Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/332156
17 Executive Briefing: Gastroenterology HIT E lectronic health records have huge potential for endoscopy cen- ters and early adopters will likely have an advantage over others as data becomes increasingly important in the healthcare space. "I think the greatest opportunity for EHR systems is to continue to improve reporting functionality," says Chris Oubre, CIO of Cov- enant Surgical Partners. "In an ever-chang- ing healthcare environment, the ability to pull data and to convert that data to usable in- formation will be more important than ever." Here are three quick tips from Mr. Oubre on choosing the right EHR: • Define your goals for the EHR system before beginning your search. "The best advice I could offer is to start thinking about the end goal and then back into the implementation of the EHR," says Mr. Oubre. "Depending on whether the end goal is to create efficiency, allow for data sharing, im- prove outcomes (clinical, operational or financial), standardize processes or all of the above, answers to those questions will help drive how the EHR is implemented." • Choose a system with the ability to run and pull reports. "The overall goal for having clinicians and physicians docu- ment all of these data points is so that the data can be converted to informa- tion and used in ways that will improve clinical, operational and financial out- comes in the GI center," he says. • Don't forget EHR implementation is only part of the process; how the system is supported, maintained, customized and upgraded are also key points to consider. "I would argue that having internal resources that are clearly responsible for a majority of these items will yield better results than being 100 percent dependent on the EHR vendor," he says. Both standalone surgery centers and large corporate entities will become extreme- ly agile and adaptable to the changing healthcare environment with EHRs. "Hav- ing real time access to information and having the ability to make good manage- ment decisions based on this information will make struggling organizations good and will make good organizations better," says Mr. Oubre. n Here are five things to know about the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act. 1. In 2013 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal government mandated the elimination of cost-sharing for pre- cancerous polyp removal in patients with private insurance. The Re- moving Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act (HR 1070) is de- signed to remove the cost-sharing obligation for Medicare patients. 2. The legislation was first introduced in the House of Representa- tives in 2012, according to the American Society for Gastrointes- tinal Endoscopy. Representative Charles Dent (R-PA) introduced the legislation. The ASGE, in collaboration with a number of other groups, has advocated for the legislation since its introduction. 3. This year, Representative Dent partnered with the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association to release a new public service an- nouncement promoting the importance of colonoscopy as a colon cancer prevention and early detection tool. 4. On May 12, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced he will introduce the legislation to the Senate. This is the first time the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act will reach the Senate floor. 5. The legislation, if passed, will be beneficial in meeting the "80 by 2018" goal established by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. The "80 by 2018" initiative aims to boost the national colorectal cancer screening rate to 80 percent by 2018. n Capitalize on Technology: 3 Quick Tips for EHR Selection By Laura Miller 5 Points on Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act By Carrie Pallardy Chris Oubre gMed provides the gastroenterology industry with a fully integrated platform consisting of an Electronic Health Record, Endoscopy Report Writer, Practice Management solution, Patient Portal, a Data Analytics tool and Revenue Cycle Management. Fully scalable through the cloud or using an on-site server, gMed's products are all Meaningful Use Certified and ICD-10 ready. To find the right gGastro solution for your practice visit www. gmed.com or call 888.577.8801.