Home Forums Discussions Meaningful Use PQRS and AC

hello everyone ,
do the newer versions of AC allow direct PQRS reporting through the EMR without having to use a registry or claims ? CMS has increased the measures to 9 this year .
thanks
Bala

AC has talked about providing this functionality but current versions do not have it. I have not heard anything recently to suggest that it will be added imminently.

there were some reports that AC said we could generate to help with pqrs.....soes anybody remember those report structures and how to write them into ac

My pqrs went really quickly this year. I was actually able to complete all reporting in a couple of hours on a snow day recently. I use tracked data. My chosen reports relate to diabetes and I quickly log my 9 or more items into tracked data when I sign off my incoming labs. I run a report looking for the specific dx codes and a list of patients. Then I can quickly print the tracked data sheet, check their insurance, and get the visit code and date to enter into the registry. I suppose that I could narrow my report search further by insurance, age, and visit code. Anyway it was quick and easy. If there was a data point missing here and there it was easy to find. At the time of patient visits, I have started to use the decision support rules but my tracked data section is most dependable.

This actually has raised a recent issue I am having. I document my flu shots in decision support and the injection area of that. I have noticed that this year, after documenting the immunization, the flag /reminder in yellow does not go away. I'm not sure why that is happening. It saves the immunization but the need for immunization remains highlighted. We are trying to figure out why this is. I have used tracked data for pqrs reports for years and trust them and have continued to use them while duplicating the work in decision support to kind of test the decision support section. Not sure I'd trust reports from the decision support area just yet.

Not sure if this is your issue, but I noticed that when I choose a "Influenza, unknown" for the flu shot, the need remains highlighted, but not when I choose a specific flu vaccine.

Michael
NY

hello,
thanks to all for the info
can you explain how I would use the tracked data report for items other than labs - e.g spirometry , influenza vaccine
I have not done this before but would like to use AC if possible to track the data for the report .
still using claims submission - permitted for 2014
thanks
Bala

I have briefly looked at the 2014 PQRS requirements.
In previous years, the easiest way to accomplish reporting was claims based using a group measure.
For 2014, group measures can only be reported through a registry (yes, so another entity can collect a fee from us).
It appears that individual measures can still be reported via claims, but this is much more labor intensive.
I am going to hope that AC gets up to speed to allow direct reporting from our EHR.

Also, as best I can tell, we no longer need to report ERx separately in 2014. Anyone else know if this is correct?

I have had a long discussion with AC support about this.
PQRS SUbmitter BEWARE
There are some big changes from 2013 to 2014
You have to choose PQRS across 3 domains,
So just doing diabetes is not good enough for claims submission.
There is some similarilty between PQRS and CQMs 9clinincal Quality measures) which is a part of meaningful use
BEWARE all PQRS are not CQMs ie COPD measures and others (I am a pulmonologist)

If you are beyond the 1st year of meaningful use you have to submit these cqms electronically.
Again these need to be across 3 domains.

AC is not ready for meaningfuluse 2. The guardian angels in charge of these processes do not know how AC will submit these electronically.
I am waiting for FEb when they wll be at PRiMEd to find out more.
I have started to mark these on claims and have my MAs getting trained on doing the majority of the work.
Tried the reporting with AC help, however it does not get me a numerical no for BMI, blood pressure. Will attempt to put these it tracked data and see if a report can be ran that gives me numbers.
An easy PQRS is to mark Flu vaccine administration (has to be collected 1/1-3/31 and 10/1 to 12/31
It appears CMS is trying to get away from claims submission, they have a commentary period on this.
If you do group measures and submit them via registry you only have to submit 20 patients, which can get done in a jiffy.
On claims you have to report on at least 50%.
Does anyone use know of a registry tied into AC??

At the end we can claim behind our names MD, PhD-PQRS, Phd-CQM
This is certainly worth more than board recerticification, that does not give us extra credentials or doing MOCs,

Thanks for the update Sunil.
My only reaction is that this all simply blows!