admin on August 31st, 2010
Key step in national initiative toward adoption of electronic health records
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), Chicago, Ill. and the Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), Austin, Texas, were named today by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) as the first technology review bodies that have been authorized to test and certify electronic health record (EHR) systems for compliance with the standards and certification criteria that were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year.
Announcement of these ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs) means that EHR vendors can now begin to have their products certified as meeting criteria to support meaningful use, a key step in the national initiative to encourage adoption and effective use of EHRs by America’s health care providers.
“Less than two months following the issuance of final meaningful use rules, we have approved our initial ONC-ATCB certifiers. EHR vendors can begin immediately to get their products certified.” said David Blumenthal, M.D., national coordinator for Health Information Technology. This is a crucial step because it ensures that certified EHR products will be available to support the achievement of the required meaningful use objectives, that these products will be aligned with one another on key standards, and that doctors and hospitals can invest with confidence in these certified systems.”
Applications for additional ONC-ATCBs are also under review.
Certification of EHRs is part of a broad initiative undertaken by Congress and President Obama under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. HITECH created new incentive payment programs to help health providers as they transition from paper-based medical records to EHRs. Incentive payments totaling as much as $27 billion may be made under the program. Individual physicians and other eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 through Medicare and almost $64,000 through Medicaid. Hospitals can receive millions.
To qualify for the incentive payments, providers must not only adopt, but also demonstrate meaningful use of, certified EHR systems. The law envisions that defined meaningful use requirements will help ensure that the patient and provider benefits of EHRs are realized. Initial meaningful use criteria were defined in a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 28.
In addition to the CMS rule, ONC also issued standards and certification criteria for EHRs on July 28, aimed at ensuring that EHR systems will support the specific tasks required under meaningful use. Also, through regulations issued on June 24, ONC created a system by which technology review organizations could also qualify as ONC- ATCBs that will certify EHR products as meeting the requirements necessary for meaningful use.
With the initial two ONC-ATCBs now named, EHR vendors can apply to them for certification of their products. By purchasing certified products, providers will have assurance that the products will support achievement of the meaningful use objectives.
“Multiple steps are underway to carry out the intent of Congress in supporting rapid and effective adoption of EHRs throughout our health care system,” Dr. Blumenthal said. “The naming of initial ONC-ATCBs is one important step. Actual certification of multiple vendors’ systems by the ONC-ATCBs is an important next step. CMS is also working to create an online system for providers to register and attest for the EHR incentive programs. The first incentive payments are targeted to be made in May 2011. Meanwhile, ONC is also carrying out new programs of technical assistance and training, especially for smaller hospitals and physician practices.”
Dr. Blumenthal said the Health IT initiative “is on an aggressive schedule to meet the urgent targets set by Congress and the President toward realizing the quality and safety improvements that we can achieve through health information technology.”
To learn more about the ONC-ATCBs named today visit www.cchit.org and www.drummondgroup.com.
For more information about the ONC certification programs visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/certification.
For more information about other HHS Recovery Act Health Information Technology funding and programs, visit http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/index.html#Health.
This news is published on : http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/20100830d.html
admin on August 26th, 2010
Providing innovative solutions for EHR adoption that facilitate accurate and timely capture of health information continues to be a key message for the Medical Transcription Industry Association, whose members recently voted to change its name to Clinical Documentation Industry Association (CDIA) in an effort to reflect not only the expanded scope of services its members provide to the healthcare industry, but also a more appropriate focus on the health record and its critical role in clinical decision-making and continuity of care. CDIA (formerly MTIA) is the world’s largest association representing the needs of medical transcription and speech recognition companies, vendors, and health information management professionals since 1989.
“We are thrilled that our members recognized the need to rename the association at a time when it is critical that the organization truly reflect our marketplace realities,” CDIA Board Chair, Eileen Dwyer said. “Our new name acknowledges the expanded focus we will have on providing advocacy, education, and outreach on behalf of business owners dedicated to providing quality outsourced health information management services to the healthcare delivery system.”
Under its new name, the association will continue to promote the value of clinical narrative in capturing information-rich health stories that can be tagged and repurposed to meet criteria for use and distribution in the EHR. Over the remainder of 2010, the association will be transitioning to meet branding and administrative requirements that reflect the association’s new name and expanded presence in the healthcare marketplace.
Source : http://emrdailynews.com/2010/08/18/medical-transcription-industry-association-to-change-name-to-clinical-documentation-industry-association/
admin on August 17th, 2010
Medical Transcription (MT), business services to healthcare in developed countries like the United States and United Kingdom, where the precious documents daily collection of patient data is difficult, with significant increase in the number of patients. The outsourcing of these services to offshore locations like India helps companies care for a huge savings of time and money. The process is also of great utility for individual physicians and doctors, their own clinicaland health care centers.
Require hospitals and private medical records of patients who have carefully transcribed, including the method of treatment and, in time to allow for proper operation. These records are also important for patients who have completed their insurance claims processed more quickly. For physicians and doctors, maintaining their structures of transcription at home is proving to be an expensive option, since large investments for the purchase of copying must be doneEquipment and staff training.
As Asian countries like India and the Philippines, a number of graduates who are fluent in written and oral American English, have medical transcription jobs in these countries, broad-based will be assigned. The 24 hours time difference is also an advantage for healthcare organizations that entrust their jobs to these countries.
The quality of medical transcription services provided is also much higher in these outsourcing companies. MostOffshore medical transcription companies to offer intensive training for their employees using the in-house doctors and specialists in language. Accuracy in medical records is a top priority, these companies care. In order to ensure a high degree of accuracy, most companies have experienced reviewers and editors who can double the processed data set used by mistake. The combined efforts of the entire team to keep a record of almost 99% are correct, such as health –Industry.
Most medical transcription companies offer their services for the long term and short-term needs of the health sector. These companies have the necessary guarantees for the personnel and facilities, so that customer records can be processed in time.
Thus, without the investment required and do not provide future services for the modernization, these jobs outsourced medical transcription to ensure benefits for health professionals. The most important of all benefitsthat focus more on personal care and worry less to maintain patient data.
Source : http://cliniccenter.myblogtrade.com/2010/02/09/medical-transcription-for-doctors-and-medical/
admin on August 9th, 2010
The Medical Transcription industry has been evolving for years and is today a respectable profession that pays well and professional medical transcriptionists (MT) get all the required support from various medical transcription industry organizations. With the rapid growth expected for the entire health care sector there has been a spurt in the growth of transcription companies at all levels world wide. In the US on March 7, 2006, the Medical transcription occupation became eligible for the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship.
The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) was formerly known by the name of the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) and was established in the year 1978. It was formed to obtain recognition and contribute towards patient safety and more accurate medical records. The AHDI is an organization that the MTs join for validation and protection. The association also offers many resources that are of use to those in the MT industry and it takes pride in following the latest and modern trends. What are the types of services offered by AHDI? Well the primary services are concerned with,
Giving of advice
Networking
Job opportunities
Today, advances in digital technology has made it possible for many medical transcriptionists to work more efficiently and comfortably even from the privacy of their homes.
One other organization that promotes the MT industry is the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA). MTIA is a non-profit trade association that represents the companies, vendors, and health professionals. Working alongside AHDI, the association has greatly helped to improve the medical transcription industry and maintain health records world wide. MTIA services include,
Access to thousands of vendor suppliers through a transcription service finder
Sponsors events and conferences annually
Networking through its website.
Provides cutting edge technology know-how to MTs .
Source : http://maryanngarth.easyworldwidemall.com/2010/05/29/the-medical-transcription-industry-organizations/
