Altruism or Self Preservation?

http://www.allscripts.com/en/solutions/community-solutions/bcbsnc/faq.html

What is NC PATH?NC PATH is a collaboration among BCBSNC, Allscripts and North Carolina Health Information Exchange (NC HIE) to provide independent, primary care physicians assistance in the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) technology and meaningful information exchange. The goal of this program is to improve the health care system in North Carolina, improve the quality of care and health outcomes while helping to reduce health care spending and aid practices in becoming HIT (Health Information Technology) compliant.
Why is BCBSNC launching this program?BCBSNC is committed to improving the quality and efficiency of care while reducing costs. By providing financial support to select providers, together we can reach meaningful use requirements through certified EHR technology. This will enable the right people to have the right information at the right time to:
Facilitate coordination of care and communication between providers
Improve the quality of care and the overall patient experience
Connect patients and providers in the community
More effectively manage entire “episodes of care” across providers and care settings
Support participation in quality-of-care initiatives
What are some other benefits of this program?As part of the program, the NC HIE will coordinate with AHEC to assist practices with the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition process, which has been demonstrated to provide improvements to the quality of healthcare.
How does this initiative tie into National Healthcare Reform?The Obama administration believes that healthcare quality can be improved and costs can be reduced through the use of interoperable healthcare IT. An interoperable healthcare IT infrastructure enables practitioners to communicate more effectively, thereby rendering higher quality care as well as eliminating redundant testing for patients seeing multiple practitioners.
By assisting with the adoption of an EHR solution from Allscripts, BCBSNC, along with NC HIE will enable eligible physicians to obtain funding from the Federal Stimulus Program’s Healthcare Information Technology (HITECH) Act. The HITECH Act provides incentive payments via Medicare to physicians who adopt an EHR and who demonstrate that they are using it according to standards set by the federal government.
PROGRAM
How does the NC PATH program work?BCBSNC and NC HIE have endorsed an Allscripts EHR solution and negotiated special pricing for eligible physicians who wish to participate in the program.
BCBSNC is donating the cost for the implementation of an Allscripts EHR as follows:
For in-network providers, BCBSNC will cover 85% of the software cost, support and maintenance costs and the NC HIE connectivity and membership fee for a period of 5 years*. The provider is responsible for the remaining 15%.
For free clinics, BCBSNC will cover 100% of the software cost, support and maintenance costs and NC HIE connectivity and membership fee costs for a period of 5 years.**After 5 years, the practice or clinic will own the Allscripts software and will be responsible for their own product upgrades, hosting, support and maintenance, and yearly membership fees.
The NC HIE will manage the program administration and facilitation as well as support all members of the healthcare community in North Carolina regardless of their EHR technology.
AHEC and its Regional Extension Centers will assist practices with the development of workflow efficiencies, meaningful use application completion and submission, processes and procedures to achieve PCMH recognition, and BQPP participation.
Which EHR solution is being offered?Through NC PATH, the Allscripts MyWay™ EHR solution is being offered to participating providers and free clinics.
Are you dictating how clinicians should treat their patients?No. Allscripts MyWay EHR makes it easier for providers to do what they already know is best clinical practice by providing reminders, alerts, and feedback on the care they provide. All physicians want to provide world-class clinical care. This initiative will enable physicians to do this in an organized and efficient way.
What are the benefits of electronic health record technology and health information exchange to patients?An EHR has embedded ‘best-practices’, care guides, and/or decision support & alerts that can improve the clinical performance of clinicians by reminding them of necessary monitoring for patients with chronic diseases, identifying opportunities for preventive care, and preventing medical errors by checking for drug interactions or other dangerous conditions.
By connecting EHRs within various care environments across the state, all caregivers will have access to a comprehensive set of clinical information on patients, which will support better clinical decision making. As a result, patients can expect that their care will be more efficient, effective, and coordinated than ever before.
What are the benefits of electronic health record technology and health information exchange to physicians and their offices?EHRs offer a number of benefits to the physicians’ office, including immediate 24/7 access to patient information (even when outside of the office), intra-office communication tools to improve office efficiency, tracking tools for testing which has been ordered but not completed, tracking tools for results which need to be reviewed (significant source of liability risk), more accurate and timely billing capabilities and decreased administrative complexity.
ELIGIBILITY & ENROLLMENT
Who is eligible to participate in the NC PATH Program?In-network, independent (not associated with a health system), primary care providers including: pediatricians, family practitioners, internal medicine, general practitioners and OB/GYN are all eligible.
Does every provider in the office have to sign up to participate?Yes – to participate in this program, every provider in the practice must sign up.
Do I have to be PCMH recognized to participate?As part of the program, physicians are required to make a commitment of becoming PCMH recognized and commit to participating in BQPP if they are eligible. Practices with PCMH recognition are proven to experience improved care quality, reduced health care costs and additional benefits for both physicians and patients.
Do I have to participate in BQPP to be a part of the NC PATH program?Physicians are required to make a commitment of participating in BQPP if eligible. Through BQPP participation, practices can earn greater reimbursements tied to quality improvement, patient experience and administrative efficiency. Physicians who participate can earn double-digit increases in reimbursements.
INSTALLATION & SUPPORT
Who owns the data?The information is cared for the same as your paper records today. Electronic data and sharing must abide by appropriate Federal and State law including the HIPAA regulations, as well as the privacy policy and data use agreement of NC HIE. All data entered belongs to the practice at all times.
Who can access the data?Only those with certified logins can access the data. This may include multiple physicians in the office as well as specified office staff. Participants and their authorized users (includes specified office or professional staff) may access data through the HIE Network to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations to the extent permitted under federal law. For purposes of this document, the terms “treatment,” “payment” and “health care operations” have the same meaning given those terms in the corresponding federal requirements. BCBSNC will not have access to patient data, outside of normal claims information.
Are the patient records available all the time? Allscripts provides data redundancy (backup) and 99.99% uptime.
What is the maximum number of physicians that can use the EHR system?The architecture of the product is scalable. It can handle adding on as many practices as needed.
What support is provided during implementation?Those who choose to participate in the program will receive support during the initial implementation process. They will also receive software education and training, change management support, project management support and maintenance support. Data and records integration is not included.
The NC HIE will provide community programs, such as a web interface, that physicians can use to discuss medical and technology questions with other doctors.
The AHEC will provide support to practices in satisfying meaningful use guidelines, becoming PCMH recognized and participating in BQPP.
So, the practice is never without an expert assisting them along the path.
How long will it take to get up and running?EHR implementation in office typically takes 6-9 weeks although additional time will be needed to convert current paper records into electronic format, depending on the practice’s transition plan. A firm estimate will be determined during the initial assessment.
Other phases of the program take time to achieve, but through NC PATH providers are given all the support they need:
Meaningful use – approximately 3 months after implementation
PCMH recognition – approximately 12 months after implementation