New Features: Calender and Demographics

New Calender Features:

1. It is now possible to make a short note that will appear when an appointment is made for a patient. The note appears in the Event Details window, where you ordinarily pick the type of appointment, length of appointment, etc. Messages such as, "Balance overdue. Discuss w. patient before making an appointment" explains the utility of this feature.

This message may be added by entering the Patient Demographic section, Patient Info tab., bottom left, "Calender Note." What you enter there will appear whenever an appointment is being made for the patient.

Unfortunately, this new feature does not work for Groups.

2. An Appointment reminder can now be printed for the patient. It contains the date and time of the appointment, the clinicians name, and the appointment's location. The "Print Reminder" button on the Event Details window in the scheduler will perform this function.

New Patient Demographic Field

In Patient Demographics, Other Contacts tab there is a new field "Patient Prefers Confidential Communication via"; It is a drop down. This will be used on the upcoming Patient Reminder Lists required for certification and will indicate how the patient wishes to be informed of confidential medical information. It will automatically be included in Patient Reminder Lists.

Smoking Status and Cessation Counseling:

One of the requirements for ICANotes to become a certied EHR is that it address the issue of tobacco use.

The first requirement is that the Patient's smoking status be determined. That can be done during an Initial or Complete exam in the Medical History using the shrub button "Health and Behavior" and then the secondary Shrub Button, "Tobacco."  Note that the third column buttons that are then revealed allow you to both record the patient's tobacco use or history and indicate if any cessation counseling has been done at that time.

In Progress Notes the patient's smoking status can be indicated using a new section in the Behavior part of the program, accessible from the Behavior button on the lower part of column 1 in Progress Note Part 1.

During Progress Note creation,  cessation counseling efforts can be documented using a new section of the Psychotherapy, Patient Focused on... layout. It can be accessed using the Psychotherapy button in Progress Note Part 1, near the top of column 2. Then, continue to "Today Patient Focused on..."

What percentage of your patient's that were queried about tobacco use and what percentage of those that were using were counseled regarding cessation are numbers that will help you achieve meaningful use.  If you want to know these percentages the ICANotes program will calculate them for you.  In the reports menu select Clinical Quality Measures.  On that page select the third item to calculate tobacco use assessment and tobacco cessation interventions.

The ICANotes Team

Certification Update

The dates that ICANotes will be tested for Certification have been moved to February 8 and 11, 2011. This move was requested because of our decision to seek certification for both ambulatory settings and hospitals. Since the incentive payments only require 90 consecutive days of use during 2012 there is still ample time for all qualified clinicians to demonstrate meaningful use in 2011 and begin to receive their first year incentive payments.

Please remember: at present only clinicians who prescribe and are enrolled in the Medicare or Medicaid programs are eligible for the incentive payments.

Clinicians seeking incentive payments will have to attest that they are using a Certified EHR and that they are performing certain functions on a certain percentage of their patients. For example, that "My practice enters patient demographics (including date of birth, preferred language, ethnicity, and gender) for at least 50% of my patient population."

ICANotes will be able to create reports indicating exactly what the percentage of use is for the various criteria, to help you determine your meaningful use.

After ICANotes is certified we will begin providing information and support regarding how to meet meaningful use criteria for those clinicians who qualify for the incentive payments.