January 2010
In
this issue...
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Electronic Medical Records -
Prescription for Success? |
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Stimulus Funds for Healthcare
Technology Q&A |
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7 Things to Expect From
Your IT Partner |
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Quote of the Month |
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One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above
the little things.
~John Burroughs
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Cartoon of the Month |
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Microsoft Tips
and TricksCreate and Use an
E-mail Signature
If you're like many people, e-mail is a regular part of your
workday. You send mail to business associates, customers, friends,
and family — and you most likely end your message with a different
closing depending on the recipient. Over the course of a day, that
can add up to a lot of repetitive typing. Why not use automatic
e-mail signatures instead?
Creating, managing, and
using automatic e-mail signatures are easier than you think, and
quick to set up, too.
Watch the demo to see how. |
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Electronic Medical Records - Prescription for Success?
Scott Jordan,
Founder & CTO |
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 This
month’s focus is on healthcare and the challenges that
are presented with the national push to implement
Electronic Medical Records (EMR), also known as
Electronic Health Records (EHR). Practices are being
strongly incented to move toward adoption of EMR in
their practices, and reimbursement rates will soon be
impacted for those that do not comply.
The current rate of adoption of EMR nationally is only
around 4%. The federal government set aside stimulus funds
to drive this figure up by offering payments to providers to
offset some of the cost of purchase and implementation.
Software vendors, recognizing a golden opportunity, are
aggressively marketing and selling their products. Perhaps
it is a good time for your practice to consider moving to
EMR or replacing an existing product? But how do you choose
the best product for your needs among the hype and noise?
As
one of the largest technology investments made in most
practices, and one that has the most direct impact on
patient care, the implementation of EMR (Electronic Medical
Records) is a daunting prospect. EMR has great potential to
improve the efficiency and profitability of your practice
and improve the patient experience at the same time.
However, everyone has heard the stories of failed
implementations and thousands of dollars wasted on solutions
that do not work as claimed. This is often the result of a
failure in the selection process to uncover areas where the
workflow of the practice and the operation of the software
do not mesh.
The proper selection and implementation of an EMR
application is something that you simply cannot afford to
get wrong. DELTEC Information Solutions is an independent
consulting group that helps medical practices to assess
their needs, develop requirements, and select the best
technology solutions for their practices. We do not
represent a particular software company, so our guidance is
un-biased, straightforward, and honest. We are here to work
with you toward your success. |
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Stimulus Funds for Healthcare
Technology Q&A |
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If you are in the
healthcare field, you probably have heard about the stimulus funds
set aside for healthcare IT. There are significant incentives
available for practices to implement or upgrade their Electronic
Medical Records (EMR) or Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. As
with any government program, the trick is in understanding the
details. This article will attempt to answer some of the common
questions DELTEC receives regarding the funding.
On February 17, 2009,
President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as H.R. 1 or the ARRA. The
Act aims to stimulate the economy through investments in
infrastructure, unemployment benefits, transportation, education and
healthcare. It includes more than $20 billion to aid the development
of a robust IT infrastructure for healthcare and to assist providers
and other entities in adopting and using healthcare IT.
Q: Where can I find
the full text of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?
A: The full text of the new law can be found at
www.recovery.gov.
Q: How much is being
spent on HIT and where is the funding going?
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$17.2 billion
in incentives through the Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement systems to assist providers in adopting EHRs. |
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Read on |
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7 Things to Expect from Your IT
Partner
By Jeff Wuorio
Reprinted with permission from the
Microsoft Small Business Center |
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 Your
information-technology partner business should be just that — a
partner in every sense of the word.
On the surface, that may sound a little warm and fuzzy, and possibly
a bit optimistic.
Some IT consultants may
focus on fulfilling your basic needs. They provide you technology
advice and supply whatever tangible products and service are
necessary to facilitate your needs.
But what you should
reasonably expect from an IT "partner" goes well beyond that. They
should take a vested interest in your business, providing the
benefits and guidance that are central to your company's growth and
success. Here are
seven things to expect from your IT partner:
1. Technical expertise
— and strong communication skills. Of course, an IT partner should
be well-versed in the ins and outs of technology. But that sort of
knowledge can be of little more than academic value if your partner
doesn't have first-hand knowledge of how it applies to your
business. "He should be first and foremost a businessperson who
utilizes technology in a cost-effective manner to solve business
problems," says Michael Crowe, director of the technology consulting
and solutions group at Chicago-based Plante & Moran. "He can bridge
the technology and communications gap that often exists between IT
and a CEO's office."
2. An awareness of your
budget — and resources. IT partners are proving increasingly
essential to a broad range of small to medium-sized businesses. |
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Read On |
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