Q: How do we implement centralized scheduling?

A: One of the first decisions to make is: Will all departmental schedulers move into a central location? While for some facilities, this is an option, typically, space constraints prevent this. If the schedulers will stay in their home department, then they must all be utilizing the same electronic scheduling system. This allows each department to see other departments’ schedules, and schedule the patient accordingly. The challenge is to determine how and when another scheduler can schedule into another department’s schedule. For high patient and physician satisfaction, it is best to have a “one stop shop” approach. One phone call to schedule multiple diagnostics.

The Centralized Scheduling approach is recognized as a best practice. Source: Models of Centralized Scheduling and Registration in an Outpatient Setting, Original Inquiry Brief, September 12, 2005, The Advisory Board.

-Meditech Consultants
Inteck, Inc.

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: Why would my organization need to perform a
readiness assessment?

A: A structured readiness assessment before you implement your new Healthcare Information System (HIS) can make the difference between a successful implementation and a barely adequate one. The assessment will define your processes and procedures within your clinical and financial areas that will be affected. It will identify failure points and the issues so that your implementation plan can determine resolutions. Pre-implementation or readiness assessments prevent surprises resulting in negative outcomes. Ideally, these assessments should be completed by experts, as they are experienced with how the end product should function and how it affects clinical/financial outcomes. A successful implementation will have expectations defined, issues identified and resolutions documented in your pre-installation system assessment.

-Meditech Consultants
Inteck, Inc.

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q:How does my clinical practice get the best price for EMR?

A:When you receive a proposal for new EMR, be sure to look at license fees, service fees, interface fees, and all other aspects of the proposal. Although the cost for EMR may appear competitive, there are often hidden costs in these sections. Most vendors have a horrible customer service policy, so read carefully the training and services section of the proposal. It doesn’t matter how small your practice is, as service can be negotiated on all contracts. Finally, don’t let language that describes how rates may change in the future remain in any proposal, as it is important to negotiate all future costs up front.

-Dr. Steven Deitch, M.D.
Director, Medical Informatics

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: How can I determine if my Disaster Recovery Plan is up-to-date and, most of all, still workable?

A: Everyone knows that having a well-documented Disaster Recovery Plan is a necessary part of doing business. But when was the last time you re-visited your plan, made sure that everything is still current with respect to your existing environment, and – gasp! – actually tested it to ensure that it works? The worst case scenario, which you want to avoid at all costs, is a recovery attempt which fails completely or which can only be partially completed. To be effective, it is best to have a skilled professional review your current plan to test and determine its true current-state viability. This can be done with current skilled staff members or an outside resource. Disaster Recovery plans must be reviewed and tested on a regular basis to remain effective. Don’t get caught by surprise at the worst possible moment.

-IT Healthcare Consultants
Inteck, Inc.

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: How can I be sure we are getting the highest payback from our investments in IT?

A: Unfortunately, a five- or seven-year Strategic IT Plan is rarely used in many healthcare organizations, and if one exists, everyone should be using at a minimum a three-year rolling Plan to ensure IT investments are being made in a fashion that ensures the greatest return to the whole organization. The IT Plan helps ensure:

• Alignment of IT investments with the organization’s business objectives.
• New technology that is rapidly evolving can be incorporated into the organization in a manner that makes most sense.
•Standards are adhered to, and that standards are allowed to evolve as new technology is adopted.

A carefully thought out IT Plan helps ensure investment decision ‘mistakes’ don’t end up wasting precious capital or hindering an enterprise-wide IT capability that supports organizational goals, and the patient care delivery process.

- IT Healthcare Consultants, Inteck, Inc.
IT Planning Services Division

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: How can my organization’s IT System assist in managing our denials?

A: By obtaining periodic computer generated reports showing your monthly denial rate and your monthly denial recovery rate. If your denials exceed 18% or your denial recovery rate is less than 80%, more effort should be spent on preventing and working denials.

Bruce Jacbos
Director, Financial Managment Services

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: Since physicians don’t like change and are not often interested in changing the way they practice, why should they purchase electronic medical records (EMR) for their group practice?

A: Physicians interested in EMR for their practice should not view this as an all or nothing shift in the way they will practice medicine. MDs should instead view the transition to EMR as gradually incorporating new healthcare information technology elements to their office system. Maybe at first, there is an interest in CPOE, then voice recognition technologies, and then a web portal. Ultimately, new information technologies, including EMR will allow a group practice to gain the efficiency and cost-effectiveness that is necessary to compete as a business in the decades to come.

-Dr. Steven Deitch, M.D.
Director, Medical Informatics

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: We need help with our IT planning and are short on funds. What should we do?

A: To get the most “bang for your buck” you should begin by conducting a comprehensive overview assessment. The results of such an assessment will define short-term priorities and provide valuable insights towards the development of a long-range Information Technology (IT) plan. This will identify limitations and risks and help determine the goals and objectives while assessing IT ramifications. For such an important assessment, it is beneficial to have a skilled professional review your current environment, determine how well your systems are being used, and their functional limitations. (If your facility has a qualified professional already on staff this can eliminate added expenses as well. However, if your budget allows for an unbiased, third-party professional it is well worth the investment.) The ultimate outcome of the assessment should allow you to review a detailed report of findings and recommendations. With this information in-hand you and your healthcare facility will be able to confidently prioritize and align your short-term and long-term IT plans with budget constraints. IT is a major component of all healthcare organizations. It is complex, constantly evolving, and requires realistic long-rang planning and support to be effective.

IT Healthcare Consultants, Inteck, Inc.
IT Planning Services Division

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

Q: How do I get the physicians at our hospital interested in understanding and adopting our new investment in technology, rather than just showing up to our catered informational lunch meeting for the food?

A: A multi-pronged approach for getting physicians to adopt healthcare information technology (HIT) is necessary, and requires the guidance of a physician HIT expert. Healthcare organizations have invested a great deal of time, money, and effort into their current information systems (IS), and healthcare management and their IS departments are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve the value expected from an IS investment. Staff turnover and lack of effective follow-up training, less than optimal decisions made during system build, and lack of resources result in an under-utilization of available functionality, lack of appropriate reports, and unnecessary manual workarounds that are created so people can complete their job responsibilities. Hospital executives, particularly those in IS, want to maximize the use of their IT systems.

A challenge to any healthcare IT system is to bridge the gap between technology and real-world clinical environments, and encourage physicians to use automated systems in the care delivery process. Physicians’ daily workflow will be affected by the new processes and automated functionality. The first step in enabling and encouraging physicians’ involvement, is to have a physician HIT expert implement a readiness assessment program. This assessment is essential to ensure that the appropriate staff and workflow processes are prepared and educated to use these new technological initiatives. It is also important to assess the integration of these new initiatives with existing systems and processes will be smooth and seamless. Education and adoption by healthcare professionals of these initiatives should be led by experienced, senior level personnel who have been through similar initiatives and understand not only the process and technology change that takes place, but also can manage the human aspect of change management that is the inevitable result of such new and exciting IT initiatives.

-Steven B. Deitch, MD, Director Medical Informatics

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.

One question we often hear while working in various facilities is, “How can I simplify the nursing documentation process?”

In order to make reviewing nursing documentation a more simple process, where possible, use consistency when building CDS assessments and treatments, especially the group responses. There are areas of patient assessment, where the information gathered is the same, such as breath sounds or bowel sounds. When building the group responses for various nursing areas, utilize the same group responses attached to the queries. This will make viewing in PCI or EMR easier, as you will not have different answers for the same question or querie. An additional benefit occurs if nurses have to float to different units, they will be familiar with the assessment responses.

Meditech Consultants, Inteck, Inc.
Meditech Services Division

If you have a question for our experts submit it at Info@Inteck-Inc.com.