athenahealth, a provider of Internet-based business services for physician practices, claimed that its electronic health record (HER) service, athenaClinicals, has been chosen by the Colorado Regional Extension Center (CO-REC) in order to help primary care physicians throughout the state of Colorado purchase an EHR.
According to the company, athenaClinicals is a low-up-front-investment, high-return Web-based EHR that is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional EHR and provide greater clinical control and insights to medical practices while boosting efficiency and revenue potential. It is 2011-12 compliant and was certified recently as a complete EHR by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable eligible provider certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
CO-REC felt that more than two-thirds of Colorado physicians have not installed or have begun using an EHR. athenahealth believes that using its athenaClinicals physicians will be able to optimize revenue potential across the patient encounter; offload paperwork and improve care through closed-loop order management; achieve compliance with “Meaningful Use” requirements and get guaranteed Federal HITECH Act incentives; stay on top of and enroll in HITECH Act, Pay for Performance, and other incentive programs; and enjoy several more benefits. Another major advantage is that athenahealth’s flexible, Web-based, Stage 1 Meaningful Use and CCHIT-certified EHR software adapts to government mandates faster.
Officials with athenahealth said that they are pleased with the endorsement by RECs across the country and explained that a cloud-based service model like theirs that delivers knowledge and services over the Internet can ensure that 100 percent of athenaClinicals clients stay compliant with Meaningful Use criteria, even as changes are introduced. They are pleased to be recognized as an approved EHR solution by the Colorado REC as the state helps primary care physicians qualify solutions and move the needle on low adoption rates.
Nathesh is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Nathesh's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
