For oncology to move forward, innovation is required. Science, technology, patient care, and communication are all components of this move toward significant improvement. With the advent of government incentives to encourage the uptake of oncologists’ use of technology in a meaningful way, the pressure is on vendors to adapt standards set by the government oversight body, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology (HIT). This is development, but not necessarily innovation. True innovation comes when the enhanced technology is fully used and implemented in an oncologist’s office. A well-run oncology office is a beautiful sight to behold, but one often gets the impression it is a tightrope walk every month. The balance of workload on human resources, finances, and patient health is the primary concern of any oncology practice. And technology, at its best, can help each of these areas significantly. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program requires HIT be at its best to allow physicians to achieve and successfully attest to “meaningful use,” defined as “ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.” As overwhelming as achieving meaningful use may seem, however, it can be done. Implementation and Attestation Northern Hematology Oncology is a community oncology practice in Thornton, CO, that implemented a 2011/2012 ONC-certified EHR system in March 2011 and successfully attested to meaningful use by the end of July, within approximately 120 days. To be clear, this group went from a paper medical chart environment to fully compliant meaningful use workflow in a paperless EHR system in less than 120 days. Analysis of the successful attestations using this EHR indicates that the innovation was the practice’s adaptability and openness to change throughout the entire team. Strong physician leadership clearly set expectations for the staff, and also led by example. These doctors, busy with learning a new EHR system, took the time to implement the new technology in a way that set up success for receiving CMS incentives. This impressive implementation— and resulting attestation and incentive payments-can be replicated in any oncology practice. The trainers and support staff of the EHR system offer the following 10-step guide to successful meaningful use implementation and attestation.
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