Aprima Medical Software Meets Final Meaningful Use Criteria
Dallas, TX (Vocus) July 14, 2010
Aprima Medical Software, a leading provider of electronic health record (EHR), practice management (PM) and revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions for medical practices, announced that functionality already built into Aprima 2011 meets the final Meaningful Use criteria announced yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Company leaders foresee an increase in customers as eligible providers seek EHRs that will enable them to qualify for ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) EHR incentive payments.
“With this decision now made, the government has brought much-needed clarity to this process for vendors and physicians,” said Michael Nissenbaum, Aprima Medical Software CEO and President. “Over the months ahead, we expect a tremendous ramp-up in volume as physicians who were intrigued by the stimulus program’s incentive payments for EHR adoption begin to make purchase decisions so they can be in the first batch of ‘live’ users by January 2011.”
The Final Rule of the Meaningful Use criteria reflects changes from the criteria originally proposed by the government in January 2010 (Notice of Proposed Rule Making). Despite the changes, the company notes that a physician using Aprima 2011 will even be able to meet the more stringent original rules. For example, in the NPRM, a physician was required to submit 75 percent of prescriptions electronically. In the Final Rule, the percentage dropped to 40 percent. Clinicians will also have to report on three core quality measures in the 2011 and 2012 periods: blood-pressure levels, tobacco status and adult weight screening; Aprima 2011 accommodates these measures as well.
Modifications made to the January 2010 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) address stakeholders’ concerns about the “pace and scope of implementation,” according to statements released by Dr. David Blumenthal of the Office of the National Coordinator. In the Final Rule, eligible providers will find that the original 25 Stage 1 criteria for ambulatory clinicians have been divided into two groups: a core set of objectives that serve as the baseline for an EHR, and a menu of ten activities out of which providers must meet at least five. Additional details for each group include the following:
The core set comprises the ability to create a medical record and add patient’s demographic data and vital signs, along with other criteria, that improve safety, quality and efficiency of care. The core set also require that physicians use an EHR’s clinical decision support tools and enter orders such as prescriptions and other clinical orders electronically.
The menu portion gives providers the flexibility to choose from a list of items such as performing drug-formulary checks, providing patient care reminders and supporting transition of care between settings. This flexibility was driven by input from the more than 2,000 comments that DHHS received after the publication of the NPRM.
“The increased flexibility and menu concept in the Stage 1 requirements ease an eligible provider’s obligations to qualify for the stimulus funds,” said Nissenbaum. “However, since Stage 2 will come in 2013 with more stringent obligations, we are advising providers to consider beginning their EHR implementation process soon.”
With increasing numbers of clinicians moving to adopt certified EHRs, vendors will be required to get large numbers of providers trained on their systems. “We have successfully deployed our Aprima Learning Management System to allow physicians the option of either cost-effective online training or high-touch on-site training,” Nissenbaum explained.
Aprima’s template-free, content rich EHR software enables providers to follow their own protocols. Its adaptive learning feature speeds adoption and deployment, a critical capability as medical practices seek to meet Meaningful Use standards for government stimulus fund reimbursements. Furthermore, as a single EHR + PM application built on a single database, Aprima affords users with the fastest access to clinical and financial data. AprimaRCM addresses practices’ needs for seasoned financial expertise by delivering insight that helps practices collect every dollar they earn. Aprima’s licensing plans make sense for everyone from a solo rural practitioner to a multi-specialty urban group. Aprima 2011 is a pre-market conditionally CCHIT Certified® 2011 Ambulatory EHR additionally certified for Child Health. For details, click here. Read a preliminary assessment of Aprima 2011 relative to ARRA IFR Stage 1 readiness here.
CCHIT® and CCHIT Certified® are registered marks of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.
About Aprima
Aprima Medical Software, Inc. develops innovative electronic health record, practice management and revenue cycle management solutions for medical practices. Reach Aprima at 866-960-6890, salesinfo(at)aprima(dot)com or aprima.com.
Company Contact:
Randy Schiff
Aprima Medical Software, Inc.
214-466-8113
rschiff(at)aprima(dot)com
Media Contact:
Emma Douglas
KNB Communications
203-604-6903
edouglas(at)knbpr(dot)com
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