In addition to the government’s stimulus incentives, e-prescription incentives, and electronic health record (EHR) subsidies, physicians may also receive Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) incentive payments from CMS equal to 2% of total estimated Medicare Part B PFS allowed charges during the reporting period for 2010.

To participate in the 2010 PQRI, practices must report information on individual PQRI quality measures or measures groups. An easy and quick way to submit required information is directly from EHR software.

However, the software needs to be “qualified” by CMS for electronic submission. Currently, only seven EHR systems have been qualified by CMS for electronic reporting purposes.

In order to qualify, each EHR vendor went through a thorough process to check the capability of providing the required PQRI data elements for 10 PQRI measures. These “qualified” EHRs capture the required data for the measure calculation, but also transmit the required information in the requested file format.

Products that have not been qualified by CMS may claim similar capabilities, but CMS cannot guarantee that these other products will be compatible for EHR based submission for PQRI.

Luckily, Healthcare DPS offers an EHR that has been qualified for electronic submissions, allowing physicians to easily submit for both PQRI and e-prescription incentives provided by CMS.

For more information, please contact 877-423-7701 or visit www.healthcaredps.com.

For more detailed PQRI information, please visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri/

Healthcare DPS certified EHR, CMS, e-Prescribe, electronic medical records, Healthcare DPS, medicare, physician fee schedule, stimulus package, subsidies

Before 2009 ended, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) proposed the definition of “meaningful use” for electronic health record (EHR) technology and outlined the provisions for EHR incentive program qualifications.

The initial proposal defines standards to ensure an accurate and secure exchange of health information across a variety of EHR systems, as well as formats for clinical summaries and prescriptions, and terms to describe clinical problems, procedures and tests.

The regulations are a foundation for improving quality, efficiency, and safety through meaningful use of electronic health record technology.

“These regulations are closely linked,” said Charlene Frizzera, CMS acting administrator.  “CMS’s proposed regulation would define and specify how to demonstrate ‘meaningful use’ of EHR technology, which is a prerequisite for receiving the Medicare incentive payments.  Our rule also outlines the proposed payment methodologies for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs.  ONC’s regulation sets forth the standards and specifications that will enhance the interoperability, functionality, utility and security of health information technology.”

The incentives are scheduled to take begin October 1, 2011. Experts say providers should not waste time because there is a shortage of experts available to help. Healthcare DPS is fully versed in Electronic Health Record technology and has the software and ability to assist healthcare professionals in meeting the necessary requirements to collect incentives.

For more information, please contact 877-423-7701 or visit www.healthcaredps.com.

To read the full Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program document, click the following link http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-31217_PI.pdf

Healthcare DPS, Uncategorized certified EHR, CMS, EHR, EHR implementation, electronic medical records, Healthcare DPS, medicare, medicare reimburement, stimulus package

Our world is evolving constantly. With the increase use of energy and decrease of natural resources, everyone must pitch in to protect the future of our planet. Like many businesses, Healthcare DPS began a movement towards more sustainable and eco-friendly business practices to benefit the environment.

The Healthcare DPS “Green” initiative began with a switch to e-signature and e-fax technology along with a reduction in energy dependence by running its primary datacenter with its lights off.  Jason Nocco, Vice President and General Manager, said, “The initiative is designed to lower the environmental impact of operating Healthcare DPS while increasing efficiency and reducing costs.”

As part of a pilot project to conserve energy and reduce costs, Healthcare DPS started running its non-collocated, New York datacenter with its lights switched off during both operating and non operating hours. The result was a 26% savings in energy costs at that facility during its first “Green” month.  “The lights don’t need to be on,” Nocco continued, “our servers, environmental systems, UPS, and network are all monitored 24*7*365.  As a result, we would be immediately alerted to any abnormal issues.”

Healthcare DPS has also taken advantage of implementing electronic fax technology and modern electronic signature technology. “From an efficiency standpoint, e-signature allows contracts between our partners and clients to be executed within minutes.  From an environmental aspect, we eliminate the need for paper used in printing, duplicating, and faxing both original and unsigned documents, eliminate the need for paper used in file folders, courier envelopes, and banker/filing boxes as well as reduce the fuel used by couriers and shippers,” said Nocco.

The success of these “Green” initiatives leads the way towards more eco-friendly business practices in the future.

Uncategorized eco-friendly, going green, green initiative, Healthcare DPS

Often court discovery timelines are short and healthcare professionals must provide necessary information to a legal team quickly. Professionals must effectively manage litigation and regulatory scrutiny by providing lawyers with what electronically stored information (ESI) exists, where it is stored, and its level of accessibility. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Amendment details the duty to preserve and produce electronically stored information (ESI) for litigation or pending litigation. E-discovery describes the retrieval of ESI in response to legal proceeding.

Responding to a legal discovery request requires a message archive system that is indexed, available, and searchable. An efficient email archiving and e-discovery solution serves as an insurance policy against the consequences of the inability to locate a message in response to a legal request.

Healthcare DPS offers a fast and accurate e-discovery response. The hosted email archiving solution enables healthcare providers to overcome the challenges of ensuring the security, privacy, and availability of protected health information through an affordable and simplified solution. Rather than dealing with the burden of email compliance and storage management, healthcare providers can focus on the quality of patient care. For details regarding E-Discovery, please visit: www.healthcaredps.com/email-compliance.html

Healthcare DPS e-discovery, email archive, Healthcare DPS, legal discovery, message archive, protected health information

The HIPAA Security Rule mandates that every covered entity is required to follow the Contingency Plan Standard must determine its risk in the event of an emergency that would result in a loss of operations. Those who have not taken steps to meet the Safeguards, Standards, and Implementation Specifications outlined in HIPAA are vulnerable to potential civil and criminal penalties.

The Contingency Plan Standard is one security rule required by HIPAA. Under this standard, all covered entities must establish and implement policies and procedures for responding to emergencies or other occurrences which could damage systems containing electronic protected health information (EPHI). Understanding the detailed rules and regulations of contingency planning can be overwhelming. For example, there are some specifications which are required and others which are recommended. Misinterpreting the information can lead to non-compliance and ultimately can take money out of your pocket.

Subsequent to disseminating the information and understanding the requirements, another daunting task approaches. The next step is to establish and implement a plan to satisfy the requirements. Contingency plans could range from simple manual processes to highly complex automated procedures. As each business is unique, a contingency plan must be specific to the nature and configuration of a practice.

Healthcare DPS removes the complexity of contingency planning and provides a blueprint for responding to emergencies. By addressing all the components required and suggested by HIPAA through a review and analysis of each organization, Healthcare DPS devises customized plans that define procedures tailored specifically to your practice, whether it is small or large.

For more information regarding Simplified Contingency Plans or the difference between required & recommended implementation specifications, visit Contingency Planning http://www.healthcaredps.com/contingency-planning.html

Healthcare DPS Contingency Planning, data backup, EPHI, Healthcare DPS, HIPAA, hipaa compliance, hipaa safeguards, implementation specifications, Security Rule

With the passage of Obama’s stimulus package, physicians gain additional incentive in the form of US government funding. The funding is designed to accelerate Electronic Health Record (EHR) use, ultimately increasing the quality of patient care by reducing cost, enhancing revenue, and optimizing efficiency. In order to begin receiving the incentive payment being offered by the government, healthcare professionals must implement a certified electronic health record system. One particularly enticing incentive in the stimulus package is the 2% Medicare reimbursement which is available to all providers who use an e-Prescription software such as E-Prescribe.

Healthcare DPS offers a CCHIT Certified® EHR solution that includes e-Prescription thus allowing its clients to take advantage of the 2% Medicare reimbursement. Aside from the cost savings, the benefits of using e-Prescription include: creating prescriptions quickly and easily, improving patient safety, reducing adverse drug interactions and ensuring correct dosages.

In addition to e-Prescription, the Healthcare DPS EHR solution includes many other features including: Document Management, Drug Interaction Alerts, e-Labs, e-Radiology, Encounter Notes & Template Creation, Patient Charts, Disease Management, Care Plans, Continuing Care Documents, Patient Portals & Handouts, and Remote Access.              

All of these great features are incorporated into a user-friendly system that has the functionality and flexibility to suite the way your practice works best; the application adapts to your current workflow and integrates into existing practice management and billing software. The easy-to-use features increase efficiency allowing workers to focus on more personalized patient care rather than tedious paperwork.

The Healthcare DPS EHR system meets your practice’s expectations of being an affordable and simple transition to paperless records, ultimately saving time and money, and providing enhanced patient care. For details regarding Electronic Health Records, please visit: http://www.healthcaredps.com/practice-management-and-ehr.html

Healthcare DPS certified EHR, e-Prescribe, EHR, EHR implementation, electronic medical records, Healthcare DPS, medicare, stimulus package

Healthcare DPS tailors comprehensive Health IT solutions that empower providers to improve profitability and to increase their clients’ quality of care, serving group practices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Healthcare DPS solutions reduce cost, enhance revenue, and optimize efficiency, resulting in improved quality of life for both providers and their patients.

The complete list of Healthcare DPS products includes: Electronic Health Records (EHR), Practice Management, Medical Billing, E-mail Archiving and E-Discovery, Medical Image Archiving, HIPAA Compliance Documentation, Communications Services which include phone, internet, and television services, as well as technology support and services such as Data Backup, Network Monitoring, Consulting, and Storage. For detailed information, please visit www.healthcaredps.com

Healthcare DPS is a division of Data Storage Corporation (OTC BB: DTST); a disaster recovery and business continuity solutions firm founded in 2001. Additional information about Data Storage Corporation is available on its website: www.dscorp.net

Healthcare DPS Archiving, Business Continuity Planning, Data Storage Corporation, Disaster Recovery Planning, Healthcare Data Protection Services, Healthcare DPS