Earlier this year, we gave you 3 new words to add to your EHR dictionary through our Uprise Blog. With the growing changes in the eyecare industry, new words are popping up all the time. Today, we want to provide you with 3 more terms we think will have increasing importance this year.
Optometry EHR: Important Eyecare Terms You Need to Know
PQRS
Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is becoming increasingly important as 2015 marks the end of incentive payments and the beginning of downward adjustments. PQRS is a reporting program set in place by CMS, that is meant to promote the assessment of the quality of care being provided through Medicare Part B PFS. The goal is to help ensure that patients are getting the right care at the right time. While PQRS is voluntary and not required for Meaningful Use, the downward adjustments for unsuccessful reporting act as encouragement to participate in reporting in the upcoming years.
The details of PQRS can get overwhelming, so for more information, we suggest you read:
ePatient
ePatients are your patients that fully participate in their healthcare by using electronic devices. With the growing information and benefits that technology has to offer, you can expect to see an increase in these types of patients in your practice. Your practice can improve the care you are providing for ePatients by increasing the use of secure, online education and materials via a patient portal and secure messaging. We suggest you embrace the rise of the ePatient, because these patients are going to be those that find the most value in your practice.
Understanding these patients and how to best care for them is important for your practice. If you want more information on this, check out some of these posts:
Transparent Care
Also referred to as valued-based care, transparent care is about being as open as possible with patients and providing them as much valuable information as possible. This trend is growing alongside the trend of the ePatient, as patients are striving to become more active in their healthcare. Patients and insurance companies want to see how their money is being spent and what value they are receiving for spending that money. In your practice it is going to become extremely important to have a free flow of communication to keep your patients happy and up to speed! Plus, increased education about value will likely help boost your product sales as well!
If you're interest in learning more about providing the best patient care possible with practice management systems, look into these articles:
- Building Your Customer Base with Practice Management Software
- How Eyecare Practice Management and EHR Software Helps You Retain Customers
Now you have the new terms, but are you still familiar with the basics? Download your free Practice Management and EHR Software Dictionary!