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“FORTY FOUR THOUSAND REASONS”
By Paul McLeod, M.D., MED3OOO Chief Medical Executive 
Physicians now have forty four thousand reasons to move to an electronic health record. That is a lot of incentive, yet there are many holdouts among those who are eligible. I can't say that I am shocked by this behavior, since physicians are traditionally resistant to change that does not directly relate to patient care. So what are some of the supposed "reasons" to delay a move toward Meaningful Use?
1. The technology is still lacking.
One of the inherent qualities of technology is the fact that it is never as good today as it will be next year. Waiting for the "final" product simply means that you don't take advantage of it at all. The same argument could be made for personal computers and cell phones, but physicians don't seem to be deterred from using either based on the excuse that they will be better next year. Look for a web-enabled product that meets the Meaningul Use criteria, a company that is willing to listen to physicians, a good price, and take the plunge.
2. The economy is bad, and my future income is uncertain.
Physicians should be concerned about the continued effects that a poor economy might have on their practices. There are plenty of troublesome indicators. Patient visits are down. The SGR formula has not been addressed in a sustainable way. The number of patients on Medcaid is increasing. On the surface, this seems like a bad time to invest in anything. But doctors are missing the big picture with this excuse. One of the best ways to counter the decrease in patient visits includes the use of recalls for patients who need follow-up chronic care. Study after study has shown that a huge percentage of patients don't follow up on their own, but do respond to recalls and reminders. What better way could there be to fill those empty slots? Look for an EHR with robust reporting capabilities, especially when combined with a separate data warehouse. The problem of declining reimbursement rates can also be mitigated to some degree by getting every dollar due through proper coding and documentation. Most electronic health records have coding software to assist physicians in this area. Many times it is smart to take a wait-and-see approach. This is not one of those times.
3. My practice is too small.
Medicine as a cottage industry is declining. New physicians are looking for employment models. They simply don't want to bear the responsibility of running their own small business. But there are a lot of practicing physicians who value the control that they have as CEOs of their own businesses and do an admiarable job. Several thousand dollars of "up front" cash can be a barrier to any purchase for them without a return on investment. Although logical, this argument against going digital is easily challenged. It makes little sense for a 1-3 physician practice to purchase any system. Instead, the small practice can get a web-based system on a monthly subscription basis. Upfront costs are minimal and the vendor takes the risk for the cost of licenses and updates to the system.
Electronic health records and reporting are core businesses for MED3OOO. We can help you choose and implement a system that meets both your needs and Meaningful Use criteria. After all, you have forty four thousand reasons to move forward.
Patient Recall – MED3OOO/Connect Patient Outreach Powered by Phytel
Is your patient volume down? Are your patients neglecting their routine and preventive care? Do you need to reconnect with patients that have not been seen in over a year? Do you need to identify those patients in your practice who should be recalled for needed services? If so, consider using our patient outreach MED3OOO/Connect technology. MED3OOO/Connect can automate the process of identifying those patients in your practice who should be recalled for needed services. If you would like to proactively reach out to your patients with an automated patient recall process, please contact your account manager or Scott Madden at Scott_Madden@MED3000.com.
For a printable version of this newsletter click here: Oct Clinical2010
The Clinical Advisory is a clinical publication from MED3OOO dedicated to informing physicians and clinical staff about tools and information to improve the quality of patient care.
Corporate Headquarters: MED3OOO Inc., 680 Andersen Drive, Foster Plaza 10, Pittsburgh PA 15220. For more information on our clinical initiatives visit www.MED3000.com or contact marketing@MED3000.com or 1-888-811-2411.
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