News 12/13/12

ONC advises Eligible Professionals (EPs) participating in the Medicare or Medicare 2012 MU programs that  that they must have completed their 90- or 365-day reporting period by December 31 to receive an incentive payment. Medicare EPs must complete attestation for the 2012 program year by February 28, 2013, but have the option to attest as soon as their reporting period is complete.

Also from ONC: analysts massage CDC’s recently reported EHR adoption numbers and conclude that more office-based physicians are using EHRs that have higher-level functionality to meet MU objectives. ONC notes that e-prescribing rates have more than doubled since 2009 and that two-thirds of physicians now use computerized tools such as electronic medication lists and drug interaction checks. The bottom line: MU is spurring EHR adoption.

ABQ Health Partners, New Mexico’s largest independent physician group, notifies an unspecified number of patients of a potential data breach following the loss or theft of a doctor’s laptop.

A Health Affairs-published study finds that ER usage is significantly lower for patients who have access to after-hours services with their primary care provider. They also have a lower rate of unmet medical needs.

The Orange County Register names Kareo a “Top Workplace in Orange County.”

Researchers find that overweight and obese adults may lose more weight when using a smartphone to track diet and exercise. Patients using a mobile device to record exercise and food intake, along with occasional phone coaching, lost an average of eight pounds more than those not using mobile devices to track behavior.

University of Utah Health Care offers online access to its database of 40,000 patient satisfaction surveys, including comments about its 1,200 physicians.

CMS asks physicians to provide feedback about the collection and use of patient experience measurements for Physician Compare, the consumer website that tracks and reports physician performance data.

 

HHS launches an educational initiative that includes online tools to help providers protect patient health information on laptops and mobile devices. Resources include videos, FAQs, and downloadable materials on everything from device encryption, stolen devices, and EHR access on mobile devices.

I haven’t mentioned this in a while, but we always welcome Readers Write contributions. The general guidelines: articles of up to 500 words in length, subject to editing for clarity and brevity. We only run original articles that have not appeared elsewhere and we can’t use anything that looks like a commercial pitch. For HIStalk Practice, we would be especially welcoming of contributions of interest to those in the ambulatory practice world. Everyone has an opinion or two on the HIT world that they are dying to express and we would be happy to provide you the perfect forum to share your musings.

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