Category: A – Warm

If you work in behavioral health and human services, you play a vital role in the lives of others. You and your colleagues help people who are dealing with issues like intellectual and developmental disabilities, severe and persistent mental illness and families in crisis. That’s why you deserve the right EHR tools that can help you deliver on your mission of supporting better outcomes in the communities you serve.

At Qualifacts, we firmly believe in empowering care providers with an electronic health record platform that is designed to amplify clinical expertise and do more than simply “checking the box” in terms of compliance and regulatory requirements. We work to build solutions that help social workers, therapists and executive teams transform lives each and every day.

If you’ve been frustrated with your current workflows, take a few minutes to consider if your team is equipped with the right tools. If you feel like your current EHR isn’t helping you deliver on any of the following, it might be time to find a new vendor partner that can help!

1. The right EHR can help you get more face-time with clients.

This is big complaint that we hear from providers at industry conferences. Their current EHR platform is more of a hindrance than a help. It takes too long to create clinical documentation. Workflows are rigid and don’t really mirror their practice. Data is nearly impossible to access in order to actually put it to use. Though, you shouldn’t have to put up with those challenges. Client-centric EHR platforms are designed to actually streamline documentation and give you more hours in the day to serve the people under your care. (See How to Select the Best EHR) for a sample worksheet you can use to document your workflows to ensure a new EHR meets those needs and to find trouble spots that could use improvement.)

2. Technology should be designed to amplify your ability to serve.

If you think that your EHR is just a different way to store your clinical progress notes – think again. Electronic health record platforms can (and should) do more to help you deliver care. Lately, we’ve seen a lot of interesting advancements with the integration of clinical decision support tools. These platforms are designed to help clinicians access the latest evidence-based research while simultaneously also earning CME credits. Is your current EHR designed to help you access the latest findings in clinical care?

3. Advanced EHR platforms can help you deliver patient-centered care.

One of the most exciting advancements in healthcare IT is all about interoperability. Connecting systems, organizations and providers throughout the care continuum. Is your current EHR able to integrate with Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) in your area and share clinical documentation with other providers? If not, you may not be able to access important data that can help you make more informed decisions. (To learn more, download How to Select the Best EHR. The manual includes tips for integrating with other organizations.)

In sum, we understand that behavioral healthcare is complex. But, it doesn’t have to stay that way. We believe that electronic health record (EHR) technology has the potential to radically transform how we deliver care and transform our communities. This is the reason why we are dedicated to investing technology-enabled solutions for behavioral health providers.

With the right technology partner, you can simplify the complexity associated with delivering the best care possible to help your clients move towards their personal goals and objectives. To learn more about selecting an electronic health record that can help you do more, download How to Select the Best EHR. This manual includes helpful strategies for organizing an internal search team, identifying your data needs, building an EHR-capabilities scorecard and more. And in an effort to build upon industry-wide best practices, the guide also includes insights and proven strategies from HIT peer organizations and industry consultants.

We partnered with Behavioral Healthcare Executive to host a webinar about The 21st Century Cures Act’s Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) mandate and how that is expected to impact behavioral health and human services organizations next year.

During this event, Jeff Silverman, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Qualifacts, provided an executive overview of the new technology requirements that agencies will need to adopt. His presentation also analyzed how state’s are formulating their own models for compliance and an in-depth look at the types of services that fall within the Cure’s Act legislation.

To watch the webinar in its entirety, you can view a complete recording of the event online here.

Webinar attendees (which included c-suite executives, compliance officers and clinical team members) were polled on a variety of EVV related topics to find out where they are in terms of EVV readiness. Here are a few interesting insights that we were able to capture.

How does your organization compare?

Does your agency provide services that currently require or will require EVV?

What is your agency’s level of preparedness?

Is EVV compliance one of your organizations strategic initiatives for 2019?

To learn how Qualifacts supports EVV for Behavioral Health and Human Services agencies through our CareLogic Mobile application, please contact us. We’re here to help you simplify the complexity of supporting The 21st Century Cures Act and better outcomes.

Contributor: Angela Ball, Manager of Integrations Practice Services at Qualifacts

You know it’s possible. Interoperability. The exchange of information from one platform or organization with the next. But, with a finite amount of time and resources, how do you prioritize this within your organization? Which workgroups and workflows should be connected with others in order to support your organizational objectives and return the best ROI?

Given that each behavioral health and human services organization is unique, you can’t apply a formulaic approach to optimizing operations. Though, there are are a few interoperability industry best practices you can apply to support better outcomes and improve efficiencies.

If your team has been talking about integrating your Electronic Health Record (EHR) platform with other systems, here are a few strategies you should consider.

1. Consumer Engagement applications

In the area of behavioral health, it’s exciting to see such promising work in the area of consumer engagement. New applications are available that empower clients with the tools and resources they need to make progress towards their individual goals and objectives. More behavioral healthcare organizations are deploying these applications and also integrating them with their EHR platforms to streamline clinical workflows and bypass duplicate data entry. (One reason why we’ve decided to develop a partnership with myStrength.)

2. Methasoft integrations

Many substance use treatment organizations leverage a Methasoft system to track and document the delivery of Methadone for the treatment of opioid abuse. While the system is an extremely valuable tool in helping to automate Methadone dispensing, it can add an extra burden to staff schedules to manually transfer information into a separate billing system. But, it doesn’t have to that way. We’ve helped several customers integrate their CareLogic platform into their Methasoft system to automate the billing process and avoid leaving money on the table. (To learn more hear Jen Pearson, COO at United Community Services talk about the value of their recent Methasoft integration.)

Jen Pearson CareLogic Customer Testimonial (Integrations) 2 from Qualifacts Systems, Inc. on Vimeo.

3. Lab connectivity

Does your organization regularly submit order lab tests for clients? By integrating your EHR platform with labs in your community or a nationwide network, you can simplify clinical workflows. Instead of faxing orders and manually entering results into your EHR platform, providers can automate those processes and help to reduce the risk of errors.

EHR integrations continue to grow. More behavioral healthcare organizations are choosing to connect with regional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), other EHR networks and other stakeholders in the care continuum. Reducing unnecessary manual work and streamlining workflows.

If your organization would like more information about CareLogic’s inherent integration capabilities, contact me at angela.ball@qualifacts.com or call (615) 477-9214.

What’s interesting about working in healthcare is the pace of change. Research continues to explore new therapies, medications and interventions with the aim of continuing to raise the bar in care quality and effectiveness. In parallel, innovations in new technology are helping clinicians deliver better care. Working together these are poised to bring forth exciting new opportunities to advance the field of behavioral health.

In recent years, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) industry has made significant gains in the areas of treatment planning. By streamlining workflows, providers work more efficiently so they can spend more of their valuable time working directly with clients. Below includes a few of the most impactful and exciting advancements in treatment planning we’ve seen.

1. Configuring recommendations for clinical decision support

One of the most powerful enhancements that the EHR industry has embraced is the use of clinical decision support tools. These tools help clinicians make more informed decisions at the point of care. Instead of having to consult offline resources, providers can configure their EHR to trigger alerts within existing workflows. These clinical recommendations are based on client information (including diagnoses, medications, outcomes and more) organizations can configure the system to alert providers of therapeutic recommendations based on best practices.

2. Automating the process of linking standardized assessment information and lab results to help inform problems, goals, objectives and interventions

To help support organizations eager to gain efficiencies in care, some clinical platforms are automating the process of linking data throughout the system to avoid redundant, duplicative manual data entry. One of the most promising use cases of data integration is related to auto-populating assessment and lab information throughout clinical documentation. This makes critical information necessary for clinical decision making more easily accessible when and where it is needed most.

3. Leverage integrations to avoid duplicate data-entry with HL7 and API development

Enhancing the interoperability of systems in healthcare is likely one of the most promising areas of growth for the industry. By helping clinicians connect with other EHR platforms, labs, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and government agencies, providers can gain a more holistic view of the client’s health and progress. Armed with this additional information, providers can build and maintain more effective plans of care and support better outcomes.

If you work at a behavioral health and human services organization, you are likely always researching new and better ways to optimize care and support your clients. If you’d like to learn more about optimizing your treatment planning methodology, download Adopting Treatment Planning Best Practices: How to Get Staff Support. This resource was developed by our clinical workflow experts to help you deliver on your mission of transforming the communities you serve.

The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is one of the most talked about value-based reimbursement models but there is still a lot of confusion about how providers participate. If you’re organization is enrolled in year two of this program, you’ve likely learned a lot. But, given the ever-changing nature of this government-funded model, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest changes.

To help you get the funding you need to deliver exceptional care, below includes a few tips to help you mitigate costly payment reductions (a.k.a. penalties) under the MIPS model.

MIPS Mistake #1 Looking for your eligibility letter

Update: Don’t wait on the mailman.

Previously, providers were notified of their participation status via the mail. Starting in 2018, providers are required to use an online tool to verify if they are MIPS eligible and need to provide the required documentation. This online resource will also provide information about any special status that you may quality for as an individual or as a group.

MIPS Mistake #2 Reporting = Submission

Update: Nope.

While they sound similar, MIPS reporting options and MIPS submission methods are actually two very different things. Reporting options refer to your ability to submit data as an individual, a group or a virtual group. In contrast, the submission method describes the source of the data that you provide.

The MIPS data submission methods include:

• Administrative claims
• Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDR)
• Qualified Registry (such as nThrive’s MIPS Data Submission Registry)
• Attestation
• CAHPS for MIPS Reporting Survey Vendor
• CMS Web Interface

MIPS Mistake #3 Not protecting your data

Update: Your data is one of your most valuable assets.

Did you know that your MIPS data is auditable up to six years after you submit the information? And, in the event that you do get audited, the requested information must be provided within 45 days of the request.

Submitting your data is just the first step in the process of maintaining compliance. To avoid costly penalties, it’s equally important that you protect that information by storing it in the cloud to make it easily accessible in the future.

If you work at a MACRA MIPS participating organization, there are proven strategies you can use to drive your performance. If you’d like to learn more about optimizing your agencies performance, download  5 Strategies to Succeed with MACRA MIPS – Year 2. This resource was developed by our regulatory and compliance experts and it includes additional best practices you can use to set your agency up for success.

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. and NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Perception Programs, a leading provider of evidence-based substance use treatment, announced today a strategic partnership with Qualifacts designed to deliver real-time insights into patient outcomes and optimize care. The Qualifacts CareLogic electronic health record (EHR) platform complete with their proprietary IMPACT assessment module will bring the case managers, licensed therapists and clinical staff members a library of 60+ screening tools that are integrated into the EHR, to offer data-driven evidence for how people are progressing.

“In behavioral healthcare, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in terms of treatment. For an opioid addiction, for example, some patients may respond better with medication while others get better results with cognitive behavioral therapy in conjunction with holistic treatments. We count on our clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis, and CareLogic gives us new tools to monitor their progress and modify the plan of care accordingly,” said Selma N. Ward, CFO, of Perception Programs. “Using the CareLogic EHR platform, and the IMPACT assessment library, our providers will be able to offer assessments to people and get the results in real time.”

“Qualifacts is proud to have been selected by Perception Programs, whose evidence-based approach is well supported by the CareLogic EHR platform and the IMPACT assessment library, which integrates assessments and results into the treatment plan for greater visibility into outcomes success,” said Todd Charest, Chief Product Officer for Qualifacts. “Everyone deserves to live a happy and healthy life and we’re glad to partner with an organization that is dedicated to helping people do just that.”

About Perception Programs

Since 1970, our dedicated staff has ensured accessible, culturally competent, individualized, and cost effective services for our clients and the community. We believe that addictions are biological, psychological, social, and behavioral disorders that can adversely affect a person’s physical, psychological, economic, spiritual, and social well-being. We also recognize that mental health disorders and criminal behaviors are often closely associated with each other, and with substance use. We offer multiple treatment modalities, using evidenced-based approaches to assist every client in developing cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social resources to live healthy lives.

About Qualifacts Systems, Inc.

At Qualifacts, we empower our behavioral healthcare partners to achieve better client outcomes. We help simplify complexity through our responsive customer service and robust enterprise EHR solutions, ensuring our customers have the tools and insights needed to deliver quality care and demonstrate clinical and financial value. For more information visit www.qualifacts.com.

The planning, management and delivery of care is often riddled with complexity. Clients aren’t one dimensional. Co-occurring disorders are common. Relapses and readmissions, unfortunately, do happen.  

While there are evidence-based best practices for behavioral and medical treatment, care is certainly not “one-size-fits-all”. The sheer volume of factors that contribute to your clients’ health and well-being means that there isn’t a single path to better outcomes. Given this complexity, you know that treatment plans need to be as dynamic as the individuals you serve.

By regularly assessing their outcomes you can update their treatment plan in response to that new information and then assess if and how quickly they are moving toward their treatment goals. You know that this is a best-practice for better outcomes but sometimes it’s not always clear how you should use that information. You likely collect a wide variety of client data throughout the treatment process. Having that information on hand is important, but are you actually putting that data to work?

If you’d like to learn some real-world, actionable strategies for leveraging outcomes information, watch our webinar: Strategies for Integrating Outcomes into Your Clinical Practice. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to actually put your outcomes data to work and develop more effective treatment plans.  

Simply measuring and monitoring outcomes isn’t enough.

By using that information to help inform and optimize your treatment process, your organization can:

• Improve client outcomes
• Help your clients make progress towards their individual goals and objectives
• Improve quality of care by maximizing effective interventions
• Support the Golden Thread (a behavioral healthcare best practice of consistently and accurately aligning clinical information throughout the care continuum and related documentation)
• Greatly improve the quality of care, drive efficiencies and demonstrate performance
• Understand your clinical outcomes and other quality measures in preparation for value-based care

Upon completion of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Explain how to use assessment instrument information and patient reported outcomes to help inform treatment plan creation and management
• Identify real world strategies you can leverage to optimize service delivery
• Understand best practices for integrating outcomes information within the treatment process

Creating effective outcomes management programs is a vital part of delivering quality care. By developing a continuous feedback loop and making adjustments accordingly, you can support better outcomes and help clients progress towards their individual goals and objectives more efficiently.

In general, there are four key components of outcomes management programs:

• Planning and settings goals and objectives
• Data collection
• Reporting, data analysis and interpretation
• Improvement initiatives to optimize care delivery

1. Planning and Setting Goals and Objectives

To ensure that your team is operationally aligned, it’s important to invest time up front to map out your overall strategic goals for your outcomes management programs. Before you begin the process of creating or updating your strategic plan, your team should be able to answer the following questions:

• What are your clinical, financial and administrative goals related to improving and managing outcomes and why?
• What outcomes will you measure?
• Should specific outcomes be prioritized and why?
• How will you measure those outcomes and how frequently?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved?

2. Data Collection

After you’ve identified and documented your goals as an organization, it’s important to start collecting the information you need to make data-driven decisions. To help your organization identify the metrics that can help you monitor progress over time, your measurement plan should document your desired outcomes, key indicators, data collection tools and your specific goals for each indicator.

(Below includes a sample measurement plan for reference.)

3. Reporting, Data Analysis and Interpretation

To help your organization monitor and manage progress towards your goals, it’s important to update and publish regular reports that document your key performance indicators. To simplify the process of creating this documentation, it’s important to select an electronic health record (EHR) platform that gives you the flexibility collect the information you need and also publish recurring reports.

Below includes some reporting best practices to keep in mind:

• Percentages are most meaningful when measuring aggregate outcomes – always include your denominator
• Charts, graphs and tables best for reporting outcomes data – the more visual, the better!
• Provide short summaries of your data that interpret the results for your stakeholders
• Utilize frequent reporting to engage stakeholders in the process and to monitor the measurement process in place
• Transparency is key! Share your information with both leadership and front-line staff to encourage collaboration, support and engagement
• You can also leverage statistical software such as SPSS or STATA for more advanced analysis of your data

4. Improvement Initiatives to Optimize Care Delivery

After you have started to monitor key metrics for a period of time and have established a baseline of results, the last step in the process involves the creation of improvement initiatives designed to support your organizational goals for improving outcomes. This can include changing various aspects of care delivery including assessment instruments, medications, therapies and clinical protocols.

To create an effective action plan that can help your team support your goals, it’s important to involve team members within a variety of functional areas of your organization including clinicians, administrative professionals and executive leadership. By reviewing and discussing the data as a team, you can work together to brainstorm new and more effective treatment programs that can support better client outcomes.

Summary

In general, your outcomes management programs should be considered living, breathing documents that are regularly updated based on new insights, outcomes scores and client feedback.

By continuing to invest time and resources in creating and managing an effective outcomes management program, your care organization can deliver the quality and compassionate care your clients deserve.

To learn more, download: Implementing an Impactful Outcomes Process workbook.