HIMSS Webinar: Take clinical approach to assess MU status

To assess a practice’s status of meaningful use, an input tool should capture data to translate into a dashboard to measure ongoing optimization overtime by provider or practice, according to a recent webinar sponsored by HIMSS and consulting firm Concordant.

The webinar, titled “Demystifying Meaningful Use and Adoption,” sought to provide listeners with an approach to assess their practice's meaningful use compliance and make necessary changes.

“How do you define practice benchmarks to achieve a good balance from a provider proficiency standpoint and what’s in the system,” asked Erika Gaudreau, RN, clinical practice lead, Concordant. Gaudreau presented a suggested five-step process that should be useful when doing the assessment/tracking monitoring:

1. Develop program scope, methodology, education and awareness processes;
2. Create assessment, data gathering and remediation processes: A “map and gap” for system functionality to ensure data capture at the point-of-care utilizing clinical best practices;
3. Create assessment tools;
4. Execute pilot programs, create remediational roadmaps and develop trends from data; and
5. Conduct educational sessions of pilot program findings.

“You’ll need to determine the areas of which you want to know more about and the timelines for these areas in which you need to work,” stated Gaudreau. “You must agree on the assessment methodologies. We tend to begin with interviews of relevant staff (clinical support staff as well as providers) and look at the clinical utilization within the practice mapping that against system functionality.”

A pilot program was strongly recommended to mobilize practices and get staff on board when reconfiguring new goals in regards to meaningful use. When pilot programs are implemented, practices can fine tune processes, get a few successes and then hold educational programs to get everyone on the same page and mobilize support, according to the presentation.

Taking a clinical approach, not an IT approach, and marrying that with what providers do each and every day in regards to workflow is the key to success, said Gaudreau.

Anticipating that meaningful use measures will change, Janie Tremlett, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Chelmsford, Mass.-based Concordant, said she believes that a process where practices are involved in ongoing optimization is going to be critical since workflow is an ongoing process. “As providers and practices spend more time utilizing EHRs, there will be different levels people will achieve,” stated Tremlett.

“If you’re look at this as an EHR adoption and optimization approach and providing the practice and provider with a better position of meaningful use than where they are now, that’s the best way to approach these programs,” said Tremlett.