So… The bane of my existence as a primary care physician is fixing all the data errors in my patient’s charts. Whenever my life gets dragged down into the pit of inefficiency, I never have to look far to find out the source. Yep- another regulatory act from the Federal Government. Today’s riddle and bane is rooted in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This gem, as many such “helpful gestures from Uncle Sam”, promised nirvana with no downside. As it rolls out, the downside is significant.
When you read the actual act (click above underlined link), this actually makes a lot of sense and should be a net positive. As I see it, the problem is that Medicare payment regulation and incentives regarding data documentation got intertwined with the EHR act, promoting a mucked-up big time. We have every health provider contact trying to recreate the wheel. This redundancy is creating serious and dangerous mischief with your health record. Let me walk you through what happens.
Forum for Healthcare Freedom 