Recently Dr. David Blumenthal (National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) wrote a blog titled “CLIA Permits Electronic Exchange of Lab Data”. In his blog Dr. Blumenthal talks about the need for clear recognition of patient privacy and security in transferring and sharing laboratory test results.

In the last year, there has been no clear statement from Dr. Blumenthal regarding one standard or one governing body that assures these standards will be met. As a laboratory software maker, I see that many physicians have EMRs, but still do not have all their laboratory results electronically transferred into their EMR. The reason for not authorizing all EMR users to have a direct interface with their laboratory is economics. Most laboratories get charged by the EMR company to create an HL-7 interface with the EMR. Some of those interfaces can range from free to all the way up to $25,000 per interface, which is the case for Misys Tiger EMR now known as Allscripts.

The issue of interface cost needs to be resolved in order to have an abundant adoption of EMRs with laboratory interfaces. The current standards for laboratory interfaces are HL7. I believe that this format will continue as Dr. Blumenthal addressed in his blog. However, connectivity solutions like CONNECT Open Source could possibly be the means for health information exchange, both locally and at the national level. Two of Azalea Health Innovations’ programmers are participating this month in the first Code-A-Thon of 2010. I believe the CONNECT project is going to gain momentum and eventually be the method for connecting a regional network of health information exchanges to the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).

IN THIS ISSUE

* Welcome
* Billing Tip: PECOS deadline delayed until 2011
* E-Rx latest rules and regs
* Meaningful Use Update
* Upcoming Events

———-
Welcome

Greetings to all of our Azalea Health Innovations friends and thank you for reading our newsletter. We wish all of our readers happy and wonderful Spring!!

———-
E-Rx latest rules and regs

On Wednesday March 24th, the Office of the Federal Register made the DEA’s Interim Final Rule on electronic prescribing of controlled substances available for public inspection.
The Interim Final Rule specifies the rules that healthcare providers will need to follow in order to electronically prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the law. For more information click on the following link.
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/controlled_substances_e-prescribing_rule_dea-39995-1.html
———

Billing Tip: PECOS deadline delayed until 2011

Many medical practices are scrambling to understand and update their PECOS enrollment with Medicare. According to CMS, implementation of the requirement that all ordering/referring DMEPOS Medicare Part B providers be enrolled in the Provider Enrollment Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) has been pushed back until January 3, 2011. As of this new date, Medicare will reject DMEPOS claims if the ordering/referring provider is not actively enrolled in the PECOS system. The official wording on the CMS website can be found here:
Medicare Ordering and Referring.

Want to know if you or your provider is already enrolled in PECOS? Chances are if you or your provider enrolled with Medicare or updated Medicare info in the last 5 years then they are enrolled in PECOS. Medicare has a complete list of individual providers who are already enrolled with PECOS. Click here to view the current list.

This information was also listed on page 2 in the last quartely CMS newsletter: http://www.al-medicare.com/part_b/education_and_outreach/2010_winter_pulse.pdf

———-
Meaningful Use Update

Now that the public comment period has closed for the proposed rules on meaningful use of health IT, the policymakers at CMS are getting down to the work of reviewing the more than 2,000 comments that poured in over the past two months. It won’t be an easy task. CMS must make sure the process is compatible with parallel rules from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on standards and certification of EMRs, plus a recently published ONC proposal that spells out a new certification process.
Read more: http://www.fiercehealthit.com/story/cms-works-align-meaningful-use-related-standards/2010-03-22#ixzz0jbqx3tC1

———-
PC Spring Cleaning Tip

Now is a good time to clean out all of the dust from your PC case. Turn off the PC, unplug the power cable, and open up the case. If you have a small vacuum cleaner with a hose use it to suck up the any large clumps of dust, and then use a can of compressed air to blow any remaining dust from inside the PC case. If you don’t have a vacuum you can still use the can, but it will be messier and you may want to do this outside. As part of your spring cleaning make sure the PC case has plenty of ventilation around. The back of the case should have a good 4 inches of free space and make sure any ventilation slots on the case are not covered or blocked. Most PC cases have a side panel that will slide off by removing a couple of screws on back up the PC, or it may even a have a small lever to slide and open the case. Some of the older Dell cases actually have a button on the top and bottom that will release catch and the case slide open.

———-
Upcoming Events

AHI will be exhibiting and the following conferences in 2010. At each conference we will be having a drawing for a free iPod Touch. If you will be in the area, please stop by our booth and say hi!

-CLMA (Clinical Laboratory Management Association) ThinkLab 2010 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 4-5, 2010.

-MGMA (Medical Group Management Association) 2010 Conference. This event is being held at the Ernest N. Memorial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA, on October 24th-27th, 2010

Azalea Health Innovations will be participating in the CONNECT Code-A-Thon April 28-29, 2010 in Miami, FL. Developers from all around the country will join together to contribute to the CONNECT open source project. The event will be held from 9am -5 pm at Florida International University. http://www.connectopensource.org/about/events/code-a-thon-april-2010

———-
Thank you!

Azalea Health Innovations, Inc.
100 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA 31601
Toll Free: 877-777-7686
Local: 229-269-4620
Toll Free Fax: 866-683-8679
Web: http://www.AzaleaHealth.com
Email: info@azaleahealth.com