ABQAURP News

‐

 

Announcing our 39th Annual Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Conference

Please be sure to mark your calendars for our 39th Annual Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Conference to be held on April 15, 2016, at the InterContinental Hotel Tampa in Tampa, Florida. The conference, Quality Under the Affordable Care Act: Keys to Success, will focus on improving individual and population health. Both public and private sectors are implementing new models of care, hoping that reimbursement strategies will promote continued evolution of creative and effective solutions.

For better or worse, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has done much to change the way we deliver and reimburse health care services. Provider and consumer practices are impacted daily as we continue to forge through inconsistent coverage options and ongoing legal challenges. With a half-decade of experience now under our belts, we are moving forward with a clearer understanding of a health care delivery system measured by ever-improving outcomes and increasing value expectations. Protect your practice and improve the health of your patients and the community in this new environment. Now is the time to gain an in-depth understanding of what is required to be a successful practitioner under the ACA.

Some of our confirmed speakers include:

  • Dr. Michael Barr, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), discussing national quality standards and how providers can improve and measure quality.
  • Dr. Frank Byrne, president emeritus of St. Mary’s Hospital in Wisconsin, and Dr. Craig Tanio, chairman of the Maryland Healthcare Commission, will present on physician leadership roles, including those emerging in today’s health systems and non-traditional leadership roles.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Farber, chief executive officer, Mount Sinai Care, LLC, will be on hand to talk about Accountable Care Organizations.

If you are considering the ABQAURP Physician Advisor sub-specialty or seek to understand the role physician advisors are playing in today’s care models, representatives from the American College of Physician Advisors will be presenting as well. Drs. Ronald Rejzer and Howard Stein, both ABQAURP Diplomates, will discuss a variety of topics, including improving the quality of care provided to the community, better transitions of care, and utilization management strategies.

We invite you to network with your ABQAURP colleagues, our Board of Directors, like-minded quality leaders, and outstanding faculty at this exciting conference. Our pre-conference evening reception brings everyone together before a full day of accredited learning. We hope to see you in Tampa!

 

Quality Under the Affordable Care Act: Keys to Success!

Friday, April 15, 2016

7:45 am to 5:30 pm

InterContinental Hotel Tampa

Tampa, Florida

 

Early Registration – Register now for $100 off the registration fee!

 

Get the best room rates – Make your reservation today for our rate of $149 per night! Stay at the meeting location, convenient to the airport and enjoy complimentary airport transportation, parking, and guest room Wi-Fi. The room block is limited; reserve by March 17, 2016, or until the block is full to receive these benefits.

 

Registration links and details are available at
www.abqaurp.org

 

 

New Online CME Courses Available!

High Quality and Affordable Care Through Accountability

Our new multimedia online course explores ways to make your approach to our changing environment better! This course was recorded from our Annual Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Conference and provides up-to-date content about today’s health care challenges. Health care delivery is a community responsibility, with growing emphasis on population health improvement. Discover how to focus your efforts and pinpoint critical gaps in quality, safety, and customer service in a health system now based on accountable and cost-effective care!

Effective Documentation for Inpatient Services

The prevalence of poor documentation in the medical record is dramatic. Improper payments are related to insufficient documentation or, in some cases, no documentation of the care provided. The overarching goal of this course is to provide an overview of requirements for proper medical record documentation, discuss strategies being implemented, identify specific tools and actions that have shown promise, and highlight best practices that have been effective.

 

Find these courses, and our other online offerings, at www.abqaurp.org under the Education tab.

 

 

Quality Conundrums

Lynn Helmer, MD, MBA, CHCQM ABQAURP Diplomate since 1998 • http://www.drdnj.com

Moving Targets: A Quality Conundrum?

On April 15, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule, Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Modifications to Meaningful Use in 2015 Through 2017.1 This proposed rule changes the requirements and periods for meaningful use reporting for eligible professionals and hospitals for 2015 and beyond. This rule has not been finalized to date.

A few questions arise. How can providers attempting to meet meaningful use requirements and avoid onerous financial penalties be successful if they do not know what they have to do?  How can thoughtful healthcare providers continue to support a system implemented prematurely with metrics that do not make sense or mirror the needs of patients? What is the justification for directing limited resources so aggressively towards programs that are not clearly associated with improved outcomes, either clinically or from a patient satisfaction perspective?

Have we decided that patient privacy is less important than other medical and quality agenda items?2 As a patient, would you willingly communicate electronically with your physician, knowing that your most private information was at risk of compromise?  As a patient who is also a healthcare provider, would you feel coerced and guilty for refusing to use “secure messaging” or requesting that your information not be transmitted electronically, knowing that your lack of cooperation could lead to a financial penalty for a colleague? Would your solution to this conflict be to give incomplete information to your doctor or nurse? How could your lack of candor affect your health? Do other patients share these concerns?

I applaud CMS for recognizing the flaws in the current system and acting upon this information. After all, one would expect at least some quality methodology to be in place, and even a simple PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach mandates urgent action. I remain concerned about the lack of timeliness in addressing critical EHR-related problems. The proposed actions do not go far enough to protect patients or providers. What would you recommend?

1www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/15/2015-08514/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-electronic-health-record-incentive-program-modifications-to

2www.ibtimes.com/data-security-29-million-patient-records-compromised-health-care-breaches-study-shows-1881245

 

Please send inquiries and comments to abqaurp@abqaurp.org;
please include Quality Column in the subject line. We look forward
to your participation in this column.

 

 

Prepare Now!

CORE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ONLINE COURSE

ABQAURP’s HCQM Certification covers an immense scope of content and topics. To aid you in your preparation, the Core Body of Knowledge online course is designed to focus on key concepts and elements of HCQM. Utilize this tool to build upon your existing skills and knowledge and discover new content to enhance your experience in quality health care. Completing this course now will meet the educational requirements for the 2016 exam.

Please call Barbara Morris at (800) 998-6030, extension 116, or visit our website (www.abqaurp.org) for more information on certification and preparation.

 

 

Health Care Quality and Management (HCQM) Certification

Congratulations to our 2015 HCQM Exam Candidates who have already taken the exam, and best of luck to those preparing to sit for this year’s exam!

ABQAURP is pleased to collaborate with the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) in the administration of the HCQM certification exam. ABQAURP is dedicated to assuring a high-quality certification process with definable standards; the NBME involvement reinforces that dedication. Together, we consult on the planning, development, analysis, and scoring of the certification exam, bringing examinees an exam experience based on a vast array of knowledge and expertise.

Go Further with Sub-Specialty Certification – New Physician Advisor Sub-Specialty

Individuals who perform, or are involved in, any of the following activities have the opportunity to enhance their existing clinical credentials by obtaining sub-specialty certification when successfully completing the HCQM exam (or any time after).

Additional certifications are available in the following categories:

  • NEW! Physician Advisor (physicians only)
  • Transitions of Care
  • Managed Care
  • Patient Safety / Risk Management
  • Case Management
  • Workers’ Compensation

The Health Care Quality and Management Certification and the Physician Advisor Sub-Specialty Certification are endorsed by the American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA). To learn more, visit www.acpadvisors.org.

“National Board of Medical Examiners®” and “NBME®” are registered trademarks of the National Board of Medical Examiners.