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50 EW ASOA PREVIEW March 2012 April 20-24, 2012 ASOA to PROBE electronic health records, encourages surgeons to attend course by Jena Passut EyeWorld Staff Writer "As the business management J.C. Noreika, M.D. A lthough it's a track pro- vided by the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, organ- izers say Practice Revenue Optimization and Business Efficiency (PROBE) is beneficial to surgeons, too. arm of ASCRS, ASOA provides spe- cific tools and education for MDs and their practice staff," said Laureen Rowland, ASOA executive director. "ASCRS and ASOA collabo- rated to form the PROBE track to ad- dress the financial challenges that physicians experience within their practices. The PROBE courses are specifically selected for ophthalmol- ogists to assist in conducting a rev- enue-maximizing analysis of their practices. The PROBE track is an ex- cellent opportunity for MDs and ad- ministrators to participate together as a team and take advantage of these educational offerings." J.C. Noreika, M.D., Excellence In Eye Care, Medina, Ohio, will con- duct a PROBE course from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on April 21 called "Meaningful Abuse: Twenty Years (1992-2012) of the Electronic Medical Record in an Ophthalmic Private Practice." The session speaks directly to surgeons who will be required to im- plement electronic health records (EHR). The U.S. government has pro- vided $30 billion to incentivize the use of electronic health records in the Medicare and Medicaid pro- grams under the HITECH Act of 2009. The HITECH Act incentive al- lows medical practices to receive $44,000 per provider for successful integration of EHR. The installation must meet 15 federal "meaningful use" guidelines prior to receiving re- imbursement. "This isn't a choice," Dr. Noreika said. "It is inevitable as far as healthcare and medicine are con- cerned, but especially for ophthal- mology. If a physician plans to practice ophthalmology beyond 2014, he or she will need to adopt and adapt to this technology. Any medical practice that doesn't adopt an EHR will be penalized after 2015." Dr. Noreika, a longtime user and proponent of the technology, will offer physicians several tips on how to successfully implement an EHR into a practice. First, a physician "champion" needs to take ownership of the tran- sition. "This is not a task that can be delegated," he said. "It's too impor- tant, too expensive, and really, the stakes are too high." Next, a task force from the prac- tice will need to come up with ob- jectives for the technology, as well as vet the vendors. "The broader the net that's cast, in terms of people who are going to be involved with this, the more likely there will be acceptance," Dr. Noreika said. "The more people who understand and can communicate what this is all about, the greater the chance for success. Use the people who adapt more quickly to mentor those who aren't as far along. It is a major change process." Flexibility of the software, as well as the staff, is critical, he said. "Every physician practices dif- ferently. You want to buy software that will adapt to your practice," Dr. Noreika said, adding that he will dis- cuss how to ease into the transition, rather than abruptly change over in one day. "This is something that I feel strongly about. You don't want to jump into the deep end of the pool and when you go live, everything changes. That's a recipe for disaster," he said. Ultimately, Dr. Noreika sees his session and the change to EHR as positive. "As painful as this may be per- ceived by a practice or ophthalmolo- gist, the majority will be pleased with the advantage that EHR offers relative to the care of patients," he said. "I believe that patients will be cared for better. I see so much more potential in terms of providing bet- ter care." EW Editors' note: Dr. Noreika has no finan- cial interests related to this article. Contact information Noreika: jcnmd@aol.com Discover continued from page 49 such as electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic prescribing (eRx), while other practices are just getting started. The symposium will have pearls for attendees at both ends of the learning spectrum. Although there is still resistance The first Ferris wheel made its debut in Chicago at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original one Source: Explore Chicago to HIT, Ms. Simerson said that previ- ous speakers on the topic have likened it to banking and other in- dustries where it is expected that in- formation will be automated—not paper-based. The symposium will address all realms of HIT including EMR, mean- ingful use, eRx, the Physician Qual- ity Reporting System, quality metrics, incorporating advanced technologies in imaging, and transi- tioning to Version 5010 and ICD-10 standards. Presenters will also address how to use HIT but stay compliant with federal standards—for example, who can enter an eRx into the automated system. "There are a lot of miscon- ceptions," Ms. Simerson said. EW Editors' note: Ms. Simerson has no fi- nancial interests related to this article. Contact information Simerson: 952-567-6100, cssimerson@mneye.com