Did You Know?

Clinical outcome reports, like all technology deployments within CHCA, require a thorough quality assurance review and testing process. The selection and filter criteria, as well as other design elements, are carefully reviewed to ensure that the system report is extracting the correct data. Before a report can be included for use across the EHR system, it must be approved by the Clinical Committee.

Clinical Outcomes and Reporting

In addition to working closely with each member organization to ensure financial and demographic data necesary for the completion of Uniform Data System (UDS) annual reports through our practice management system, with the addition of EHR, members are poised to better respond to the latest requirements for clinical outcome reporting.

With EHR, members can capture entire patient populations, rather than rely on random chart pulls to determine efficacy and progress. In addition to functionality which allows reports using specific patient demographics, members can also view patient groupings by provider, health center site, or other criteria to help better manage operations and allocate resources for improvement.

Utilizing industry standard reporting tools, such as Crystal Reports, also gives CHCA the ability to provide reporting necessary to monitor data integrity and provide reports for specific requests on a case by case basis at member request. CHCA has invested in the staff and infrastructure necessary to employ advanced EHR functionality and reporting tools to create user friendly, dashboard views and cross-organization comparatives.

CHCA actively participates in ongoing training through the Bureau of Primary Care (BPHC) and other resources to ensure that clinical reporting keeps pace with requirements placed upon member health centers. Beginning in 2009, UDS reporting will require more granular clinical data, and align its grant funding decisions with these elements. In 2008, the Bureau announced the following:

BPHC is now requiring specific clinical measures to be included in the health care plan for Service Area Competitions (SAC) and Budgt Period Renewal (BPR) grant applications

Grantees are establishing baselines and setting (realistic!) goals for improvement

Grant application Progress Reports will come from UDS data and BPHC will be able to easily monitor this progress

CHCA has devoted resources to ensure its members do not have to face these reporting burdens alone. To learn more about customized reporting through EHR, email Angela Strain.