A Medical Device Daily

Wolters Kluwer Health (Minneapolis) reported that Cardiovascular Associates (CVA; Birmingham, Alabama) has selected ProVation MD software for cardiology procedure documentation and coding. The software will be used to document catheterization, nuclear cardiology and echocardiography procedures at six CVA sites throughout central Alabama.

ProVation MD software for procedure documentation and coding compliance replaces dictation/transcription and streamlines the coding and billing process. Unlike Cardiovascular Information Systems (CVIS), which collect patient measurements and administrative data, ProVation MD allows clinicians to quickly document medical procedures at the point of care, then applies the appropriate reimbursement codes to drive compliance and revenue recovery.

ProVation MD interfaces with cardiovascular nursing, imaging and measurement systems to complete the electronic documentation process and free busy cardiologists and technologists from time-consuming dictation.

"CVA's distinguished clinicians, state-of-the-art facilities, and use of technological solutions like CVIS and echo and nuclear imaging systems enable us to offer advanced treatment and diagnosis of cardiovascular disease," said Bill Cockrell, administrator, CVA. "ProVation software rounds out our electronic workflow, eliminating dictation for physicians and allowing us to streamline administrative processes and ensure compliant coding and reimbursement."

In other agreements/contracts news:

The Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA; Topeka) has selected Thomson Reuters (New York) to develop a data system that will enable the agency to analyze the cost and effectiveness of healthcare in Kansas.

The system – comprised of a data repository and a data analytic interface – will consolidate and manage healthcare data for several state programs. Andy Allison, KHPA's deputy director and Medicaid director, describes the project as, "a major building block in fulfilling KHPA's mission to advance data-driven health policy."

The data repository will contain information from the Medicaid Management Information System, the State Employee Health Benefit Program and the Kansas Health Insurance Information System. The DAI will enable KHPA to compare health care service and use patterns and identify areas for focus and improvements.

Five academic groups have selected Medical Present Value (MPV; Austin, Texas) to monitor payor compliance through automation of their payer contract management processes. Using MPV's web-based Phynance application, the groups will be able to optimize the performance of their payor contracts and verify accurate reimbursement for services rendered. The academic practices, representing more than 2,050 providers, include: University of Minnesota Physicians (Minneapolis); Jefferson University Physicians, (Philadelphia); University of Toledo Physicians (Toledo, Ohio); Children's University Medical Group (Seattle); and University of South Alabama Health Services Foundation (Mobile, Alabama).

Allscripts (Chicago) reported that Evangelical Community Hospital (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania) has selected the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution to automate and connect clinical processes for their 40 employed physicians and 60 affiliated physicians in independent practice.

The agreement with Allscripts leverages recent changes to the federal Stark regulations that now allow hospitals to assist non-employed physicians in purchasing healthcare information technologies such as EHRs. Evangelical Community Hospital will host the Allscripts solution and subsidize the cost and ongoing fees associated with providing the system to physicians in the community.

OutSystems (San Ramon, California), provider of the Agile Platform for rapid delivery and management of web business applications, said that XDx (Brisbane, California), a molecular diagnostics company, has selected the OutSystems Agile Platform to deliver new core applications to their business users.

The first project – an application for analysis request management that automates tracking clinical trial samples and pathology requests – was delivered in five weeks with the OutSystems Agile Platform.