As the deadline comes closer, the pressure is increasing to adopt an EHR (if you haven't already done so), and get started on participating in Meaningful Use. And when it comes to EHRs, you'll need a certified system in order to participate in the Meaningful Use Incentive Program.

Maybe you're in the group of eyecare providers that isn't overly concerned with adopting Meaningful Use, so you think, what's the point of investing in a certified EHR software? Well, certified EHR systems are good for more than just helping you attest to Meaningful Use. They are a good investment for all aspects of your practice, and will help improve your processes and patient satisfaction along the way.

4 Things You Can Expect From an EHR Software

Improved Patient Care

With certified EHR systems your patients will have access to their own personal health information online through a patient portal. Patient portals give your patients access to things like scheduling appointments, pre-appointment questionnaires and forms, education materials, lab results, and medical history. This will free up some time for your staff as they will be spending less time on the phone scheduling appointments and answering patient questions. Certified EHRs also reduce the risk of medical errors while increasing the accuracy of diagnosis with the help of clinical decision support. 

The post mentioned an alarming fact about how data breaches may not even be caused by advanced hacking techniques, but avoidable employee blunders. We thought that this was a helpful post no matter the kind of EHR software that you are using, and a lot of the tips that may seem like common knowledge, are not actually practiced.

Best Practices to Prevent Security Breaches in Your EHR Software

We’ve combined some of Power Your Practice’s precautions along with ours. Check them out:

• Provide up-to-date HIPAA training to all your staff.
• Minimize the chances of others overhearing patient information by not using a patient’s whole name within hearing distance of others.

The government is constantly making changes to important deadlines and programs regarding healthcare, Meaningful Use, and ICD-10. It can be hard to keep track of. We want to help you understand and remember all of the important information and dates that could effect your practice and your EHR software. 

 The Scoop on 2 Important Meaningful Use and EHR Software Facts Your Practice Needs to Know

Fact #1: If you don't start Meaningful Use in 2015, you will be hit with payment adjustments.

Payment adjustments begin at the start of 2015, and in order to avoid them at your practice you will need to complete Stage 1 of Meaningful Use attestation this year! So it's time to get started, because 2015 will be here before you know it! If you beging with Meaningful Use this year you're still able to receive $24,000 when you complete all of the stages of the program. If you don't participate, then starting in 2015 your practice will be penalized through lower reimbursements for care provided to Medicare patients. Your practice will be subjected to payment adjustments to your Medicare reimbursements that start at 1% per year, up to a maximum 5% annual adjustment. And, you have to attest for Stage 1 by October 1, 2014 in order to get your full 90 days in this year.  

If you've already attested to Stage 1, then you know that taking advantage of the
Meaningful Use Incentive Program was a positive decision for your practice. You've already had the opportunity to receive payments from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. And, the sooner you transition to Stage 2, the more incentives you will receive!

There are a few deadlines and changes you will need to be aware of when it comes to attesting to Stage 2 of Meaningful Use. So, take a look at this checklist to see what you need to do in order to get on your way with meeting all of the Meaningful Use criteria for ODs in Stage 2.

Your Ultimate Stage 2 Checklist of Meaningful Use Criteria for ODs

1. Figure Out Your Timeline

Just like you lay out your appointments and important events for your personal life on a calendar or white board, it's a good idea to lay out your timeline for adopting the various stages of Meaningful Use. We've even made a nifty chart below just for you. For Stage 1, you got your incentives by attesting after the 90 day reporting period, but don't forget that you have to keep reporting for the following year before you move on to Stage 2. This also means that you cannot attest for multiple stages in the same year. As you can see, the sooner you start, the higher your payment will be, and the more time you'll have with Stage 2. If you don't comply to Meaningful Use by 2015, you will be penalized. So what are you waiting for? Create your plan and get started.

Many of you, like myself, probably filled out a March Madness bracket in hopes of winning your office pool. While there can only be one lucky winner in your office who takes home that $100 cash prize, we've decided to step back and think about how March Madness can teach you lessons about searching for and implementing the right EHR software into your practice. So while you may have lost a few bucks by not winning the bracket challenge, let's see if we can save your practice a few bucks when it comes to finding the right EHR system.

Lessons You Can Learn from March Madness When Implementing Your EHR Software

Look to the Experts

While you think you might know everything that there is to know about college basketball, chances are you don't. So you're probably going to look for a little help from your friends at CBS Sports and ESPN to help you through your bracket.

And, just like college basketball, if you're new to the world of EHRs you probably don't have all of the answers either. So trust the experts. Take your time when researching all of the features and benefits of different systems. And once you've heard it all from each vendor, ask your peers. A lot of them have been using EHRs for a while, and they'll probably have some good insight for you to consider!