EHR Systems: Is Your Surgical Center Falling Behind?

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• EHR Systems Is Your Surgical Center Falling
  Behind?
• Is your ophthalmic ambulatory surgery center
  still using paper records? Youre not alone.
  While most physician practices now use ophthalmic
  EMR software or EHR systems for ophthalmology
  practice management, many surgery centers havent
  made the switch, despite some serious
  improvements in software (learn more here). But
  todays independent ASCs face stiff competition
  from other facilities in their market, heath
  system-owned facilities, and with hospital
  outpatient departments (HOPDs)in other words,
  The Joneses.
• By delaying implementation of an ambulatory
  ophthalmology clinic software or EHR system like
  iMedicWare, your independent surgical center is
  missing out on benefits that The Joneses are
  already realizing
• Easy access to good data. Quality data is more
  important than ever when negotiating payer rates,
  benchmarking, and avoiding penalties from sub-par
  quality reporting. Accessing and developing this
  data will save your center money long- term.
  Regularly run productivity reports with your
  ophthalmic software to keep track of changes.
• Insights into the inner financial workings of
  your center. Ophthalmology practice management
  software
• and health record systems make it easier to
  identify troubling
• trends (like a negative cash flow) and take
  correctional action.
• Sure, there are short-term downsides to
  transitioning away from paper. But in the long
  run, EHR systems and ophthalmology practice
  management systems assist in running your
  business. They improve care coordination, provide
  automated or nearly automated quality tracking,
  increase patient safety and outcomes, and improve
  regulatory compliance.
• Why The Wait?
• Given the high expense, complex implementation,
  and potential negative effect on day-to-day
  operations, its no wonder many ASCs are holding
  off. Ophthalmology practice management is
  changing slowly. EHR penetration is still pretty
  low in terms of overall adoption rate. It varies
  a little depending on the core specialty (GI
  has more) but theres no mass penetration of
  EHRs, says Ashley Wise, MBA, who spoke to ASC
  administrators about technology at the 2017
  annual meeting for
• the Ambulatory Surgical Center Association.

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• Plus, Meaningful Use incentivized physician
  practices to switch from paper to electronic
  systems. Theres no comparable program for
  surgery centers, so physician-owners and
  administrators tend to think If its not
  mandatory, why bother?
• So is it time to invest in one of the many
  options in functional EHR systems? The answer is
  undoubtedly yes, says Wise. She cites market
  trends like the growing push towards
  interoperability, higher acuity cases moving into
  ASCs, and a heightened focus on tracking and
  reporting quality as tipping the scales towards
  EHR adoption for most centers. Whether your
  center is large or small, these trends are going
  to affect you in some way, Wise notes. Whether
  that effect is positive growth and profitability
  is up to youand your IT strategy.
• Buyer Beware
• In order to reap the benefits of an EHR, you must
  put in the works up front to research systems,
  conduct due diligence on vendors, and make an
  educated choice. Heres where it gets tricky
  Although some vendors offer ASC-specific EHR
  systems, there is currently no ONC-certified
  (CEHRT) system available specifically for ASCs.
  But the news isnt all bad. There are many more
  vendors than 2-3 years ago, a rush to market
  for small ASC- focused vendors, and a push from
  major IT vendors to compete for ASC business,
  says Wise.
• That influx of vendors means more choices and
  more tough decisions for ASC owners and
  administrators. The current proliferation of IT
  vendors means that many solutions have
  overlapping or redundant features, says Wise.
  Knowing what your specific priorities and
  requirements are will help you identify solutions
  that most closely meet your needs and budget,
  she continues.
• There are two basic non-negotiables
• A system that is ASC-specific, or at least able
  to be customized to the ASC setting. Workflows in
  an ASC are much different than those in a
  hospital or physician practice, and an
  ASC-specific system will allow you to track
  thingslike case costingthat practice-oriented
  EHR systems wont.
• A system that can integrate with your physicians
  practices. That way, your center can obtain
  things like physician orders, HPs, consent
  forms, and more directly from the practicein a
  HIPPA- approved mannerinstead of the patient
  having to fill them out again.

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• One of the biggest pitfalls Wise sees is when
  expectations meet reality. You go through a
  sales cycle, and you see things you think are
  going to meet your needs, she says. Then you
  get into an implementation, and you realize
  youve overlooked things and something is
  missing, she continues. To avoid situations like
  that, a well-planned IT investment strategy and
  a shoppers checklist for your ophthalmic
  software is essential.
• Tech alone is not a strategy.Ashley Wise, MBA
• A 3-Step Strategy to Prioritize Your IT
  Investments
• When you invest in IT, youre not just purchasing
  software systems or revenue cycle management.
  When you implement an EHR, you are tripling and
  even quadrupling the number of devices youre
  supporting and there are capital expenditures
  beyond the IT solution you need to consider,
  notes Wise. Considering IT during strategic
  planning sessions will help ensure that your
  technology budget is put to good use. Wise
  recommends working through each of the following
  categories
• Category 1 What Must I Do?
• Compliance
• Data Security
• Keep your core systems operational
• Support your current business scale and scope
• Category 2 What Should I Do?
• Minimize risk to operations and finances
• Support growth
• Upgrade current IT to latest versions
• Track cost and quality
• Category 3 What Would I Like to Do?