In the latest version of our web platform, you’ll find a new reimbursement report and some improvements to the HL7 functionality. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
[#20297] HL7 Requests improvements
In the latest version of EMSOW’s HL7 Requests module, the Created column has been renamed as Received. Note that this column now displays a timestamp of order receipt (instead of just a date). Now you will know exactly when your client sent you an order from their EMR via HL7.
Also, we have added the Date of service column that displays the date of service for processed requests.
If you would like to learn more about our HL7 integration capabilities, please get in touch!
[#20172] Service payments report
We have added a new report to the Billing module – Service payments report. It is meant to be more condensed than the widely used “Payment analysis” report and displays aggregated payment information for each service ID (e.g. if one patient had an X-ray and ultrasound performed on the same day, the system will show the total payment for both of the procedures, including X-ray transportation payments, if any). For your convenience, you can also view a breakdown of payments from primary and secondary insurances, patients, as well as Part A facilities.
Service payments report is available for downloading in the Excel format. In the Billing module, click Report and select Service payments report in a drop-down menu. You will receive an email notification when the report is ready.
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This week, we have put out a couple of updates to improve your billing workflow. These two were requested by our customers. However, you can also take advantage of them.
And yes, along with the billing system, EMSOW offers cloud PACS, dispatching, and even image reading on one simple platform and at a very attractive price. Check it out: https://emsow.com/welcome
[#50528] Add a supervising provider to insurance claims
Now you can select a supervising provider from your reading doctors and add their name to insurance claims.
To add a supervising provider, select a service in the Billing module, double-click on it, and start editing billing information. Use the dropdown menu in the Supervising provider column.
Note that the supervising provider information is not printed on HCFA-1500 forms. If you use this option, the supervising provider’s NPI will be added to Loop 2310D of X12 EDI electronic claims that you send from EMSOW.
[#20516] “Referring groups” search filter in the Billing module
We have added the Referring groups search filter to the Billing module. It is located in the Referring doctor section of the Options panel.
The Referring groups feature allows you to group referring facilities for easier search and sorting. To set it up, go to Setup / Referring / Referring groups.
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We believe that any diagnostic imaging business of today deserves to have a state-of-the-art PACS, a zero-install DICOM Viewer with a comprehensive set of report templates, as well a robust system for patient scheduling, technologist dispatching, and billing. EMSOW’s customers take advantage of having it all (and actually much more) on one user-friendly web platform and at a very affordable price. Image interpretation by a trusted radiologist licensed in your state is also a great opportunity we offer.
However, we are always ready to go the extra mile to ensure your success. The latest updates will help your technologists get better prepared for exams, encourage your Part A referring facilities to pay you at the right time, and let you check the Medicare Part B enrollment of your physicians automatically!
If you’re not with EMSOW yet, schedule a demo. You will see how it works (and even try it!), have your questions answered, and compare prices.
[#20507] Diagnosis codes in technologist email notifications
Forewarned is forearmed. The latest improvement in the Dispatch module helps your technologists get better prepared for exams. Now, when you dispatch an exam order, your technologist will receive an email notification with ICD-10 codes of the patient along with code descriptions. It’s always better to get a clue about the patient’s health problems in advance!
[#20506] Early payment period option
Timely payment matters. Now you can encourage Part A facilities to pay you in time by setting early payment discounts that are applied within a certain period after you send an invoice. Select the Early payment checkbox, specify conditions, and set the desired early payment period in the Study discount rule window under Setup / Rules / Study discounts rules.
[#20258] Medicare Part B enrollment verification
To perform outpatient services, you need to make sure your referring physicians are enrolled for Medicare Part B. Now EMSOW can monitor your physicians’ enrollment on a daily basis, thanks to our new integration with Medicare web services.
The Medicare Part B Enrollment checkbox will be selected in the Referring doctors module automatically for qualifying doctors.
Now, the practical part: the system will prevent you from dispatching a technologist to the physicians who are not enrolled. A warning will be displayed in the Problems column of the Dispatch module (currently hidden by default, but we plan to make it more informative soon!).
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Have you ever experienced problems with unreasonably long collection times, high study interpretation and software expenses, inefficient workflow management, coding, and billing difficulties?
For more than ten years, EMSOW has been servicing imaging facilities to deliver a professional medical platform that covers all their daily tasks, from simple PACS and DICOM to automatic claim generation.
Below are some powerful updates aimed at improving your workflow management and billing. With EMSOW, your coding and billing processes can be as flexible and straightforward as you want. The latest version of the system allows you to make billing even more adjusted to your needs, thanks to a new ability to bill 3rd party organizations, such as hospice providers.
If you are not yet with us, we would be happy to show you our system so that you could compare our offerings to the platform you are currently using and the price you are paying.
[#20462] Med A status condition in Study Discounts Rules
The Med A status field allows you to set the type of Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) in the Payer Assignment module, which is typically used to bill for Medicare Part A patients. Now you can use this new condition to provide your Part A customers with a special discount for these patients. Go to Rules > Study Discounts Rules. Create a new rule or start editing an existing one.
In the Condition section, select Any (set by default), Med A for skilled nursing facilities, or Other PPS for other kinds of referring facilities.
[#20372] Ability to send the “Reason for exam” field via DICOM
We are constantly striving to improve EMSOW’s abilities to interact with other healthcare platforms. We have used DICOM as a framework standard since day one, and many of our customers have taken advantage of our interfacing capabilities to send medical images to a radiology provider of their choosing.
Patch DICOM Metadata is a feature that allows you to export patient information to DICOM files. This helps you transfer the necessary data to your radiology provider in order to make sure their interpretations are based on the full picture (pun intended). This week, we have added the Reason for exam that you fill in the Dispatch module to the list of fields available for DICOM export.
Create a new reading facility record or start editing an existing one. Open the Send options tab and click the Patch DICOM metadata checkbox to select the information that will be exported from EMSOW to the DICOM images that are transferred to this reading provider. We use DICOM tag (0040,1400) “Requested Procedure Comments” to transfer this field by default, because this tag allows for longer textual content. If you need to populate a different tag with the “reason for exam”, please let us know.
[#20350] Account representatives for referring facilities
In previous versions of EMSOW, invoice emails contained information about the user who sent the invoice. Now you can assign account representatives to referring facilities. Their contact information will be included in the emails.
To set up this option, open the Billing tab of a referring facility record. Select a user in the Account representative dropdown menu and click OK.
Make sure that the user has contact information specified. For more information on user management, please refer to our manual.
[#20340] 3rd party organization billing for hospice patients
Thanks to last week’s update #20313, we are now able to receive hospice benefits information when checking patient eligibility. Now, we have added the 3rd party organization billing option that will allow you to bill the hospice provider, even if a hospice patient resides in a different facility.
Here is how you can do that:
These steps will allow you to create a new direct invoice that you can send to the hospice provider, similar to how it is done with Part A clients.
For your convenience, you can also display only the 3rd party organization patients in the Payer Assignment module. Select the corresponding checkbox in the Options panel on the right.
Do you think this feature would be useful to your business? Do get in touch with us and share your thoughts!
[#20235] “End of month” report improvements
We have updated EMSOW’s End of Month Report (EoM). Now you will be able to include the Patient No and Exam order date columns in it.
The Patient No column contains an MRN number (e.g. as received from an HL7 order), and the Exam order date shows the corresponding field value from the Dispatch module. To clean up the report, we have also excluded technical modalities (SR, PR, OT, DOC) from the Modality column so that you see just “DX” or “CR” for X-ray studies, “MR” for MRI, “US” for ultrasound etc. Report filtering is now easier!
This report is the most comprehensive way to export your data to an Excel spreadsheet, but we have many more. If you have questions on EMSOW’s analytics features, book a demo with our specialist to find out how our tools can help you track your medical business performance.
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Along with state-of-the-art PACS, dispatching, and scheduling, EMSOW has a built-in billing system that allows you to check eligibility, generate claims, and automatically post payments. Many of our customers use it to cut software costs, eliminate double data entry, and streamline their workflow.
The latest version of EMSOW can help you extend the range of healthcare facilities you serve in terms of eligibility checking. Please see the detailed description below. If you’re not yet our customer, check out our website to learn more about how we can reduce your expenses and find affordable reads in your state. Or just book a demo and discuss the benefits with our manager.
[#20313] Display hospice eligibility information
We have extended our eligibility checking functionality. Now you can check hospice eligibility information since the latest version of EMSOW supports Service type code 45. The system retrieves hospice eligibility data from clearinghouses. To set up this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Billing Connectors. Open a billing connector record and select the Retrieve hospice eligibility checkbox. Make sure that the Supports eligibility checkbox is also selected.
When you check eligibility of hospice patients, EMSOW will display hospice benefit date and provider NPI.
If you click Show eligibility, the system will display detailed information.
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Dear imaging providers!
EMSOW delivers full-cycle exam processing services, from dispatching and PACS to image reading at a very affordable price and billing. However, in the rapidly developing imaging industry, our customers demand more features to optimize their processes, especially now, when their businesses are recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.
This week we have added some improvements to facilitate your communication with your referring doctors and facilities. This can be done either within our platform or through other healthcare software, because one of EMSOW’s key features is its interoperability with other systems through the HL7 protocol. Below please see our latest updates in more detail. If you would like to learn more about our services or find credentialed reading physicians in your state, schedule a demo with our representative.
[#20315] Include image links in HL7 report messages
We have improved EMSOW’s HL7 functionality. Now you can add image links to HL7 report messages. Your referring facilities, referring doctors, or even patients will be able to view the images (X-ray, ultrasound or even MRI) in EMSOW’s DICOM Viewer, by clicking a secure link from their EMR, even if they don’t have an EMSOW account.
To enable this option, start editing a referring doctor or a referring facility record or create a new one, open the Report tab and select the Include shared viewer link checkbox.
[#20225] Document sender
EMSOW has great reporting functionality – from a customizable set of report templates to built-in electronic fax. But sometimes it’s not enough, and your referring physician may require additional information. For such cases, we have created a document sender to communicate any document via email, fax or SFTP, and track the delivery status.
Select the needed service in the Processing or Dispatch module and click the Documents button. Select the documents you need to send, and click Send selected documents. In the window that opens, select email, fax, or sftp, then click OK.
To track the delivery status, click on Medical records in the menu bar and select Files Delivery Tracking in the dropdown menu. EMSOW’s Files delivery tracking works similarly to the Report tracking module.
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This week we’ve been working hard to facilitate the imaging workflow for reading radiologists, billing specialists, and nursing home providers. An updated insurance crossover option, enhanced functionality for professional component claims, and more intuitive experience, that’s what you’ll find in the latest version of EMSOW.
If you’re not our customer yet, but would like to know how we can optimize your medical imaging processes, reduce costs, find new customers, or reading physicians, just smash the link to our calendar!
[#20295] “Use response to detect crossover” as the default choice in insurance settings
We have changed the default settings for insurance crossover detection. Now the “Use response to detect crossover” option is set by default. When EMSOW receives an ERA file from an insurance company that automatically forwards secondary claims to additional payers, it can detect if the crossover transfer has been done by analyzing the EDI 835 message. To change the crossover setting, go to Setup > Insurances, double-click an insurance, Select Yes, No or Use response to detect crossover in the Crossover section of the Billing tab, then click Save.
Yes: EMSOW assumes the primary insurance forwards a secondary claim on its own, and no secondary claims are sent from EMSOW
No: secondary claims are sent from EMSOW
Use response to detect crossover: the system behavior depends on the ERA received from the primary insurance
[#20232] Referring facility info in Box 32 for professional component (26) claims
If you work with billing component 26 and PoS 32 (nursing homes), we have an improvement for your workflow. Now you can select what information will be entered into Box 32 of HCFA forms: the reading doctor’s or referring facility’s (in previous versions, the only available option was the reading doctor’s information).
To set this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Billing companies. Start editing an existing billing company record or create a new one. In the Claim/Statement properties section of the General tab, select Reading doctor or Referring facility.
Note that this option affects both printable HCFA 1500 forms and electronic claims.
[#20171] Mouse wheel zoom in the DICOM Viewer
Many radiologists find it convenient and intuitive to use the mouse wheel for zooming. In previous versions, you had to press and hold the Ctrl key to zoom in and out with the mouse wheel. Now, you can also click the Enable mouse wheel zoom button in the DICOM Viewer in order to use this feature. Click the button again to scroll through images.
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Previously, we discussed tools for staying HIPAA compliant when sharing electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Now let’s focus on Direct Messaging, also known as Secure Direct Messaging or merely Direct, because, unlike SFTP or VPNs, it is intended for use by clinicians only.
Direct is a part of a federal project for medical information standardization, which started in 2010. Therefore, it is undoubtedly HIPAA compliant, which is crucial for practice. However, it is still in its development and has its pros and cons.
At first thought, Direct Messaging is quite similar to common email systems, but there are some key differences. First, it can be used only by its specific users. To connect with another Direct user, you must hold an address that looks like, for example, [username]@direct.[facility].com. Therefore, you will be unable to send a message from, say, yahoo.com (in this case you’ll get a notification). On the one hand, such “closeness” may seem inconvenient, because it considerably limits your ability to contact different users. On the other hand, this eliminates a lot of entry and delivery errors and ensures that the message will be sent to the intended user. Thus, Direct becomes a corporate network of healthcare specialists with trustful relationships.
This feature attracts criticism, because finding the needed contacts may turn out to be challenging. However, some vendors integrate a search option, which allows clinicians to find a user by name, address, facility or specialty. In this regard, Direct is now only in development; this function is far from perfection. But the number of users is growing and in the future Direct is likely to become a powerful tool for managing professional networks.
Besides a digital security certificate, Direct uses an encrypted connection, which significantly reduces unauthorized access. Moreover, Direct is provided by HISPs, specialized Health Information Service Providers. So, Direct appears to be more secure than common web messengers.
Another essential feature of Direct Messaging is its integration with EHRs. Patient records can be shared within your regular workflow. To get their license, all EHR vendors need to integrate their services with a Direct Messaging system, and this feature will likely promote Direct. However, it doesn’t mean that any EHR supports any Direct Messaging system. There are a lot of different EHR and Direct Messaging providers, and their applications do not always work together. As for the leading providers, they usually cooperate with each other, but anyway, it’s better to check if your EHR is integrated with the Direct Messaging system you are going to purchase (unlike many web-based email services, Direct Messaging systems are not free). Normally, you will need to pay $100–200 per year. Besides, some vendors offer extra features that are additionally charged, e.g. a C-CDA viewer or another special tool, which you might need, but is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Being a required element of EHRs, Direct itself is independent of the configuration or elements of your IT infrastructure. This means that it can be used without any additional software, directly from the web browser. However, some software providers manage to integrate Direct Messaging in their applications. Usually, they offer top-to-bottom solutions, covering all the processes of a diagnostic business. If you are using such an app, you can contact your provider and ask them about Direct Messaging capabilities.
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Dear friends!
We hope this Independence Day brings you happiness and hope!
Please note that in observance of the holiday our Sales and Support offices will be closed Friday, July 3rd, 2020.
EMSOW software and services continue to be available 24/7. If you need assistance during this time, please send an email to support@emsow.com, and support will respond when we return on Monday 07/06.
This week has been very busy for our customers, who are gradually recovering from the crisis caused by the pandemic, as well as for our support and development teams. This time we have focused on improving the dispatching functionality.
If you would like to know how to optimize your imaging processes, integrate through HL7, and considerably cut your costs on exam processing and image reading, just let us know!
[#20259] Notes from Contacts in the “send report” window
If you deal with multiple referring facilities or doctors, this improvement is just for you. We have added notes from the Contacts section of the Referring module to the Send report window. Now you will be able to view a contact note before sending your report to avoid any confusion.
[#20247] Check mandatory fields when dispatching exam orders
Double-checking is an essential part of patient data entry, and in some cases, EMSOW can do it for you. Now the system will double-check mandatory fields rules before you dispatch an exam order to a technologist. This can be crucial if orders come to your EMSOW account through HL7, since such orders may lack important patient information. If you try to dispatch a service with blank mandatory fields, the system will return an error.
[#20222] Display service notes in the Dispatch module
If there is any additional important patient information your dispatcher needs to know, they will have it right at their fingertips. We have added the Notes column to the Dispatch module. Hover your mouse over the “note” icon, and the notes that are entered in the “Edit service” window will be displayed as a tooltip.
[#20206] “Disable selected” button in Mandatory Fields Rules
A diagnostic platform is not always a “plug-and-play” thing; it needs to be flexible and easily adjustable, since your conditions may rapidly change. Besides, sometimes you want to test these conditions. For these purposes, we have added the Disable selected button to the Mandatory Fields Rules. Select the rules you need to disable, click on this button, then click Yes in the Confirmation window.
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Time to get back to business!
Finally, there’s good news! About 40% of our customers who were forced to put their business on hold due to the pandemic are back, and the others are on their way. Just during the past week, they uploaded to EMSOW 30% more studies compared to the week before. By the way, about a quarter of those were read by radiologists from the MDW marketplace, our trusted partners. Thank you for staying with us!
We keep our fingers crossed for you, but that’s obviously not enough to overcome the crisis. We are working as hard as never before to ensure your success. If you would like to learn about our services, discounts, and anti-pandemic packages, please book a demo.
But before scheduling the demo, you might be interested in what we have done this week to become more efficient and improve your diagnostic workflow. Wise choice!
[#20209] Automatic processing of HL7 orders
We have taken EMSOW’s interoperability and automation to the next level! As you may already know, EMSOW is integrated with numerous EMR solutions and we keep adding new integrations. Now our system automatically processes orders that are received via HL7 and creates service records that are ready to be dispatched to a technologist. Patient demographics, CPT and ICD-10 codes, as well as physician comments are imported automatically — and all you need to do to send your technologist to a facility is click “Dispatch”! Or maybe you wish to automate that too? Let us know!
If you would like to learn more about our HL7 capabilities to receive orders, please check our updated user manual.
[#20224] Updated formatting of amended reports
We have slightly changed the formatting of amended reports so that your referring physicians could easily identify them. Now, if a report was amended, you will see the date and time of new report creation under its heading.
[#20223] Overlay text on X-ray images
We have added the date of service, patient name, and image number overlays to X-ray images in the DICOM viewer.
You can turn the overlays off by unchecking the Display OSD box in the Options menu.
[#15556] Auto-fill billing information for studies with reports only
We have added a new feature to ensure that imaging studies will not go to billing without an attached report from a reading doctor. Click Setup > Rules > Billing Rules, create new or start editing an existing rule, and select Received report in the Triggers dropdown menu.
If this trigger is enabled, the system will display an error message in the Billing result column of the Auto fill studies window.
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COVID-19 outbreak led to a nation-wide business slowdown, especially in the diagnostic imaging industry. We have received hundreds of emails from our existing and prospective customers, who would like to make their companies mobile and paperless.
EMSOW has been around for 10 years, delivering full-cycle exam processing services to portable imaging companies, nursing home providers and teleradiologists, helping them decrease their turnaround time by up to 60% and finding trusted radiologists to read their exams as cheap as they never paid before (down to 70% of their normal rates).
As always, we’re committed to your success, so if you would like to save your money on image reading and exam processing, please get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you to keep your imaging business moving forward. We’re ready for customers who are looking to go mobile or want to optimize their workflow and cut expenditures, and if you feel that you need to handle the demands of this new reality sooner – just let us know.
Now, to our latest updates for your diagnostic business.
[#20217] A new condition for mandatory fields: “Reason for Exam or Diagnosis”
We have added a new condition to make data entry more flexible. Now you can make it mandatory to fill in at least one of the fields that store patient history, Reason or Diagnoses. Customers who do not always use ICD-10 coding may find this feature helpful because it will allow them to save the history information in a free-text form when diagnosis codes are not available.
To use this condition in your setup, follow the path: Setup > Rules > Mandatory Fields Rules. Open the Edit mandatory fields rule window and add Reason for Exam or Diagnosis to the Fields section.
[#20150] Display study documents as an image series in the DICOM viewer
Sometimes reading doctors need to refer to study documents while preparing their reports. With EMSOW, the doctors can easily retrieve any patient documents as PDF files from the Physician Portal, but this time we decided to make their work even more convenient and save their time.
Now you can convert study documents of particular types (e.g. tech sheets) to DICOM files so that your doctors could see them in the DICOM Viewer along with patient images. To enable this functionality, start editing a reading facility record in the Setup menu, open the Send options tab, and enter the needed document types in the File types field under Portal. The documents will be displayed as a separate image series.
[#20194] Insurance type filter for electronic claim submission
We have upgraded the electronic claim submission functionality. Now you can select a particular insurance type for submission: primary, secondary, or other. Open the Submit electronic claims window and select the needed type in the Insurance type field.
[#18924] Receive critical findings from MDW and get a reminder
We have improved EMSOW’s interoperability with Medical Diagnostic Web (MDW) – a radiology marketplace, where you can find a board-certified radiologist licensed in your state who can read your images at an affordable price.
Now you can choose a department or specific users who will get reminders if critical findings have been discovered in the studies you send to MDW for interpretation.
This new option can be essential for your referring physicians, as it can help them get information about any critical findings as soon as possible, prioritize their work, and even save lives.
To set up this option, please contact our support.
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Of all of the business types affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, portable imaging companies, nursing home providers, and radiology services are among the hardest hit. In addition to companies reducing their volumes, there’s still a high level of general anxiety around the risk of visiting healthcare facilities.
While we at EMSOW® are committed to providing you with all the services you need to optimize your imaging workflow, save your turnaround time and money on reads and PACS, we also understand the need for flexibility based on your individual circumstances. To make sure you can work with confidence, we’re offering flexible setup waivers to startups and small businesses.
This week’s release is focused on Modality Worklist integration, study quality control, invoicing functionality and overall stability of the system to help your business optimize processes, which is essential during this pandemic.
If you don’t feel like going through a list of techy information, we welcome you to see our system in action and learn how you can streamline your workflow, improve your study processing, or find a trusted reading physician.
[#20173] “Any document” condition in the Study Quality Rules
Study quality matters, that’s why we improved the functionality of its control and made it more adjustable to your needs. Previous versions of EMSOW allowed you to set a list of necessary patient documents with the “and” condition only so that all the specified documents would be mandatory to send an exam for reading. If any of these documents were missing, the system would not allow a user to send the exam.
Now, you can set a document list with the “or” condition as well, so that any document on the list suffices to transfer the exam for reading.
Follow the path: Setup > Rules > Study Quality Rules and open the required rule. Enter an or-conditioned list in the Documents (any) field of the Restrictions section.
For example, the rule below will allow sending exams that have at least a referral form or an insurance copy attached (but not necessarily both of those together) and will always require a consent form, a HIPAA form, and a tech sheet.
[#20180] Attach images based on the DICOM accession number
EMSOW has a capability to attach images automatically to pre-scheduled exam records. By default, it matches image uploads to the records you create in Dispatch based on a combination of conditions, including the patient name, date of service, and study description. From now on, technologists who use DICOM Modality Worklist (MWL) can opt to attach images based solely on the accession number generated by EMSOW. After a dispatch user has created an exam, its accession number is transferred to MWL, and when the images are uploaded, the system will simply compare DICOM tag 0008,0050 with the dispatch record and attach the images if the number matches. Note that EMSOW will not check the date of service if this option is enabled.
To try out this new feature, please contact our support.
[#20066] Add user signatures and c.c. users when sending an invoice
We have personalized facility invoice emails so that the receiving facilities could see who sent an invoice, including their contact information (first name, last name, and email). The person who sent the invoice will also receive a copy of the invoice email.
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No one could have predicted how difficult this year has been. The imaging industry faces a pandemic and is still adjusting to its implications. Many businesses did not survive it, and we face an unprecedented decline.
All this makes us work even harder, and our developers are doing their best to improve the functionality of our platform so that your diagnostic business could overcome any new challenges. This week we have improved our PACS, DICOM, billing functionality, as well as compatibility with other medical software to help you focus on your patients and streamline your daily tasks. In this release, you’ll find just some of this week’s updates.
If you don’t feel like going through a techy long read, we welcome you to see our system in action and learn more about how you can save on reading and image storage expenses.
[#20153] Improved “Add Eligibility” option
We have improved the Add electronic eligibility option by adding the Authorization field. To check it out, select a service in Processing or Billing, and click Eligibility > Add.
Here you can select the authorization status: pending, not required, or complete. If the service contains more than one study, you can indicate which of them require authorization in the Note field. Please note that since we added a new field, we have renamed the Status field to Eligibility.
We have also added Eligibility and Authorization filters to the Billing module so that you could search services by these parameters. This feature can help you track services with inactive insurance and exams that require authorization and thus control denials from insurance companies.
[#20152] Default impression text for the “Sign and send” option
Previously, reading doctors had to enter an impression manually when signing PDF files, such as neuro and allergy tests. Now you can set the default impression text and add only case-specific information to each report.
This new option helps you improve the standards of your services and decrease reading turnaround time since the doctor doesn’t need to type the whole impression from scratch every time. Instead, they make some minor changes, sign the report, and send it. To learn more about this option, please contact us at support@emsow.com.
[#20151] Pre-cache the latest prior study
We have made updates to EMSOW’s DICOM Viewer so that you could more conveniently compare current images with prior ones (if they are available in the system).
In the new version of EMSOW, the previous study images will be automatically preloaded to speed up their opening. This update can substantially reduce the time of creating a report, especially if you deal with two studies consisting of multiple images.
Also, in the new version of EMSOW, the images of the latest prior study are shown by default, if you use the window mode. If you need to disable this option, go to the Physician Portal, open the Preferences menu to the right, and uncheck the “Show images of previous study” box.
[#20149] Show prior studies in Physician Portal’s grid view
In the new version of EMSOW, prior studies can be displayed in the grid view. This view is essential if you read a lot of exams daily. Hover your mouse over the History icon to display the count of related studies:
Click on it to open the patient history window:
By clicking the Images link, you can open any of the available prior studies.
[#20148] “Date of service” column in the grid view of the Physician Portal
Another improvement to the grid view of the Physician Portal is the Date of Service column. Now you can sort studies by this parameter.
[#20138] Jump to Dispatch from HL7 Requests
Now you can open ordered services received via the HL7 Requests module right in EMSOW’s Dispatch without surfing through the navigation panel. Just select a processed request and click Open in Dispatch.
You will be taken to the Dispatch module where you can dispatch a technologist momentarily.
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HIPAA compliance is an existential issue for medical businesses, especially if they use special-purpose software and mobile applications (e.g. mobile imaging operators). HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), adopted in 1996, includes a set of legal requirements for protecting sensitive patient information from unauthorized access or leakage. Medical institutions, their staff, and software they use must meet the criteria of physical, network, and process security. Today we will review a few common security tools used to protect data exchange in imaging diagnostics.
TLS (Transport Layer Security) is an encryption protocol that provides secure data communication between network nodes. It is widely used in web-based applications, as well as email and instant messengers. The primary function of this protocol is to prevent unauthorized access and traffic analyzing via so-called “sniffers.” This protection feature can be used in teleradiology to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive patient data, such as medical images. The DICOM protocol commonly used in medical imaging does not originally use TLS, although the relations between DICOM and TLS are specified in DICOM standards. So, to provide secure communication, you can hire an IT expert to “stream” your DICOM connection through TLS or find a ready-made solution.
SFTP (Security File Transfer Protocol) is a file exchange protocol, which is more secure than basic FTP. The underlying technology, SSH (Secure Shell), is a reliable and secure way of connecting two remote systems to exchange commands and data. The linked systems use authorization to “recognize” each other before they start sharing any information. For example, if two facilities need to exchange medical data, such as reports, progress notes, or images, then using SFTP is a reasonable and simple solution. If the two systems use different standards (e.g. HL7 and DICOM), it may require a lot of data mapping and format conversion work, but SFTP certainly does its job as a file exchange means.
Direct messaging (also known as Direct Exchange or simply Direct) is a special-purpose encrypted protocol for exchanging medical information in the form of text messages and attached files. It is similar to web-based email, however, there are some crucial differences. It is managed by specialized providers – HISP (Health Internet Service Providers), cannot be accessed by non-Direct users, and has some additional tools. Being an integrated feature of modern EHR systems, it is user-friendly, standardized, and HIPAA compliant.
Text messaging is used by many healthcare providers to communicate with each other and their patients. It’s quick, easy, and convenient, however, if text messaging contains a patient’s protected health information (PHI), certain considerations must be taken into account.
VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology is widely used in various industries. As for imaging diagnostics, VPN can provide encrypted links between, for example, a PACS server and a remote client. Currently, a lot of providers claim that their services are secure enough and meet the requirements of the healthcare industry. Some experts consider such networks safe and entirely HIPAA compliant. However, VPN users stay provider-dependent, even if the connection is encrypted strongly enough.
These are the most common tools for keeping protected patient information secure. We could also mention end-to-end encrypted messengers, PGP, and more. Besides, you can get the ultimate solution, which combines multiple protection features and helps you stay 100% HIPAA compliant.
And does HIPAA compliance guarantee complete security? Technically, it doesn’t, although the requirements are strict and sophisticated. However, the damage may be too severe if you ignore them and use open email networks instead. We use those every day for common communication, and the probability of leakage is relatively low. But when it comes to patient information, even a single case of unauthorized access may turn out to be a costly matter. The overall penalties for each violation amount up to $1.5 million per year (while fines typically range from $100 to $50,000). So, you can analyze the financial risks and compare them to the costs of security tools.
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[#20088] Option to sort invoices by patient name
We have improved the facility invoicing functionality of EMSOW. Previous versions of the system would always sort invoices by service ID. Now you can sort them by patient name. To enable this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring > Referring facilities. Open a facility record and click on the Billing tab. In the Invoices section, select Patient name as the preferred sorting mode, and then click OK.
To learn more about the facility invoicing functionality and other useful features for your imaging business, please contact us at connect@emsow.com.
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[#20089] “Remove” button in the Dispatch module
Now you can remove services from the Dispatch module. Select the services you need to remove, click Remove on the toolbar in the Results section, and then click Yes to confirm the action. Please note that once you click the Yes button, the service will be permanently deleted from EMSOW.
[#20085] Change study descriptions for dispatched cases in the Technologist Portal
The new version of EMSOW allows you to change study descriptions right in the Technologist Portal. Open the Studies section, select a date of service in the Date field, and click the Change study description button as shown below.
In the window that opens, start typing the new study name or its CPT code, or select the needed study type from the drop-down menu, and then click OK.
[#20074] “Uncancel” button in the Dispatch module
We have added a special option to reorder a canceled study in the Dispatch module. To reorder, click the Uncancel button on the upper toolbar of the Results section.
[#20064] Technician hours billing
The new version of EMSOW allows you to invoice a facility by the hours your technicians worked. Follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring contracts. Start editing an existing contract or add a new one. In the Generic section of the Edit or Add new window, fill out the Technician hours rate field.
When adding an invoice, enter the hours worked. Then click Save.
The Quantity, Rate and Total technician charge will be stated in the invoice.
[#20045] Order the Resident Visit List by type of visit, patient name or room number
In previous versions of EMSOW, studies in the Resident Visit List (RVL) were always ordered by type of visit. Now you can order the studies by patient name or room.
Go to the Schedule module, select the Patient schedule tab, click on the Print button, and select Resident Visit List in the drop-down menu. In the Order by section of the window that opens, select Patient name, Room # or Type of Visit.
[#20033] New HL7 requests notifications
From now on, the HL7 Requests item on the menu bar will turn red if there are new study requests received through the HL7 protocol. Your dispatch will never miss a new order!
[#19902] Scroll through X-ray images with a mouse wheel
We have simplified your work with X-ray images in the EMSOW DICOM viewer. Previously, scrolling through X-ray images was done by pressing Shift and rotating a mouse wheel. Now you can do that with your mouse wheel only, no need to press and hold the Shift key!
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[#20065] Service ID search filters in the Invoices and Payer Assignment modules
We have improved the search options of EMSOW’s billing portion. Now you can search exams by service ID in the Invoices and Payer Assignment modules. You will find the corresponding search fields in the Options section on the left.
[#20027] Auto-rotate uploaded JPEG images
Previous versions of EMSOW did not recognize the orientation of uploaded JPEG files. Therefore, some files were displayed incorrectly, e.g. a tech sheet that was intended to be viewed vertically might have been displayed horizontally or vice versa. We have fixed this issue, and now all the JPEGs are displayed correctly.
[#18753; #20022] Sending guarantor information through HL7
We have improved EMSOW’s interoperability with other healthcare systems. If you send images for reading to external radiology platforms that receive order information via HL7, now you can send insurance guarantor information in the GT1 segment of ORM messages. To add the guarantor information, open the Edit service window in the Processing or Billing module. By default, EMSOW defines the patient themself as a guarantor.
Clicking the Self button under the “Guarantor” label on the right of the Insurance section will allow you to change the guarantor relation to spouse, parent, other, employee, guardian, or life partner, and enter the guarantor information.
In the future, we are going to make it possible to send the guarantor information in electronic insurance claims as well.
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[#19997] Search by invoice number in the Invoices module
We have added a new filter that allows you to search for invoices by invoice number. To use this feature, follow the path: Billing > Invoices. In the Options panel on the right, you will find the Invoice number field. Enter the invoice number you are looking for, then click Search. The system will display the referring facility or account for which the invoice was created.
[#19918, #19974] Flip and rotate tools in the DICOM viewer
Sometimes tech sheets come into the PACS system in a wrong orientation. We have added a simple tool that helps you fix such issues. Now you can rotate the tech sheets and images right in the DICOM viewer by clicking the Rotate right and Rotate left buttons on the toolbar.
In addition, the Flip image buttons allow you to mirror images horizontally or vertically.
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Reporting, retrieving, and communicating clinical findings are among the most important capabilities of any diagnostic information system. The conservative way of preparing and storing clinical reports is to keep them as free text. Such reports (digital or paper) are not exactly “unstructured,” as they typically include several mandatory sections: patient demographics, clinical findings, measurements, etc. Still, they make it rather difficult to find specific details or compare records made by different specialists.
Imagine a situation where a patient needs to change a physician (say, he or she has moved to another town). The new doctor needs to review the patient’s medical history and retrieve their previous reports that were created by the previous specialist. If they were entered as free text, the search becomes challenging. Moreover, the previous physician might have used non-standard terminology, which adds ambiguity to the information. Thus, the new physician needs to spend extra time or even contact the doctor who prepared the previous reports.
A reasonable solution is using structured reporting (SR), which is integrated into modern software applications. Today, we will talk about the pros and cons of SR and try to answer the question: Does structured reporting limit the professional freedom of doctors?
Report templates make it possible to enforce a certain report structure and ensure the consistency and integrity of your reports. A stable report structure allows doctors, billing companies, medicolegal officers, and scholars to spend less time reading and comparing the reports and makes patient records more organized (which makes it easy for business owners to control the work of their employees). But that’s not the whole story.
DICOM-based SRs are supported by diagnostic equipment and allow for the transfer of diagnostic measurements in a standardized format. This makes it possible to have auto-populated report forms for typical medical studies (e.g. ultrasound). The equipment stores the needed measurements and displays them in the corresponding fields. Such a workflow optimizes the reporting process and reduces the incidence of human error.
However, as SR gets widespread, it attracts criticism. Some clinicians claim that they do not understand the meaning of structured reporting, while others consider that SR lacks objectivity, because the templates may be used “to reveal the needed results and hide the undesired findings.” Some are afraid that structured reporting attempts to impose a uniform structure for different types of studies and lacks detailed information. Finally, the most conservative physicians confess that they experience issues using the software.
Indeed, these problems may take place, but we consider them rather vendor-related than fundamental. First, let’s clarify that structured reporting has the same meaning and purposes as “traditional reporting”; in essence, it’s just an upgraded version of the same idea. But well-built SR eliminates a good deal of manual work and saves time. The templates are (or, at least, should be!) designed in response to the demands of medical specialists and thus reflect their vision.
As for report structure, it was never intended to be uniform for all types of studies. Otherwise, SR would be kind of a Procrustean bed, unsuitable for medical needs. Each diagnostic modality requires a specific approach and, thus, a specific reporting form. Moreover, sometimes one form for one modality is not enough, especially when a vast anatomic area is being examined (e.g. an abdominal sonogram). Software vendors understand it and make several report templates available for the same type of study. Due to this flexibility, structured reporting can contain as many details as the physician needs.
However, some practitioners are not willing to use SR, despite its advantages. In this case, they can create reports as free text and attach them to study records as PDF documents, because modern software allows such type of data exchange as well. This practice takes place, but the general trend is that free-text reports are being gradually replaced by SR.
So, does structured reporting limit professional freedom? In our opinion, that is not true. SR is a set of tools, and each of them should be adjusted to the user’s needs and utilized according to its intended purpose. If the SR functionality is used correctly, all your medical findings will be prepared easily, precisely, kept in order, and contain all the needed information. Besides, most healthcare information systems keep an open option, so that medical specialists could select the appropriate set of templates or follow the conservative path and record their findings manually.
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[#19978] Receive orders through HL7
The new version of EMSOW allows you to receive orders from your clients’ EMRs through the HL7 protocol. Open the HL7 Requests module from the upper menu bar. If your EMSOW is integrated with an EMR, incoming requests will be displayed in this module.
Here, you can set search parameters to apply a filter to the requests: Status, Created date, Processed date, and Provider. Enter the required parameters, then click Search. Select the required request in the Results window, then click Process. EMSOW will open a service creation wizard to import data. Then you will be able to dispatch a technologist to perform the requested exam by using the Dispatch module.
[#19968] Search for unpaid non-denied studies from the Billing query
We have improved your revenue collection management by adding the Unpaid non-denied search option to the Billing module. It is available in the Query field in the Options panel. This option helps you retrieve unpaid studies without denials posted in EMSOW.
[#19948] Service object pair (SOP) ID search filter in PACS storage
We have extended the search options of EMSOW’s PACS Storage module. Now you can search studies by SOP ID. This filter is located in the Quick search section of the Options panel. Enter the SOP ID, then click the Search button.
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[#19955] Group exams by accession number in EOM report
We have extended the functionality of the End of month report (EOM). Now you can group studies by accession number. Open the Billing module, click Report, then select End of month (EOM) report in the dropdown menu. Select Accession number in the Group by section of the window that opens, select the columns you want to include, then click OK.
[#19951] Copy addresses from referring facilities of any type
In the previous versions of EMSOW, you could copy a service address from nursing homes only. We have improved this option, and now you can copy the address from referring facilities of any type.
[#19630] “Check payer” search filter in the Billing module
We have added the Check Payer search filter to the Billing module. It is located in the Payments section of the search panel. Type the payer’s name in the field or select it from the dropdown menu, then click Search.
[#18935] Support for DICOM transfer syntax 1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.102
We added support for DICOM transfer syntax 1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.102 “MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 High Profile / Level 4.1” to play cineloops in MPEG-4 format in our image viewer.
[#19961] Service ID column in RVL
We have added a new column to the Resident Visit List (RVL), “SID”. The new column shows the service ID for each record. To download the RVL, go to the Processing module, click on the Print button in the order pane, then select Resident Visit List in the dropdown menu.
[#19604] Sort RVL by Type of Visit
The new version of EMSOW allows you to sort the RVL by the type of visit. Click Print in the order pane of the Processing module, then select Resident Visit List. In the window that opens, select Service type or Study type. The RVL will list new studies first, and then it will list follow-up studies.
[#19623] Create tentative orders
From now on, referring physicians can order studies from service providers without specifying an exact date of service. This can be very helpful when the date on which a study should be performed is to be determined at some point later.
To order a study, open the Physician Portal and click the Order studies button on the toolbar. The Ordered studies window will open. In this window, you can add new and manage your existing ordered studies. For a new study, simply click the Add new button on the toolbar:
Here, you can enter necessary patient information, select the type of study, and choose a tentative study date or leave this field blank. Click OK to create a study.
After that, the created study goes to the Dispatch module for further scheduling and dispatching. To manage the ordered studies from the Dispatch module, click the Order studies button on the toolbar. The Ordered studies window will display the Schedule button on the toolbar:
This button turns a tentative study into a confirmed one that dispatch can assign to a technologist.
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[#19927] Improved transportation code assignment (R0070/R0075)
We have improved the functionality of the Assign R0070/R0075 option in the Processing module. Now the Date of Service and Referring Facility fields of the Add transportation codes window are populated automatically based on the order information. To add transportation codes in the Processing module, click on the Assign R0070/R0075 button in the Order information section to the right.
[#19884] Patient SSN field in the Dispatch module
We have extended the search options of the Dispatch module by adding a Patient SSN filter to the Options panel. Enter a patient’s social security number and search exams by this parameter.
[#19908] More flexibility for box 32
Now you can activate the “Keep box 32 empty” option in billing company settings selectively for nursing home facilities and/or different components.
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[#19917] Remove sent invoices
Now you can remove sent invoices. This can be useful if you have created an invoice with an error and need to replace it. Follow the path: Billing > Invoices. Select the required invoice, click Remove selected, then click Yes in the confirmation window.
[#19901] Change a referring facility from the Dispatch Module
The new version of EMSOW allows our users to change the referring facility for an exam record right from the Dispatch module. Go to the Dispatch module, select the needed service, and click Edit. The Edit service window will open. Change the referring facility in the corresponding field. If the service is scheduled for the future, the technologist who is assigned to the case will receive an updated dispatch notification.
[#19888] Send studies for reading from Dispatch and Technologist Portal without additional confirmation
Now, when you click the Reading button in the Dispatch module or the Technologist Portal, the “Send all” checkbox will be selected automatically, so that you do not forget to deliver images to a radiologist in time.
[#19887] Add the FY billing modifier to studies with CR images
We have increased the automation of your billing management. From now on, the system will automatically add the FY billing modifier (“X-ray taken using computed radiography technology/cassette-based imaging”) to studies with Computed Radiography (CR) images.
[#19882] Improved End of Month reporting
We have enhanced the functionality of the End of Month (EoM) report. Now you can disable the Primary insurance, the Primary member ID, and the CPT code columns. Also, you can include in your report the Branch, Modality, and Finalized date columns by checking the corresponding boxes in the Print End of Month Report window.
[#19880] Dispatch performance report
This new report allows you to track the performance of your Dispatch users. Go to the Dispatch module and click the Performance report button. In the window that opens, select a date or a date range and run the report. An Excel file that includes patient and exam data and the names of users who created those exams will be downloaded to your computer.
[#19855] Add billing modifiers from the Processing module
In the new version of EMSOW, you can add billing modifiers to studies from the Processing module. Start creating a service or open the Edit service window. Click on the “arrow” button in the Studies section and select Edit billing modifiers list in the dropdown menu. In the window that opens, enter the required modifiers, then click Save. Please note that changing these modifiers after creating a claim will have no effect, as this feature is supposed to be used before you click the Auto-fill button.
[#19813] Assign referring contracts to accounts and create invoices for them
Now you can assign referring contracts to accounts (along with referring facilities). This can be used if you have a group of facilities that need to receive a collective invoice. Please note that this option will be unavailable if the contract is specified for both an account and a facility that is part of that account.
[#19900] Use branch links in EMSOW Mobile Pro
If a user is linked to branches in the Users module, they will be able to view only the orders for these branches in our iOS application.
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Discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan (Central China), a new сoronavirus infection named COVID-19 has rapidly spread to the rest of the world and become the first global pandemic of the 21st century. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019 Novel сoronavirus (2019-nCoV) disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The official name of the disease was announced on February 11, 2020.
As we write this article, there are about 500,000 confirmed cases; over 65,000 have occurred in the USA. Fatality rate has already exceeded 7% in Italy, and the situation is provoking worldwide panic and affecting businesses, the consumer goods market, and the healthcare industry.
This time we will try to look at the situation from the medical business point of view and discuss the coding and billing aspects of COVID-19. What are the ICD codes for the coronavirus, are they billable, and how can you improve your coding and billing processes in the current situation?
According to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), there are two emergency codes for COVID-19: U07.1, which is assigned to a disease diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by laboratory testing, and U07.2, assigned to a clinical or epidemiological diagnosis of COVID-19 where laboratory confirmation is inconclusive or not available.
However, in the USA, there are currently no specific ICD-10 codes to use when billing for services related to COVID-19. The U07.1 code will be added to the U.S. ICD-10-CM list effective April 1. Starting on that day, U07.1 should be used to report a patient who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Until then, the CDC is giving the following guidance:
For a diagnosis of COVID-19, report the code for the patient condition that is related to the COVID-19 (e.g., J12.89, “Other viral pneumonia”) and B97.29, “Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.”
To make a long story short, U07.1 is considered for confirmed cases only, and is not available to bill until April 2020, while B97.29 is the diagnosis code providers should use for confirmed cases through March 31, 2020. However, healthcare providers who work with Medicaid should refer to the Medicaid billing guidance for COVID-19 Evaluation and Testing.
Please note that if the provider documents “suspected”, “possible” or “probable” COVID-19, you should not assign the B97.29 code.
As for ICD-11, which will come into effect on January 1, 2022, the confirmed diagnosis is coded as RA01.0 and the suspected or probable diagnosis as RA01.2.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the first HCPCS code, U0001, to bill for tests and track new cases of the virus. Another HCPCS code, U0002, allows laboratories to bill for non-CDC laboratory tests for the coronavirus. CMS experts believe that specific codes will encourage testing and improve tracking. Medicare will be able to accept these codes on April 1 for dates of service starting from February 4.
COVID-19 puts forth organizational and institutional problems and dramatically affects the healthcare industry. Under the current conditions, coding, billing, and medical practice itself become more challenging than ever, but you can get some support from healthcare software. Here is a couple of ideas:
You can also automate your claim generation process, which is quite possible with modern medical billing platforms. This can help you overcome the personnel shortage and considerably speed up your revenue cycle management.
IT solutions designed for medical businesses can help you focus on the health of your patients, which should be the only challenge nowadays, whatever the situation turns out to be.
It is on you to take care of them, so take care of yourselves, too.
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[#16154] HIPAA Privacy Policy Notice
We have added a HIPAA Privacy Policy Notice for new EMSOW users. It will appear when they login to their EMSOW domain for the first time. To proceed, a user needs to accept it.
Read the notice carefully, check the Agree box, then click OK.
You can make the new users accept the HIPAA agreement by checking the corresponding box in the “Create new record” window of the Users module or disable this feature by unchecking it.
Also, under this checkbox, you will find the Force to change password checkbox, which was previously located at the bottom of the window.
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[#19843; #19739] Reschedule dispatched exams
Now you can change service dates right in the Dispatch module. Double-click on a service, then enter the required dates in the Order date and Date of Service fields.
Moreover, we have improved the automation of your scheduling management. If you move a service from the Dispatch module to another date, the system will automatically create the corresponding event in the Schedule module. If there are no orders for this date, an order and an event will be created. This feature will not be activated, if the event has been canceled.
[#19830] Referring groups in Billing Rules, Transportation and Setup rules
We have extended the functionality of EMSOW’s Billing, Transportation and Setup rules, by adding the Referring groups condition. To add it to a rule, click on the “Plus” button in the Add new rule or Edit rule window.
[#19806] Billing state field in referring facilities
Now you can indicate billing states for referring facilities according to Medicare localities. Follow the path: Setup > Referring > Referring facilities. Start adding a new facility or editing an existing one. In the Billing tab of the window, you will find the Billing state field. Start entering the state or select it from the dropdown menu.
Then, you can filter services in the Billing module by Referring billing state. Use the corresponding filter in the Referring doctor section of the Options pane.
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[#19755] Technologist Portal will warn the user if the DICOM patient name does not match the patient name from Dispatch
We have decreased the risk of human error in the Technologist portal. Now, if you attach images to studies by using the drag-and-drop function and the patient name in the images does not match that in the dispatch entry, the system will warn you with a confirmation window.
[#19754] Social Security Number in the Portable Services Requisition form
We have added the Social Security Number (SSN) field to the Portable Services Requisition form, which you can print from the Billing module.
[#19751] Keep the state of the Worksheet filter in the Technologist Portal
We have improved the search functionality of the Technologist Portal by adding a stateful Worksheet filter. It is located under the Group by filter in the Options panel and contains the following options: Saved, Not saved, and All. The stateful filter “remembers” the search condition used in the previous search, so you can set up your portal to display studies without a saved worksheet at all times.
[#19752] New stateful filters in the Dispatch module
We have added new stateful filters to the Dispatch module. They include the following search options: Dispatch stage, Critical Findings, Priority, Branches, Referring facilities, Technologists, Modalities, Hide items flagged as “phoned”, Hide items with delivered reports, Hide items flagged as confirmed by technologist, and Show cancelled items. Check the needed box once, and the system will remember your choice for all the future searches!
[#19798] Self-payment option in Referring Contracts
We have added the Self checkbox to referring contract conditions so that you could apply them to self-pay patients. EMSOW considers a patient self-pay if there is no insurance specified for him or her. To use this option, follow the path: Setup > Billing > Referring contracts. Create a new contract or start editing an existing one.
[#19753] Charge percentage in Referring Contracts
Another improvement in the Referring Contracts functionality is the percentage field (displayed as %:). This field is used to apply a percentage to the Charge based on field that allows you to reference an insurance company’s fee schedule in your contracts.
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[#19756] “Group by” search option in the Technologist portal
We have improved the search options in the Technologist portal by adding the Group by option, similar to that in our PACS storage module. Now, you can group your images by Study UID, attached studies, and DICOM studies (default). Previously all the images were automatically arranged by Study UID.
[#19579] Transaction conditions for billing
We have improved our auto-posting feature. Now you can automatically write off a pending amount when you receive a denial with certain codes. Go to Setup > Billing > Transaction conditions. Click Add new and enter a range of CPT codes, insurances, as well as CARC/RARC codes.
[#19726] “Cancel” button in the Dispatch module
Now you can cancel exams right in the Dispatch module. Select the needed studies, click the Cancel button, enter a cancellation reason in the window that opens (you can also skip it), then click OK. The exams will receive the canceled status and disappear from the Dispatch module. Please note that if an exam is confirmed by a technologist, it cannot be canceled. To cancel unconfirmed studies, you will need to “undispatch” them and notify the technologist.
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[#19639] New columns in the Referring Facilities module
We have added new columns to the Referring Facility module so that you could manage your referring facility records more efficiently. Now you can display the following parameters for them: Short name; Full name; Account; Ordering facility; Billing settings; Contract; Contacts; Study groups.
You can add the corresponding columns to the Results pane or remove them from it by clicking the “arrow” button to the left of each column.
[#19420] Date of service conditions in reading rules
We have extended the functionality of reading rules. Now you can add the DoS from and DoS to conditions. For example, this update is helpful if you need to autofill your services from/to a specific date or within a date range. To add these (or any other) conditions, go to the Reading Rules module and add a new rule or start editing an existing one. In the window that opens, click the “plus” button, and add the needed conditions from the dropdown menu.
[#19649] Reworked feature: “Related transportation codes”
Now you can assign X-ray transportation codes in the Processing, Billing, and Payer Assignment modules by clicking the Assign R0070/R0075.
In the window that opens, enter search options in the Options section, click Search, select studies that were done within the same trip, and click the Add transportation codes button. This will add HCPCS code R0070 to studies done within single-patient trips, and R0075 (with appropriate modifiers) to studies done within multi-patient trips.
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Today, rapidly developing healthcare technologies inspire more players to enter the market of diagnostic services. A lot of new solutions are now quite affordable – from wireless connections and secure PACS to compact mobile ultrasound machines. Some companies even create transducers that can be connected to a smartphone!
However, this encourages competition among medical businesses. The competition leads to an increase in the quality-to-price ratio and makes physicians with vast experience reframe their views on management and reconsider their diagnostic methods. Innovations are no substitute for medical expertise, and still, a lot of healthcare enterprises with decades of practice and spotless reputation become driven from the market by younger and smaller entrepreneurs, who have adopted new technologies.
As an example, we can mention modern ultrasound systems, which are currently gaining popularity. The overwhelming majority of such machines are digital and DICOM-friendly. But what are the benefits of ultrasound compared to, say, X-ray? First, US units produce no radiation. On the one hand, it allows physicians to cut their expenditures on radiation protection and dosimetry (not to mention ergonomic issues). On the other hand, the number of studies can be increased. This, in turn, leads to a better understanding of the course of the disease and more successfully treated cases.
From the technical point of view, modern ultrasound systems have an extensive capability of structured and templated reporting. Some specific-purpose software allows doctors and technologists to combine these two features, providing them with a powerful diagnostic instrument.
Besides, the leading equipment providers market mobile ultrasound units – some of them are laptop-sized, others can be easily held in one hand or even connected to a mobile device. Such machines are usually quite reliable and even more advantageous, especially for small businesses. They are less expensive than stationary equipment and allow the technologist to perform all the necessary procedures right at the patient’s bedside – rapidly and with no compromise in quality. A visiting technologist can cover multiple locations, which is way more convenient for elderly or urgent patients.
But mobility and comfort are not the only ways to increase patients’ satisfaction. Such devices increase the transparency of healthcare. Quite often, the patients experience stress or anxiety when they do not understand the real situation. The new approach to diagnostics, based on the use of mobile devices, can eliminate these unfounded fears. For example, a doctor can immediately compare images of a cardiac patient’s heart to a normal organ or more severe pathologies, and explain the difference. This method does not always have a calming effect, and the physician should analyze each particular case before using it. However, together with professional comments, such visualization makes the patient follow the doctor’s orders more carefully.
Practices based on the use of mobile ultrasound systems sometimes attract controversy and evidence-based criticism, arising from misdiagnosing cases. Some claim that the problem lies in the training programs for ultrasound specialists. Others suggest that the major issues are caused by the misuse of the equipment. Without being experts in education, we cannot judge on the first problem, but as for the technical issues, it’s easy to overcome them.
Nowadays, software developers offer a lot of different applications for diagnostic imaging: from single-purpose billing services to A-Z solutions that can streamline all your business processes (including scheduling, reporting, equipment management, and much more). Such applications can considerably simplify your operation of medical equipment. Besides, the developers of the most advanced software have understood the benefits of cooperation with equipment providers and medical specialists. Some of them can even send you manuals for your mobile ultrasound machine and help you configure it – completely free of charge.
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