“Remote” Physician Practice Documentation
Management
and
The Changing Landscape of
Healthcare Information Technology
Anthony Volpe, PMP
Jordan Bires, MBA
Alpha Systems – Est. 1975
Who We Are & How Have We Changed?
Who We Are & How Have We Changed?
Who We Are & How Have We Changed?
How Has Technology Changed Our Lives?
Conversations
How Has Technology Changed Our Lives?
Photography
How Has Technology Changed Our Lives?
Healthcare
How Has Technology Changed Our Lives?
Household Chores!
How Has Technology Affected HIM?
• 1928: “American College of Surgeons (ACOS)
seeks to improve the standards of records
being created in clinical settings.”
• 1960’s & 70’s: “The development of
computers encouraged pioneering American
universities to explore the marriage of
computers and medical records.”
How Has Technology Affected HIM?
• 1980’s & 90’s : “Computerized registration, the
introduction of the master patient index (MPI),
and databases of patient information used
across all the departments of a healthcare
organization, was massive successes.”
• 2000’s : “Electronic health records would allow
providers to make better decisions and provide
better care while reducing the incidence of
medical error by improving the accuracy and
clarity of medical records.” (CMS.gov)
http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/blog/health-information-management-history/
Today & Tomorrow
• Health Information Exchange
• Accountable Care Organizations
• External Data Management (Physicians Practices)
• Computer Assisted Coding
• Information Governance
• Data Integrity
• Interoperability
• Etc. Etc. Etc.
Case Study
Yesterday
• HIM Director – new responsibility of 150+ Physicians Practices
• Cerner EMR (implemented May 2013)
• Existing Scan Center at Hospital
• Setup to successfully process IP records
• Not setup to handle additional practice documentation – no form standardization amount practices
• 3 FTEs Approved for Hire (10 Requested)
• With 50% of the Practices Live:
• $8,000 Monthly Overtime ($96,000 Annually)
• Courier Challenges and Cost ($150K+)
• Inconsistency
• 4 Week Turnaround Time
• Physician Concern
• 1 Month Indexing Backlog – scan center staff quickly fell behind
• Needed a Cost Effective, Consistent & Scalable Solution
Solution
• Working together with the client our team developed a
new process that leveraged existing hardware at the
client site
• Modifications were made to our proprietary workflow
software to build a solution that worked for everyone
How it Works
Today
• Cost Savings
• $96,000 Annual Overtime
• $150,000 Transportation
• 3 FTE’s Reallocated ($100,000+)
• Process Improvement
• Consistent and Scalable Model
• 14X Faster Turnaround
• No Backlogs
• Most importantly, the patient records available for the
clinical staff to view with 48 hours vs. weeks
• Employee Satisfaction
• Minimal Practice Involvement
• Physicians Access to Records
One Last Thought
By utilizing existing technology but
developing new processes, we were able
to help the client take a new
responsibility and turn it into an
opportunity.
Sometimes Your River Moves…
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