Jul 11, 2014 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
The majority of the nation’s hospitals and physicians now use electronic health records and most of these EHR users are already exchanging clinical data with regional HIEs
Pathologists tracking the adoption of EHR systems by hospitals and physicians will be interested to learn that, according to the federal government, more than 80% of hospitals and 50% of physicians now use these products. It is also reported that growing numbers of providers are exchanging data with health information exchanges.
Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups have a big stake in these developments. Medical laboratory test data is an essential component to every patient’s permanent health record, which is why it is important for every lab to have interfaces with the HIEs serving their communities and regions.
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Jun 20, 2014 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
One problem for physicians is that many EHR products that earned Meaningful Use Stage 1 certification have not gained Stage 2 certification
Growing numbers of physicians are deciding that continuing in the federal government’s electronic health records (EHRs) incentive program is not a winning proposition. This is not an auspicious development for the nation’s clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups.
After all, every medical laboratory in the United States is spending time and money to interface their laboratory information systems with physician clients’ EHR systems to enable electronic lab test ordering and reporting. Thus, if substantial numbers of physicians decide to opt out the federal EHR incentive program, this will create a variety of problems for clinical laboratories providing lab-testing services to these physicians. (more…)
Apr 11, 2014 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Uncategorized
Although most clinical laboratories and pathology groups do not use EHR systems, the OIG’s finding should alert them to possible problems with audit integrity of their clients’ EHRs
Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems were supposed to prevent fraud, but a recent report from one federal agency states that the fraud safeguards built into EHR systems are not in engaged by a majority of users.
Pathologists and clinical laboratory managers with the responsibility to maintain security of software systems used in their medical laboratories may be interested to read “Not All Recommended Fraud Safeguards Have Been Implemented in Hospital EHR Technology,” a report issued by the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). (more…)
Dec 20, 2013 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Management & Operations
Pathologists and medical laboratory managers have only nine months to prepare their labs for ICD-10 implementation
Most clinical laboratory managers and pathologists know that October 1, 2014, is the date for implementation of ICD-10. After that date, each Medicare claim submitted by a medical laboratory must include the ICD-10 code provided by the referring physician.
This is a unique reason why clinical laboratories and pathology groups have keen interest in a smooth transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Medicare will reject clinical laboratory test claims that either don’t have an ICD-10 code or have an incorrect ICD-10 code. Thus, labs hope that their client physicians make a smooth transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. (more…)
Jul 29, 2013 | Digital Pathology, Instruments & Equipment, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, Managed Care Contracts & Payer Reimbursement, Management & Operations, News From Dark Daily
To solve this problem, clinical laboratories can contract with best in class vendors that will put screens on orders and results that filter out inconsistencies
In recent weeks the Department of Health and Human Services announced that more than 50% of doctors and 80% of eligible hospitals would be using electronic health record (EHR) systems by the end of 2013. Although federal officials are celebrating this accomplishment, for the clinical laboratory testing industry, EHR adoption, at best, has been problematic and, at worst, is a financial burden.
Despite increased connectivity, clinical laboratories have had create interfaces between their laboratory information systems (LISs) and the EHRs of their client physicians and hospitals. The federal officials who designed the financial incentives foster meaningful use among all clinicians for EHR adoption, but have not reimbursed labs for the substantial time and expense needed to establish these interfaces. (more…)
