Physician Practices: Are You Ready to Implement Your Electronic Medical Record?

In February 2009, President Obama signed legislation known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Among other things, the law established incentives for health care providers to implement electronic medical records (EMR), otherwise known as electronic health records (EHR), in their practices by 2015. Incentives for early adopters who can demonstrate "meaningful use" are higher than for late adopters. Plus, the requirements for "meaningful use" become more stringent over time, meaning late adopters will find themselves playing catch-up. There is, in fact, an escalating penalty after 2015 for those who choose not to implement a system at all.

Implementation of an EMR/EHR is a significant endeavor for any practice. It has the potential to radically alter everything you do. What's done on paper today -- everything from clinical histories to prescriptions -- will need to somehow be done in the system you institute. Unfortunately, EMR/EHR implementation is not a simple "plug-and-play" scenario. It requires a re-definition of all processes that interface with this new system, as well as a determination of the ways you will meet the requirements to demonstrate "meaningful use."

Are you ready to implement your EMR? Don't take any chances -- let us guide you through this major initiative. We'll work with your team to document all current business and clinical processes that must translate into the electronic world. We can even get you up and running with an innovative EHR known as Practice Fusion, a free, web-based solution that addresses the complex needs of today's healthcare providers, including charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referral letters, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients.

Practice Fusion is the fastest growing free EMR community in the country, with more than 100,000 users and counting. Any medical provider in the country can sign up for Practice Fusion’s system in five minutes online, with no cost and no downtime.

With our APSTAR(sm) implementation package designed specifically for Practice Fusion, we can help you get the most out of your implementation, guiding you all the way from setup to meaningful use. You can select the entire package, or take advantage of any of the individual services shown below. We tailor the implementation to fit your needs.

APSTAR^SM - Practice Fusion Implementation Services

ASSESSMENT

• IT – Evaluate hardware and equipment (desktops, laptops, internet service, wireless, scanners, etc.)
• Skills – Presence of existing EMR and other types of software
• Workflow – Map current processes
• Benefits / Impact – Identify areas where Practice Fusion will have the greatest impact

PLANNING

• Develop Practice Fusion implementation plan
• Facilitate launch team meetings
• Map new process flows with Practice Fusion

SETUP

• Assist with template development
• Coordinate uploading of patients
• Configure system users and access levels
• Enter insurance plans
• Coordinate setup of ePrescribe
• Set up lab interfaces with Quest, LabCorp, BioReference and other local labs
• Scan / upload documents into EHR as desired
• Identify referral recipients and create referral network

TRAINING

• Train all office personnel
• Train super-users on how to create templates
• Assist physicians with transition into Practice Fusion – charting, eRx, labs, etc.

ACTIVATION

• Assist on the "Go Live" dates to help with Implementation
• Shadow physicians and staff to help with new workflow procedures
• Facilitate issue management and implementation team

REWARD

• Facilitate Meaningful Use action plan team
• Assist with Meaningful Use attestation

Implemented properly and fully utilized, such an EMR/EHR can be a significant waste-fighting tool. This can be a tremendous opportunity for you to re-define your workflows and reach new heights of efficiency, performance and quality.

Contact us today to schedule a free on-site demo.