The Evolvement of our Profession Through Meaningful Use

As we head into the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE), I cannot help but wonder how many professionals are analyzing the effects meaningful use will have on our evolving career path. New rules and regulations have been put before our sector for practices to meet the requirements of a comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) system.

Many disparate systems and data silos make up a large percentage of information that cannot be reused, repurposed and analyzed for higher-level patient care. New technologies in the transcription sector bring natural language processing to the forefront, allowing structured, narrative, encoded data to directly input into electronic medical record systems and health information exchanges, including Health Story Project. Through government fund allocation, Regional Extension Centers (RECs) have formed in geographic locations to include key stakeholder participants that are helping states adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use EHR technology. Community-wide focus of data sharing is at the epicenter. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have allocated funds for eligible physicians and hospitals who meet "meaningful use" criteria through electronic records to receive incentive payments for years 2011-2015. A stringent set of minimum requirements must be met by the provider following its 90-day request to access the funds for eligibility of stage 1.

RECs are in the process of making recommendations of current and future needs for their respective communities. Once complete, health informatics technicians will be needed to assist and deploy the technology investments. We are at a tipping point of seeing many changes occur within healthcare and its respective careers.

The National Health Information Network (NHIN) is vital to the evolvement of patient care coordination and health services in the United States. As a country, there are a multitude of areas where benefits will be seen, including saving lives, disease control, community wellness screening, reduction of duplicated services, and an overall cost savings to enable efficiencies through real-time data, at the point of care, for decision-making. Patients' contribution of their personal health record (PHR) will help level communication with their caregiver, thus ensuring treatment, referrals and transport mechanisms stay within reasonable cost to the system.

How does the evolving medical language specialist and HIMs fit into these changing roles? First and foremost is understanding the medical record process and enrolling in a school approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP). Second, earn the credential and market yourself and your skill set. AHDI has partnered with Health IT Certification through its Vendor Affiliate Program to offer specialty credentials, (i.e. CPHIT, CPEHR, CPHIE, Privacy and Security credentials) at a discounted rate to AHDI members. Formalize education and training to evolve with the cyclical change we are facing over the next several years. Together we must recognize this and work collectively to be a part of the complex solution that lies ahead.

Highly trained medical language specialists and HIMs are well suited for evolving roles through their experience with their knowledge, understanding, eye for evaluating patient errors, and critical analysis skills for a quality and cost-effective healthcare system. Clinical decision support software is an enabler. The people with the technology must remain a part of the system throughout the document lifecycle, furthering job creation to a sustainable workforce. Many challenges bring new opportunities: understand the technology, develop workforce-ready graduates, bridge communication, participate in stakeholder collaboration groups, and ensure technology vendors meet the goals and objectives to meaningful use criteria within the specified timelines to place the building blocks for successful adoption and inclusion.

The NHIN brings many possibilities to the U.S. healthcare system. Pre-hospital care and 9-1-1 ambulance transport systems combined with primary care physicians have the ability to work together to triage patients into the appropriate level of care (i.e., ambulatory, acute care, primary health, non-transport) through effective planning. We may do the same. This mainstream is here to stay within the revolution of the information technology age.

So take one step at a time. Chart some new goals where you would like to be and how you intend to get there. Be flexible and stay informed through industry associations. Make your plan and succeed. Pursue additional education that will open new doors in the world of medical transcription. We are in this journey together to stay a vital part of the healthcare system. It is a process formed together, through many hands, volunteers and professionals, to enable our craft to move mountains and sail to the other side!