Are These 3 Objectives On Your Radar for 2012?

No matter where you sit along the healthcare spectrum, 2012 will bring plenty of opportunity – and plenty of change. Here are three objectives many hospitals are pursuing this year. Are these among your 2012 resolutions?

1. Prepare a smooth transition to ICD-10 – The ICD-10 diagnostic code set officially replaces ICD-9 in October 2013. Yes, that’s almost two years away. But the sheer scope and complexity of ICD-10 affect every facet of your operations. Without capable documentation and billing systems in place, ICD-10 could be a nightmare for physicians, coders, CDI Specialists and other billing, clinical and administrative staff.

Salar can help you achieve a front-end computer assisted coding workflow that seamlessly links physician documentation, review and billing processes.

2. Identify solutions partners for Meaningful Use Stage 2 – Late this coming year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will release its final rules for Meaningful Use Stage 2. The deadline to meet Stage 2 requirements has already been extended until 2014 for all participating physicians and hospitals.

But Meaningful Use, like ICD-10, is another “long-term” deadline that requires plenty of advance preparation. Our TeamNotes and TAP Charge Capture v5.0 solutions are Inpatient EHR Modular certified for Meaningful Use Stage 1 – and we are committed to achieving Stage 2 certification as soon as the requirements are official.

3. Deliver more flexible electronic documentation – Hospitals seem to be in a perpetual search for documentation tools that make it as easy as possible for physicians to engage the EMR system. With ICD-10 and other data-intensive initiatives looming, we expect 2012 to be a pivotal year for hospitals to expand the quality and flexibility of the electronic documentation tools they deploy.

This year, Salar will be introducing some major product updates, including a new TeamNotes platform optimized for use on the iPad and other tablet computers. It’s all part of our goal of giving physicians and hospitals the most versatile, powerful and intuitive electronic documentation and billing solutions available.