{"id":4205,"date":"2012-12-26T18:00:30","date_gmt":"2012-12-26T23:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poweryourpractice.com\/?p=4205"},"modified":"2012-12-26T18:00:30","modified_gmt":"2012-12-26T23:00:30","slug":"power-your-practice-52-most-important-health-it-facts-2012-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/power-your-practice-52-most-important-health-it-facts-2012-2\/","title":{"rendered":"52 Things Healthcare Learned in 2012 \u2013 Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knowledge doesn\u2019t go to waste by default; it only evolves. Seeing as it\u2019s still the holiday season, we present you with the gift that keeps on giving.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hence, we present to you the second installment of our 52 Things Healthcare Learned in 2012 series, including nuggets about some of the most trying topics in practice management and health IT. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

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Achieving Meaningful Use Isn\u2019t a One-Step Process
\n<\/strong>Although an important one, EHRs are just one step in the Meaningful Use process<\/a>. Even Meaningful Use-certified EHRs aren\u2019t a shortcut to government incentives. Areas like billing, imaging and administrative scheduling still need to be addressed.<\/p>\n

Data is Your Friend
\n<\/strong>Data is one of the most powerful tools available to your practice. It\u2019s important to select a reporting and analytics solution<\/a> that is part of a comprehensive practice management system. Doing so will make it easier to utilize important data that will create strategies to improve efficiency, increase profitability and enhance the patient experience.<\/p>\n

The ICD-10 Delay Brings Both Good and Bad
\n<\/strong>The ICD-10 delay can have both positive and negative effects on your practice. On the up side<\/a>, the delay allows your practice to build a cash buffer and adapt ICD-10 in tandem with other initiatives. Conversely<\/a>, it will delay the realization of benefits from ICD-10.<\/p>\n

Nontraditional Payment Models
\n<\/strong>As primary care physicians struggle with inadequate Medicare reimbursement rates, frequent payer underpayments and ignored patient co-pays, some are taking nontraditional approaches<\/a> to payment.<\/p>\n

Three models that may help your practice collect a higher percentage of payments include a direct pay system, concierge programs or alternative currency bartering systems.<\/p>\n

CCDs Matter to EHRs
\n<\/strong>Continuity of Care Documents, or CCDs, are a way EHRs will exchange data<\/a> per the Meaningful Use requirements. The type of EHR you adopt is important in this case because it determines how you organize the data in your CCD.<\/p>\n

Why ePrescribe?
\n<\/strong>ePrescribing<\/a> is the practice of electronically generating prescriptions and using special software to share that information with participating pharmacies.<\/p>\n

Advantages include enhanced patient safety and quality of care, reduced phone calls and pharmacy callbacks, increased patient convenience and simplified refill requests and authorization procedures.<\/p>\n

Life is Easier in the Cloud
\n<\/strong>Even with benefits such as a robust configuration of advanced IT technologies, less than one-third of healthcare organizations are turning to the cloud to meet their needs. With new requirements like ICD-10 changing healthcare operations, turning to the cloud may be more beneficial than ever<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The <\/strong>five E\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> to increasing patients and growing your business:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n