Things have changed a lot since that epic and historic moment, all those years ago, when Al Gore invented the internet (and yet, oddly enough, his name isn’t mentioned once in the history of the internet). Just kidding… About Al Gore, not about things changing. They have changed. A lot… Especially when it comes to how we use the internet. And I’m not just referring to the shocking number of people who ended up using it primarily just to look at pictures of cats. Originally, searching the internet required a desktop computer with a dialup modem that would scream at the user until a connection was established (remember that sound?). These days, we have Wi-Fi that allows us to access the internet from various devices—desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even our cars.

Recent advancements in technology have put mobile devices in the spotlight in the healthcare industry. More physicians and specialists are harnessing the power, mobility and convenience of smartphones and tablets in clinical settings, using them to view electronic medical records, schedule appointments and display clinical information for patients without the need of a full personal computer setup. The increasing prominence of these platforms in healthcare settings has spurred an accelerated development of medical software applications.

Take Advantage of Your EHR The Physician Quality Reporting System is in full force for 2015, offering several methods of reporting, each with their own rules and standards. Nextech provides a way for clients to report electronically, allowing a more streamlined all in one report. For 2015, you can align your Clinical Quality Measures for the Meaningful Use EHR Incentive program with the 9 PQRS measures across 3 domains. If you participated in Meaningful Use in 2014, you should already have the measures in your EHR and we’ll be able to pull a report for the 2015 submission process.

1997 was a year to remember, many would agree.

In May 2014, there was an extension to the deadline for the ICD-10 transition. Physicians and practices were largely pleased with the delay as it allowed for time to fix major issues with the new coding system as well as an extra year for providers to update their systems and properly train staff. As the new deadline quickly approaches, the health care industry has become worried that the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services will call for another delay of the big switch. Many are ready for the new system and eager to begin using ICD-10, which has the potential to allow for more specific and accurate coding.

Today we'll be discussing strategies for bringing patients back to your practice.

Don’t Panic! (About Meaningful Use Stage 3) Part 2: The 2015 Certification Requirements in a Nutshell “The certification criteria we have proposed in the 2015 Edition will help achieve that vision through provisions that consider the range of health IT users and uses across the care continuum, including those focused on interoperable standards, data portability, improved transparency, privacy and security capabilities, and increased oversight." —Karen DeSalvo, MD. ONC Welcome to the second half of our series on Meaningful Use Stage 3. In Part 1, we looked at the interoperability and EHR function requirements of the CMS rule. In this article, we will look at criteria from the ONC 2015 rule. To be honest, I suspect the ONC’s 700+ page rule may have been responsible for a lot of the panic attacks folks seemed to have in response to MU3. Whereas the CMS rules are relatively straightforward, easy to follow, and seem to have the intent of stabilizing things, the ONC rule seems to be trying to do the opposite. Seriously, it’s almost like they’re trying to sow chaos. But remember: Don’t Panic… We can (and will) survive this.

Transcript Hello, and welcome to the Nextech blog! Today we will be speaking about how to improve and increase use of your patient portal. First and foremost, Medical Practice Insider reports that you'll need to make sure that your patients are aware of the patient portal and how to use it. While they may not know the ins and outs of electronic medical records, you should take some time out of their next visit to introduce them to the concept and field any initial questions. Physicians could spend a couple of extra minutes with patients to educate them on benefits of a patient portal and answer their questions. It might also be helpful to have a portal kiosk on site where they can set up their account while they wait.