Adoption of Electronic Medical Report Systems - The Role of Speech Recognition

By Nicole Sadjadi  |   Submitted On November 13, 2009

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With the introduction of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009, the push to digitize patient medical records has been at the forefront of Health Information Management. The act calls for the digitization of all medical records by the end of 2014, which means that all medical practices in the United States will be required to transition to Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Still, in today's world, the most common types of health information exchanges are typically paper copies of paper medical records. To date, there has been very little automated data exchange between hospitals and physicians.
So, you might ask, how will the government effect the digitization of American health records, and influence the way physicians and hospitals store and transmit health information? To answer this question, we must look to the stipulations of the HITECH Act.
The health component of the ARRA bill is the HITECH Act, which appropriates $19.5 billion dollars to encourage the adoption and effective utilization of Electronic Medical Records (alternately referred to as Electronic Health Records, or EHR). The two primary goals of the HITECH Act are to mobilize physicians who have been slow to adopt Electronic Medical Records to a computerized system, and to ensure that patient data is actively and securely exchanged between healthcare professionals. To do so, the government has allocated funds to catalyze the desired changes.
The HITECH Act stipulates $2 billion will be immediately provided to the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and its sub-agency, the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT. $320 million of this $2 billion will be used to establish more Health Information Exchange (HIE) initiatives, help existing HIEs to progress in connecting providers, and to ensure standards are consistent across products and care settings.
The biggest winners under the HITECH Act are the clinicians. $36 billion will be paid over a five-year period to healthcare providers that demonstrate meaningful use of Electronic Medical Records. These payments are designed to reward hospitals and physicians for effectively using robust, connected EMR systems. Conversely, practices that do not implement effective EMR systems by 2015 will be penalized, and will be required to forfeit Medicare fees. The net cost to the Federal government is anticipated to be $19.5 billion after savings are achieved through efficiencies, tax revenue and Medicare fee reductions for non-adopters.
All said, there is quite a bit of government money to be distributed to qualifying physicians and hospitals. Physicians who adopt effective EMR systems will eligible to receive as much as $64,000 over five years according to the HITECH Act. In order to qualify for incentive payments, both physicians and hospitals have to demonstrate three things:
1. Use of a certified EMR with ePrescribing capability that meets current HHS standards.
2. Connectivity to other providers to improve speed and quality of access to patient medical information.
3. Ability to report on their use of the technology to the HHS.
Physicians may qualify for one of two incentive programs (not both). There is a Medicaid program and a Medicare program.
Under the Medicaid program, physicians who see more than 30% of patients paying with Medicaid (20% for pediatricians) are eligible for payments of up to $64,000 over five years. Under the Medicare program, physicians who accept Medicare payments (but do not have a large volume of Medicaid patients) are eligible to receive $44,000 over five years. The Medicare plan also stipulates physicians operating in a "health provider shortage area" will be eligible for an incremental increase of 10%, and those who deliver care entirely in a hospital environment (e.g. anesthesiologists) are ineligible.
Physicians who do not demonstrate meaningful use of an EMR by the end of 2014 will see their 2015 fee schedules decrease by 1%. Additional decreases will be implemented in 2016 and 2017 down to a total of 97% of the regular fee schedule for non-participating physicians. This can be reduced even further (down to 95%) if the total adoption is below 75% in 2018.
What exactly constitutes the definition of "meaningful use" of an Electronic Medical Record is still under debate. We do know that most physicians agree that "meaningful use" of an EMR should mean highly accessible and detailed health records. According to a study by Nuance Communications, Inc. - a leading supplier of speech solutions aimed at making the transition to EMRs easier for clinicians - physicians cited faster access, more complete patient reports, and better caregiver-to-caregiver communication as important to defining meaningful use of an EMR.
In addition to gaining insight that physicians value readily available, highly detailed Electronic Medical Records, the Nuance study also shed light on physicians' concerns about existing obstacles that impede EMR adoption. Ninety percent of physicians said that they were concerned about usability as the leading obstacle impeding EMR adoption. Armed with this knowledge, Nuance has developed a speech recognition software solution that greatly increases usability and function within an EMR system.
Nuance Communications' voice recognition software - Dragon Medical 10 - is the industry-leading speech recognition software. The software eliminates physicians' need to rely on typing, clicking and scrolling, something that 67 percent of doctors surveyed cited as a usability concern. This gives physicians more time to allocate toward patient care instead of reporting. And, because most doctors speak three times faster than they type, Dragon Medical speech recognition software can improve productivity by up to 25%.
Dragon Medical software empowers physicians with the technology they need to digitize their practice. Dragon allows physicians to dictate records into Microsoft Word and other common desktop applications, effectively increasing usability. Physicians can develop templates for repeat use, helping them easily dictate patient notes by voice. Dragon Medical makes it easy for physicians to take that first step toward adopting EMR systems.
Dragon Medical was developed by Nuance to accelerate physician adoption of EMR software by allowing clinicians to navigate an EMR system by voice. Dragon allows doctors to dictate medical decision-making - history of present illness, review of systems, assessment, and plan - directly into EMR systems - eliminating transcription and ensuring more complete clinical documentation. Dragon Medical fully supports HIPAA patient information confidentiality requirements.
Dragon Medical 10 speech recognition software is a must for every physician, as it greatly increases productivity by making EMR systems easier to adopt and use. Dragon is the first step for physicians looking to digitize their practice and save money on transcription costs, and is a valuable solution for physicians who want to take advantage of available government incentives for EMR adoption.
Get rid of the paper files, and do away with the keyboard and mouse! Dragon Medical speech recognition technology is the future of Electronic Medical Record technology.

Learn more about how Dragon Medical 10 can ease the transition to an EMR system while improving the quality of care at your practice. Physicians wanting to see a demo of Dragon Medical are encouraged to visit [http://www.genesis-technologies.com/cart/Dragon-Medical-c987/] or call 800-433-6326.
Genesis Technologies
800-433-6326

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The Scourge of Medical Identity Theft

By Robert Siciliano  |   Submitted On September 23, 2009

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Medical identity theft can make you sick. When I was asked by the reporter on the CBS Early Show, "If medical identity theft happens to you"...and I eloquently responded "You're screwed", and amazingly it made the edits to air. Because in sum, it's true.
Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses a person's name and sometimes other parts of their identity-such as insurance information-without the person's knowledge or consent to obtain medical services or goods, or uses the person's identity information to make false claims for medical services or goods. Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into existing medical records, and can involve the creation of fictitious medical records in the victim's name. (I authored/entered this on Wikipedia as is)
A rule requiring healthcare providers, health plans, and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals of a breach of their unsecured protected health information will become effective September 23, 2009.
The "breach notification" regulations implement provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). HIPAA covered-entities include health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers.
The regulations define breach as "the acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of protected health information in a manner not permitted [by the HIPAA Privacy Rule] that compromises the security or privacy of the protected health information."
Most states require corporations to disclose data breaches in effect for a few years now.
Because healthcare facilities often handle some of the same personally identifiable information as corporations, they are now falling under similar regulations.
Once your medical identity is stolen, the affects can show up in your medical records. Anyone posing as you can have allergies or other medical issues and it may end up as a notation in your medical records. This in some instances can affect your own health if medications are issued as a result of misinformation by an identity thief.
Protecting yourself from medical identity theft isn't as easily explained as protecting yourself from financial identity theft.

1. Medical ID cards, insurance cards and medical statements that come in the mail can all be used to steal your medical identity. Install a locking mailbox to prevent your mail from being stolen.
2. Don't carry cards in your wallet unless absolutely necessary like when you have an actual appointment.
3. Protect medical information documents. Shred all throw away documentation and lock it up when it's in your home or office.
4. Treat your medical identity similarly as you treat your financial identity by getting similar protections. If the thief can't steal your financial identity then your medical identity may be less attractive. Protecting yourself from new account fraud requires more effort. You can attempt to protect your own identity, by getting yourself a credit freeze, or setting up your own fraud alerts. There are pros and cons to each.

Robert Siciliano http://IDTheftSecurity.com

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The Truth About Medical Billing Jobs

By Bob Hartzell  |   Submitted On August 22, 2009

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For some reason medical billing has become the focal point for scam operators offering instant business income earned at home.  The Federal Trade Commission issued a public warning in April of 2009 about the advertisements in newspapers, late night television and supermarket ads for medical billing opportunities with an 800 number included in the copy.
The facts about medical billing are that most of it is done by health care providers themselves, or by firms with whom they contract.  If you see a job advertisement placed by a hospital or HMO, that's going to be the real thing.  But if you are considering an educational opportunity in medical billing because of the promise of a lucrative in-home job, you need to do more research on the employment market.
Medical billing and coding is a necessary function that provides the communication of financial and treatment information between a health care provider and a health insurance company.  The coding referred to is universal code that conveys information about the treatment provided, and also about the diagnosis.  There is a lot of medical information that is included in medical coding, and much of it falls under the HIPAA rules for protection of patient privacy.
Professionals in this business  may assemble records from a number of sources, depending on where they work.  If they are employed by a medical clinic, there may be billing information from a primary doctor, a referred physician and a pathology or X-ray lab.  The information from each of those sources provide billing for the insurance company along with medical information.  In many cases, pre-approval for medical procedures is required by insurance companies.  The medical biller may be asked to call and obtain that pre-approval.
You should also know that medical billing and coding professionals work for insurance companies as well as for health care providers.  Within an insurance company there are clerks that function much as medical billers do in health care facilities, informing patients of the treatment coverage with computer generated correspondence and placing the coded medical information in to an insured patient's record.
The billing and coding profession is going to grow as health care continues to become bureaucratized and as the government gets increasingly involved.  However competition for these jobs is significant, so if you are interested in this career arm yourself with a thorough educational background.  Vocational schools and colleges offer certificate programs and associate's degrees for the medical billing profession.

Bob Hartzell writes about careers for GetDegrees.com. On the website you'll find comprehensive information about medical billing degrees as well as information on educational opportunities for hundreds of other professions.

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Medical Identity Theft - Are You Protecting Your Identity?

By Eric Rose  |   Submitted On August 15, 2009

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You haven't had any real health problems nor have you stepped foot in an emergency room lately. Having said that, I'm sure you would be surprised to learn that you owe thousands of dollars worth of emergency-service medical bills because you weren't protecting your identity.
That's what happens when you're a victim of medical I.D. theft. You're advancing in life and decide to purchase a car. When you apply for a car loan, you then discover debts on your credit report for emergency room visits at places in the country you've never been.
It turns out that you're a victim of a fast growing crime known as medical identity theft.
Recent federal data states more than 250,000 Americans a year are victims of medical identity theft. This number continues to increase. Some experts say because of the increased use of electronic medical records systems built without extensive safeguards.
An uncountable number of people does not yet know they are victims. They may not know that their medical information has been interfered with for months or even years until, as in many documented cases, it shows up in collections on a credit report.
While you're unaware that your medical identity has been stolen, your insurance company may continue to pay the fraudulent claims without your knowledge. You're likely to learn of the fraud only when trying to make a legitimate claim and the insurance company notifies you that you've reached your lifetime cap on benefits.
Imagine discovering incorrect information in your medical files during a doctor or hospital visit. This definitely poses a bigger risk than the finances. The medical records may now contain vital information like blood type, allergies, prescription drug use or a history of disease that is just plain wrong. In an emergency, doctors could treat you based on this false information. That's why experts are calling this "The killer crime of our century."
When medical identity theft fraudulent charges remain unpaid and unresolved for years, it could permanently damage your credit rating. Under the federal law known as Hipaa, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, you are entitled to a copy of your medical records but you may have to pay a large fee for them.
Worse, Hipaa privacy rules can actually work against you. Once your medical information is intermingled with another person's information, you may have a difficult time accessing your files. The privacy law states that the thief's medical information now contained in your records must be kept confidential too.
When you're able to correct a record in your doctor's office, the flawed information may have been passed on to dozens of other health care providers and insurers. You now have the responsibility of tracking down and resolving these errors on your own. Be proactive and have professionals on your side when protecting your identity.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Rose