MINNEAPOLIS - (Business Wire) Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) appear to face challenges yet see promise in the adoption of electronic health records. According to an independent national survey of ASC administrators completed this month, 82 percent of ASCs do not use an Electronic Health Record (EHR), 85 percent use paper perioperative notes, and 74 percent use dictation and transcription for the generation of physician procedure notes. The study was commissioned by Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students. Wolters Kluwer Health provides electronic procedure documentation and patient charting solutions for hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers through its ProVation Medical brand.
Forty-three percent of the administrators cite the following obstacles to electronically streamlining documentation:
- Lack of interface with scheduling software and other existing systems
- Lack of capital investment
- Lack of software that will capture their patient mix
- Lack of personnel to implement a new system
In addition, 49 percent have concerns revenue may be lost in the implementation process.
Nearly one-fourth of the ASC administrators do not know their current per chart document management costs. Among those who are aware, 69 percent place this cost between $3.00 and $9.00.
“Relying on paper in an era of electronic documentation and communication is inefficient and expensive. Our goal is to help ASCs streamline processes and cut administrative costs by integrating electronic documentation with their workflow and current IT systems,” said Arvind Subramanian, President & CEO, Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions and ProVation Medical.
Subramanian cites changes to ASC reimbursement that will call for careful cost management and accurate billing. “In 2008 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) begins a four-year phase-in of a new ASC reimbursement schedule. In 2008 CMS also added approximately 800 surgical procedures that qualify for reimbursement when performed in the ASC setting. These changes present both opportunities and challenges for ASCs and compel them to examine best documentation and billing practices, which directly impact revenue and reimbursement,” said Subramanian.
In the survey, 175 administrators considered these combined changes and estimated future revenue at their ASCs, making predictions based on full phase-in of the new reimbursement schedule. Forty-two percent of ASC administrators expect decreased revenue at their sites; of these administrators, 50 percent believe gastroenterology services will negatively impact revenue. Of those who anticipate increased revenue at their sites, 36 percent believe orthopedic services will have a positive effect on revenue.
Renaissance Research, of Edwardsville, IL, conducted the national survey by telephone interviews between Feb. 29, 2008 and March 12, 2008. The interview was completed by 175 ASC administrators, providing a margin of error of +/- 7 percentage points.
About ProVation Medical
ProVation® Medical is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons®; electronic information providers, such as Ovid, Medi-Span® and ProVation Medical; and pharmaceutical information providers Adis International and Source®.
ProVation Medical provides procedure documentation and clinical decision support solutions for hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers. ProVation MD, ProVation MultiCaregiver and ProVation EHR software reduce transcription, paper storage and image printing costs and deliver a high Return on Investment through electronic procedure documentation. ProVation® Order Sets put evidence-based healthcare into practice by establishing and maintaining standards of care.
Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company with annual revenues (2007) of €3.4 billion ($4.8 billion), maintains operations in over 33 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific and employs approximately 19,500 people worldwide. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.
ProVation Medical
Pat Feeney, 314-692-7620
