In this article, we will highlight Right of Access in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule and the NextGen PHI Log, a template in NextGen to use when releasing protected health information (PHI). Before we review the NextGen PHI Log, we will highlight key HIPAA Privacy Rules, discuss HIPAA requirements for providing medical records to patients (Right of Access), and then review the NextGen PHI Log Template.
HIPAA Protected Documentation and the NextGen PHI Log
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, FQHC, NextGen Optimization, NextGen EHR
NextGen EHR Medication Module - Configurations to Consider
To maximize the EHR Medication Module’s potential and to help streamline your processes, we have drawn together some unique settings, preferences, and workflow options that are available. The Medication Module can be used for medication reconciliation, troubleshooting medication dispensing issues, importing Medication History, and more.
In this article, we will discuss how to make the Medication Module work for you by adjusting specific User-Level Configuration and Practice Configuration preferences.
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, FQHC
Consolidated Appropriations Act and Community Health Centers
If we’ve learned anything since 2020, it’s that the unthinkable can happen. For years now, Health Centers were at risk of losing funding, but this year a three-year mandatory initiative was passed with additional “Health Related’ funding opportunities. Finally, the resources are being guaranteed to ensure the future success of Community Health Centers.
Topics: Community Health Center, FQHC, COVID-19
Just as what seemed to be a never-ending year was coming to a close, science stepped up to make history. On December 11, 2020, thanks to Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to enable distribution to begin for the first COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNtech. Then on December 18, 2020, the FDA administered another EUA for the second COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna.
Topics: Community Health Center, FQHC, COVID-19 Vaccine
In NextGen, “hidden gems” are considered features that are not obvious points in the workflow but add value and efficiency. In some cases, “hidden gems” are not truly hidden, they are simply forgotten because they are not used frequently. In this article, we highlight 15 NextGen EHR features that can improve users' daily workflows to focus on patient care.
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, FQHC
NEW OSIS NextGen Interface to the AccuVax® Vaccine Management System
Community Health Centers (CHCs) can often find vaccine management a struggle in their practices. Maintaining vaccine supplies may be a challenge to ensure they are administering safe vaccines to the communities they serve. Vaccines prevent diseases that can be very serious. With flu vaccines, immunizations, and even the COVID-19 vaccine, health centers are looking for new ways to Vaccinate with Confidence. In hopes to reduce vaccine waste, loss, and help the bottom line, health centers are turning to the AccuVax Vaccine Management System.
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, FQHC, AccuVax, Vaccine Management
Keep your Practice Safe from Cybersecurity Threats
Health Centers continually face evolving cyberthreats that put patients and employees at risk. To assess cybersecurity, health centers should view it as a patient safety enterprise risk and instill it into the existing environment and the organization’s daily governance. To ensure your organization protects patient security and privacy while delivering high-quality care, it is important to align patient safety and cybersecurity initiatives within an organization.
Topics: Community Health Center, FQHC, Cybersecurity
After months of treating patients through Telehealth, we now have a clearer idea of how to treat patients electronically. Given the new normal, we have learned that each patient visit is unique. Patients can be seen for symptom triage, care for chronic conditions, lab results, lifestyle management, post-operative treatments, treatment protocols, behavioral health, group education consults, after-hours care, and more. Telehealth is a bit different from the picture to the right from 1954, but as technology evolves, we’re essentially moving in that direction.
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, FQHC, Telehealth
Reducing Provider and Staff Burnout with HIT Initiative
Provider and staff burnout was a hot topic in healthcare prior to COVID-19. Reports indicated emotional exhaustion and a low sense of personal fulfillment from work. This in turn makes it harder to connect with patients leading to lower patient satisfaction and poorer health outcomes. During the pandemic, this has become an even bigger topic of discussion in the healthcare industry. Employees' burnout adversely affects employees' morale resulting in low employee retention.
Topics: PCMH, EHR, Community Health Center, NextGen Optimization
NextGen Mobile – Reduces Burden and Improves Physician EHR Experience
Physicians seek the ability to access patient information at their fingertips when they need it and in a timely manner. Providers have discovered that NextGen Mobile complements clinical workflows through their easy and intuitive cloud-based platform.
Topics: EHR, Community Health Center, NextGen Optimization