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In This Issue
Industry Insight
WEDI Develops 2013 Report to Guide Next Generation of HIE

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) recently announced the development of a new report to be released in December, 20 years after the release of the organization’s initial report. The 1993 WEDI Report provided a vision for the industry to successfully transition to electronic data interchange standards as a way to bring cost-efficiencies to burdensome administrative processes. The report led directly to the administrative simplification provisions in HIPAA, which gave the industry transactions and code set standards, security and privacy requirements, the National Provider and Employer Identifiers, and the forthcoming Health Plan Identifier.

On the 20th anniversary of the original report, the WEDI is bringing together health care, corporate, and government organizations to create an updated report to guide the future of health information exchange (HIE). The 2013 report will be overseen by an executive steering committee consisting of representatives from 15 organizations representing health care, corporate, and government organizations.

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Editor's E-Note
Many in the health care industry wonder whether coding departments will be ready for the October 2014 switch to ICD-10. What some fail to consider is that much of that concern should be directed at vendors, whose products play a signficant role in overall coding operations.

This month’s E-News Exclusive reveals some sobering numbers on the progress being made by vendors to get their products up to speed. In short, it’s not a pretty picture.

— Lee DeOrio, editor
E-News Exclusives
ICD-10 Vendor Applications Continue to Slip Into 2014
By Kerry Martin

Since the final ICD-10 rule was published in August 2012, 80 product vendors have reported protracted release dates into 2014, affecting more than 2,000 hospitals. In light of the decision to move the ICD-10 implementation deadline to October 1, 2014, on average, 41% of ICD-10–impacted vendors, when resurveyed, have extended their release dates, according to Korey Jorgensen, VitalWare vendor services director. VitalWare currently is tracking for its clients release dates and versioning on more than 700 ICD-10–impacted vendor applications through the VitalView Vendor Management application.

A more alarming statistic from this survey is that 35% of the 80 vendor products releasing in 2014 are scheduled to release in the fourth quarter—on or after the mandated compliance date. So it’s imperative for hospital chief information officers (CIOs) to have a contingency plan for implementing and testing.

Facilities should stay abreast of when their vendors will be releasing their ICD-10–compliant versions. Impacting almost every business process and system utilized by health care providers and health plans, the planning and coordination of vendor upgrades to accommodate ICD-10 will be an essential element in a successful transition.

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Recently in For The Record
Healthcare Information: The New Terrorist Target
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The Art of the Appeal Letter
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Observation Services: Many Shades of Gray
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Hello EHR, Good-Bye HIM?
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Industry Insight
Patients Go Undercover to Record Encounters With Doctors
A study by the University of Illinois at Chicago finds that physicians who get to know their patients' life circumstances deliver better care.

Mobile Technology Is Key
to Service Transformation
Mobile technology has played a major role in turning around Scottish health services, according to Public Service.
NCRA Conference Preview
Golden Opportunities for Education and Professional Growth by the Bay
By Barb Collins, CTR

The National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) will hold its 39th annual educational conference May 30 to June 2 in San Francisco. The 2013 conference theme—”Golden Opportunities for Education and Professional Growth by the Bay”—captures the NCRA’s commitment to providing registrars with in-depth technical training and opportunities to develop management and leadership skills to advance the profession.

Like many health information professionals, cancer registrars are faced with a rapidly changing work environment. Advancements and medical breakthroughs make it a challenge to keep current. The NCRA’s annual conference is designed to provide access to high-quality training on critical industry topics. The concurrent sessions are divided into three topic areas: central registry, hospital registry, and professional development, and include a wide range of topics, allowing registrars to customize their educational needs.

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ACDIS Conference Preview
Education Highlights Expanded Schedule
By Michael Arnold

The Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS)—the nation’s only association dedicated to the unique needs of CDI specialists—is hosting its sixth annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, from May 21 to 23. Responding to industry needs and membership demands, the ACDIS expanded this year’s conference to 2 1/2 days of sessions and networking.

At this year's conference, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to measure their facility's level of risk and ensuring readiness for ICD-10, strengthen their medical records from recovery audit contractor (RAC) audits, and take their program down new avenues, such as reviewing patient safety indicators and discharge codes. Sessions on encephalopathy, malnutrition, chronic heart failure, and acute coronary syndrome will deepen attendees’ understanding of pathophysiology and open up new query opportunities.

As always, the conference offers peer-to-peer networking and recognition for the CDI profession. On the first day of the conference, the ACDIS will introduce the 2013 CDI Professional of the YearandRecognition of CDI Professional Achievement winners at an awards luncheon for all attendees.

Full Story »
Tech & Tools
Epocrates App for iPad and iPad mini
Epocrates, Inc’s iPad app takes advantage of tablets’ larger screens, providing greater exposure to critical clinical information, enhanced pill identification displays, and more convenient search tools. It leverages the devices' swiping capabilities for rapid navigation and features tabbed screens for easy toggling between multiple drug monographs, calculators, and other valuable content. Learn more »

TriageLogic Secure Texting Module for Triage Call Centers
TriageLogic’s new feature enables its triage nurses to send secure, encrypted, and HIPAA-compliant text messages to on-call providers, who can decrypt them securely, see the entire message, and call patients by clicking on the phone number on the screen. The module saves physicians from calling the triage nurse to get a patient's information, saving time and making the triage process more efficient. Learn more »

Vitera Stat and Vitera Intergy Mobile
Vitera Health Solutions has added two products: Vitera Stat and Vitera Intergy Mobile for iPad. Vitera Stat is a subscription-based integrated practice management and EHR solution designed for independent physicians who want secure, online access to patient and practice records at any time. The cloud-based offering, ideal for practices with limited IT resources, comes preconfigured with specialty-specific content so physicians can start using it immediately and includes an intuitive user interface and streamlined workflows. Vitera Intergy Mobile, developed with ongoing input from the Vitera user community, provides access to patient records on the go. Learn more »

Return2Play Concussion Recovery Tracking App
Return2Play, a mobile phone app developed by experts from the University of Michigan Pediatric Trauma Program in partnership with Michigan NeuroSport, helps concussion patients track their injuries, activities, and symptoms and their severity, and share that information with their health care team. Users can enter the date and details of injuries as well as appointment dates, take notes right in the app, and e-mail a recovery progress history in chronological order to a physician, trainer, or coach. Learn more »
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