|
 |
Hot Topics!
News Briefs
Health IT Services Group Acquired by Fresenius Medical Corporation North America
November 6, 2009
Waltham, MA, November 6, 2009 – Fresenius Medical Care North America,
operator of the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, today announced it
has purchased Nashville-based Health IT Services Group (HITSG) and its
portfolio of products including Acumen nEHR, a nephrology-specific electronic
health record.
A web-enabled application designed by nephrologists for nephrologists, Acumen
nEHR provides physician practices with a comprehensive clinical system
integrating care within the physician practice, dialysis unit, hospital, pharmacy,
laboratory and vascular access center. The system also addresses care for all
patients of the nephrologist including those suffering from Chronic Kidney
Disease (CKD) that can lead to End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) requiring
dialysis or transplantation. This strategic acquisition is an important step for
Fresenius Medical Care in further solidifying the company’s leadership position in
renal care through the utilization of superior health information technology.
“This purchase will enable Fresenius Medical Care to further expand the
availability of the signature Acumen nEHR product, and other innovative clinical
IT solutions to nephrologists, which will enhance their efficiency and ability to
provide superior clinical care for their patients. With this strategic acquisition, we
continue to deliver on our goal of bringing a comprehensive service portfolio to
nephrologists, for the benefit of patients. Acumen nEHR is another important
component in strengthening our comprehensive strategic information technology
offerings,” said Mats Wahlstrom, CO-CEO of Fresenius Medical Care North
America (FMCNA).
“Since our strategic partnership with Fresenius Medical Care in 2007, we have
experienced tremendous growth in the Acumen brand of nephrology-specific
tools that enhance a provider’s ability to deliver superior care to all of their
patients with kidney disease,” said Dr. Franklin W. Maddux, founder of HITSG.
“Fresenius Medical Care and HITSG share a deep commitment in supporting
high quality medical care for patients with renal disease and advancing the tools
and methods nephrologists use to provide that care.”
Dr. Maddux will become Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Information
Officer (CMIO) for FMCNA, reporting to the Chief Medical Officer. “The
appointment of Frank Maddux to this position emphasizes our belief that effective
IT solutions create a strong competitive advantage for FMCNA and the
physicians we support in providing excellent patient care.” said Wahlstrom.
This acquisition positions FMCNA to help nephrologists respond to the concepts
of meaningful use of electronic health records and health information exchange
emerging from the HIT stimulus provisions of The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Additionally, the acquisition positions FMCNA
to favorably respond to the evolving coordinated, preventive and chronic disease
management care emphasized in the current healthcare reform provisions under
legislative review.
 back to top
Acumen Authorized for PQRI Reporting by Nephrologists
July 31, 2009
Health IT Services Group (HITSG) announced today that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the
Fresenius Medical Care CKD registry, which HITSG supports and operates through its Acumen applications, as a participating
registry in CMS’s 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). The approval for HITSG’s nephrology-specific Acumen
applications enables participating nephrologists to report quality outcomes to the PQRI program and therefore qualify for
incentive participation payments from CMS.
“As the largest nephrology-specific EHR (Electronic Health Record) provider, Acumen offers nephrologists the ability to submit their
data directly to the Acumen PQRI database which supports multiple reporting options and features,” said Terry Ketchersid, M.D., VP and
Chief Medical Officer for HIT Services Group and Acumen. “Our background with the PQRI program and the variety of caregiver participation
options we offer makes this the leading application for nephrologists wishing to participate in this CMS incentive program.”
HITSG/Acumen is the engine for Fresenius Medical Care-CKD’S approved Data Registry, a CMS-qualified registry for 2009 PQRI reporting.
This registry offers providers the choice of one of the five CMS PQRI registry reporting options, focusing on the nephrology-related
PQRI measures. While there are seven authorized Measures Groups, Acumen PQRI will focus exclusively on reporting the 2009 Chronic
Kidney Disease Measures Group and the Diabetes Mellitus Measures Group. In addition, the Registry will report on the remaining five
Nephrology-specific individual measures available in 2009.
By using the Acumen PQRI system, registry-based reporting is streamlined, enabling a more efficient method of participating in the
PQRI program. The Acumen PQRI system helps providers and their staff meet the reporting requirements for their chosen measures, measure
groups, and reporting periods facilitating successful participation with the PQRI program. The CMS incentive payment for successful
participation in 2009 is 2% of the eligible providers’ total allowed charges for Physician Fee Schedule covered professional services
furnished during the 2009 reporting period.
To find out more about the Acumen PQRI registry program, go to www.AcumenEHR.com/PQRI.asp or call 877-535-5566.
back to top
Accelerated Adoption of HIT Gets Underway as President Obama Signs the Historic Economic Stimulus Bill
February 17, 2009
Introduction
Proponents of converting the nation’s medical files from paper charts to electronic records got a big shot in the arm when President Barack Obama signed the historic $787 billion economic stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1), on February 17, 2009.
A section of the bill allocates a whopping $19 billion aimed at computerizing the medical files of everyone in the US by 2014, a goal set five years ago by former President George W. Bush. The amount allocated for the HIT transformation is about one-fifth of the total (around $100 billion) for healthcare measures.
President Barack Obama signs the historic economic stimulus package into law
at the Museum of Nature and Science, Denver, CO, on February 17, 2009.
Rewards
As it stands now, the new legislation provides for around $3 billion in grants, loans, and other incentives to help healthcare providers purchase HIT systems. The bulk of the funding would be slated for financial awards for using HIT to improve patient care.
The biggest rewards are expected to come from additional Medicare and Medicaid payments they will receive when meeting patient quality of care and other standards. Some groups such as the medical practices constituting the CSC Global Healthcare Sector believe that, during the first year of the incentives, hospitals can receive up to $1.5 million for effectively utilizing the HIT systems while physician practices can eventually earn around $40,000.
The new HIT financial rewards aren’t expected to effectively “kick in” until 2011. This would give hospitals and doctors’ offices the time needed to implement their systems.
New National Coordinator Office
The Overall HIT part of the bill calls for the creation of an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the head of which “shall perform [his/her] duties… in a manner consistent with the development of a national [HIT] infrastructure for the electronic use and exchange of information.” This would culminate in the use of an electronic health record for virtually everyone in the US by 2014.
The bill says that the new HIT infrastructure should:
- Ensure that everyone’s health records are secure and protected;
- Reduce healthcare costs “resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate care, duplicative care, and incomplete information”;
- Provide “appropriate information to help guide medical decisions at the time and place of care”; and
- Improve “coordination of care and information among, hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, and other entities through an effective infrastructure for the secure and authorized exchange of healthcare information.”
The Obama View
On Friday, February 13, 2009, President Obama touted the HIT provisions in the bill, saying: “We’ll computerize our healthcare system, at last, to save millions of dollars and countless lives as we reduce medical errors.”
“We know that healthcare is crippling businesses and making us less competitive, as well as breaking the banks of families all across America—and part of the reason is we’ve got the most inefficient healthcare system imaginable,” the President continued. “We’re still using paper. We’re still filing things in triplicate. Nurses can’t read the prescriptions that doctors have written out. Why wouldn’t we want to put that on an electronic medical record that will reduce error rates, reduce our long-term cost of healthcare, and create jobs right now?”
The bill would also make it clear that criminal penalties imposed under the federal medical privacy rule issued after enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act apply to those individuals who improperly obtain medical records.
back to top
HIMSS calls HIT Funding “Essential”
February 17, 2009
 Responding to President Barack Obama’s signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law, the Healthcare Information and Management Society (HIMSS) predicted that the inclusion of more than $19 billion for healthcare information technology (HIT) will have important economic benefits, resulting in improved patient care. HIMSS added that HIT funding is essential if the goal of computerizing the health records of all Americans is to be realized by 2014.
The amount of funding available to complete this mission is believed to be the answer to the biggest barrier to why two-thirds of the doctors had not adopted an EHR system—the cost. The legislation provides that eligible doctors and hospitals receive incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid, rewarding them for demonstrating a “meaningful use” of EHR technology.
HIMSS believes that, among the benefits to the economy, will be the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and annual healthcare costs savings of as much as $77 billion. Benefits to both doctors and patients include fewer medical errors and reduced administrative delays.
back to top
HITECH Act Will Improve the Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Records
February 18, 2009
In what some are calling a “hidden gem” folded into the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is aimed at assuring greater security and privacy controls beyond those now provided under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HITECH provides for $20 billion to create a national electronic health records (EHRs) system that would improve the way in which health information is electronicallty created, accessed, stored, shared, and controlled.
The new proposal requires that doctors and hospitals, at a minimum, obtain the consent of a patient before using his/her information. Also, all healthcare providers and others using the data must disclose in a timely manner any breach of data involving the unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of private patient health information. The act will also require that such businesses as billing and medical transcription services be held to the same security and privacy standards as those who contol the healthcare data. Greater civil fines and penalties will also apply to those found to be negligent in protecing healthcare data.
back to top
A “How-To” Guide For Switching From Paper to E-Prescribing Systems
October 9, 2008
A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing was released at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) National e-Prescribing Conference in Boston, MA, on October 7, 2008. The publication is a “how-to” guide to help clinicians make informed decisions about how and when to transition from paper to e-prescribing systems. Among the healthcare stakeholders releasing the guide are the eHealth Initiative (eHI) in collaboration with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the Medical Group Management Association, and the Center for Improving Medication Management (CIMM).
The guide was designed to meet the needs of office-based clinicians who are:
- New to the e-prescribing concept and who want an overview of what it is; and
- Ready to bring e-prescribing into their practices.
The guide presents steps to follow in planning for, selecting, and implementing an e-prescribing system.
For additional information about the guide, log onto the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) website at: www.hfma.org.hfmanews/, the eHI website at: www.ehealthinitiative.org, and the CIMM website at: www.thecimm.org.
More than 1,400 healthcare professionals and industry leaders attended the conference hosted by CMS and 34 co-sponsoring organizations. The conference addressed the potential of e-prescribing for improving healthcare in the US.
Topics of discussion included:
- A newly enacted federal e-prescribing incentive payment program;
- Strategies and tools for integrating e-prescribing with current healthcare delivery practices; and
- Privacy, security, and risk management implications.
Former HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt
“Our nation’s healthcare system is undergoing a major transformation, thanks to health information technology advancing like e-prescribing,” remarked Former US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt. “From the smallest rural communities to the largest metropolitan areas, e-prescribing is streamlining the prescription process for patients, providers, health plans, and pharmacies. Today’s National E-Prescribing Conference is a vital step in overcoming e-prescribing barriers and sharing both best practices and insights to accelerate adoption.”
To learn more, visit: www.hhs.gov/valuedriven, or www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri. National E-Prescribing Conference presentations can be downloaded at: www.e-prescribingconference.com.
back to top
CMS New Conditions for Coverage for ESRD Requires Electronic Data Collection
May 14, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its final rule setting new Conditions for Coverage (CfC) that dialysis facilities must meet in order to be certified under the Medicare program. The new CfC went into effect on October 14, 2008.
The final rule:
- Focuses on patient quality of care;
- Establishes a performance monitoring program for dialysis facilities;
- Encourages patient participation in their plan of care and treatment; and
- Eliminates numerous outdated procedural requirements.
Provisions in the final rule include:
- Electronic data collection and reporting;
- Defibrillators in every dialysis facility;
- Updated American Association of Medical Instrumentation water quality guidelines;
- Updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for hemodialysis (HD) facilities;
- Quality assurance and performance improvement program;
- Minimum qualifications and training requirements for patient care technicians;
- Option for patients to have an advance directive; and
- Facilities perform clinical assessment within 30 days, or 13 HD treatments for patients beginning renal replacement therapy.
CMS said that "revising the ESRD [end-stage renal disease] requirements is part of our larger effort to modernize regulation and improve the availability of quality-of-care information; to promote transparency; and to move toward a patient outcome-based system that focuses on quality assessment and performance improvement."
To view the final rule, log onto: www.cms.hhs.gov/CFCsAndCoPs/downloads/ESRDdisplayfinalrule.pdf.
A document on applying for waivers and extensions (including a deadline for electronic submission of data) to the new CfC has been released by CMS. For complete details, see: www.nwrenalnetwork.org/CfC/WaiversExtensions.pdf.
back to top
NAHIT Clarifies HIT Definitions
May 21, 2008
Stating that it found from 18 to 63 definitions for each of five key health information technology (HIT) terms that could lead to unintentional consequences for regulation, contract and purchasing decisions, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT) has issued a report with its own definitions. The Alliance also added a sixth definition for a commonly used HIT term.
Following are the six "official" NAHIT definitions:
- Electronic Medical Record. "An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one healthcare organization."
- Electronic Health Record. "An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more that one healthcare organization."
- Personal Health Record. "An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual."
- Health Information Exchange. "The electronic movement of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards."
- Health Information Organization (this is the sixth term added by NAHIT). "An organization that oversees and governs the exchange of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards."
- Regional Health Information Organization. "A health information organization that brings together healthcare stakeholders within a defined geographic area and governs health information exchange among them for the purpose of improving health and care in that community."
"We have developed what we believe to be clear, consistent definitions that offer both immediate and longer-term, practical benefits," stated Jane Horowitz, the Alliance's Chief Marketing Officer who also led the project. "We have proposed language that is easily understood by non-technical leaders in healthcare delivery, policy makers with responsibility and accountability for decisions in the area of [HIT, and] consumers who are being asked to participate more fully in their care and wellness and need education tools to do so."
The report, Defining Key Health Information Technology Terms, was issued under contract with HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. For more information, including access to the final report, log onto: http://definitions.nahit.org/.
back to top
|
