More than 10 Sessions and 22 Exhibitors on EHRs at the Chicago Meeting, Oct. 15 to 19
San Francisco - Physicians can receive Medicare incentive payments of up to $44,000 over five years for successfully adopting certified electronic health record EHR systems. The American Academy of Ophthalmology Academy will offer a comprehensive array of sessions, exhibits and simulations on EHRs during the 2010 Joint Meeting in Chicago, Oct. 16 to 19.
David Blumenthal, MD, the Department of Health and Human Services' national coordinator for health information technology HIT, will speak during the meeting about the Medicare incentive for successfully adopting a certified EHR system. Dr. Blumenthal leads the Obama administration's implementation of a nationwide, interoperable, privacy-protected HIT infrastructure that was established in last year's stimulus bill. He will address exactly what physicians must to do to qualify for incentive payments and what to watch out for during the first stage of implementation, when physicians must demonstrate "meaningful use" of a certified EHR system. He will speak at the session, "Finally, a Meaning for Meaningful Use: Learn how to Qualify for EHR Incentives," on Monday at 12:15 p.m. in the McCormick Center Grand Ballroom.
The Academy has worked with other medical groups to ensure that ophthalmologists are able to meet the standards established to achieve the incentive.
In addition to the session with Dr. Blumenthal, the Joint Meeting will include:
EHR sessions
- Cashing in on the Stimulus Program: Getting to Meaningful Use in an Ophthalmic Electronic Medical Record System 384
- EHR Selection for the Mid-Sized to Large Practice SPE12
- Successful EHR Implementation for the Mid-Sized to Large Practice SPE16
- EHR Selection for the Small Practice SPE11
- Successful EHR Implementation for the Small Practice SPE15
- Electronic Health Record Implementation: Principals of Project Management 586
- Electronic Health Record Implementation: Workflow Development 212
- Electronic Health Records and Compliance Programs 538
- Embracing Technology and gaining rewards 407
- Finally, a Meaning for Meaningful Use: Learn how to Qualify for EHR Incentives SPE57
- The Transition to EMR in a Retina Practice: Practical Advice From a Group That Made It Through the Hurdles 336
EHR presentations in the Academy's Technology Theater
- Academy members and independent consultants offer user-friendly instruction onall things high-tech for business, clinical and academic applications. This year, four of the 19 theater presentations will focus on EHR systems:
- EHR Vendor Demonstrations – Compulink, Medflow, NextGen; Sunday, Oct. 17 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- How You Can Qualify for Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Payments of $44,000, Sunday, Oct. 17; 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- What Is Cloud Computing, and How Can It Help Me and My Practice? Monday, Oct. 18 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- How to Plan and Organize Office Computing Systems to Minimize Computing Burden, Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
EHR simulations at the Academy–sponsored electronic office Booth 3967
- Experience firsthand how integrating EHR systems can improve efficiency and accuracy in ophthalmic practices.
- Learn how to qualify for bonus payments for PQRI, e-prescribing and "meaningful use" of EHRs.
- See free presentations about efficient electronic workflow and interoperability.
- Talk to representatives from EHR system leaders, including Compulink Business Systems, Heidelberg Engineering, Kowa, MDoffice, Medflow, Oculus, Ophthalmic Tools, TSG Integrations, Inc., Topcon Medical Systems and VersaSuite.
- Attendees will receive a free 2GB thumb drive after completing the short demonstration.
The 2010 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology is in session Oct. 16 to 19 at the McCormick Center, Chicago. As the largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference in the world, it offers U.S. and international Eye M.D.s more than 2,000 scientifically-based, peer-reviewed presentations including instruction courses, Breakfasts With the Experts roundtables, Skills Transfer Courses and more than 700 research papers and posters. Learn more about the Academy's Joint Meeting at www.aao.org/2010.
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About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Academy is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 29,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three "O's" – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.