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Medigram - April 9, 2009


TOP STORY

CMS cancels Phase II of EHR Demonstration as Society steps up resources

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week that Phase II of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Demonstration Project, which was slated to begin in mid-2010, will not happen.

The Wisconsin Medical Society, in partnership with MetaStar and the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, was one of the Phase II participants. Even though CMS is discontinuing the EHR demonstration, the Society believes the HIT funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus Bill) will be more advantageous to physicians. In addition, the Society has developed a variety of resources to ensure that practices have access to the information they need to evaluate their needs as they determine the best EHR system for their practice. Two teleconferences are being held in May and an EHR Systems Demonstration Fair is scheduled June 23 in Fond du Lac. (See this Medigram article for more information.)

Phase II of the EHR Demonstration was halted because a number of its plans overlap with the schedule, tasks and mission of the Stimulus Bill that President Obama signed into law in February. The Stimulus Bill earmarks $19 billion for the development and adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) through a variety of means, including financial incentives for providers to adopt EHRs. Click here to read the latest updates on the demonstration project from CMS.

NEWS BRIEFS

Poor liability environment and its impact on access: Share your story

As the Wisconsin Medical Society’s lawsuit to restore $200 million to the Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (Fund) works its way through the courts, the Society is working to educate legislators and the public about the negative impact a poor liability environment could have on patients’ access to care. Many physicians moved to Wisconsin after leaving practices in states with poor medical liability environments. This is a second request for physicians to help us document these stories. If you already shared your story, thank you. If you haven’t, please consider doing so or forwarding this request to a colleague. Click here for details.


In the age of EHRs, what does e-discovery really mean to health care professionals?

Electronic discovery (also called e-discovery or ediscovery) refers to any process in which electronic data is sought, located, secured and searched with the intent of using it as evidence in a civil or criminal legal case. E-discovery can be carried out offline on a particular computer or it can be done in a network.

In health care, e-discovery gives rise to multiple legal, constitutional, political, security and personal privacy issues. To learn how this could affect your practice, join Tom Shorter from the law firm of Godfrey & Kahn, SC, on April 14 as he explains the revised federal rule governing e-discovery and its implications for the health care industry. He will also explain the legal requirements for information retention and help identify best practices and procedures. This is especially important as we move from a paper-based world into the age of electronic health technology. Don’t wait, click here to register today!


Earn CME credit at upcoming risk management programs

Planning to attend the Society’s Annual Meeting next week? Carve out some time to learn about risk management and you’ll earn CME credits before the weekend is over.

The program, “From the Exam Room to the Courtroom,” will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on April 17. (Click here for more information.)

CME will also be available following the Society’s next Quality Forum meeting May 19 at 11:45 a.m.. “And You Think You’re Having a Bad Day” will explore some of the toughest risk management situations physicians face in their practices, including drug-seeking patients, patient noncompliance, patients who can’t pay, and more.

Both risk management programs are a joint effort of the Society and ProAssurance Wisconsin Insurance Company (formerly PIC WISCONSIN). They are part of a portfolio of programs being offered this year. The first program, “Let’s Talk: Communicating the Good, the Bad and the Apology,” was held in February but will be offered again as a teleconference on May 6. If you’re not attending the Annual Meeting or the Quality Forum, those programs will also be repeated. Teleconferences will be held June 3 and July 16, respectively. Face-to-face presentations of all three programs will be scheduled at a later date.

Society members who have chosen ProAssurance as their insurance carrier through Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance and Financial Services may qualify for a 2.5 percent reduction of their premium at renewal for participating in the programs.

To find out if you qualify for this premium discount or if you have questions about applying for medical professional liability insurance through Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance and Financial Services, please click here. If you are interested in registering for any of the face-to-face sessions or teleconferences, contact Stephanie Taylor at 608.442.3796.

QUALITY & EFFICIENCY

Save the date: Quality Forum scheduled for May 19

The next Wisconsin Medical Society Quality Forum meeting is Tuesday, May 19 from 9-11:30 a.m. The agenda will focus on Patient Centered Medical Care, which can mean different things to different health care stakeholders. In July 2008, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Board of Directors adopted the following principles from the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (www.pcpcc.net) on patient centered care:
  • Ongoing relationship with your personal physician
  • Physician directed medical practices
  • Whole person orientation
  • Coordinating care across the health system
  • Quality and safety
  • Enhanced access to care
  • Payment appropriately recognizes the added value provided to patients
Speakers will discuss their conceptual and operational perspective on patient centered care. They include representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Affinity Medical Group, The Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and Quad Med.

Following the Quality Forum, a risk management education session titled “And You Think You’ve Had a Bad Day!” will be presented by ProAssurance Insurance Company. See related Medigram article for more information. Lunch will be provided.

This Forum is open to all interested Society members. If you would like to participate, additional information or to be notified about future Quality Forum events, contact Stephanie Taylor to be added to our mailing list.

CAPITOL INSIDER

Some policy—but not all—pulled from state budget; major tort policy remains

As the State Legislature’s powerful Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) prepares to start voting on the $64.6 billion 2009-2011 biennial state budget late next week, legislators are grappling with dozens of policy provisions Governor Jim Doyle included in the bill but have no fiscal effect on the state’s finances. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has penned two memos (here and here) to different JCF members, listing budget items fitting certain policy-only parameters.

One item of concern is a set of changes to the state’s comparative negligence statutes. The LFB description of the changes are here. As described in a previous issue of Medigram, this provision could mean a dramatic change in medical liability awards, with a physician potentially forced to pay 100 percent of a medical liability decision even if that physician was less than 51 percent negligent in a particular case. The budget proposal essentially allows a plaintiff to seek the entire award from the defendant with the deepest pockets, even if that defendant was the least negligent among those at fault.

The Society believes this provision does not belong in a biennial budget bill and is calling on the Legislature to remove it from the budget. If you would like to weigh in with your Capitol representatives, call them with your opinion. Check your State Senate and State Assembly Representatives contact numbers here. Contact Mark Grapentine, JD, with any questions.


Psychologists introduce independent prescribing bill

A bill allowing psychologists to independently write prescriptions is currently circulating in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Senator Judy Robson (D-Beloit) and Representative Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay), the primary authors of the bill (see a draft of the bill here), are soliciting their peers to cosponsor the bill. Wisconsin Medical Society policy (MEN-003) opposes this independent prescribing power.

While Sen. Robson and Rep. Pasch allege that the bill is intended to relieve an access problem for this kind of treatment, American Medical Association data show that psychologists tend to practice in the same geographic area as psychiatrists and family practice physicians. The Wisconsin Psychiatric Association (WPA) has collected information related to how the proposal would affect quality, access and costs; WPA strongly disagrees with the premise that the bill’s education requirements can foster safe and effective mental health prescribing decisions as there will be no physician supervising the prescribing. The WPA acknowledges that access to mental health care is a significant problem, but believes the proposed bill would not help solve that issue safely and effectively.

If you wish to contact your State Senate or Assembly Representatives to share your views on the bill, verify their contact information here.

For more information, contact Mark Grapentine, JD.

FOUNDATION FOCUS

2009 Fundraising Event and Silent Auction

It's your last chance to register! There are only a few spots are left, so call today if you are interested in attending this year's event. Click here for details and the registration form.

To preview the Silent Auction Book and view photos of items available at the auction, click here.


Spring newsletter now available

Find out about how the Foundation invests in people like Charles Holmburg, MD, of Menomonee Falls, and read other news in the Spring 2009 Foundation Focus newsletter.

QUALITY CORNER

April 14 listening session to focus on comparative effectiveness research priorities

The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research will hold a public listening session at 3 p.m. April 14 in Washington, D.C. The council will hear public comment regarding comparative effectiveness research and the Coordinating Councils activities.

Individuals and organizations may submit written comments for the Council’s consideration. The public may also listen live via audio conference or watch the session on-line at www.hhs.gov/recovery.

For more information, click here. To register to attend the listening session, nominate a person to make a three-minute oral statement, and/or submit a written statement for the Coordinating Councils consideration, click here. Individuals should register by Monday, April 13. Space and audio conference lines are limited.

FAQ

Question:
Where can I get help selecting the right EHR for my practice?

Answer:
The Wisconsin Medical Society is offering assistance with EHR selection through a series of two teleconferences. “Navigating the Electronic Health System World—Readiness Assessment and Preparation” and “Choose and Use—The Electronic Health System and Beyond” are availble in both April and May. For more information about the teleconferences, click here. In June, the Society is holding an EHR vendor fair where a variety of EHR vendors, selected by the Society, will demonstrate how their products work, answer questions and distribute information about their systems’ features. For more information about the fair, click here.