Hospitals have had to make substantial changes in regards to information technology (IT) practices over the past decade, which called for a significant degree of technical knowledge. The transition to electronic health records required choosing the correct program, getting it installed and up and running, inputting all patient information, and learning how to use it. Electronic billing is now the standard for Medicare and most insurance companies as well, so hospitals and other healthcare providers had to learn how to use new billing programs as well as electronic health records programs.
All this time spent dealing with new technical healthcare requirements can take away from your patient care—and the technological improvements just keep on coming. Wonderful as these advancements are, your staff should be devoted to using the health IT initiatives that keep the hospital running smoothly versus spending their entire time trying to understand new requirements and select and install new systems.
Fortunately, with HealthTECH Resources, you do not have to deal with any of these issues. Our consultants can provide assistance with electronic records, ICD-10 transitions, and much more. Get back to focusing on everyday hospital operations and let us get new requirements and systems off the ground. Give us a call today at (602) 903-7961 to learn more about the experienced EHR consultants in our network or contact us online.
Future is Here With FHIR
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is becoming a game changer in healthcare IT. This is the emerging standard for the electronic exchange of healthcare data and, as of April 2021, 24 percent of healthcare organizations are already leveraging its power. By 2023, 67 percent of providers and 61 percent of payers expect to be using at-scale FHIR APIs.
The benefits are significant. So, as FHIR technologies become more advanced and as your organization incorporates them into your systems, you can benefit from:
- Enhanced interoperability
- Faster access to real-time data
- Seamless ability to report quality measures
- Rapid implementation of interfaces
- Free usage with no restrictions
- Global community of support
FHIR is already adopted by Apple, Google, and Microsoft as well as leading EHR vendors, including Epic and Cerner. As the pace of adoption accelerates, increasing numbers of healthcare organizations will need to have knowledgeable EHR consultants working alongside their in-house IT teams.
Benefitting from Blockchain Technologies
In “Blockchain for Healthcare,” an October 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the government notes how blockchain usage in EHR has significant benefits.
HHS references John Hopkins University research from 2016 where medical errors served as the third largest cause of death in the United States. These included situations where errors of omission existed in patient medical records. They recognized the challenge: more comprehensive access to patient records was needed across medical providers—but in safe and secure ways. (Here’s information about finding the right EHR access-security balance.)
Blockchain technology comes to the rescue: by incorporating blockchain-based systems into EHR applications, medical personnel can benefit from a single view of patient records without those records needing to actually go on the blockchain. Managed through the use of hashes, your healthcare organization can have direct access to services already validated by medical insurers, ones confirmed by patients without a third-party intermediary required.
HealthTECH Resources has experienced EMR consultants in our deep and wide network who can help your healthcare organization.
Sophisticated Data Analytics
As modern EHR systems gain the capacity to contain and manage increasing amounts of data, it’s even more important to have powerful data analytics capabilities.
To maximize the quality of your data analytics, it’s crucial to have clean, quality data in your EHR system. Otherwise, analysis and decision making is being made on faulty or substandard information, and results are likely to be less than satisfactory. EMR consultants in our network can optimally handle data migration projects, de-duping and categorizing data before deciding what to clean and migrate, what to archive, and so forth.
Our network of EHR consultants who implement, integrate, and optimize systems will focus on creating intuitive workflows, ones that clearly delineate what data should be entered in what line on what screen. This preserves data quality with the end result being a more foolproof system that protects against medical errors.
Leverage Artificial Intelligence
Much of what is written about artificial intelligence (AI) focuses on machine learning and a particular subset of that—deep learning—and for good reason. Those are powerful technologies, allowing systems to incorporate increasingly more sophisticated and larger numbers of rules for clinical decision-making.
Plenty of other types of AI are already making a big difference today, including natural language processing. This allows researchers to create clinical documentation and then classify the information. Natural language processing also allows experts to analyze unstructured patient notes, transcribe interactions, and much more.
In EHR systems and smart devices, AI technology collects information to craft individualized treatments and provide targeted choices. As patients are presented with real-life data, it becomes easier to gain their buy-in, which can help with tailored patient care and better outcomes.
AI will continue to play a growing role in streamlining clinical documentation, revenue management, claims processing, and more.
A Note About Interoperability and Legacy Systems
First, unlike other EMR consulting companies, HealthTECH Resources supports legacy systems. We recognize that healthcare organizations can have good reasons for not updating at this time.
Second, as HealthTech Magazine notes, vendors have promised interoperability for years, so it’s natural to think that it’s still a ways off. The reality, though, is as follows: “The rise in consumer acceptance of technology has shifted the playing field, and interoperability of electronic medical records is finally getting serious traction in the otherwise fragmented U.S. healthcare environment.”
With all of these exciting developments finally on the horizon, it’s time to re-evaluate legacy systems—hardware and software—to consider whether they can leverage the power of FHIR. Take a look at what’s possible and compare that to what your systems can handle. Is the gap acceptable?
Or, do you recognize that an update is needed, but you don’t have the in-house team with the necessary skill sets? If so, that’s not unusual—and we can help.
Contact HealthTECH Resources for Your EHR Consultants
Our highly experienced, forward-thinking, boutique-style agency can provide you with the EMR consultants you need to take your healthcare IT technology to the next level. We have deep industry connections and can seamlessly augment your staff with experts available as consultants, contract to hire professionals, and permanent placements. We recognize the need for speed, as well as matching you with the best professionals for your needs and often having them on site within 48 hours. We’re the fastest, most knowledgeable, and reliable healthcare IT/EMR/EMR consultant agency in the industry today.
If you know what kinds of expertise you need, you can let us know by calling (602) 903-7961 or contacting us online. If you need help with analyzing staff supplementation needs, we can help by analyzing your current IT team along with their bandwidth and specialties. As we identify gaps, we can then fill them in for optimal results. Contact us today to get started!
PRESIDENT/CEO AT HEALTHTECH RESOURCES
Larry has specialized in building strategic healthcare relationships for over 25 years, helping the nation’s top payors and providers solve some of their most pressing business challenges through an intelligent mix of staffing services, training, and consulting.