Health Technology Services NEWSLETTER

Issue 36 - September 2015 
 National Health IT Week Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Oct. 5-9, 2015
 
Over the years, Health IT is quietly advancing medicine.  Electronic Health Records (EHRs) improve the way health care is delivered, increase patient safety, decrease medical errors, and strengthen interaction between patients and health care providers.

National Health IT Week is a virtual event with a variety of activities sponsored from Maine to California designed to raise awareness of why patients and health care facilities benefit from Health IT.

Health Technology Services, a department of Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, is a proud partner of National HIT Week.

For more info, visit National IT Week
  
 Don't Miss FREE
WY Telehealth Workshops
 
WY Telehealth Workshop-Rock Springs
Thurs., 9/24, 11:30-2:30pm
  
WY Telehealth Workshop-Cody
Thurs., 10/22, 11:30-2:30pm
  
WY Telehealth Workshop-Gillette
Thurs., 11/19, 11:30-2:30pm
 
Space is limited - register now
Provider/Clinic Corner
 
While I'm waiting for the 2015 MU changes to be announced, what should I be doing?  

Get the latest information on these important topics at our Provider/Clinic Corner.

Hospital Corner

 

Have you heard about our collaborative PIN UP project? 

 

Get the latest information on these important topics at our Hospital Corner.

QIO Corner

 

Don't Miss

"Million Hearts Recommends Preventative Screenings" Webinar

 

September 15, 2015

10 - 11am MDT

Dr. Mary Ann Bauman

Presenter. Register Now

 

Join Our List

 Come See Us!

    
September 2-4, 2015
Stop by and visit the HTS and Mountain-Pacific Quality Health QIO booth at the Wyoming Health Association Conference in Casper WY.
 
September 23-25, 2015
Don't miss Patty Kosednar, HTS HIT-QI/Project Management Consultant, who will be speaking at the Montana Health Association Conference in Billings MT.  Also stop by and see Deb Anderson, HTS Business Relationship Manager, who will be sharing a booth with Christy Fuller, Montana Director, from Mountain-Pacific Quality Health QIO as well as Mary Erickson, HTS HIT-QI Consultant, who will attend the CEO meeting on September 23.
 

Planning An Upcoming Event?

 

HTS has HIT/CMS Program subject matter experts who can present current and relevant information on many HIT/Quality Reporting topics.  

 

Contact Susan Clarke for details

Quick Links

CMS EHR Program Info

 

MU Stage 2 Details

 

HTS MU Services

 

HTS HIPAA SRA Services

 

HTS PQRS Services

 

Upcoming HTS Webinars  

  

HTS Services

 

Let Heath Technology Services assist you with all your Health Information Technology needs.

 

2015 Meaningful Use - Tiered Service Offerings 

 

2015 Security Risk Analysis - Tiered Service Offerings

 

PQRS Reporting Assistance - Tiered Service Offerings

 
MU/PQRS/ICD-
10 Combined Services - Tiered Service Offerings


HIT Consulting & Project Management Service Offerings 

 

See details for all services on our website 
YOUR TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR KEEPING CURRENT WITH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION 
       TOP 5 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW!      
Click on the links for more information...  
  
Don't Wait! - Register for Important FREE Webinars      

 

 
  
  
Tuesday
September 15
11:30-12:30pm
MDT 
PQRS-Open Forum: Quality Resource and Use Report (QRUR) 
Presented by QualityNet eUniversity
Webinar Description
Take these necessary action steps to help improve your scores on cost and quality measures.  Participants are encouraged to bring their questions to this open forum.

 

 

(scroll down the list to find webinar)
  
  
  
  
Wednesday
September 16
11-12pm MDT 
A Deep Dive into the MU Final Rule: Modifications to Meaningful Use 2015-2017
Presented by QualityNet eUniversity
Webinar Description
Join us to hear the experts explain the numerous revised requirements from the Final Rule for Meaningful Use for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the EHR Incentive Program in years 2015 - 2017. 
  
    
  
  
(scroll down the list to find webinar)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Thursday
September 17
12:30-2pm MDT 
PQRS-Overview of the 2014 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRUR) 
Presented by MLN Connects National Provider Calls
Webinar Description  
In late August 2015, CMS will make the 2014 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) available to group practices and solo practitioners nationwide, including groups and solo practitioners who participated in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model, or the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative in 2014. Learn how to interpret and use the information in this report.
Topics include
*  Overview of the Annual 2014 QRUR
*  How to Understand and Use the Annual 2014 QRUR
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
Wednesday
October 7
2-3 pm MDT
PQRS-Selecting 2015 Measures
Presented by Health Technology Services
Webinar Description
Need help selecting your 2015 Measures. Join us for a review of the CMS rules of reporting measures for the EHR and Registry reporting mechanisms. We encourage you to bring your questions to this webinar.
Topics include
* Review Key Points of the EHR and Registry Reporting Mechanisms
* A Look at Various Measure Selection Options
* Steps and Important Considerations
* Experiences within Your Organization  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Thursday
October 22
11:30-12:30pm
MDT 
eCQI-Utilizing Team-Based Care and Clinical Decision Support Tools in Patient Centered Environment 
Presented by QualityNet eUniversity
Webinar Description
Improve your patient outcomes by developing team based care utilizing clinical decision support.
  
  
(scroll down the list to find webinar) 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Wednesday
November 4
1-2 pm MDT 
MU 2015 Step by Step to Attestation
Presented by Health Technology Services
Webinar Description
Join us to learn the step by step action items needed for your successful attestation of meaningful use for the 2015 reporting year. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions to the webinar. 
Topics include
* Walk through of the entire meaningful use process from determining eligibility through attestation preparation
* You will be given a 2015 MU checklist to assist you with the management of your 2015 meaningful use tasks
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

Thursday

November 19

11:30-12:30pm MDT 
2015 PQRS Reporting Requirements
Presented by QualityNet eUniversity
Webinar Description
Join us for an overview of the changes and methods related to the 2015 PQRS reporting requirements.

register
(scroll down the list to find webinar)
 
Did You Miss our Latest Webinars on ICD-10 What Your Clinicians Need to Know Now and QRUR-An Important Part of PQRS?
  
Do you find PQRS confusing? On August 5, Sarah Leake, HTS Quality Reporting and Payment Reform Specialist, clarified what the QRUR is and why it is important.  View the QRUR recording.

Are you ready for the ICD-10 transition?  On July 15, Dr. Joe Nichols, leading ICD-10 specialist and board-certified orthopedic surgeon, shared his extensive ICD-10 knowledge.  Don't miss ICD Training for Office Staff, Hospitals and/or Clinicians recordings.
 
Do you have a webinar topic you would like us to present?  Email your hot topic to Susan Clarke.  See our upcoming webinars.
Top 5 - What You Need to Know Now
TopOneMU:  What are the most important things I need to know about the 2015 proposed rule changes?
Even though CMS has not yet announced their approval of the 2015 MU proposed rule changes, below is some information about the changes from the April 14, 2015 HealthFusion online article.
  
"On April 10, 2015, CMS released a proposed rule that would dramatically change the Medicare and Medicaid (EHR) Incentive Program. The following are some of the most important proposed changes to the rule and ramifications of these proposed changes.
  
1. Reduced Reporting Period in 2015
The EHR reporting period that was targeted to be a full year in 2015 would be reduced to a 90-day (not calendar quarter) period based on the calendar year.
2. The Most Difficult Patient Engagement Measures are Relaxed
The Exchange of Secure Messages with patients where the previous threshold for Meaningful Use Stage 2 was 5% is now reduced to just having the capability to exchange secure messages with patients.
In addition, the Patient Action to View, Download, or Transmit Health Information measure where the previous threshold was 5% threshold for Stage 2 now only requires that just 1 patient seen by the provider during the EHR reporting period views, downloads, or transmits his or her health information to a third party.
3. Simplify the Attestation Process by Removing Measures that are Redundant, Duplicative, or had already reached a very high performance level ("topped out")
CMS identified a set of measures that met the Redundant, Duplicative or Topped Out criteria, and now proposes that providers no longer need to attest to those measures." 
  
Read the full article.
Need help with meaningful use?  Contact HTS - we'll be happy to help you.
Achieving Meaningful Use indicates your organization has implemented Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Rules or Tools. However, not many actually understand what they are. In Stage 2 Meaningful Use, CMS defines CDS rules as "HIT functionality that builds upon the foundation of an EHR to provide persons involved in care processes with general and person-specific information, intelligently filtered and organized, at appropriate times, to enhance health and health care.(Sept. 2014, CMS, eHealth University)".
 
What kind of tools are considered clinical decision support tools?
 
Data Display: data review tools such as flow sheets, patient data reports and graphic displays, and search tools.
 
Workflow Assistance: task lists, patient status lists, integrated clinical and financial tools, and instant messaging/internal communication tools.
 
Data Entry: templates to guide documentation and structured data collection.
 
Decision Making: access to resources on a topic from within the EHR, rule based alerts, clinical guidelines or pathways, patient/family preferences, and diagnostic decision support.
 
CDS rules can be active - require user action, or passive - do not require user action.
 
Has your facility reviewed what kind of alerts or tools, like the ones listed above, are in use since implementing your EHR or achieving meaningful use?  It is a good idea to take another look at what has been set up on a regular basis and ensure that it still makes sense for your users' workflow as well as is consistent with the expected standard of care. If it is no longer relevant, are you able to make changes?  You may have to work with your vendor to do this, but it is pertinent to ongoing EHR use to not just "set it and forget it" when it comes to clinical decision support rules and tools. 
 
For more information, download a copy of the Clinical Decision Support tipsheet. 
 
Questions Clinical Decision Support?  Contact Health Technology Services - we are happy to help.
  
The ICD-10 clock is ticking.  Download these free CMS clinical concept guides.  The guides include common ICD-10 codes, clinical documentation tips, clinical scenarios, and links to Road to 10.
  
  
An excerpt from the Aug. 4, 2015 CIO article...
"Today, we are on the cusp of unlocking the potential of data in the practice of evidence-based medicine and population health management. There are great benefits than can unfold from the use of multiple data sources, but we need to balance it with privacy concerns and unintended consequences."
 
  
Need help with your clinic or hospital's privacy and security needs? Contact Susan Clarke, HCISPP, for more information.
 
TopFivePQRS:   Looking for information on public reporting of 2014 PQRS quality measures on the Physician Compare website?
As part of the CMS Quality Program, CMS will be publicly reporting a sub-set of the 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures on the Physician Compare website. This is to provide consumers information on health care professionals to make informed choices for their Medicare care.
  
CMS is hosting one-hour webinars on September 22, 23 and 24 to present information about public reporting of 2014 PQRS quality measures and the 30-day preview period.  Each webinar will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to ask questions about public reporting on Physician Compare and this year's measure preview period.  All sessions will present the same information.  Multiple times are offered to help best accommodate your busy schedules.
 
Visit CMS Physician Compare Initiative for more information and to register for a webinar.
  
PQRS Tip...

CMS regularly updates the PQRS related documentation for corrections, updates and clarification. If you use printed versions of PQRS documents, confirm that you have the latest versions by referring to the Spotlight page for PQRS.  The latest updates noted are from July 28, 2015.
 
Need help with PQRS - take a look at our Quality Program Reporting Assistance, or contact Sarah Leake, Quality Reporting and Payment Reform Specialist, directly.
       HTS Contact Information      
Health Technology Services is a department of Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation, QIN-QIO for Alaska, Hawaii, Montana and Wyoming.  Together we can help you use technology to deliver the quality care your patients deserve!
 
Thank-You!                   

Health Technology Services
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health
Contact HTS at (406) 457-5897