When making EMR selections, medical providers are faced with a variety of tough decisions.  Implementing an EMR is an extremely expensive process and it is important to weigh all options. .There are many factors to consider that  EMR vendors might gloss over. These costs include setup cost, monthly fee, training time for employees, IT support and maintenance, as well as the wealth of additional hardware that may be required to make the system run. Financing options for EMRs include purchasing, bank loans or leasing. It’s a good idea to talk to a knowledgeable healthcare IT consultant about these options when you begin your EMR search.

The complexity of the decision is only increased when considering potential incentives or fines imposed by the HITECH Act.  Physicians can receive pretty hefty cash back for meaningfully using a certified EMR. Although this does not help with the initial implementation costs, it can drastically help the return on investment over time. Providers should make sure they choose an EMR vendor with a certified product  who can also help them through the reimbursement process. For more information on EMR cost, visit EMRapproved’s information page.

October 19, 2011 (San Jose, CA) – Leading EMR software provider Bizmatics Inc. has officially introduced their full-service, in-house electronic medical billing service to complement PrognoCIS EMR – their flagship electronic medical record system.  This new service, which focuses on improved Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), offers practices an integrated EMR, practice management and billing service to streamline office efficiency and simplify collection processes.

Medical practice collections have been cut significantly in the recent years, thereby increasing the importance of maximizing a practice’s collections. The new medical billing service from Bizmatics will ensure quick submission of claims (within 24-48 hours of the visit) as well as seamless transitions from patient visits to billing to actual revenue generation.

“With our leading Five Star ONC-ATCB-rated PrognoCIS EMR, we at Bizmatics have earned our stripes in the medical industry,” says Bizmatics CEO Vinay Deshpande.  “Our team knows what today’s medical practices are faced with: strict regulations from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and the private insurance carriers. Our program has been built to bill and track collections for optimal payments.”

The new service combines the benefits of electronic medical billing with the benefits of hiring a trusted medical billing service. Physicians will have a team of medical billing experts working on their accounts, and the integrated clinical and billing data from its own software system gives Bizmatics’ billing service staff a tremendous advantage.  Known for their superior medical coding and collections skills as well as their PrognoCIS electronic medical record system, Bizmatics originally conceived a billing service to satisfy a few niche customers, but demand for it has been so great that it has grown into a full product services offering.  Many PrognoCIS customers have already adopted medical billing from Bizmatics and are extremely satisfied with the service.

With medical billing services from Bizmatics, PrognoCIS users will see the collections process executed with professionalism and respect for each patient.  Medical billing agents are trained to investigate denied claims and underpayments and also have access to information showing medical practice visit types with full reporting tools.  Billing agents are extremely knowledgeable about the medical industry, and Bizmatics offers highly competitive rates for their medical billing services.

About Bizmatics
Bizmatics, Inc. offers healthcare software and services for practices and hospitals of all sizes.  Their PrognoCIS EMR system, rated as one of the best EHR software systems, integrates seamlessly with their new medical billing services to improve collections and reduce unpaid debts.  For more information, visit http://www.bizmaticsinc.com.

How would you like to have an online dialogue with your healthcare provider? Studies show that the average American would like more personalized attention when it comes to their health. eConsultations might just be the answer.

eConsultations, which are currently offered to Elite Health members, are private dialogues between doctor and patient. As you can imagine from the name, these dialogues happen online, either in the form of email or live video chat.

Whether you are traveling, or just want the convenience of an in-house appointment, eConsultations can really make the difference. Why try and find answers on the internet when you could just as easily ask your trusted healthcare professional? Try eConsultations today and you will really feel the difference.

September 26, 2011 (San Jose, California) – Users of PrognoCIS electronic medical records (EMR) have begun and will continue to receive federal stimulus checks, reports the EMR medical software and services provider Bizmatics Inc. Their flagship EMR product PrognoCIS is helping many physicians qualify for federal funding to assist with EMR costs, and the number of Bizmatics customers receiving money per month has increased significantly over the past several months.

“I just received the 18,000 dollar EHR incentive check yesterday,” wrote Bizmatics customer Dr. Gus Constantouris, DPM, after implementing PrognoCIS at his podiatry practice. “I appreciate all [Bizmatics’] assistance throughout this complex process. Everyone at Bizmatics…has been very attentive to all our needs.” Dr. Constantouris, whose Commack, New York practice earns top reviews from patients.

The 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) offers federal stimulus money to physicians who purchase and implement EMR, provided that they can demonstrate that their system meets certain regulations and that their practice is using it in ways that can be measured in both quality and quantity. It’s important for physician offices and hospitals interested in implementing EMR to choose a system that is ONC-ATCB certified to qualify for Meaningful Use funding. Bizmatics’ PrognoCIS EMR system has many built-in features that help easily track and monitor each customer’s progress on their ARRA implementation. Intuitive features like system-level and encounter-level dashboards help clinics meet ARRA requirements without affecting their workflow.

“We are very glad to see that our customers are getting stimulus money by using PrognoCIS,” says Vinay Deshpande, CEO of Bizmatics. “Our ARRA tools are guiding customers in a non-intrusive way to accelerate their data collection accurately for attestation, and our free Meaningful Use webinars have trained hundreds of customers in ARRA implementations.” EMR also allows physicians to save considerable overhead costs, do less paperwork and share information with other medical centers quickly. It also allows for better patient care with instant and legible review of a patient’s charts and medical history, and physicians have a range of specialty options – including OB/GYN and pain management EMR systems. Bizmatics looks forward to helping their clients continue to receive EMR stimulus funding and implement EMR in an affordable manner.

About Bizmatics Inc.
Healthcare software and services company Bizmatics provides medical practice software solutions for practices of all sizes. Their EMR system PrognoCIS is ONC-ATCB certified and can help qualify physicians for federal stimulus funding under Meaningful Use. For more information, visit http://www.bizmaticsinc.com.

New iPad medical apps are making EMR easier than ever to incorporate into a doctor’s office or hospital.  Using tablet computers in an EMR-implemented office allows physicians to access patient records from anywhere in the building without needing to find a computer, making EMR even more accessible in any room of the clinic.  But EMR consultants agree that iPad medical apps help make healthcare better for both physicians and patients in more ways than one.

Patient Education
Many iPad apps featuring interactive charts and graphics of the human body are available to improve the patient education experience.  Other apps explain medical conditions in-depth, and videos can help patients understand what’s happening in their bodies.  Apps for explaining conditions like heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and stroke are especially useful for general physicians who see health problems in their older patients and are looking for an effective way to help them understand their health problems.  Doctors can even download child-friendly patient education apps to help younger children understand the human body and be more at ease while at the doctor’s office.

Improve Physical Exams
With a tablet computer, you’ll not only have better access to your patients’ medical histories and most recent physical exam scores – you’ll be better equipped to perform a new physical.  Many iPad medical apps contain physical exam score reporting tools and allow you to easily show your patients how they measure up and what precautions they should take to improve their health scores at their next physical.

Chart and Take Notes
You can use the iPad to chart and take notes during an exam, and then save the information directly to a patient’s medical records.  This simplifies the charting process and makes EMR even more straightforward for EMR-integrated medical practices.

Games, Music and More
Use your iPad to put your patients at ease by playing music during the exam.  Letting children play games will help keep them relaxed and unafraid of going to the doctor.

While the job market in the U.S. is looking quite grim, one industry offering a glimmer of hope is healthcare. With Meaningful Use requirements looming above their heads, healthcare providers of all sizes are transitioning in their healthcare IT practices.  This has already made the healthcare job industry surge and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects strong healthcare employment growth in the future as well. HITECH Act Stimulus Requirements will force healthcare providers to spend more money in this sector and once the infrastructure is in place, the healthcare IT sector should only grow.

For the first time, we may begin to see a knowledge of technology play a critical role in HR’s hiring practices for upper-level  healthcare administration.  As technology is increasingly integrated into the healthcare system, administrators must  have a grasp on at least the basic technological aspects of EMR software to be able to efficiently perform managerial duties.

For more information on finding a healthcare IT job, see: http://www.modernfaqs.com/health/how-do-i-find-a-healthcare-it-job/

August 26, 2011 (San Diego, CA) – Physician practice marketing firm Medical Web Experts is announcing the recent launch of their new blog, http://www.medicalwebexperts.com/blog.  The blog provides the medical industry with tips and strategies for marketing, branding, social media and web design tips as well as offering the latest information on search engine optimization (SEO).

Started in April 2011, the blog contains a wealth of informative articles on topics including internet marketing techniques, SEO strategies and tips, profiles of well-built medical websites, social media tactics, patient portals and calculating ROI to determine whether SEO is a good investment for the company.  Medical Web Experts posts new information 2-3 times per week, making the blog a frequently updated resource for online marketing information.

“In this post-healthcare reform era, physicians more than ever need to pay closer attention to marketing – specifically in marketing services that have higher profit margins,” says John Deutsch, President and CEO of Medical Web Experts.  “In the same way, vendors that rely on revenue from physicians, who generally have less cash on hand, need to implement marketing plans that have higher ROIs. The Medical Web Experts Blog is designed to help both physicians and medical vendors with these challenging marketing decisions.”

Medical Web Experts is uniquely positioned to provide solutions and services specifically for companies in the healthcare industry, and the staff has experience and expertise that prepares them to work in this division.  They offer highly specialized marketing and web design services for medical practices, hospitals, EMR providers and healthcare IT companies.  Also specializing in custom programming, they offer a patient portal customizable to any practice’s needs and specifications.  Blog contributors include a registered nurse as well as experts in SEO and EMR (electronic medical record) development.

As search engine algorithms are constantly changing, it’s important to stay on top of SEO and web design news.  It’s important for doctors interested in building a website to keep abreast of current trends, and reading Medical Web Experts’ new blog can help those with even novice knowledge of the internet stay ahead.

About Medical Web Experts
Medical Web Experts is a subsidiary of internet marketing company New Wave Marketing LLC, which provides affordable marketing and web design services for any business.  Medical Web Experts offers custom websites for physicians in any specialty, patient portals, EMR integration, and internet marketing services.  For more information, visit http://www.medicalwebexperts.com.

More and more companies are realizing the financial benefits of implementing a corporate wellness program – and they’re learning how to take advantage of them.

These programs, such as corporate wellness Houston program Healthy Start MD, are a supplemental plan that can be implemented by the company in addition to medical insurance.  The plans offer each employee in the company an annual checkup with preventive tests and screenings, consults with a dietician and exercise therapist, and access to an online patient portal.  The patient portal is a login screen that allows patients to communicate and consult with their physician, track their health and vital signs daily, view their test results, and track their exercise and diet progress.

Though these programs are often extremely affordable and can start as low as a few dollars per employee per month, they do more than simply boost employee morale and promote the company as a positive work environment.  Many companies are reporting huge savings on preventable medical expenses for their employees as a result of the preventive care offered by the corporate wellness programs.  Companies can also see improved productivity and fewer sick days with healthier employees.

Georgia- and Texas-based WIKA Instruments decided to implement a corporate wellness program in 2008, and their program has been a huge success both financially and with the employees who participate.  WIKA chose to make participation optional, offering a 10% discount of health insurance premiums to employees who joined the program.  99 percent of employees opted to participate in the program, allowing them to save between $400 and $1,200 the second year.  Environmental Health and Safety Manager Cathy Bochenek reports that the money the company saves far overshadows the meager $45,000 spent on the corporate wellness program in the last year.  “We probably saved $300,000 just last year,” she says.

Wellness programs aren’t guaranteed to catch on among employees, so it’s important for companies implementing them to take measures to motivate employees to participate.  In WIKA’s case, they offered financial incentives for taking part.  Research by Leonard L. Berry of Texas A&M University suggests that employees may be more motivated to join a wellness program when they see individuals of high authority in the company joining – such as CEOs and other high-ranking executives.

Studies calculate the average return-on-investment for a corporate wellness program to be between 3:1 and 6:1 – that is, between three and six dollars saved for each dollar invested in the program.  That’s an enormous amount of benefit for the company as well as an excellent way to give back to hardworking employees who deserve the best.

For more information on corporate wellness programs Houston, visit www.healthystartmd.com.

July 25, 2011 (Lake Bluff, IL) – EMR consulting and technology resource EMRapproved.com is partnering with healthcare IT industry leaders HITECH Answers and Hielix EHR Roadmap to present HIT University – a comprehensive practical education initiative designed to help IT firms gain a better understanding of healthcare technology and provide better services to medical offices with EMR-related needs.

The demand for technology in the medical industry has increased exponentially with the recent HITECH Act, enacted to accelerate EHR adoption by providing incentive payments to health care providers that implement an EHR system. Due to the rapid rise in demand, an education gap has become evident in the healthcare IT marketplace. Most small to medium-sized ambulatory practices require assistance to improve their technology, though very few IT groups are knowledgeable in this area nationwide.

“I believe the training provided to IT professionals through EMRapproved.com will be greatly appreciated by the medical community at large,” says Wendy Whitmore, Managing Partner and CIO for EMRapproved.com Corp. “The tools and resources accessible via EMRapproved.com, Hitechanswers.net and Hielix EHR Roadmap will help these consultants deliver a high level of assistance to physicians and clinics as they navigate the maze of information and technology solutions available to them. This program is the first of its kind in the industry!”

A part of the new HIT University education initiative, the HIT Certification program aims to introduce technology consultants and firms to the evolving topic of electronic health records while also offering a practical guide to medical technology.  The real-world learning and tools provided through the EMRapproved HIT Certification program give new HIT professionals the knowledge and resources required to provide top-notch consultant-level service to the medical community.

The program, which provides training in the areas of basic EMR workflow, medical technology, the HIT marketplace and the HITECH act – is completed in a series of four parts.  Graduates will receive additional benefits like professional industry guidance and service delivery samples, tools and products to help new or existing clients, direct referrals for local service contracts from EMRapproved.com and a free one-year inclusion in the EMRapproved Nationwide Certified Consultant Registry & Directory. Certified Healthcare IT Specialists will have a better platform on which to market their services in the multi-billion dollar healthcare industry as well as a range of exclusive benefits from EMRapproved.com.

To learn more about the EMRapproved HIT Certification Program, visit the Healthcare IT Certification page or register for the next FREE live informational webinar at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/788203913.

About EMRapproved.com:
EMRapproved.com provides comprehensive EMR selection, guidance, research, products and services online and over the phone with trained and certified EMR and IT Specialists. The company also sells a range of EMR compatible hardware and software through EMRapprovedStore.com for physician practices, clinics and hospitals. Learn more at http://www.emrapproved.com

About HITECH Answers:
HITECH Answers is a privately-held web-based membership education portal established in April of 2009. HITECH Answers has positioned itself as the trusted and independent source on EHR adoption. Its web presence is a global portal for all that have an interest in learning the details and process of EHR adoption.  Learn more at http://www.hitechanswers.net.

About HIELIX:
HIELIX works with healthcare providers, including physician practices, hospitals and regional/state healthcare organizations to seamlessly integrate health IT (HIT) solutions with minimal disruptions to operational and clinical workflows. Services include HIT readiness planning, meaningful use planning and reporting, EHR vendor selection, implementation and more. Learn more at http://emrapproved.hielixehr.com/

It’s no mystery that the federal government offers EHR incentives to help deter the cost of implementing an electronic health records system, but many physicians and hospitals are unsure of how to start.  Though the road to Meaningful Use eligibility seems complicated and difficult to understand, a bit of research can help you keep your EHR and EMR cost levels down and take advantage of federal funding.  The following two steps are absolutely essential to preparing your office for EMR implementation and collecting your EHR incentives.

1: Understand that Meaningful Use is not a simple checklist. Physicians implementing an EMR or EHR must

1)      Meet 20 specific use requirements

a)      15 of those must be fulfilled by all physicians in the practice

b)      The remaining 5 are selected from a menu of 10 objectives [by each physician]

2)      Report on 6 clinical quality measures with electronic specifications

a)      3 are required

b)      The remaining 3 are chosen by each physician

The requirements are rather general, such as “improve care coordination” and “use the EHR in a meaningful manner.”  Furthermore, Meaningful Use is divided into several stages with different requirements.  EMR consulting services or legal assistance specializing in EMR could help you to understand exactly what is expected of you.

2: Make sure that the EHR system you select is fully certified. The cloudiness around Meaningful Use doesn’t mean that EHR systems don’t adhere to strict standards of certification.  Be sure that your EHR is ONC-certified and meets all necessary requirements to comply with Meaningful Use.