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ASCs in the news: Study indicates reimbursement concerns affect EHR adoption for ASCs

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, May 6, 2008

A national survey of ASC administrators completed in April found that only 18% of ASCs use electronic health records (EHR), according to a ProVation Medical news release. In addition, 49% were concerned that revenue could be lost while implementing EHRs. Yet nearly a quarter of the ASC administrators surveyed did not know their current per chart document management costs.

The study was commissioned by Wolters Kluwer Health, a provider of healthcare information, and conducted by Renaissance Research, of Edwardsville, IL. Minneapolis-based ProVation Medical is a Wolters Kluwer brand.

According to the news release, the study found that 43% of the ASC administrators surveyed saw obstacles to using EHR to modernize their documentation. Concerns included:

  • Deficiencies in interfaces with existing systems
  • Insufficient capital investment
  • Lack of software to capture the facility’s patient mix
  • Insufficient personnel to implement a new system

“Relying on paper in an era of electronic documentation and communication is inefficient and expensive,” said Arvind Subramanian, MBA, president and CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions and ProVation Medical. Citing changes to ASC reimbursement, Subramanian said, “In 2008 CMS begins a four-year phase-in of a new ASC reimbursement schedule. CMS also added approximately 800 surgical procedures that qualify for reimbursement when performed in the ASC setting. These changes present both opportunities and challenges for ASCs and compel them to examine best documentation and billing practices, which directly impact revenue and reimbursement.”

To read the news release, click here.

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