folks have other, related papers posted on the company Web site.
Complementary Processes
The Ontotext materials help explain the role text/content analytics can and should — but doesn’t often enough — play as a Semantic Web generator. The entities, concepts, events and other features discerned, via content analytics, in text and rich media not only enable smart content; they can also be loaded to knowledge bases (which I won’t get into here, other than to say that systems such as IBM Watson and Wolfram Alpha use them) and Semantic Web triple stores.
There are other solution providers in the content analytics meets semantic annotation/enrichment game. In addition to IBM and Ontotext, they include HP Autonomy, MarkLogic, OpenText, Temis and the nascent, open-source IKS project. Other vendors offer enterprise-strength building blocks, for instance, SAS via the various SAS Text Analytics components.
I’m sold on this stuff given the business benefits for content producers and content consumers alike. These technologies — and the interplay between analytics and semantics — are key in making sense of the digital universe.
Editor's Note: You may also be interested in reading:
- Taxonomy Building: Tackling the Challenges by @buckleyplanet
- IKS Means Semantic Intelligence for Content Management, But Will it Survive? by @sethgrimes
- Auto-Classification: Friend or Foe of Taxonomy Management? by @stephlemieux
About the Author
Seth Grimes is an analytics strategist with Washington DC consultancy Alta Plana Corporation. He is contributing editor at InformationWeek, chairs the Sentiment Analysis Symposium and the Text Analytics Summit, and is the leading industry analyst covering text and content analytics.
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Modularity requirements in bio-ontologies: a case study of ChEBI
Modularity requirements in bio-ontologies: a case study of ChEBI
A wish list for tools for modularity support in bio-ontology engineering based on the ChEBI ontology requirements. Presented at the workshop on modular ontologies, WoMO, 2011, in Ljubljana.
Feb 21, 2012
HIT Today: Increase your income through quality reporting
In the "real" world, people expect to pay more for something if it's of higher quality or offers superior performance. That free-market standard promotes higher-quality products and services.
The healthcare industry, however, generally does not operate in this manner. Patients have few options for "kicking the tires," so to speak, before electing to start a drug treatment, undergo surgery or therapy, or choose a physician.
This inability to get a reading on the effectiveness of drugs and treatments hinders those tasked with improving the overall effectiveness of the healthcare industry. Thus, the government created pay-for-performance programs to incentivize you and your colleagues to collect and submit data on the outcomes of the drug treatments and procedures performed on your patients in anticipation that these programs would lead to evidence-based clinical guidelines that will improve the quality of care you deliver.
SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE?
One reason to consider a pay-for-performance program is to join in the movement to improve healthcare in this country. Another is to make more money. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Healthcare can be a difficult industry in which to make a living. As reimbursement rates continue to shrink, programs such as the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) provide opportunities for you to maintain your revenue.
The government launched the PQRS (formerly called the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, or PQRI) program in 2006 so it could collect data on which drugs and treatments illicit the best outcomes and create evidence-based clinical guidelines to improve medical treatments. Doctors participating in Medicare Part B who choose to participate in the PQRS program can receive annual incentive checks equal to 0.5% of their Medicare Part B claims. They can earn another 0.5% when they also participate in a maintenance of certification (MOC) program for a year ("more frequently than is required to qualify for or maintain board-certification status") and successfully complete a qualified MOC program practice assessment for such year. No sign-up or pre-registration is required to participate.
What is an MOC program? Defined in the Social Security Act, an MOC program is "a continuous assessment program that advances quality and the lifelong learning and self-assessment of board-certified specialty physicians by focusing on the competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism." Learn more athttps://www.cms.gov/PQRS/Downloads/2012_Maintenance_of_Certification_Requirements_2.pdf.
WHAT TO REPORT, AND HOW TO REPORT IT
Once you fill out the required self-nomination forms, you will select at least three measures to submit for consideration from the 2012 PQRS measures list. The list is in PDF format (along with other information you'll need to read) in the "downloads" area at the bottom of the "how to get started" page of the Medicare PQRS Web site, http://www.cms.gov/PQRS.
It's important to read these documents. They outline the codes you'll use to record the patient data and the methods by which you can submit them to CMS.
To qualify to receive the annual incentive check, physicians participating in Medicare Part B first must determine whether a claims-based or registry-based method of reporting best fits their practices. That choice will determine whether the reporting period will be 6 months or 12 months.
If you select the claims-based method, then you will add the PQRS reporting data to your Medicare Part B claims. If you select the registry-based method, then you will give your PQRS reporting data to the group that administers a qualified registry. The group then will submit those data on your behalf.
USING YOUR EHR TO SUBMIT PQRS DATA
This year, CMS added a third method for submitting patient PQRS data: the electronic health record (EHR) system. CMS qualifies EHR direct vendors and their products to participate. In addition, systems must:
Also, each qualifying vendor must participate in mandatory support conference calls hosted by CMS (approximately one per month) and indicate the reporting options it seeks to qualify for its users to submit, including individual measures and e-prescribing for individuals and groups.
Knowing these requirements can help you when selecting an EHR for attesting to meaningful use.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
With some exceptions, basically all doctors who bill directly for Medicare Part B payments under the Medicare PFS can participate in the PQRS program and earn the 1% incentive check for both successfully reporting PQRS data and for participating in an MOC program.
Physicians eligible to participate include doctors of medicine, osteopathy, podiatric medicine, optometry, oral surgery, dental medicine, and chiropractic. Other eligible practitioners include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (and anesthesiologist assistants), certified nurse midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians, nutrition professionals, and audiologists. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and qualified speech-language therapists also may participate.
Medical professionals cannot participate in these programs if they are paid under or based on the PFS-billing Medicare carriers/Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) that do not bill directly, or if they are paid under PFS-billing Medicare fiscal intermediaries (FIs) or MACs. That's because the FI/MAC claims processing systems currently cannot accommodate billing at the individual physician or practitioner level.
PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY
Currently, the PQRS program is voluntary for doctors. If, however, you become involved with a Patient-Centered Medical Home or an accountable care organization, both of which engage in quality reporting as part of their revenue-generating procedures, then collecting and submitting drug treatment and prescription data, as well as patient outcomes, could become a mandatory part of your practice.
You will find PQRS program specifics for this year athttps://www.cms.gov/PQRS/03_How_To_Get_Started.asp#TopOfPage.
The healthcare industry, however, generally does not operate in this manner. Patients have few options for "kicking the tires," so to speak, before electing to start a drug treatment, undergo surgery or therapy, or choose a physician.
This inability to get a reading on the effectiveness of drugs and treatments hinders those tasked with improving the overall effectiveness of the healthcare industry. Thus, the government created pay-for-performance programs to incentivize you and your colleagues to collect and submit data on the outcomes of the drug treatments and procedures performed on your patients in anticipation that these programs would lead to evidence-based clinical guidelines that will improve the quality of care you deliver.
SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE?
One reason to consider a pay-for-performance program is to join in the movement to improve healthcare in this country. Another is to make more money. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Healthcare can be a difficult industry in which to make a living. As reimbursement rates continue to shrink, programs such as the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) provide opportunities for you to maintain your revenue.
The government launched the PQRS (formerly called the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, or PQRI) program in 2006 so it could collect data on which drugs and treatments illicit the best outcomes and create evidence-based clinical guidelines to improve medical treatments. Doctors participating in Medicare Part B who choose to participate in the PQRS program can receive annual incentive checks equal to 0.5% of their Medicare Part B claims. They can earn another 0.5% when they also participate in a maintenance of certification (MOC) program for a year ("more frequently than is required to qualify for or maintain board-certification status") and successfully complete a qualified MOC program practice assessment for such year. No sign-up or pre-registration is required to participate.
What is an MOC program? Defined in the Social Security Act, an MOC program is "a continuous assessment program that advances quality and the lifelong learning and self-assessment of board-certified specialty physicians by focusing on the competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism." Learn more athttps://www.cms.gov/PQRS/Downloads/2012_Maintenance_of_Certification_Requirements_2.pdf.
WHAT TO REPORT, AND HOW TO REPORT IT
Once you fill out the required self-nomination forms, you will select at least three measures to submit for consideration from the 2012 PQRS measures list. The list is in PDF format (along with other information you'll need to read) in the "downloads" area at the bottom of the "how to get started" page of the Medicare PQRS Web site, http://www.cms.gov/PQRS.
It's important to read these documents. They outline the codes you'll use to record the patient data and the methods by which you can submit them to CMS.
To qualify to receive the annual incentive check, physicians participating in Medicare Part B first must determine whether a claims-based or registry-based method of reporting best fits their practices. That choice will determine whether the reporting period will be 6 months or 12 months.
If you select the claims-based method, then you will add the PQRS reporting data to your Medicare Part B claims. If you select the registry-based method, then you will give your PQRS reporting data to the group that administers a qualified registry. The group then will submit those data on your behalf.
USING YOUR EHR TO SUBMIT PQRS DATA
This year, CMS added a third method for submitting patient PQRS data: the electronic health record (EHR) system. CMS qualifies EHR direct vendors and their products to participate. In addition, systems must:
- be able to collect and transmit all required data elements according to the 2012 EHR data submission specifications;
- be able to separate out and report on all Medicare Part B physician fee schedule (PFS) patients only;
- be able to include tax identification number/national provider identifier information submitted with an eligible professional's quality data;
- be able to transmit those data in the CMS-approved format;
- comply with a secure method for data submission;
- not be in a beta test form;
- have at least 25 active users;
- be able to report (and test submission) for all 51 e-specified measures;
- be able to report only the measures selected by the eligible professional; and
- report only those data elements (in a Quality Reporting Document Architecture level 1 format) needed to calculate the measures (if possible).
Also, each qualifying vendor must participate in mandatory support conference calls hosted by CMS (approximately one per month) and indicate the reporting options it seeks to qualify for its users to submit, including individual measures and e-prescribing for individuals and groups.
Knowing these requirements can help you when selecting an EHR for attesting to meaningful use.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
With some exceptions, basically all doctors who bill directly for Medicare Part B payments under the Medicare PFS can participate in the PQRS program and earn the 1% incentive check for both successfully reporting PQRS data and for participating in an MOC program.
Physicians eligible to participate include doctors of medicine, osteopathy, podiatric medicine, optometry, oral surgery, dental medicine, and chiropractic. Other eligible practitioners include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (and anesthesiologist assistants), certified nurse midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians, nutrition professionals, and audiologists. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and qualified speech-language therapists also may participate.
Medical professionals cannot participate in these programs if they are paid under or based on the PFS-billing Medicare carriers/Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) that do not bill directly, or if they are paid under PFS-billing Medicare fiscal intermediaries (FIs) or MACs. That's because the FI/MAC claims processing systems currently cannot accommodate billing at the individual physician or practitioner level.
PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY
Currently, the PQRS program is voluntary for doctors. If, however, you become involved with a Patient-Centered Medical Home or an accountable care organization, both of which engage in quality reporting as part of their revenue-generating procedures, then collecting and submitting drug treatment and prescription data, as well as patient outcomes, could become a mandatory part of your practice.
You will find PQRS program specifics for this year athttps://www.cms.gov/PQRS/03_How_To_Get_Started.asp#TopOfPage.
The EHR and ICD-10 Connection
An article by Ron Sterling from the January/February 2012 issue of HBMA Billing.
The upcoming ICD-10 start date of October 1, 2013 creates a critical path that can affect the EHR strategy and plans of you and your clients.
For many third party billers and their clients, the months leading up to ICD-10 start date will be focused on two major tasks.
• Implementing last minute changes to EHR systems and interfaces with practice management systems. EHR systems currently use ICD-9 codes for a variety of purposes. The use of ICD-10 codes in place of ICD-9 codes could have a variety of unintended consequences and force substantial changes in EHR systems. For example:
• Implementing changes to PMS and billing procedures and systems. In addition to focusing on correct coding, third party billers and practices will want to closely monitor the performance of their clearinghouses and payers for initial problems and evolving issues in the switch to ICD-10. For example, payers may strengthen the edits between the ICD-10 and CPT codes over time. Third party billers and their clients may have to deal with an ever increasing number of payer specific requirements.
With this substantial body of work waiting to be completed, third party billers and their clients cannot assume that conversion of paper patient records to EHR projects can be accomplished in the same time frame. Indeed, proper completion of a practice's EHR implementation may be a critical path item to start the rollout of that client's ICD-10 solution.
Third party billers should work with their clients to pace the implementation of EHR strategies for a smoother transition throughout the ICD-10 process. Practices may fail to meet the ICD-10 requirements and disrupt cash flow after October 1, 2013 and third party billers may be unable to pursue EHR opportunities when the ICD-10 transition is underway. Consider the following timeframes as you plan your internal strategy or in your work with your clients:
A full PMS / EHR project can take anywhere from 10 to 18 months or more. Considering that practices and your organization should be ready to focus on ICD-10 by the beginning of summer, 2013, it is not too early to tackle the EHR project on your critical path to ICD-10 compliance.
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The upcoming ICD-10 start date of October 1, 2013 creates a critical path that can affect the EHR strategy and plans of you and your clients.
For many third party billers and their clients, the months leading up to ICD-10 start date will be focused on two major tasks.
• Implementing last minute changes to EHR systems and interfaces with practice management systems. EHR systems currently use ICD-9 codes for a variety of purposes. The use of ICD-10 codes in place of ICD-9 codes could have a variety of unintended consequences and force substantial changes in EHR systems. For example:
- Many EHR systems leave the coding of modifiers to the companion billing systems. If the ICD-10 code is determined by the EHR, then the EHR should also establish the matching CPT codes and modifiers.
- ICD-9 codes are used to organize the patient record and support coding of charges. For example, many EHRs use ICD-9 codes to index patient problems, which can have associated prescriptions, orders, and images. If the ICD-9 classifications are switched to the ICD-10 system, then the relevant parts of the ICD-10 codes will vary for the related ICD-9 classification.
- ICD-9 codes associate related visits and other information within the EHR. For example, you can view all exams dealing with a specific ICD-9 code. If ICD-10 codes are used, the EHR will need a facility to relate the relevant portions of those codes with historically-classified ICD-9 information.
- ICD-9 codes trigger patient care items. For example, an ICD-9 code for diabetes may trigger a health maintenance item associated with a periodic lab test. The logical constructs used by EHR systems will have to be reworked in order to be triggered by new ICD-10 codes.
• Implementing changes to PMS and billing procedures and systems. In addition to focusing on correct coding, third party billers and practices will want to closely monitor the performance of their clearinghouses and payers for initial problems and evolving issues in the switch to ICD-10. For example, payers may strengthen the edits between the ICD-10 and CPT codes over time. Third party billers and their clients may have to deal with an ever increasing number of payer specific requirements.
With this substantial body of work waiting to be completed, third party billers and their clients cannot assume that conversion of paper patient records to EHR projects can be accomplished in the same time frame. Indeed, proper completion of a practice's EHR implementation may be a critical path item to start the rollout of that client's ICD-10 solution.
Third party billers should work with their clients to pace the implementation of EHR strategies for a smoother transition throughout the ICD-10 process. Practices may fail to meet the ICD-10 requirements and disrupt cash flow after October 1, 2013 and third party billers may be unable to pursue EHR opportunities when the ICD-10 transition is underway. Consider the following timeframes as you plan your internal strategy or in your work with your clients:
- Selection of PMS and EHR products can take 2 to 4 months or more before a decision.
- Contract negotiations and planning can consume another 30 days.
- Implementation of an EHR can take 4 to 6 months depending on a variety of policy and implementation issues. For example, it can take 30 to 60 days to install the hardware base and provision upgraded communications.
- Once the EHR implementation is complete, a practice will need 4 to 8 months to transition individual patients to the EHR.
- If you are considering a new billing system as part of your EHR project, allow an additional 4 to 6 months for the project.
A full PMS / EHR project can take anywhere from 10 to 18 months or more. Considering that practices and your organization should be ready to focus on ICD-10 by the beginning of summer, 2013, it is not too early to tackle the EHR project on your critical path to ICD-10 compliance.
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TAT and Quality Guarantee or it's FREE
Medical transcription is an essential support service for the healthcare providers and provides important data backup for proper diagnosis and treatment of patients. Mediscribes is among the few medical transcription companies providing good quality and reasonably priced transcription services. They have a reputation for fast and accurate TAT that results in great savings of almost 30% for their customers. Most medical transcription companies’ use highly trained staff that can transcribe data using speech recognition, voice data recorders with 95% accuracy. Higher productivity among staff, adherence to quality standards set by industry bodies like Association for Healthcare Document Integrity (AHDI) and following processes as per Six Sigma quality standards ensures strict time discipline that is an essential requirement in the medical transcription industry.
While treating patients the doctor needs up to date patient records as regards current treatment and prognosis so that the line of treatment can be changed or corrected. In case medical transcription is not quick enough there will be lapses and the patient’s treatment will be delayed resulting in health complications and in some cases even a loss of life. Also the quality of data provided through Medical Transcription impacts the quantum of reimbursement for the doctor and hence has an impact on the insurance claims of the patient as well. Therefore in the light of increasing costs of healthcare, high quality data in medical transcription is important as it impacts stakeholders like accreditation bodies, health information managers and compliance agencies that have to check records before taking important financial decisions.
Therefore quick TAT is essential for medical transcription otherwise hospitals and doctors can terminate services of the medical transcription company resulting in a loss of business. So to avoid this company should invest in state of the art computers with the best quality software that can provide excellent medical transcription services in the shortest possible time.
The medical transcription software should be such that it is compatible with emerging technologies like smart phones and iPhones so that the doctor can get quick access to required data in the shortest possible time. This helps him take important decisions quickly based on proper and correct inputs provided by the Medical Transcription Companies. To ensure this the company must have periodic reviews of customer requirements and update its medical transcription software accordingly. It must train its staff regularly so that they are aware of the latest medical terminology and disease conditions and can process data accurately for the convenience of the doctor. Strictly following a quality management system ensures high productivity from each transcriptionist and results in the accurate data being delivered to the customers in a fixed time frame.
Therefore we at Mediscribes follow exacting quality standards and the shortest possible TAT with an accuracy of 98.5 % in medical transcription for ensuring greater customer satisfaction.
About Mediscribes
Mediscribes, Inc. is one of the fastest growing transcription & document management systems providers in United States, based in Metro Louisville. Mediscribes is an ISO 9000-2001 certified company, rendering cost-effective consolidated transcription solutions to major hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities in United States. Mediscribes is the most value-providing organization in the market today with a strong presence in America and offshore locations. The firm specializes in providing highly accurate transcription adhering to ADHI guidelines in unbeatable turnaround time with robust & proven document management system as its vantage point to its esteemed clientele.
Mediscribes provides end-to-end transcription solutions as its primary offering. For our customers, we focus on dictation systems, both ASP as well as enterprise level solutions, with the help of our most valued asset ezVoiceIntelligence (ezVI), providing specialty-specific qualitative transcription along with a “whole nine yards” document management system. Mediscribes specializes in EMR data integration as well. Our data dispatch department is highly proficient in integrating transcribed reports into any type of EMR. Healthcare facilities that do not have EMR get the option to use our web-based file monitoring interface called eTranscribe for global access to their data. eTranscribe has special features of E-signing, E-faxing, auto-printing, and user-friendly document search criteria.
For additional information, please visit http://www.mediscribes.com
Feb 15, 2012
Outsourcing Transcription Helps Lawyers
Expert transcription services help legal professionals to delegate their documentation responsibilities and improve their efficiency profoundly. Outsourcing Transcription their chief documentation assignments let them to sort out and handle their paperwork in appropriate format, and reorganize their workflow.
Outsourcing eases the staff of workload and lets transcription firms take care of it. Legal transcription entails preparing legal papers from archived files of various trials and hearings. Nearly all of the firms that provide legal-transcription deal with their patrons in a very competitive and timely manner. Some of the Legal Transcription Services currently offered take in verbatim transcription, correspondence transcription, legal letter transcription, court transcriptions, as well as wire tap transcription.
Having talked about what the services are all about, following are some its biggest advantages:
- Help save a lot of time and efforts.
- Help concentrate on core issues.
- Helps deal with surfeits of legal files.
- Excess paperwork is dealt with.
- Expenditure on back office is lessened.
- Breeds an Efficient Workforce.
- Effective maintenance of records.
- Expenditure in maintaining internal transcription is purged.
When experienced companies are entrusted with transcription duties, a firm can be rest assured of a range of benefits. The stand-out feature is that transcribed documents are prepared in user friendly electronic file format. At any point, a firm can retrieve all details regarding a particular hearing or trial.
At present, there are tons and tons of Legal Transcription companies. But when you turn to some of the best names in the business like the Bizscribes it is a different experience altogether. It is simply because they are one of the most experienced companies and offer you the best value. Here are some reasons why should rely on them:
- All projects that Bizscribes undertakes are dictated by the location of transcription. You can be rest assured that we are right fit.
- Their workforce is the most competent and acquiescent. The staff will understand your needs and come up with the best solution.
- They will always standby our work. A good company will back all the guarantees it boasts of.
- Their patrons have always been satisfied and returned back whenever required. You can go through the clients and testimonials on their website.
About Bizscribes Inc.
Bizscribes Transcription Service is a leading provider of quality and accurate business transcription services at affordable prices. Your transcription needs could include meetings, conferences, speeches, one-on-one interviews, board meetings, etc. Get accurate transcription within the timeframe that best suits your business transcription needs. We also transcribe board meetings and calls to analysts for quarterly and annual performance.
For additional information, please visit http://ping.fm/vJ8Xt
Media Contact (Mediscribes)
Rob Byer
rob.byer@bizscribes.com
Mediscribes
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
Ph: 502-400-9374
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Report: HIEs Need I.T. Help, but Shun HIT Workers from Fed?s Training Programs
Advocacy organization eHealth Initiative asked several questions related to workforce issues during its 2011 survey of 196 HIEs, turning the findings into a free issue brief now available. Responding HIEs noted that jobs remain open because there are not enough candidates with appropriate I.T. experience, so HIEs often hire consultants.
Clinical software implementation and support personnel, which includes project managers, analysts, application coordinators, report writers, trainers, informatics staff and technical writers, are in the highest demand.
Very few HIEs have hired graduates of the HITECH Act-funded health I.T. workforce development programs being offered by a network of community colleges across the nation. Consequently, eHealth Initiative recommends the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT work closer with stakeholders to assess specific skills that HIEs are looking for.
Feb 14, 2012
NWT Limo International announces a special 10% Valentine’s Day Discount
On the special occasion of Valentine’s Day NWT Limo International announces 10% discount on tour packages, car rental, or a Limousine rental.
NWT Limo International is a synonym to “Excellent and Professional Car Rental Services in India, Delivered Dedicatedly – Always”! Valentine’s Day is round the corner, NWT Limo International is here with an endearing 10% discount offer on tour packages, car rental, and a Limo on rent anywhere in India.
Rekindle your love this season; take a tour to the most exotic places in India with your Valentine. NWT Limo International will take you places be it Delhi, Agra or Jaipur. Travel in luxury cars such as the best rated Sedans or hire a Limousine and be a proud spender.
The company provides the best car hire deals for people on tours, or in need of a car on rent. For transportation in India, one can hire the most luxurious cars with first class services in the car industry.
For business tours and business events, NWT Limo International is a renowned name in the industry. To hire a car on rent for a day or for longer, NWT’s services give you exactly the kind satisfaction that you plan for.
NWT Limo International aims to consistently deliver ONLY excellent quality services and add value to your journey which they have been successfully and continually achieving. NWT Limo International is a renowned brand name trusted by millions built one customer at a time. Those who have ever used their services have never think of going anywhere else rather, they have made such huge client base by spread of word of mouth by their satisfied clients.
To surprise your spouse or gift a loved one a cherished memory for lifetime on this St. Valentine’s Day 2012 all you need to do is hire an affluent ride; this Valentine’s celebrate love with exclusive services with competitive prices and relish truly worthy professional services.
It is NWT Limo International’s responsibility and commitment to make your Valentine’s Day special by planning an exquisite time for you and your beloved with the best competitive prices and professional services.
For NRI, foreign visitors and exotic travel lovers there is just one name that reckon with travel and that is none other than NWT Limo International. Spend in style and rejoice comfort of luxury by getting the best by your side.
To make your Valentine’s Day 2012 memorable for lifetime get in touch on info@nwtlimoint.com and it is assured that you shall proudly to be served by NWT professionals, who guarantee smooth and brilliant care rental services. You may call on +91 - 98246 84545 in India or fax on +1 877-544-5106 (US).
NWT Limo International is a synonym to “Excellent and Professional Car Rental Services in India, Delivered Dedicatedly – Always”! Valentine’s Day is round the corner, NWT Limo International is here with an endearing 10% discount offer on tour packages, car rental, and a Limo on rent anywhere in India.
Rekindle your love this season; take a tour to the most exotic places in India with your Valentine. NWT Limo International will take you places be it Delhi, Agra or Jaipur. Travel in luxury cars such as the best rated Sedans or hire a Limousine and be a proud spender.
The company provides the best car hire deals for people on tours, or in need of a car on rent. For transportation in India, one can hire the most luxurious cars with first class services in the car industry.
For business tours and business events, NWT Limo International is a renowned name in the industry. To hire a car on rent for a day or for longer, NWT’s services give you exactly the kind satisfaction that you plan for.
NWT Limo International aims to consistently deliver ONLY excellent quality services and add value to your journey which they have been successfully and continually achieving. NWT Limo International is a renowned brand name trusted by millions built one customer at a time. Those who have ever used their services have never think of going anywhere else rather, they have made such huge client base by spread of word of mouth by their satisfied clients.
To surprise your spouse or gift a loved one a cherished memory for lifetime on this St. Valentine’s Day 2012 all you need to do is hire an affluent ride; this Valentine’s celebrate love with exclusive services with competitive prices and relish truly worthy professional services.
It is NWT Limo International’s responsibility and commitment to make your Valentine’s Day special by planning an exquisite time for you and your beloved with the best competitive prices and professional services.
For NRI, foreign visitors and exotic travel lovers there is just one name that reckon with travel and that is none other than NWT Limo International. Spend in style and rejoice comfort of luxury by getting the best by your side.
To make your Valentine’s Day 2012 memorable for lifetime get in touch on info@nwtlimoint.com and it is assured that you shall proudly to be served by NWT professionals, who guarantee smooth and brilliant care rental services. You may call on +91 - 98246 84545 in India or fax on +1 877-544-5106 (US).
Feb 9, 2012
Smartlogic Highlights Content Intelligence Over Enterprise Semantics
Smartlogic recently released a new version of its Semaphore software, which took home the 2011 European Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award. Version 3.3 adds new semantically-rich features, but the company itself has been shifting its strategy to talk about its solution less as the enterprise semantic platform and more as a content intelligence platform for identifying, classifying, extracting, analyzing and utilizing hard-to-find information from among unstructured assets in existing information management systems like Microsoft SharePoint.
Why? According to marketing VP Maya Natarajan, it’s an in to better customer access. “Whenever you think of the word semantic, there’s such a small percentage of the population that understands what it is,” she says. “But amazingly the uptake for content intelligence is so great. People immediately understand that so much quicker” — that is, she says, that content intelligence describes all the business reasons and benefits for deploying an enterprise semantic platform.
Another way to make the virtues of content intelligence even more obvious: Smartlogic is planning to introduce prebuilt starter taxonomies to kickstart the process in some vertical sectors. Meanwhile, Version 3.3 has brought to its customers features that still proclaim its semantic heritage, including a semantic visualization tool.
“This is a massive step for us,” she says. “It’s taken the product to another level.” With the tool, users can click on a topic to visually see all its associated topics rather than wade through a table. For instance, the screen below shows all the associations for NASA astronaut Buzz Aldren, and from there users can visually explore relationships to those topics, as well.
Associated with the semantic visualization tool is an ontology review tool, says Natarajan. As an example, a subject matter expert may know that Apollo 11 is related to Apollo 13, but that information hasn’t yet made its way into the enterprise’s ontology. “You can actually add those things in independently,” she says. “It lets you provide feeedback to the taxonomy or ontology that is created so the organization can label its information assets very, very clearly.”
These days, most of Smartlogic’s customer base are invested in Microsoft’s SharePoint content management system. FAST Search Server 2010 for Sharepoint is an option beyond SharePoint’s native search for creating metadata directly from content, but Semaphore further enhances things by improving the metadata quality as well as accurately and consistently applying metadata and classification to the search engine capability, Natarajan says. “We also provide an ontology-driven solution so we use a taxonomy to really, really improve search or improve findability,” she says.
The company last year sponsored independent research by MindMetre that it said indicates that, while Microsoft SharePoint is emerging as the industry standard for content management, the most effective SharePoint-based solutions tend to combine the platform’s powerful capabilities with specialist applications that can improve the end-user experience and fill gaps in functionality. According to that study, “ SharePoint is not and never will be an application that companies can simply take out of the box and plug in for a complete solution.”
Semaphore has yet to incorporate into the platform capabilities it acquired with its acquisition of SchemaLogic last fall. Says Natarajan, “There are some interesting aspects to the SchemaLogic product that we are in the process of integrating. That has not yet happened, but it will be happening.” She declined to provide further details at this point.
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Toward Intelligent Health IT (iHIT) Systems: Getting Out of the Box
In this post, I describe a new type of application that I refer to as iHIT. iHIT stands for Intelligent Health IT.
The Architecture of Traditional Health IT systems
Traditional software architectures for health IT systems typically include the following:
- Dependency Injection (DI)
- Object Relational Mapping (ORM)
- An architectural pattern for the presentation layer such as the Model View Controller (MVC) pattern
- HTML5, CSS3, and a JavaScript library like JQuery
- Other architectural patterns including GoF Design Patterns, SOLID Principles, and Domain Driven Design (DDD)
- Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Enterprise Integration Patterns (EIPs) implemented through an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) using HL7 messages as the "Published Language"
- REST or SOAP-based web services.
An entire generation of developers has been trained in these techniques. They represent proven best practices accumulated over several decades of object-oriented design and relational data management. Although pervasive in today's clinical systems, these applications lack basic intelligent features such as the ability to capture and execute expert knowledge, make inferences, or make predictions about the future based on the analysis of historical data. In some cases, they actually look like glorified data entry systems.
With the availability and explosion of medical knowledge and real world observational EHR data, these intelligent features will become important in assisting clinicians in the medical decision making process at the point of care by reducing their cognitive load.
Intelligent Health IT (iHIT) Systems
iHIT systems process huge quantities of both structured and unstructured data to provide clinicians with specific recommendations. iHIT systems play an important role in translating Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) findings into clinical practice. Comparative effectiveness Research (CER), an emerging trend in Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), has been defined by the Federal Coordinating Council for CER as "the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in 'real world' settings." For example, based on the clinical profile of a patient, CER can help determine the best treatment option for breast cancer among the various options available such as: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery (Masectomy and Lumpectomy).
The following are examples of key characteristics displayed by iHIT systems:
- The ability to analyze patient data as well as very large historical observational data sets in order to make probability-based predictions about the future and recommend specific actions that can yield the best clinical outcomes given the clinical profile of a patient.
- The ability to capture and execute expert knowledge such as the medical knowledge contained in Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). This includes the ability to mediate between different CPGs to arrive at a specific recommendation by merging and reconciling the medical knowledge in multiple CPGs as is the case with patients with comorbidities.
- The ability to perform automated reasoning by inferring new implicit clinical facts from existing explicit facts and by exploiting semantic relationships between concepts and entities.
- The ability to retrieve knowledge from unstructured data sources such as the biomedical research literature from sources like PubMed in order to answer clinical questions sometimes posed in natural language.
- The ability to learn over time (and hence become smarter) as the amount of processed data continues its exponential growth.
- Very fast response time to queries over very large data sets.
Sounds like Artificial Intelligence? I believe we are indeed witnessing the resurgence of artificial intelligence (AI) and even the ideas of the Semantic Web in the healthcare industry. As healthcare costs and quality become national priorities for many countries around the world, the boundaries of computing will continue to be pushed further. Actually, some of the underlying principles of intelligent systems (such as probability theory) were originally developed decades and even centuries ago in the field of biomedical research. Williams Osler (1849-1919) famously said:�
Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.
Technologically advanced and competitive industries like financial services (e.g., credit eligibility and fraud detection), online retail (e.g., recommendation engine), and logistics (e.g., delivery route optimization) have adopted some of these technologies. Health IT developers now need to embrace them as well. This will require thinking out of the box.
The Ingredients of iHIT Systems
iHIT systems represent not one, but the integration of many different technologies. Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning algorithms play an important role in iHIT systems. Examples include:
- Logistic Regression models
- Decision Trees
- Association Rules
- Bayesian Network
- Neural Networks
- Random Forests
- Time Series for temporal reasoning
- k-means Clustering�
- Support Vector Machines (SVM)
- Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGMs) based on methods such as Bayesian networks and Markov Networks for making clinical decisions under uncertainty.
These algorithms can be used not only for making therapeutic predictions (e.g., the future hospitalization risk of a patient with Asthma), but also for dividing a population into subgroups based on the clinical profile of patients in order to achieve the best treatment outcomes.�
Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are usually-based on Systematic Reviews (SRs) of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) which are essentially scientific experiments. According to a report titled "Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) We Can Trust" which was published last year by the Institute Of Medicine (IoM):
However, even when studies are considered to have high internal validity, they may not be generalizable to or valid for the patient population of guideline relevance. Randomized trials commonly have an under representation of important subgroups, including those with comorbidities, older persons, racial and ethnic minorities, and low-income, less educated, or low-literacy patients. Many RCTs and observational studies fail to include such "typical patients" in their samples; even when they do, there may not be sufficient numbers of such patients to assess them separately or the subgroups may not be properly analyzed for differences in outcomes.
Predictive analytics using statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms on the other hand operates on large real world observational data and can therefore provide feedback on the effectiveness of the actual use of different therapeutic interventions. Although very costly, RCTs are still considered the strongest form of evidence in EBM. Despite their inherent methodical challenges (lack of randomization leading to bias and confounding), observational studies are increasingly recognized as complementary to RCTs and an important tool in clinical decision making and health policy. iHIT systems play an important role in translating Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) findings into clinical practice in the form of clinical decision support (CDS) interventions at the point of care.
iHIT systems also use business rules engines to capture and execute expert knowledge such as the medical knowledge contained in Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and Care Pathways. Examples include rules engines based on forward chaining inference, also known as production rule systems. These rules engines can be combined with Complex Event Processing (CEP) and Business Process Management (BPM) for intelligent decision making.
iHIT systems support ontologies such as those represented by the web ontology language (OWL) providing reasoning capabilities as well as the ability to navigate semantic relationships between concepts and entities.
More advanced iHIT systems have Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) capabilities in order to answer clinical questions posed in natural language. They rely on Information Retrieval techniques like probabilistic methods for scoring the relevance of a document given a query and the application of supervised machine learning classification methods such as decision trees, Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), and Support Vector Machines (SVM).
In some cases, the responsibilities of an iHIT system are performed by Intelligent Agents which are autonomous entities capable of observing the clinical environment and acting upon those observations.
For scalability and performance, iHIT systems often sit on NoSQL databases and run on massively parallel computing platforms like Apache Hadoop while leveraging the elasticity of the cloud.
Integrating these technologies is the main challenge posed by iHIT systems. An example is the integration between statistical and machine learning models, business rules, ontologies, and more traditional forms of computing such as object-oriented programming. Various solutions to these challenges have been proposed and implemented.
Human-Centered Design
Finally, iHIT systems fully embrace a human-centered design approach. They provide a seamless integration between automated decision logic and clinical workflows. They provide the clinician with detailed explanations of the rationale behind the actions they recommend. In addition, they use techniques like Visual Analytics to enhance human cognitive abilities in order to facilitate analytical reasoning over very large data sets.
Natural language processing could eventually change medicine
In a recent post on his Disease Management Care�Blog,�Jaan Sidorov, a physician with a keen eye for trends, speculated that natural language processing (NLP) might be used to pick up missing diagnoses from free text and perhaps even predict problems before physicians spot them. He cited a�Mayo Clinic study�that found that the use of an NLP program to scan free text in encounter records was nearly as accurate as lab tests in showing whether patients had the flu.
This is not a new idea. The University of Utah School of Medicine has been conducting�studies�of NLP for nearly a decade. But NLP is starting to become more capable, as shown by its growing use in computer-assisted coding. A�VA study found�that the use of NLP with free text identified post-operative complications more accurately than claims data did.
Meanwhile,�Nuance Communications�is working with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to apply NLP to electronic health records documentation, using IBM's Watson technology. The hope is that NLP will eventually be able to parse medical terms in free text to speed up data entry. Also, the researchers would like to be able to apply analytics to the data and generate "smart alerts" that can help providers improve patient care.
While the Mayo study focused on using NLP in biosurveillance to spot disease outbreaks early, Sidorov was intrigued by the possibility of employing such a system to detect diseases that physicians had not yet diagnosed. In addition, he noted, NLP-based analytics might be able to identify risk factors and "prospectively identify those persons at greatest risk for future complications, such as an avoidable hospitalization."
More immediately, he noted, NLP could be used to pick up diagnoses that have not been entered in problem lists--a continuing issue with EHRs. NLP is not the only way to do this; a recent study showed that a�decision support tool�could infer probable diagnoses from medication, lab and billing data. But only the NLP method can extract such data from free text.
Structured data in EHRs continues to be suboptimal for a number of reasons, including EHR design, lack of lab interfaces, and physician resistance to inputting data into point and click templates. Someday, when NLP can be reliably used to turn dictation into discrete data, physicians will be able to use EHRs more effectively, and it will be easier to measure their performance. Until then, however, the issues with EHR documentation are unlikely to disappear.
The idea of using NLP for predictive modeling and alerts, meanwhile, will continue to gain traction as researchers discover new ways to apply the growing power and speed of computers to medicine. Of course, computerized insights will never replace the intuition and knowledge of a skilled, experienced physician. But it would be nice if he or she had that extra edge. -Ken
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