Nov 18, 2021 | Dermatology Practice
In some ways, it took a pandemic for the healthcare industry to accelerate new ways to deliver patient care. For example, a CDC study found that using telehealth for patient visits increased by up to 154 percent from 2019 to 2020. Now, this service is a permanent option for some major healthcare organizations, and it’s just one example of how dermatological interoperability is helping providers to move closer to incorporating technology with traditional patient care.
A recent study determined that effective interoperability and communication are essential for a primary care system to successfully prevent illness, manage care across multiple providers, and reduce health care costs.
“To address patients’ needs, primary care physicians often must communicate and exchange information with specialists, hospitals and other care settings, social service providers—and, of course, the patients themselves,” says Muhammad Chebli of NextGen Healthcare.
But what is dermatological interoperability? If it’s the future of healthcare, how can we incorporate this technology in ways that help your practice run more efficiently and grow? Let’s first gain a better understanding of interoperability. Then, we’ll explore how interoperability can scale our practice with innovation that better organizes data, expands patient care options, and streamlines billing.
What Is Interoperability?
For doctors who have already adopted EMR technology, you are closer than you think to full interoperability. “EMR interoperability is a system architecture that allows healthcare facilities to access, analyze, and share health data between systems, medical devices, and applications at a local or cross-organizational level,” explains Ivan Dunskiey, Demigos Healthcare founder and CEO.
Almost 90 percent of healthcare providers have implemented EMR technology into their workflow processes. As dermatologists work with EMR technology, here are six ways EMR can work for them.
1. Ensures Compliance
Under the federal government’s direction, the healthcare industry is placing patients at the center of their care and medical information. Part of the 21st Century Cures Act entitles all patients to access their complete medical file upon request.
In other words, providers must digitize their patient records so that patients can access their information. As patients take a more active role in their care, doctors can use these opportunities to develop open, trusting patient relationships.
2. Standardizes Data
Is it a rash? Psoriasis? A lesion?
It’s not uncommon for patients to be treated by more than one doctor at a time. With hard-copy record keeping, a healthcare provider may use different terms to describe the same thing. Using EMR interoperability standardizes those terms, which creates more accurate, reliable patient data.
Also, with standardized data, other health service agencies can collect and analyze data about a specific skin condition, for instance, and note higher incidences of that particular disease in specific geographic regions. That, in turn, can launch discussions on the risks and determine if an area needs more resources.
3. Expands Access to Services
Telehealth services and self-service patient portals are promising indicators of the evolution of care delivery options with interoperability. For the dermatology field, EMR and digital slides sometimes open up life-saving treatment options for malignancy cases. Regardless of clinic size and location, doctors can obtain expert opinions on dermatology cases and discuss results via remote.
4. Allows Access to a Complete Patient Medical Record
The more information a healthcare provider has, the better the diagnosis. Since patients only remember about 49 percent of the information they receive from their doctors, medical professionals must rely on thorough medical records. With digitized patient records, a healthcare provider not only sees their notes, but they can also read through the notes shared by other doctors.
When determining treatment options, a healthcare provider can refer to reported lifestyle habits or existing conditions being treated by another physician that could interfere with certain treatment plans. Accessing a complete patient record ensures effective care that won’t interfere with other treatments, medications, etc.
5. Faster Billing
There are several reasons why digital patient records streamline the billing process. “Technology has enabled a huge transition in streamlining medical records storage and processing,” explains Greg Dondero, business development director at Healthcare Resource Group, Inc. “Electronic recordkeeping helps ensure that patient data is accurate, up to date, and easily accessible. It allows secure sharing of information with patients, providers and other healthcare workers, which ultimately reduces costs because of reduced manual paperwork.”
6. Saves Time
At this very moment, a collective “hah!” resounds from doctors who recently implemented a new EMR system. In fact, one of the most common complaints among doctors is how much time it takes to update patient records. One study estimates that surgeons, for example, spend almost two hours per day updating electronic health records. And they often update patient files at home in their spare time.
As EMR technology evolves (and it will, as more doctors weigh in with feedback), so should your workflow design. For example, how do you handle patient check-ins? Can the patient verify insurance and contact information through a self-service portal before their appointment? Are there redundant tasks within your office workflow that can be automated? Can you schedule time each day for communication tasks or file updates? Partnering with a full-service digital dermpath lab like PathologyWatch can fast track your workflow WITH technology to help you save time and make it easier to scale your practice in conjunction with these innovations.
No doubt about it: Interoperability is the future of EHR and EMR systems. A better understanding of the possibilities dermatological interoperability can bring to your patient care, billing, and data management is transformative for the future of your practice.
Nov 5, 2021 | Digital Dermatopathology, Meet The Team
Dr. George brings years of dermatopathology experience to the firm, with a special focus on melanoma.
Salt Lake City, November 4, 2021—PathologyWatch, a full-service digital pathology service, is pleased to welcome Dr. Eva Vertes George, MD, to its clinical team. A highly qualified and respected dermatopathologist, Dr. George’s expertise in melanoma, autoimmune conditions and inflammatory skin conditions aligns with PathologyWatch’s goals to support the most comprehensive and best-quality patient care while reducing healthcare costs.
“We are impressed with the enthusiasm and depth of expertise that Dr. George brings to the people of Florida and all over the United States,” says Dan Lambert, cofounder and chief executive officer of PathologyWatch.
Dr. George completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Florida. Her fellowship was in dermatopathology at the University of Florida, and she is US-board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and dermatopathology.
Although she enjoys all aspects of clinical pathology, her focus is melanoma. “I love it all, but I would say the part that grabs me is melanoma. There’s still so much that we don’t know about them. As we continue understanding the different variants, it’s about making sure we get the correct diagnosis so that patients receive the best care possible.”
As a strong supporter of digital pathology, Dr. George was drawn to PathologyWatch in part because of its commitment to opening up access to qualified patient care to the international community. “The idea that a biopsy can be done anywhere in the world, digitized, and then read by a pathologist from a different place in the world is very exciting. The possibilities are endless with that kind of instant accessibility,” said Dr. George.
“One of the most valuable parts of digital pathology is that it is going to enhance the accuracy of the diagnosis in a timely manner. It enables the transfer of information more readily and then extends that service to rural areas,” said Dr. George. “I truly believe digital pathology is the future.”
For more information, please email [email protected] or visit us at pathologywatch.com.
About PathologyWatch
PathologyWatch is the groundbreaking leader of digital dermatopathology services. Through these services, dermatology clinics, hospitals and laboratories can improve operational efficiency by speeding up workflow and enhancing patient outcomes by utilizing the PathologyWatch expert professional team and laboratory services. This can facilitate best-in-class reads and, in some cases, enable additional revenue to the practice by in-housing pathology. With an intuitive and easy-to-implement digital pathology solution that includes access to top-tier dermatopathologists and a streamlined clinical workflow that interfaces directly into the EMR, PathologyWatch brilliantly combines state-of-the-art technology and clinical decision-making to deliver unprecedented patient care.
Oct 29, 2021 | Dermatology Practice, Digital Pathology
With emerging technologies promoting self-service portals to access medical information and other self-care practices, it seems the healthcare industry hopes to empower people to take control of their healthcare decisions and care. But that doesn’t necessarily mean patients must take the trip down the treatment lane alone.
“So much of our lives are now assisted virtually, and on-demand, that going to the doctor when we’re sick feels like stepping back in time,” says Katelyn Smalley, adding that digital health is a welcome addition to healthcare. However, she also emphasizes the need for balance between technology and building an honest personal relationship with your healthcare provider.
In the dermatological field, technology is a strategic tool for reducing turnaround times for test results, controlling overhead costs for clinics, and expanding access to care. It also reinforces the SHARE approach to decision-making in clinical encounters.
If you’ve incorporated the SHARE model approach to bolster the patient experience with shared medical decisions, today’s digital technology is a natural fit for encouraging participation, assessing the diagnosis, and discussing the most preferred options. Here’s why:
SEEK your patient’s participation.
Emerging patient-centered technologies broaden patient involvement in their treatment plans, and it reflects in how patients communicate with their healthcare provider. For instance, recent studies found that over half (51 percent) of consumers are likely to tell their doctors that they disagree with them.
The onset of the 21st Century Cures Act and EMR technology equipped with custom self-service portals provide patients with essential information about their medical history. Access to this data drives patient involvement and prepares them for an in-depth discussion about their diagnosis and how to move forward. Essentially, the doctor needn’t lead the patient into a discussion about their diagnosis; the patient is already engaged.
HELP your patient explore and compare treatment options.
To make informed decisions about treatment options, seeing is believing. When patients can see the actual diagnosis while discussing their condition with a doctor, it bolsters better doctor-patient communication.
When offered, 75 percent of patients will engage in a consultation geared to demystify the diagnostic process and provide information that empowers the patient. Partnering with a full-service digital dermatopathology lab like PathologyWatch enables 24/7 access to patient slides to add a new level of clarity to the discussion.
ASSESS your patient’s values and preferences.
In some cases, particularly those associated with malignancy, reaching out to a specialist via remote consultation may also bolster the patient’s confidence in their doctor and encourage collaboration in treatment preferences.
With digital slide imaging as part of the patient/provider consultation, your patient can express concerns, ask questions, and consider options while they see and hear from both doctors sharing encouraging and qualified support while addressing the patient’s preferences.
REACH a decision with your patient.
A study out of the University of Washington School of Medicine found that almost all of us (90 percent) want to know the whole truth about the diagnosis of a serious illness. When you’ve created a comfortable, trusting environment to discuss a patient’s condition, it makes it easier for them to ask more questions about the risks of treatment options based on the digital slides of their lab results.
EVALUATE your patient’s decision.
Many health conditions don’t have a clear best treatment option, so finding the right answer often requires the doctor and patient to work together. “Shared decision-making allows patients to engage in a deliberative, communicative process with their clinicians and be active participants in their care,” says Angie Fagerlin, chair of the department of population health sciences at the University of Utah and president of the Society for Medical Decision Making, explained.
Experts agree that engaging in shared medical decisions leads to better patient outcomes, more effective treatments, and lower costs. And patients who engage in health care decisions with their doctor “are less likely to regret the choices they make and more likely to stick to the treatment regimens they select,” adds Laura Landro of the Wall Street Journal.
Using the SHARE model for medical decision-making remains a strategic way to engage with patients about their care. Adding digital technology reinforces that relationship by providing patients with a broader perspective of their care and treatment options.
Oct 21, 2021 | Dermatology Practice
By Katie Messner, DO
The 21st Century Cures Act is live, and it impacts the entire healthcare industry—including your dermatology clinic.
Amendments to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and the HIPAA Privacy Rule of 2014 allow for the release of real-time laboratory and imaging results to patients. It’s only recently that the law came to include pathology reports.
The Cures Act drives interoperability within the healthcare industry and expands patients’ access to their medical information via electronic devices or smartphones. This initiative will encourage better care and outcomes for patients and dermatologists.
“In a future where data flows freely and securely between payers, providers, and patients, we can achieve truly coordinated care, improved health outcomes, and reduced costs,” CMS reports. But what does this drive to interoperability and digital technology mean for your dermatology clinic?
In addition to implementing EMR technology, these federal changes will require some adjustments in your clinical workflow. Addressing three questions about the impact digital innovation will have on the availability of patient information, transparency, and reporting will reinforce safe and effective practices for efficient care and elevate the patient experience.
When will lab results be available to patients?
Although medical information should be available electronically per a patient’s request, access to pathology test results via a patient portal, for example, shouldn’t supersede the doctor’s opportunity to review the test results before the information is available to the patient.
The good news is that eight exceptions can prevent doctors’ actions from being construed as information blocking. In this case, the infeasibility exception states that it’s not information-blocking if the request can’t easily be granted due to issues with the type of information requested and available resources.
Communicating to your patient during the exam that their test results will be available after being reviewed by the doctor should help minimize confusion. Although the test results are accessible digitally, emphasize that you’d like to meet with them either in person or via a telehealth visit to discuss those results. It would help if you also consider working with a digital lab like PathologyWatch, which offers quick turnaround times on lab results to allow more time to review them.
How will you control transparency?
Per the 21st Century Cures Act, patients can request their whole record. That means patients can see the names of the lab that processed results, the name of the dermatopathologist, and other contact information that may blur boundaries between the patient, your clinic, and the lab testing review process.
A healthy physician/patient relationship rests on clear communication and trust. Without it, patient care will feel fragmented and confusing. Be proactive in explaining what your patient can expect following their exam. Make it clear that your office is their point of contact for fielding questions about their care. Then adjust your staff’s responsibilities and office processes to ensure those inquiries are handled promptly.
Who is your audience for reporting?
To put it simply, it’s no longer a mystery to patients what doctors say about them in their medical files. For instance, if the patient is noncompliant or appears morbidly obese, they can read all about it in their medical file.
But this newly expanded access to patient information also spurs a debate about the language used in patient files. Should a doctor use more commonly understood terminology and avoid medical jargon for the sake of catering to the patient reading it?
The primary purpose of recording a patient’s medical information is to create a medical record for you to monitor your patient’s history and bill payers and to communicate with medical colleagues who also treat your patients. Although your patient has access to this information, some dermatologists argue that they are not your audience.
“The psychology of this process seems to detract from the goal of smooth and effective care and the privilege of methodical clinical documentation and discussion without the possible paranoia of wondering who’s reading it,” asserts Lorraine Rosemilia, MD, FAAD.
Warren R. Heymann, MD, FAAD, agrees: “While I appreciate the advantages of transparency and disclosure of all medical data, we went to medical school for a reason—to provide compassionate care, enveloped in providing information in the right context.”
The goals for the expansion of data availability are to deliver quick access to care, reduce costs, and improve the quality of care. But this technology evolution requires buy-in from providers committed to adapting their workflow processes to support interoperability.
While this initiative will likely face numerous changes in the coming years, the future of healthcare will undoubtedly continue on the path to better processes that engage patients, providers, and payers with thoughtful digital transformation.
Oct 8, 2021 | Digital Pathology, Uncategorized
Since the pandemic’s onset, we’ve learned a lot about the impact of digital technologies like telehealth services and remote patient care models. These services have been pivotal for ensuring the nearly 78 million people who live in rural communities across the US have access to a healthcare provider.
But telecommunications and digital pathology capabilities within rural clinics also benefit primary healthcare providers by elevating the quality of patient care they can provide with no heavy investment in lab equipment or additional staff.
With a digital pathology workflow, your patient’s lab results are sent electronically directly to each patient’s EMR. Plus, a digital image of your patient’s results makes it possible to collaborate with expert dermatopathologists from all over the country to utilize their expertise for the best care options possible.
Let’s talk about the current state of healthcare in rural communities and how the need for alternatives in delivering patient care, including specialized care, is in sync with digital technology capabilities. Then, we’ll explore how transitioning to digital technology doesn’t require more overhead costs. Instead, it empowers your rural clinics to expand accessibility and be more effective with existing staff. Here’s how.
Understanding the Doctor-to-Rural-Patient Ratio
First, let’s understand what doctors in rural communities face. The National Rural Health Association says the ratio of doctors to the population in the rural communities they serve averages around 39.8 physicians per 100,000 people. This is compared to 53.3 physicians per 100,000 in urban areas. Access to specialized care is even lower, with only around 30 specialists serving 100,000 people in rural areas. These facts underline how critical it is for technology to bridge the gap between modernized healthcare and America’s rural regions.
Comparing General Clinical Care to Specialized Care
In many cases, rural clinics staff medical school residents who can provide effective general care. On any given day, these busy rural clinics respond to various patient care needs ranging from setting bone fractures and running a lab test for a bladder infection to vaccinating an infant.
But what about chronic skin conditions? An NIH study found that rural communities in Texas, for instance, experience higher incidences of cancer than urban areas, particularly melanoma, which accounts for over 7,000 deaths each year. And in Utah—which holds the rather dubious honor of reporting the highest incidences of melanoma and mortality rates in the US (80 percent higher than the national average)—96 percent of its land is rural or frontier.
“Patients from rural and frontier counties may have different pathways of care to a melanoma diagnosis,” explains Tawnya L. Bowles and her research team. “Rural patients may not have proximity to a diagnosing provider and the specialty of the diagnosing provider may be different compared with urban patients. Furthermore, patient and tumor characteristics may also be influenced by rural residence.”
With early detection playing such a huge role in successfully treating chronic skin diseases, how can rural clinics best deliver optimal care without increasing overhead costs? Simple: Bring the dermpath lab and their team of specialists to the clinic. And that’s where digital technology comes into play.
Digital Technology: A Modernized Tool for Accessible Specialized Care
In any pathology case, tissue samples of the affected area must be collected, then processed in a pathology lab. Digital dermpath specialists add an additional process of digitizing slides in a scanner, which allows for improved access to whole-slide images for both the requesting physician and the dermpath lab, typically resulting in a shorter diagnostic turnaround time.
But here’s where rural clinics benefit from this technology: Since the process is virtual, slides can be instantly shared with specialists anywhere in the world. Some dermpath labs—including PathologyWatch—also have specialists in other fields on staff, allowing them to have even more immediate access to virtual slides after they’ve been digitized without needing to send glass for a consultation.
A dermatopathologist’s understanding of skin diseases includes knowing which ones can indicate something else, such as systemic diseases found in other parts of the body that may present dermatologically. Through digital dermatopathology, dermpaths can conveniently review and share slides with specialists familiar with these indicators and include those specialists’ findings as part of their report.
Enhanced Patient Care
Understanding the correlation between dermatopathology findings and disease with readily available access to specialists can ultimately result in improved patient care. Once a diagnosis has been established, a primary care physician can take a swift and appropriate course of action. With digital technology, doctors can treat patients anywhere without requiring more full-time staff or expensive lab equipment.
Compared to traditional pathology practices, digital pathology provides a strategic resource in qualitative analysis and reduces errors through the conversion of slides into digital imagery.
With an extensive network of specialists in multiple fields, digital dermpath labs can generate more detailed reports based on additional findings through collaboration achieved by sharing these high-resolution digital slides with specialists. That means a rural clinic in Hurricane, UT, can feel confident that they are providing the same caliber of specialized care for their patients as those treated in larger cities.
Digital pathology can transform your rural clinics by offering patient care services that weren’t possible a decade ago. With digital technology as the foundation of your care delivery process, your staff will provide the most innovative dermatological care available, partnered with a personalized and caring patient experience.
Contact us today for a free demo if you’re interested in learning more about how PathologyWatch, our team of dermatopathologists, and our network of dermatopathologists can help you.
