The Doctor Is In!

Doctors and covered entities have now had a few weeks to digest the finalized HITECH and Meaningful Use rules. The changes from the preliminary rules have made the transition a little more achievable, however the confusing basics are still in place. The need for EHR transition teams is great and the number of them is small. In a recent face to face with several physicians I described the process and discovered that not only did they not understand "meaningful use" but had no idea that there are security measures, vendor management procedures, and privacy edicts that must be in place in order to receive the bonus payments under Medicare/Medicaid. The fact that they are compelled under legislation to implement new EHR systems or lose future funds should not be the motivating factor in the decision to move forward. There is a business case and a fast return on investment that so far hasn't been part of the discussion. In one study the ROI was a short as 16 months and there would continue to be bonus payments for three more years, which is over and above the ROI calculation.

There is a need for transition specialists who understand that implementing EHR systems is good for business. Going this alone can be hazardous to the bottom line of your practice. For purposes of full disclosure Gemstone Partners provides a "Transitions" program that manages the process for you. To date no other company has such a comprehensive program that leads covered entities to qualifying for bonus Medicare/Medicaid payments. 

The software scramble also continues. Now that Drummond has been named as the first certifying body for EHR software it will be fascinating to see just how fast the process will be. The deadlines are about to kick in and for many practices the process will be impossible without help. The "Doctor is In?"...the doctor is in for a confusing, frustrating journey. This blogger's opinion... let them practice medicine. EHR is a great tool for the healthcare system and for patients. Doctors... Get the systems in place and get by the hype and hoopla around enforcement. It makes good business sense to get this done as quickly as you can. (Remember 1995. 20% of households had computers. There were 90 million beeper users and 20 million cell phone users. What was your tipping point to move forward with those technologies?)