By David Bucciferro (Foothold Technology-Radicle Health), Outgoing Chair, EHR Association
Reflecting on 2023, the year was dominated primarily by five issues of importance to the EHR Association and its 29 member companies, all of which aligned with our overarching focus on collaborative efforts to accelerate health information and technology adoption, advance interoperability, and improve the quality and efficiency of care through the use of EHRs.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on January 4, 2024
https://ehrablog.org/2024/01/04/looking-back-the-5-dominant-issues-of-2023/
The Electronic Health Record (EHR) Association announced the results of its annual Executive Committee elections for terms beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The EHR Association is a trade association of 30 companies that serve most of the nation’s hospitals and ambulatory care organizations using electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information and technology to deliver high-quality, efficient care to their patients.
David Bucciferro, Senior Advisor at Foothold Technology-Radicle Health, was elected Chair of the Executive Committee, which establishes the Association’s guiding principles and develops and implements strategic plans. William Hayes, MD, Chief Medical Officer at CPSI, was elected Vice Chair.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on January 3, 2023
https://ehrablog.org/2023/01/03/electronic-health-record-association-announces-fy23-leadership-and-priorities/
By Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), EHRA Public Policy Leadership Workgroup Chair
This is part three in a four-part series examining the need for ePA, the barriers presented by the current environment, necessary capabilities and functionality for progress, and the EHR Association’s policy recommendations. Read part two here.
There is a strong use case for electronic prior authorization (ePA), given the frustration providers have with the burdensome current processes, and health IT developers recognize the potential that exists for our technologies to assist with making our clients’ lives easier in this area. However, the road to success with ePA will be rocky if it is not broadly rolled out at a pace and with a legal/regulatory cadence that aligns with the ability of stakeholders to deploy and use solutions that follow consistent standards. Therefore, the EHR Association supports the promulgation of ePA requirements only when undertaken in a way that avoids prior policy mistakes of pushing faster than standards development can keep up.
Rolling out ePrior Authorization will be complex, even moreso than similar efforts at digitization we’ve already accomplished. This complexity stems from the need for change – and adoption of agreed-upon standards – by multiple stakeholders with varying levels of readiness. For example, it is important to work closely with payers to ensure their readiness for the required bidirectional information flow using standards and to ensure functionality can be sufficiently tested. This also helps avoid a scenario in which payers roll out individual requirements to which EHR developers and providers will have to respond, which would be highly inefficient.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on November 16, 2022
https://ehrablog.org/2022/11/16/putting-policy-before-standards-can-create-serious-epa-roadblocks/
By Leigh Burchell (Allscripts), Chair, & Janet Campbell (Epic), Vice Chair,
EHRA Public Policy Leadership Workgroup
The growth in high deductible health plans requiring patients to shoulder more of their healthcare costs and the lack of transparency in healthcare pricing has exacerbated the issue of patients left with surprise medical bills that many cannot afford to pay. The urgent need to address these serious issues is why the EHRA supported the No Surprises Act when it was developed and welcomed the regulations published last year as a foundation upon which it can be implemented.
However, we have several concerns about rulemaking to date as it relates to workability and the unnecessary burden it creates for industry stakeholders. To that end, we reached out proactively to regulatory agencies to provide feedback in four key areas that we believe – based on our member companies’ experiences and our ongoing advocacy for reasonable timelines and requirements – will be informative when it comes to additional regulatory actions expected later this year.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on April 6, 2022
https://ehrablog.org/2022/04/06/no-surprises-act-regulations-raise-concerns/
By the EHR Association
The expanded access to telehealth enabled under the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has been transformational and served to engrain virtual care into the nation’s healthcare landscape – improving access and outcomes. Healthcare providers have risen to the challenge of meeting patients’ expectations for telehealth services by making substantial investments into new technologies that have so far carried them through the pandemic.
However, despite ongoing surges and the emergence of new variants, many of the telehealth flexibilities that have helped dramatically improve patient access to care will expire later this year unless the Biden Administration extends the COVID-19 PHE – which must be renewed every 90 days. Should that happen, the impact to public health programs and private healthcare delivery alike will be significant.
Even if the PHE is extended, the uncertainty generated by its temporary nature is impacting all aspects of healthcare.
Even if the PHE is extended, the uncertainty generated by its temporary nature is impacting all aspects of healthcare. Healthcare organizations must decide if they can risk dedicating finite financial resources to maintaining the technological and clinical infrastructure required to continue offering telehealth programs at the level to which patients are now accustomed, when the possibility exists that Congress may ultimately decide against making the changes allowed under the PHE permanent.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on February 10, 2022
https://ehrablog.org/2022/02/10/the-case-for-telehealth-reform/
By Barbara Hobbs, Chair, EHRA Membership Committee
The EHRA would not be possible without members – backed by their organizations – who are willing to dedicate time, expertise and other resources needed to work toward our mission of accelerated health IT adoption and interoperability, use of data to improve the efficiency of care delivery and advancing patient outcomes through enhanced quality.
As we move on from 2021, we want to take this opportunity to extend a very special thank you to the volunteers who keep EHRA running. In particular, we’d like to congratulate Barbara Hillock of Harris Healthcare, who was named our 2021 Most Active EHRA Individual Member, and Medsphere, the 2021 Most Active EHRA Member Company.
(more…)Posted by EHR Association on February 10, 2022
https://ehrablog.org/2022/02/10/congratulations-thank-you/
