As cases of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus continue to be identified in more and more locations, clinicians are understandably concerned with the challenge of diagnosing potential cases among their patients presenting with flu-like symptoms. EHR developers have prepared for crises like this, and resources embedded in EHRs can help. (more…)
Posted by EHR Association on March 12, 2020
https://ehrablog.org/2020/03/12/coronavirus-how-ehrs-are-supporting-clinicians/
By the EHR Association’s Clinician Experience Workgroup
Today is World Usability Day. On November 14, events around the globe celebrate how developers can make our world easier for all with technology that works to harness human potential. This year’s World Usability Day theme, “Design for the Future We Want,” is inspired by the United Nation’s (UN’s) 17 Sustainable Development Goals—number three on the list is health and wellness.
EHRA has scheduled its next Usability Summit for January 29, 2020 in Washington DC
Incorporating user-centered design into health IT contributes to better patient care by considering individual users’ preferred style, vocabulary, information visualization, and workflow in software development decisions. The goal is for EHRs to not only be usable, but helpful, such as by integrating clinical decision support, PDMPs, e-Prescribing, and other technology into clinicians’ workflows. (more…)
Posted by EHR Association on November 14, 2019
https://ehrablog.org/2019/11/14/usability-begins-with-the-user/
On June 3, the public comment period on ONC’s NPRM implementing health IT provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act closed. These comment windows offer a unique opportunity to gain a broader perspective on the state of the health IT industry.
Upon our review of the feedback submitted to ONC, an overwhelming trend emerged—nearly 55% of the 2,013 comments were from individual patients commenting in favor of increased price transparency in the healthcare industry. Patients shared stories of the challenges they faced in determining the cost of treatment before receiving care, and dozens expressed the shock and financial hardship they experienced when they received a bill for their care.
In the months since the public comment window closed, we’ve seen this demand for healthcare price transparency gain attention across the industry. President Trump issued an executive order, and the Senate is considering the “Lower Health Care Costs Act,” legislation that aims to improve patient access to price information in the healthcare industry.
Posted by EHR Association on September 12, 2019
https://ehrablog.org/2019/09/12/enabling-improved-price-transparency-in-healthcare/
By David Bucciferro and Katelyn Fontaine
EHRA Opioid Crisis Task Force
Click here to open image in new window.
Volunteers on EHRA’s Opioid Crisis Task Force have made great strides in the past year in our efforts to identify the policy changes and adoption patterns needed to maximize the capacities of health IT to combat the opioid crisis.
From the start, our focus has been, What do providers need from technology to support their efforts in the opioid crisis?
When we began our work in early 2018, we were surprised to find that there was no comprehensive source for the state-specific policies and standards surrounding prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). So, we set out to create our own.
State by state, we collected data, including timeframes for reporting controlled substance prescriptions to PDMPs, what data is collected, which professionals are able to access PDMP information, if and when information can be shared across states, and any limits on retaining PDMP data within an EHR.
Posted by EHR Association on February 20, 2019
https://ehrablog.org/2019/02/20/standardizing-data-collection-to-support-clinicians-in-the-opioid-fight/
By Dan Seltzer and Alan Staples
Co-chairs, Clinician Impact Subgroup, EHRA Opioid Crisis Task Force
![screenshot_2018-12-26 ehra cdc opioid guideline implementation guide for ehrs - ehra-cdc-opioid-guideline-implementation-gu[...]](https://ehrablogdotorg1.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/screenshot_2018-12-26-ehra-cdc-opioid-guideline-implementation-guide-for-ehrs-ehra-cdc-opioid-guideline-implementation-gu....png?w=212&h=272)
The widespread opioid epidemic and its devastating effects flood our news feeds daily. No one is immune, which is why when the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA) asked for volunteers to join a new Opioid Crisis Task Force, we and many others – including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists – stepped forward to share our experiences and expertise. For the past year, we have been conducting research and providing recommendations on new ways EHR technology can contribute solutions to help solve the complex puzzle of the opioid crisis.
Our most recent contribution is the CDC Opioid Guideline – Implementation Guide for Electronic Health Records.
Initial research and conversations with providers focused on the question, What do providers need from technology to support their efforts in the opioid crisis? The input we received led us to develop a guide to assist healthcare organizations implement clinical practice guidelines within the EHR to improve opioid stewardship in clinical practice. (more…)
Posted by EHR Association on January 9, 2019
https://ehrablog.org/2019/01/09/how-ehr-technology-can-support-best-practices-for-opioid-prescribing/
By Sasha TerMaat
Co-Chair, EHRA Executive Committee
The final 2019 IPPS rule included changes to the Promoting Interoperability/ Meaningful Use program beginning January 1, 2019. Disappointingly, with only six weeks between the close of the public comment period for the proposed rule in late June and the publication of the final rule in early August, CMS’ rushed process and failure to fully consider stakeholder comments (including EHRA’s) led to a rule filled with measures that will be unworkable, inefficient, and onerous.
In a previous blog we delved into PDMP query as just one of the measures where EHR developers anticipate challenges. In that case it’s due to differing levels of PDMP integration with CEHRT and inconsistent references within the rule about whether the query needs to be made via CEHRT, along with other areas in which the measure is ambiguous.
In this blog post, let’s look at the reasons we’re concerned about a different measure, this one related to opioid treatment agreements.
Posted by EHR Association on October 16, 2018
https://ehrablog.org/2018/10/16/ipps-ambiguous-measures-wont-reduce-burden/
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