Make Sure Your EHR is Optimized for MACRA with These 4 Questions
The electronic health record (EHR) system your practice uses is directly related to its successful navigation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Whether you choose the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) or the Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM), ask the following questions of your EHR to be sure that it’s properly optimized for MACRA.
1. What certification steps are they taking?
As of 2018, all EHRs need to be certified according to the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria released by the Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC). If your EHR system isn’t, it could mean that your data isn’t MACRA compliant.
2. How will the EHR effectively capture quality measure scores?
A physician’s MIPS bonus relies on their performance in each category. Additionally, a minimum of one quality measure for one patient must be reported to avoid a 4 percent penalty that’s slated to go into effect in 2019. Determining whether your current EHR seamlessly integrates quality measures, if there are any tracking and reporting gaps and the templates available to document such measures is key to ensuring that the system is optimized for MACRA.
3. Does the EHR provide interoperability?
In 2018, the cost performance category of the MACRA increased to a 10 percent weight from zero in 2017. It’s slated to jump to 30 percent the following year. Because this performance category is based on claims data, it’s vital that your EHR system is optimized to seamlessly track and coordinate patient care. The data collected includes that of those patients who are admitted to the hospital. Unnecessary admissions should be avoided, a strategy that is better supported when a physician has access to information that can help prevent admissions and duplicate testing while also improving patient outcome.
4. How does the EHR enable patient engagement?
The MACRA has a definitive care theme focused on patients. This requires that physicians be able and prepared to provide patients with access to their data. They must also be able to view, request and accept a summary of their care, engage in an analysis focused on security risk and have the option to electronically prescribe medications. Being able to integrate data generated by the patients themselves provides a well-rounded approach to healthcare. Choosing an EHR that is compliant with this portion of MACRA is vital.
Exscribe EHR is fully compliant with MACRA. As the first orthopedic-centric EHR, shouldn’t Exscribe be the choice of your practice?
