AxSys Health Article in Billians Health DATA Alan Gilbert, VP, Business Development, AxSys Technology Ltd. May 24, 2011 Since 2007 and 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) have publicly reported 30-day mortality measures for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF) and pneumonia (PN). More recently, CMS has also publicly reported 30-day readmission rates for AMI, HF, and PN. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) allowed CMS the ability to penalize hospitals for excess readmission rates starting in 2013 for AMI, HF and PN. Starting in 2015, CMS will evaluate withholding payments for 30-day readmissions in the areas of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) and percutaneous coronary interventions, among other procedures. The report above shows the National Average Reimbursement for Heart Failure & Shock w/ MCC (DRG 291): $7,696 - $9,939 based on 3,844 hospitals that submitted readmission rate data for the reporting period of 7/1/2006 - 6/30/2009. Using technology to empower recently discharged patients to communicate their current health status to providers is one way to help lower readmissions rates. One example of this is Surgical Site Infection control (SSI) of recently discharged patients. In Scotland, Golden Jubilee - a facility that accepts surgical patients from across the country - found it difficult to monitor patients' post-surgery home-based progress. Patients would be discharged back to their local community with no way of obtaining feedback on their subsequent condition. The hospital recognized there was a need for continued communication between patient and provider in order to monitor for infections. It implemented an automated post-discharge SSI surveillance system, which provides an interactive telephone-based, patient home monitoring module linked to an electronic patient record. The surveillance nurse, who interviews patients before they are discharged, generates this record. All patients are given instructions on how to use the system. Patients are asked to access the system 15 and 30 days following surgery by calling a free phone number via a touchtone phone. The patient calls in and answers a customized SSI script with questions about the status of their wound. The patient responds to script questions by pressing corresponding numbers on the telephone keypad. Phone responses are fed directly into the system, which automatically assesses their answers and totals the predetermined numerical weight of their answers. It generates an alert if the patient's response scores between eight and 18. If the score is over 18, the system sends an e-mail alert to three members of the hospital's infection control team. All patients with a score greater than nine receive a follow-up phone call to discuss the wound and determine if an infection is present. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Care at East Elmbridge and Mid-Surrey Primary Care Trust, also in Scotland, is another example of enabling patients to communicate with their caregivers while at home. The process enabled patients to recognize changes in their own condition. The belief was that if patients could be encouraged to take an interest in their own disease and day-to-day care, the frequency of home visits during the year would be reduced. Patients are registered into the system after Respiratory Nurse assessment. After the initial assessment, the patient calls in from home and answers a customized COPD script with questions about the status of their COPD symptoms. After the call, a report is created and an alert is generated - based on defined criteria - if there is a detected deterioration in the patient's condition. This alert is automatically sent to the Respiratory Nurse via text message, who then calls the patient to give advice or take suggested action. After an incident, nurses enter their clinical notes directly into the system and clear the alert. Implementing this process lowered hospitalizations by 44%. Hospitals need to continue to find creative and cost-effective ways to reduce and prevent readmissions. Empowering patients through the use of technology that already exists in most patients' homes is one way to engage the patient in their own care. Alan Gilbert is the Vice President of Business Development for AxSys Health, which specializes in the development and implementation of clinical solutions to improve and coordinate the delivery of healthcare.  more...

Web-Based Technology to Speed Transition to Patient-Centered Model of Care and Enhance Communications Across Its Network Created May 10 2011 - 12:30pm LOS ANGELES & FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE [1])-- AltaMed Health Care Services, which has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years, and Health Access Solutions, offering a Web-based multidisciplinary care coordination platform, today announced they will enter into a strategic relationship to improve care coordination across AltaMed’s network of staffed clinics, independent physician practices and community-based health centers. The announcement was made at the annual California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG) Healthcare Conference in Palm Desert, Calif. In 2010, CAPG added Health Access Solutions to its group purchasing organization, recognizing the value of the company’s integration of Access Express™ care management software and Excelicare™ clinical functionality. This first-of-its-kind platform is capable of enabling deeper levels of clinical integration and care coordination across diverse delivery enterprises such as primary care medical homes and accountable care organizations (ACO). The largest independent Federally Qualified Community Health Center in the U.S., AltaMed delivers primary medical care, dental clinics and complete senior long-term care services to more than 100,000 families at 43 sites across Los Angeles and Orange counties each year. Attuned to evolving clinical and reimbursement models, AltaMed will build upon its electronic health record system, which is widely deployed throughout its primary care physician network. The relationship with Health Access Solutions will allow AltaMed to expand care communication capabilities among staffed facilities and partner IPAs (independent practice associations) to improve care coordination and maintain a patient-centered model of care across its entire delivery network. “We are delighted with the extensive functionality that the Health Access Solutions’ platform offers,” says Martin Serota, MD, VP and CMO of AltaMed. “It will help us to create a clinically integrated organization, supporting our efforts to improve clinical workflows and clinical decision-making.” President and CEO Cástulo de la Rocha, JD, says, “This strategic relationship further leverages AltaMed’s continuing investments in information technology to improve patient care for the population we serve.” He adds, “This is more than a technology purchase for us; this is the beginning of a truly transformative process.” “Deploying the Health Access Solutions’ platform will help AltaMed fulfill its vision of being a completely integrated, patient-centered organization,” says Randall Frakes, CEO of Health Access Solutions. “We are pleased that our offerings are so well aligned with AltaMed’s strategic direction, and look forward to a long and successful partnership.” About Health Access Solutions Founded in 2000, Health Access Solutions delivers a patient-centric care coordination platform that enables physicians, hospitals, payers and patients to collaborate across the care continuum. Access Express™ and Excelicare™ together provide clinical and care management solutions to organizations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada and the U.K., accounting for more than 31,000 healthcare providers as well as eight million patients and health plan members. The company’s integrated care coordination platform was designed from its inception to support patient-centric care collaboration models such as the medical home and Accountable Care Organization. Marketed under the Access Express Care Management and Excelicare Clinical Management brands, the transformative Web-based platform enhances clinical decision making through evidence-based clinical decision support and treatment reminders; gaps-in-care alerts; medication and care plan adherence notifications; and real-time quality dashboards, analytics and reporting for individual and patient populations. In addition, it enables secure patient access to summaries of current medical record information, while offering patients the ability to easily communicate online with care providers and office staff for appointment and refill requests or other secure communications. For more information, visit www.HeatlhAccessSolutions.com [2]. About AltaMed Health Care Services AltaMed has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years. The largest independent Federally Qualified Community Health Center in the U.S., AltaMed documents more than 650,000 annual patient visits through its 43 sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Accredited by the Joint Commission, AltaMed serves the entire family with primary medical care, dental clinics and complete senior long-term care services, including Adult Day Health Care Center (ADHC) services, senior case management, and the Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). AltaMed also delivers disease management programs, health education, youth services, specialty HIV/AIDS care and substance abuse treatment. Committed to patient-focused care delivered through a caring team of culturally competent health care professionals, AltaMed’s integrated system emphasizes prevention and healthy living, and is designed to reduce health care disparities and avoid unnecessary trips to emergency rooms or other more costly forms of care.  more...

This June 22nd and June 23rd seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada focuses on trends supporting recent government initiatives to cost-cutting programs. Lung Centers of America creates a very interactive seminar where participants will get more involved with topics presented in a limited setting conducive to good learning and sharing practical ideas. Conference Agenda Conference Registration Form   more...

HIMSS Virtual Conference and Expo Track 3 - Accountable Care Organizations and Beyond: Moving Toward Value-Based Healthcare ACO1: ACOs Under the Medicare Shared Savings Program: Understanding the Proposed Program and the Role of Health IT Time: 10:15AM-11:15AM CT The Affordable Care Act directed CMS to establish a shared savings program to facilitate coordination and cooperation among providers to improve the quality of care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and reduce unnecessary costs. CMS recently released a draft of a new program under Medicare that will establish an entity and will create incentives for health care providers to work together to treat an individual patient across care settings – including doctor's offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities: an Accountable Care Organization. Accountable Care Organizations have the potential to have a profound impact on the delivery of healthcare as it shifts the government's reimbursement model from Fee for Service to one based on quality and efficiency. Learn more about the new Medicare ACO model and integration of health IT to support patient-centered care. Review the key components of the proposed ACO model under the CMS Medicare Shared Savings Program Identify the data needs in an ACO environment Explore the role of health IT in supporting the creation and operation of a fully functional ACO Speaker: Alan Gilbert Vice President of Business Development AxSys Technology Jacob Margolin Chief Executive Officer Clinigence   more...