eCW Podcast

North Carolina's Eagle Physicians and Associates have taken a leading role in developing a culture of patient safety, working both within the eClinicalWorks EHR and with an advisory group of physicians and pharmacists to develop and implement ever stronger guidelines for safe use of EHR technology.

When MMR Healthcare started using Transition Care Management from eClinicalWorks, they learned the chronic heart failure, falls, and influenza were the leading causes for hospital readmissions among their patients. With unified dashboards to keep all providers informed about each case, they have improved compliance with follow-up appointments, helped patients with their medications, improved patient education around diet and lifestyles, and reduced their hospital readmission rate down to 10-12%, well below the national average of 18%.

For Dr. Martha R. Rodriguez, Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding is really a language of its own, and one that today's practices must learn in order to effectively deliver quality care and manage their budgets. The HCC module from eClinicalWorks has helped her practice more accurately risk-stratify patients, leading to better care. Providers at MMR Healthcare are thinking differently than before, and speaking a common healthcare language — with dramatically improved results.

While MMR Healthcare had always provided chronic care, in 2014 they begun using the CCM module from eClinicalWorks. They partnered with a local pharmacy college, increased contact with vulnerable patients in-between visits, and avoided unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. While few patients with chronic illnesses are cured of them, the CCM program has helped educate patients, keep them in closer touch with the practice, and improved their quality of life.

Dr. Martha R. Rodriguez used to have data nightmares every time her practice was inundated with lists from insurers showing gaps in patient care. Since using the HEDIS module and dashboard from eClinicalWorks, her practice now has templates that can work with real-time data to proactively close those gaps in care. Plus, knowing which patients need which tests allows them to easily create Messenger campaigns for more effective patient outreach.

The eClinicalWorks EHR is a powerful tool for transforming any medical practice, but too often practices don't take full advantage of all that eClinicalWorks has to offer. With Optimization Services, providers get the on-site training they need to maximize the utility and value of their healthcare IT. The tools are all there — our experts can help you make full use of them.

Patients are most vulnerable when transitioning from an acute care setting back to their primary care provider and home. Reducing readmissions requires proactive management of patients — reconciling medications, ensuring the home setting is safe, and keeping in close contact with the patient. With Transition Care Management from eClinicalWorks, Adult Medicine of Lake County is tracking patients in real time, getting actionable data at the point of care, and lowering readmission rates.

Accurate risk-stratification is essential for any practice to succeed with value-based care. Adult Medicine of Lake County enjoys high HEDIS® scores — which both reflects quality care delivery and has given them leverage in negotiating managed-care contracts. The practice no longer waits weeks for patient data and can better track their snowbird patients in-between appointments. Better data means better tracking, leading to higher reimbursements and the ability to expand service to their patient population.

Adult Medicine of Lake County has taken the guesswork out of coding by implementing Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding for all patient visits. More accurate patient information supports quality care. With all six of the practice's providers having ready access to a list of care gaps for each patient, the encounter is more productive, and Adult Medicine is eliminating that end-of-the-year rush to close gaps in care. At the same time, better coding helps support higher reimbursements.

With Chronic Care Management from eClinicalWorks, Adult Medicine of Lake County went from zero CCM patients to 800+ in 10 months. They are addressing patients' needs beyond periodic, 15-minute appointments. CCM coordinators stay in touch with patients, building real relationships. Clinical staff enjoy better visibility into patient cases. Many patients who would previously have been hospitalized are now treated at a walk-in clinic. And compliance and patient satisfaction rates have skyrocketed.