Fresh perspectives on clinical terminologies, code mapping, and patient insights from the experts at IMO.
Since medical records are electronic, it’s easy to think that patient data is naturally compatible and easy to aggregate for analytic purposes. But, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, many health information exchanges that collect this information struggle to maximize the insights they get from the records. That’s where normalization services can help.
2020 has been getting a pretty bad rap, but we’re thrilled it was named the Year of the Nurse. To celebrate this milestone, we gathered a dozen data points about this versatile profession. Go on, test your knowledge below.
When we’re sick, many of us see a mix of primary care physicians and specialists – and sometimes just specialists alone. But this practice isn’t always the best use of resources. The Primary Care First Act, explored in IMO’s new insight brief, aims to help change this dynamic by increasing the responsibilities of, and reimbursement rates for, providers in the primary care realm.
Organization is everywhere these days, whether it’s targeted at getting your house, your finances, your job, or your life in order. So, it makes sense that there’s a need for organization within the medical field as well. What to tackle first? The medical problem list – an often-disorganized hub with an overwhelming amount of information – is a strong candidate for a revamp.
When COVID-19 first hit the US, clinicians struggled to accurately document cases of the new coronavirus, and the health IT industry quickly mobilized to provide the needed clinical terminology. Now, six months into the pandemic, COVID “long-haulers” are highlighting the ongoing need for appropriate clinical language to document side effects of the virus.
As our health systems continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, clear communication is crucial. Recent changes in reporting regulations from the federal government have led to confusion, which runs the risk of incomplete or inaccurate data collection about the spread and severity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We break down the changes, and subsequent concerns about them, below.
This year, the World Health Organization is celebrating the important role of nurses in modern healthcare. To mark the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, we’re shining the spotlight on our own nursing staff members for a special IMO Q&A blog series.
Electronic health records were never designed to be all things to all providers, leaving the door wide open for creative third-party vendors to identify opportunities for improvement and develop innovative solutions.
When the new coronavirus hit US hospitals at the beginning of the year, many institutions halted elective surgical procedures and diverted resources to care for pandemic patients. Now, most operating rooms have reopened their doors, but patient anxiety about coming into contact with COVID-19 is still keeping many away.
Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) aren’t a new concept, but as more and more organizations shift to value-based care, there has been renewed issue in the subject. And it makes sense – without solid foundational knowledge of HCCs, health systems risk lower rates of reimbursement, or sometimes not getting paid at all.
Back in March, new rules mandating how health systems must improve their interoperability methods were published by the Department of Health and Human Services. In a new white paper, IMO’s Chief Medical Officer, Andrew S. Kanter, MD, explores how the coronavirus pandemic has changed the plans for implementation and revealed gaps in the legislation.
The ability to help or learn from specific patient cohorts is contingent upon being able to accurately identify them. Value sets are the tool of choice for this task, but as a recent HIMSS-IMO survey has revealed, the vast majority of respondents find them challenging to define and maintain.
