Industry Report Highlights Widespread Dissatisfaction with EHRs and PHMs for Quality Performance Management

97% of Surveyed Health Systems Relying on Solutions Considered Unsatisfactory

CHICAGO – November 15, 2017 – SA Ignite Inc., a leading provider of solutions that simplify and automate the management of complex value-based programs, today announced key findings from its recent industry study. The State of QPP Preparedness Industry Report, conducted in collaboration with Porter Research, analyzed feedback from nearly 120 health system executives regarding their organizations’ preparedness for CMS’s Quality Payment Program (QPP). Researchers found that while most health systems are relying solely on electronic health record (EHR) or population health management (PHM) solutions for quality reporting, the majority are unsatisfied with the performance of those systems, indicating that organizations are at risk of missing out on their goals of maximizing payment incentives.

The QPP is a CMS initiative created under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to improve health outcomes and aid the transition to value-based care. Ninety-four percent of the study respondents are actively participating in the QPP, which is indicative of the rapid national adoption of value-based programs.

According to the study, 97% of respondents say their organizations are relying on their EHRs or PHMs for QPP reporting. However, they have very low confidence in these tools, especially when it comes to the most critical functions related to QPP performance, such as:

  • Identifying all eligible clinicians
  • Pinpointing focus areas to increase scores
  • Seeing overall MIPS score/estimated financial impact

Additional study findings include:

  • The majority (64%) of health systems are seeking to maximize their QPP payment incentives.
  • 73% of respondents reported that their system vendor does not offer a specific QPP management solution.
  • There is a lack of consistency across organizations as to which department manages the QPP. Respondents cited quality, clinical, administrative, IT, and population health departments as various managers of the program.

“EHR and PHM solutions were designed to manage patient care, not to optimize performance in value-based programs,” said Matt Fusan, Director of Customer Experience of SA Ignite. “It should come as no surprise that these solutions don’t have the necessary functionality to support quality performance management. Healthcare leaders hoping to maximize their incentives must look beyond the EHR to solutions that mitigate complexity and facilitate proactive program management.”

Click here to learn more about this study and its results, and to receive practical guidance on how to manage quality performance and maximize payment incentives.

About SA Ignite, Inc.

SA Ignite’s compliance management and predictive analytics platform simplifies the complexities of evolving value-based initiatives, including MIPS and Meaningful Use for Medicaid. Some of the nation’s largest healthcare organizations optimize their quality scores to reduce reputational and financial risk with the help of timely, actionable insights from SA Ignite. For more information, visit www.saignite.com.

   

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