Progress…the idea that when technology advances, so does humanity. Xerox was started, to help this along; to make information easier to share. Only the more progress the world made, the more complicated it became. So Xerox finds ways to make it simple again.
Watch this Xerox Video, “A World Made Simpler…by Xerox” and learn the unexpected capabilities of Xerox.
A survey conducted by Xerox earlier this year suggests that uncertainty about EHRs among consumers remains quite high. While providers are eager to meet deadlines that require them to convert their system to an electronic health record system, consumers seem to be concerned about potential security breaches that could put their information at risk.
Concerns Rooted in Miscommunication
According to the survey, which polled 2,720 people, the primary reason for the public’s hesitation is fear of a security breach. The second reason is fear that the information could become corrupted, damaged, or lost, and third on the list was misuse of information.
Paul Solverson, partner, strategic advisory services at ACS, cites miscommunication as the reason for the negative feedback. “The survey results indicate an urgent need for better patient-provider communication,” he said. “Providers need to start conveying the benefits of electronic records, particularly the security advantages over today’s paper-based system.”
Another indicator that Solverson said may be correct is the fact that only about 18% of adults surveyed have been approached by medical personnel to discuss EHRs. Most of the respondents don’t quite understand how EHRs would impact them or why they would benefit from having them. Only about 28% of participants indicated that they would agree to have digital records.
EHRs and Healthcare — Why They Matter
Providers everywhere can agree that EHRs are a vital component of improving the patient healthcare experience. Paul E. LaCasse, MD, president and CEO of the, Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, Mich., understands the crucial benefits that EHRs could bring to the healthcare industry. “When a patient moves from the Emergency Center to Radiology or Critical Care, for example, their EHRs will be immediately available to the various caregivers, greatly increasing patient safety and quality of care.”
Education and Communication: Keys to Understanding
The keys to alleviating some of the uncertainty about EHRs that consumers seem to have are education and communication from the staff to their consumers. This has to start with educating providers and giving them the tools to, in turn, educate and inform the patient.
Dr. LaCasse believes this is the best course of action, and it is already starting in many hospitals across the country. “We consider communication and training an important part of implementation,” LaCasse said. “It’s essential to allay concerns and demonstrate what a powerful tool EHRs can be in providing quality healthcare.”
For more information on how you as a provider can educate and inform your consumer base about EHRs, share your questions with Xerox Healthcare to have them contact you or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
I am the Epic Training Coordinator for Xerox Healthcare Provider Consulting . Our industry is fast approaching the day when we will have to fulfill the mandates set forth in the National Healthcare Reform bill passed in 2010. The use of Electronic Medical Records / Electronic Health Records is a top priority of that piece of legislation.
A good way for the industry’s consulting workforce to prepare for this change is to gain certification from Epic Systems Corporation, which specializes in helping hospitals and clinics convert paper medical charts to digitized systems, based on specific clinical workflows. This blog addresses the steps to becoming Epic certified.
Part 1 – The Registration
Epic has some requests as well:
Part 2 – Getting Certified
Most classes run 2 to 3 consecutive days per application session. You must be prepared to dedicate some personal time to accomplish certification in a particular application session. For most applications there are two or more sessions of classes. Exams are required for each session along with a project or two, depending on the application.
Part 3 – Taking the Exams
A passing score of 80% is required for all exams. A proctor is required for each exam. You may arrange to take the exam while you are at the Epic campus when you complete the class session. Please make your request to take the exam when you request the classes. This will enable the Training Coordinator to make the arrangements for you. Another option is to ask your client if they have an Epic proctor available within their organization and will allow you to use their proctor. The third option is to contact a learning center (for example Sylvan Learning Center) to request an exam proctor. This option of course will be at an expense.
For a weekly updated list of all Xerox Healthcare’s recruiting efforts visit the complete list of open healthcare consulting positions, and to maintain a pulse on what is going on in Xerox Healthcare, visit the Xerox Healthcare Blog and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Thanks to Laural Hodnett for her contributions to this post.
As a well-respected and experienced researcher/advocate for healthcare information technology, Dr. Heather Haugen is an instrumental part of the success of The Breakaway Group, a Colorado-based healthcare IT consulting firm. Now as the co-author of Beyond Implementation: A Prescription for Lasting EMR Adoption, Dr. Haugen uses her knowledge to offer solutions for lasting and effective EMR implementation, giving healthcare IT consultants the tools necessary to be successful in the industry.
About Dr. Heather Haugen
Without a doubt, Dr. Heather Haugen has spent the majority of her career researching and creating strategies for healthcare providers, enabling them to effectively make use of information technologies and applications.
With over 15 years of experience in both the academic and private sectors, Dr. Haugen has specialized in the design and coordination of research studies, as well as the education and training of healthcare providers. In addition, she has been instrumental in effectively translating and communicating information for academic and industry publications/presentations.
Dr. Heather Haugen received her doctorate in health information technology from the Health Sciences Center at the University of Colorado, where she currently serves as a faculty member and co-director. In this position, Dr. Haugen teaches, mentors students interested in healthcare IT careers, and conducts research.
Research is, in fact, what Dr. Haugen has spent much of her career doing. Some of her experience includes:
Her extensive research experience has earned her publishing accolades in well-respected medical/health publications, including the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, ADVANCE for Health Information Executives, and Healthcare Informatics.
Dr. Heather Haugen is currently the corporate vice president of research for The Breakaway Group. As co-author of Beyond Implementation, Dr. Haugen utilizes her research experience to identify problem areas in today’s EMR implementation, and explores innovative strategies ensuring a successful and long-lasting EMR adoption process. The book is intended for healthcare organizations/clients who struggle with failed and costly healthcare IT solutions; it also addresses strategies that will help organizations successfully use healthcare information technology.
As today’s healthcare executives prepare for the challenges in ICD-10 implementation, they are quickly discovering that medical record coder training and application upgrades are only the tip of the ICD-10 iceberg. In the book Beyond Coding: How ICD-10 Will Transform Clinical Documentation, experts from The Breakaway Group outline effective strategies for tackling the enormous task at hand for CIOs.
Beneath the Surface of ICD-10
Consider what lies beneath the ICD-10 surface. While the technical transformation to nearly ten times as many codes is huge, of equal or even greater importance are the significant behavioral changes in how and where providers document the care they deliver. 
Failure to prepare for highly accurate and complete clinical documentation will cause inaccurate coding, resulting in lack of adequate quality measures and huge losses in reimbursement.
In fact, CMS and AHIMA estimate reimbursement denial rates will increase 100 percent to 200 percent and healthcare providers will see payment declines for nearly 2 years in the wake of ICD-10. Furthermore, ICD-10 will likely impact hospitals’ case mix index by changing the distribution of MS-DRG defined high-cost and high-volume populations.
In light of these challenges, how can providers look beyond basic coder training and leverage solutions that will allow for more seamless coding solutions in healthcare IT?
Looking Past Coding Challenges
Organizations committing to improved clinical documentation and proactive financial preparedness are more likely to achieve timely reimbursement, improved public health surveillance, and improved measures of health services quality.
Beyond Coding guides healthcare providers through the maze of information regarding ICD-10 coding implementation. The understanding of extensive ICD-10 coding research in the new age of healthcare information technology allows the authors—Charles Fred, the CEO of The Breakaway Group, and research experts Dr. Heather Haugen and Louann K. Reilly—to suggest strategies that enable proper and successful application of coding and lead to better quality and more cost-effective healthcare.
One strategy presented in Beyond Coding suggests healthcare administrators should immediately begin establishing baseline metrics for their major service lines. They should focus initial provider education efforts toward the areas that will have the greatest financial impact in October 2013, while keeping in mind the important impact of clinical documentation and its direct impact on the bottom line.
Don’t underestimate what lies beneath the ice; the transition to ICD-10 is an enormous effort that requires a plan that not only addresses coders and applications, but also providers. For more information on creating and sustaining ICD-10 transformation and Beyond Coding: How ICD-10 Will Transform Clinical Documentation, visit www.thebreakawaygroup.com today.
As the healthcare IT community continues its search for cost-effective, innovative solutions to address emerging challenges, it becomes increasingly important to identify and learn from those companies that find those solutions. One such company is Cerner. As we will see in these Cerner case studies, this IT company has incorporated solutions that have proved effective for both clients and employees.
Background
Kansas City-based Cerner is a leading healthcare IT solutions provider with a little over 8000 employees. They provide cost-effective technology tools and processes for single-office and large health systems alike. Two of their programs aimed and succeeded at putting both staff and clients at the zenith of innovation.
Cerner Case Study #1: Video Interaction
Cerner created an interactive social network-based platform for client communications and interaction called uCern. With uCern, Cerner clients and staff alike could share information and experiences, as well as ask questions in a platform that allowed for real-time connectivity using Web 2.0 technologies.
The challenge came in creating an online video application that was both effective and efficient to integrate with the uCern platform. The previous video application did not allow for the interactivity, ease of use or the quality of information that Cerner was hoping for through this forum. Furthermore, videos that were created were getting lost in the system, not being watched or experienced, thus wasting time and space.
The solution came in the form of a partnership with Oolaya who, as an innovative provider of online technology solutions, was able to not only help Cerner with its goals, but it enabled Cerner to evolve its vision for the project by incorporating analytics into the equation. With Ooyala’s help, Cerner created an online video platform that not only allowed clients to create videos and post them on the website, but it created a multi-access video platform that could be accessed through Cerner’s many websites as well as the uCern platform. This resulted in higher levels of interaction and greater use of time and cost to efficiently streamline valuable and relevant information.
As an leader in healthcare IT innovation, one of Cerner’s most important client base, without question, is its employees. At the epicenter of Cerner’s employee healthcare is the Healthe Living Program, an incentive-based reward program that is meant to encourage employees to more forward toward a healthier, more productive self. The idea is to encourage employees to remain healthy and to be more proactive in their health and productive in their lives.
The program’s incentive component gives point rewards to employees for things such as smoking cessation, getting a flu vaccine, going for your annual physical, mammograms, colon cancer screens, etc. The program’s points system, with each point being worth a dollar each, converts rewards into premium deductions for the following year. Additional resources for their program include an on-site clinic and on-site fitness center, a group of Wellness Ambassadors who guide and help participants meet their goals, and a social networking site that allows them to encourage each other and share their experiences with the program.
Although the Healthe Living Program boasts increasing participation by employees every year, the main challenge remains getting more people to join the program and be more proactive in their healthcare. Cerner is achieving this by restructuring and reworking parts of their program so that they can drive more interest. By increasing analytical components to their program, they can determine what parts are more effective than others.
Conclusion
As a leader in healthcare IT solutions, Cerner is an example of effective, efficient healthcare technology at work. These Cerner case studies show the importance of client and staff involvement in the healthcare technology processes as a means to achieve innovation and growth.
As the healthcare IT industry continues to grow and the economic landscape continues to evolve, so does the demand for highly skilled, trained professionals who can effectively bring healthcare providers 
into the loop while minimizing healthcare costs. McKesson certified consultants can help providers attain the revenue cycle management tools necessary to track, analyze and cut costs while reducing risk that results from the rise in healthcare consumerism and debt.
Streamlined Revenue Cycle Solutions
One of the greatest challenges facing healthcare providers today is the increasing need for streamlined solutions that will enable staff to function more efficiently and in a manner which is less costly without compromising care. McKesson certified consultants offer healthcare revenue cycle management solutions that make sense.
Improving workflow process that would enable healthcare providers to verify such important information as insurance eligibility, payment risk and payment approval before a patient is admitted to a hospital.
Providing the tools to empower both patients and personnel alike to make seeking sensible, productive healthcare solutions a priority. McKesson consultants help hospitals put the patient convenience at the forefront by introducing tools that would help patients with insurance eligibility, scheduling, follow-ups, and payments.
Streamlining billing and collection with a thorough system that processes and collects claims, submits invoices and billing, and maintains revenue cycle management records. This prevents errors and reduces nonpayment.
Improving payer performance through web-based monitoring, analysis and tracking solutions to help healthcare providers keep track of their payer performance, contract resolutions and revenue collection and management.
McKesson Certified Consultants
As a McKesson certified consultant, you can give hospitals and other patient facilities the tools they need to facilitate and streamline the complex revenue cycle processes that often interfere with proper patient and healthcare management. To find out more about becoming a McKesson certified consultant with Xerox Healthcare, let us contact you today and follow us on Twitter for more information.
A large-scale Midwestern health system brought in Xerox Healthcare to implement Cerner’s Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) solution quickly throughout their system. Xerox Healthcare provides healthcare IT consultants to hospitals and large patient healthcare providers. Colleagues from Xerox Healthcare’s Cerner Practice, who specialize in Cerner consulting, went to work.
The Challenge
The Xerox Healthcare consultants were challenged to meet a swift deadline for implementing CPOE and other Cerner applications throughout the system. The task included expediting go-live dates due to the expansion of one hospital and the opening of a new Children’s Hospital. To ensure successful completion of the Cerner upgrade, Xerox Healthcare needed to supplement internal staff with experienced staff.
The Solutions
To meet the challenge, Xerox Healthcare established a project manager to lead the implementation quickly. They then supplied management tools and Xerox Healthcare staff to complete the implementation of CPOE and complimentary Cerner applications. The experience provided was crucial to mission success.
The Results
The knowledge, skill and experience provided by Xerox Healthcare allowed the health system to meet their scheduled deadline while remaining under the proposed budget. The solution was launched in one facility in late August followed by two more facilities in September.
An Offer
If you enjoy constantly meeting new challenges while traveling and meeting new people, consider consulting with Xerox Healthcare. Xerox Healthcare needs healthcare IT consultants to partner with them in improving healthcare delivery. Find out if you have the knowledge, skill, and experience to join their team as a Cerner consultant.
Now more than ever, green IT efforts have become part of healthcare IT discussions throughout the industry. New reports by the 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveal that not enough progress has been made to reduce the federal government’s environmental impact through their use of information technology, naming the Department of Health and Human Services as one of the offending agencies. As a result, emphasis has now been placed on streamlining solutions that would greatly reduce energy use and create a significant increase in the environmental-friendly imprint left by the healthcare IT industry.
Federal Requirements and Green IT Performance Goals
Studies done before Congress ordered the GAO to report on green IT efforts among federal offices indicated that federal agencies spend over $440 million in unnecessary printing alone. When looking at non-federal IT efforts such as managed print services, drastic reductions in printing costs and waste were observed.
A Healthcare IT News article dated August 9, 2011, reports that one such company, for instance, implemented managed print services and as a result “reduced the number of printers by 47 percent globally, cut per-page print costs by up to 90 percent, and saved more than $3 million in 2 years in the United States alone.” These early studies resulted in federal executive orders to implement green IT initiatives that would theoretically cut costs, extend the life of equipment and reduce energy costs.
Mixed Results: Sustainability Without Baselines
The good news is that the GAO report, which reviewed the green IT practices of six federal agencies, indicates the agencies are indeed implementing plans of action to adhere to the executive orders. They are also developing sustainability performance plans to help them stay on track. However, without a baseline — that is, without targeted performance goals and a clear plan of action on how to maintain sustainability efforts, successful green IT efforts will be difficult to measure and initiatives that could work will be doomed to fail.
What Could Help Green IT Efforts?
The GAO report highlighted some things that corporations, agencies and nonprofits alike have been doing for some time that coincide with green IT initiatives. Some of them include increasing leadership as well as employee training, allocation of funds specifically for green IT efforts, and the implementation of equipment that is energy-efficient and cost-effective.
Implementing green IT solutions that fall in compliance with government standards is a big step toward green initiatives that are cost-effective, time-efficient and system compliant. To learn more about how Xerox Healthcare can help you go green, let us contact you today. Be sure to take a look at the available Healthcare IT consultant positions and available Healthcare IT consultant resources within Xerox Healthcare and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for frequent updates and more information.
Collections has always been a point of contention in the healthcare industry. Revenue cycle management solutions from Xerox Healthcare can help pin point excessive accounts receivables lost by hospitals each year due to inefficient processes and poor or inadequate IT infrastructure.
A revenue cycle performance evaluation will determine existing opportunities for improvement and provide solutions to improve cash flow and collections.
Xerox Healthcare offers comprehensive solutions applicable to:
If a hospital, health system or physician hires Xerox Healthcare services to implement recommended solutions based on the revenue cycle performance evaluation, then a portion, or all, of the fee is waived.
For more information, watch this video on Revenue Cycle Management Solution.
