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Electronic Health Records
Introduction

You may have noticed a sharp increase lately, in both local and national media, of information and discussion around Electronic Health Records (EHRs).  Beginning in the spring of 2004 with The Federal Government’s stated vision of interoperable EHRs within 10 years, the Healthcare and Information Technology industries have begun to focus their attention on bringing the United States’ EHR capabilities up to speed with other industrialized countries. 

Vermont Managed Care (VMC) has always been a strong advocate of the development of information technology in the physician office, and is quite excited about this new focus and momentum in the development of the EHR, and the benefits that all of our ‘partners in care’ and the patients we serve have to gain.  On May 10th, 2005, the VMC Care Management Committee of The Board approved the awarding of $5,000 grants to selected physician offices for the implementation and development of EHR systems. 

Through an on-going collaborative effort between VMC and EHR Grant recipients we hope to achieve the primary goals of financially assisting VMC physician offices with the implementation and development of EHR systems; develop a comprehensive understanding of how EHRs can minimize administrative hassles for provider offices, and can positively impact VMC’s administrative capabilities and costs; and develop a detailed database on EHRs, EHR implementation, best practices and resources that will aid the rest of the Network in the development of EHR systems.

After an extensive application and review process, we are pleased to announce that the following provider groups have been chosen to receive grant awards:
(click on group to read EHR Interview):


EHR WEB LINKS

Know of a useful link?  Please forward to kevin.oneal@vtmednet.org . 


EHR LIBRARY OF ARTICLES

The following EHR articles are from national resources available on-line or in print.  They are provided as a convenience and do not represent the views or work product of VMC, which cannot confirm the accuracy of the information in the articles and does not endorse any products or times listed within the articles.

      Know of a useful article?  Please forward to kevin.oneal@vtmednet.org .


       CONTINUITY OF CARE RECORD (CCR)

      At the recent National TEPR (Toward Electronic Patient Record) 2006 conference in Baltimore, Maryland, the Continuity of Care Record (CCR) was ‘all the buzz.’  The CCR is being developed jointly by a host of national organizations such as ASTM International, the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), the Health Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as a way for offices with EHRs to communicate electronically with offices with out.  The CCR uses web-based XML language to transmit and view standardized core patient information via multiple formats, including Browser, HL7 CDA-compliant document, secure e-mail, paper, and PDFs.  The CCR is flexible to quickly include relevant information, can be used to justify prior-authorizations, coordinate care, provide clinical referrals, etc.  The document can be updated and forwarded to the next provider and can include attachments.  Best of all, you don’t need an EHR to generate, update or view.  This is a great way to get familiar with electronic records, and could be a first step toward a formal full EHR system.  Below is a list of CCR related web links:

      Know of a useful link?  Please forward to kevin.oneal@vtmednet.org .

      DOQ-IT

      A program that could prove very helpful is DOQ-IT (Doctors Office Quality – Information Technology).  The DOQ-IT Project is a physician-focused quality initiative program sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  DOQ-IT provides physician offices with resources and guidance on EHR, EHR vendors, and the decision making process.  They also provide FREE hands-on help in the office.  Below is a list of DOQ-IT related web links:
         

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