Practice Newsletter - February 25, 2014

Rhode Island Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative

Upcoming Meetings:

March 5, 7:30-9am (Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket): Data and Evaluation Committee

March 6, 7:30-9am (301 Metro Center Blvd., Warwick): PCMH-Kids Stakeholder meeting (committee members only)

March 11, 8-9:30am (RIQI):

Nurse Care Manager Best Practice Sharing Committee

March 14, 7:30-9am (RIQI):

Steering Committee

March 14, 9:30-11am (RIQI): Community Health Team Planning meeting (committee members only)

March 20, 7:30-9 (RIQI):

Practice Transformation Committee

March 20, 3:30-5pm (RIQI):

Integrated Behavioral Health Workgroup

March 24, 10-11:30am (RIF):

Program Evaluation Committee (committee members only)

March 25, 8-9:30am (RIPCPC, Cranston): Practice Reporting Committee

March 27, 7:30-9am (RIQI): Contracting Committee (CSI practices and health plans only)

March 28, 7:30-9am

(BVCHC): Executive Committee (committee members only)

March 28, 9:30-11am

(BVCHC): Community Health Team Planning meeting (committee members only)

Upcoming event:

Below is information on an upcoming audio conference that may be of interest to CSI-RI practices:

ICD-10-CM For Family Practice

March 11, 2014

1:00pm

ICD-10 challenges for Family Practice are both in documentation and selection of the correct/ specific codes. Preparing your providers for this change can be daunting, but not if you know where the straightforward areas versus the more difficult areas are in the transition.

Clinical vs coding definition is a great place to start as is the answer to the question many providers ask, "When does an acute condition turn to chronic and can it return to acute again?". This conference by our expert speaker Jill Young, CPC, CEDC, CIMC,will help you prepare for the changes and transition in 2014.

CSI-Rhode Island

508-421-5919

csi-ri@umassmed.edu

www.pcmhri.org

Rhode Island Foundation

One Union Station

Providence, RI 02903

Welcome to the Rhode Island Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative Practice Newsletter, where CSI-RI shares exciting updates, news, milestones, meeting information and more with our CSI-RI practices.

Partners in Best Practice Funding

As part of the CSI-RI Practice Facilitation Program, each practice site is eligible to apply for up to $500 to use towards a practice transformation effort. Practices can use the funds to build capacity, improve performance in one of the CSI-RI Contract Target areas, and/or provide mentoring support for another CSI-RI practice.

Many practices have already completed their applications to receive funds for a variety of activities ranging from resources for patient education, conducting a medical assistant boot camp, certified diabetes education classes and exam, and for pain management certification. Your innovative plans are welcome!

To apply, return the completed application and original signed W-9 (forms available here) to Hannah Oakley Hakim at the Office of Program Development, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545. All applications must be received and approved by March 24, 2014.

Amendment to HIPAA and CLIA

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its final rule on February 3, 2014 amending the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and HIPAA Privacy Rule to permit patients to access lab results directly. The new final rule will apply to clinical laboratories covered under CLIA and HIPAA and amends CLIA at 43 CFR �493.1291 and the Privacy Rule at 45 CFR � 164.524. Under prior regulations, test results could only be released (1) to "authorized persons," which in MA was defined as a healthcare provider (105 CMR 180.290), (2) to the person responsible for using the test results in the treatment context, or (3) the laboratory that initially requested the test.

Patients previously did not have direct access to the results. The final rule eliminates CLIA-covered labs' Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act exemptions for access by patients, or their representatives, to laboratory test results. Patients can continue access to their laboratory test reports from their doctors; however, these changes give patients the option to obtain their test reports directly from the laboratory, within 30 days of the request, provided that laboratories can verify the individuals' identity. The effective date of the final rule is April 7, 2014 and the compliance date is October 4, 2014.

Practice Spotlight: BVCHC Launches App

Blackstone Valley Community Health Care (BVCHC), a CSI-RI practice offering primary medical, dental and behavioral health services in Pawtucket, recently launched an app to help patients stay connected. The app includes features that let users:

Receive medication reminders
Set goals and track their health
Learn more with the BVCHC health library
Contact BVCHC with a touch of a button

The app is free to download and is available in the Apple Store (compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) and the Android store. The app can be found by searching "BVCHC".

Death Over Dinner: End-of-Life Care Conversations:

The Conversation Project has teamed up with Let's Have Dinner and Talk About Death to host a unique sort of dinner party this new year. Talking about death over dinner might not be the usual way you get people over to your house for a meal, but it couldn't be more crucial. Too many people are dying in a way they wouldn't choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain. Having "the conversation" about end-of-life care wishes with family and friends is the most important step you can take to ensure that those wishes are understood and respected.

Many providers are helping patients with having family discussions about decisions regarding end of life care. Practices are encouraged to visit deathoverdinner.org to find a customized guide that patients can use to have family discussions focused on this topic. The site also provides reading suggestions and videos that families can watch together to help facilitate those discussions.