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Innovating Healthcare: AIDA Healthcare’s Groundbreaking Integration with PointClickCare

Posted on by Rita Stavitskaya

Innovating Healthcare: AIDA Healthcare's Groundbreaking Integration with PointClickCare

In a significant leap forward for the healthcare coordination industry, AIDA Healthcare has announced its latest technological advancement, an integration with PointClickCare, to revolutionize how acute and post-acute providers collaborate. Now available in the PointClickCare marketplace, this innovative application leverages the latest healthcare technology, including SMART on FHIR standards, to streamline operations and enhance patient care.

The integration is a game-changer for admissions coordinators, who have long been bogged down by the tedious and error-prone process of re-entering demographic information from AIDA into PointClickCare. By automating this process, the application minimizes the potential for errors and significantly reduces the time spent on administrative tasks. This efficiency boost allows the admissions team to allocate more time to high-value activities, such as direct patient interaction and managing complex admissions cases, thereby enhancing the overall patient experience.

This technological advancement translates into substantial timesaving for a skilled nursing facility processing around 1,000 referrals monthly. Specifically, by cutting down just three minutes of administrative processing per referral, the facility can save up to 50 hours per month. This considerable time saving can be redirected towards providing better patient care, embodying the very essence of healthcare.

At the heart of this integration is using SMART on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards, which are at the forefront of enabling interoperability within the healthcare sector. These standards facilitate the secure and seamless exchange of healthcare information across different systems, ensuring that patient data is accessible where and when it’s needed, thus improving the continuity and quality of care.

This collaboration between AIDA Healthcare and PointClickCare exemplifies the potential of technology to transform healthcare delivery. By bridging the gap between acute and post-acute care providers, this integration not only streamlines administrative processes but also enhances the quality of patient care. As healthcare continues to evolve, the focus remains on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and, most importantly, provide better care to patients. AIDA Healthcare’s integration with PointClickCare is a testament to this ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in healthcare.

Published on February 13, 2024

pointclickcare.com

AIDA Healthcare Sets New Industry Standard with HITRUST Certification

Posted on by Rita Stavitskaya

AIDA Healthcare Sets New Industry Standard with HITRUST Certification

What is HITRUST and why is it important? The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) certification represents the gold standard in healthcare data protection, offering a comprehensive framework encompassing a wide range of security, privacy, and regulatory guidelines tailored specifically for the healthcare industry.

Achieving HITRUST certification is a rigorous process demonstrating an organization’s commitment to the highest data security and compliance level, addressing the unique challenges and vulnerabilities inherent in handling sensitive healthcare information. For healthcare technology companies, obtaining HITRUST certification is about meeting regulatory requirements, building trust with partners and patients, and ensuring their data is safeguarded against breaches and cyber threats.

In an era where data breaches are increasingly common and can have devastating consequences for patients and providers alike, HITRUST certification provides a clear marker of reliability and excellence in data security practices. It reassures stakeholders that a company is fully equipped to manage and protect health information with the utmost diligence, making it an indispensable accreditation for any entity operating within the healthcare technology space. In a monumental leap forward for healthcare data security and patient care coordination, AIDA Healthcare has distinguished itself as the industry’s premier and sole care coordination platform to earn the esteemed HITRUST certification. This landmark achievement heralds a new era in healthcare, underlining AIDA’s unwavering dedication to upholding the utmost data protection and compliance standards in managing sensitive healthcare information.

As a leader in care coordination and prior authorization technology, AIDA’s accomplishment introduces an unprecedented benchmark within the healthcare sector. It underscores the criticality of implementing stringent security protocols in today’s digitally driven medical landscape. This certification not only bolsters the confidence of healthcare providers in AIDA’s platform but also highlights the company’s commitment to cultivating a secure, efficient healthcare ecosystem.

AIDA’s trailblazing started with SMART on FHIR adoption ahead of any care coordination platform, and now it continues raising the bar with the HITRUST certification. Despite these technological strides, AIDA remains steadfast in its focus on ensuring the accuracy and quality of data, a cornerstone in the realm of healthcare technology.

Central to AIDA’s ethos is a profound commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery by empowering providers to devote more time to direct patient care. This vision is reflected in their mission to offer unmatched healthcare coordination and prior authorization software to minimize the administrative burdens shouldered by healthcare professionals. This philosophy drives AIDA’s relentless pursuit of innovation, efficiency, and effectiveness in healthcare coordination.

For an in-depth look at this groundbreaking development and what it means for the future of healthcare, stakeholders are encouraged to consult AIDA’s official announcement

Published on February 13, 2024

hitrustalliance.net

The Cures Act and EHR: What Are the Best Practices

Posted on by email@aidahealthcare.com

The Cures Act and EHR: What Are the Best Practices?

The Cures Act and EHR: What Are the Best Practices?

Healthcare professionals and patients in the United States are on the cusp of unprecedented regulatory changes that will impact automation, privacy, security, and how we manage access to patient data. The information blocking and interoperability rules of the 21st Century Cures Act are closely related to HIPAA and will begin to transform the whole industry in October 2022. 

What Is the Cures Act?

The Cures Act is bipartisan legislation designed to help accelerate medical product development and bring new innovations and advances to patients who need them faster and more efficiently. It includes funding research, the FDA, and the opioid crisis. Notably, the Cures Act created new rules to encourage interoperability, prevent information blocking, and ensure patients can access their electronic health information.

Who does the Cures Act cover?

The Cures Act will significantly impact how we manage electronic health information (EHI) and who can access and share patient information. This access and exchange will become more common among:

HIPAA entities:

  • providers  
  • payers

Non-HIPAA entities: 

  • personal health apps
  • mobile smartphone-based health apps 
  • related digital apps
  • any third parties that involve patients, providers, and payers
  •  

These rules cover more than just patients’ access to their information. The Cures Act will address all use cases where parties that exchange health information will be able to refer to rules to govern their requests for most uses of patient information, even if they are not directly participating in the process. Denying appropriate access, use, or sharing of EHI may result in the new information-blocking rules. Today, these rules act as a deterrent but will soon lead to direct penalties.

What does the Cures Act mean for practices?

The interoperability and information blocking rules require the largest investment for providers and practices. Correct data sharing processes are essential for compliance as they cannot create unreasonable barriers to accessing, sharing, and using EHI. All electronic health record (EHR) interoperability features must be enabled and up-to-date.

Sharing data with your patients and other practices can help you improve outcomes and quality of care. Providing patients with easy access to their EHI can increase satisfaction and involve patients in their care. Seamlessly sharing data with other providers can also improve diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcomes. Complying with the new information blocking rules may require some up-front investment, but the result should be better, more coordinated care.

AIDA is ready to help you leverage the benefits of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) and comply with the Cures Act the easy way. AIDA enables better patient health outcomes with innovative care transition technology. See what our team can do for your organization by scheduling your demo here.

What are the benefits of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT)?

  • Supports electronic transitions of care, closes referral loops, and gives hospitals straightforward and secure access to their patients’ records for outside organizations.
  • Makes getting patients’ personal health information less time-consuming and tedious for all involved parties while maintaining confidentiality.
  • Enables the use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to help hospitals access and exchange health information in CEHRT more easily.
  • Enables electronic access to health information through advanced and secure technologies, including APIs, which provide patients with greater flexibility and choice in accessing and sharing their health information.

What does the Cures Act mean for patients?

Over time, the Cures Act’s data sharing and interoperability provisions should help improve patient care. These rules, including information blocking rules, are designed to ensure patients can access their data from within apps of their choice. This enables patients to use their EHI in new and innovative ways that ensure that patients who move, switch insurance plans, or switch providers have complete portable medical records to support future diagnosis and treatment decisions.

 

In theory, patients will have more control over their information and expanded access, use, and sharing means that patients and other parties will soon have a highly controlled environment to share health information through a simple, automated online EHI. For example, with prior permission, a patient’s personal health app on a smartphone will be able to collect patient EHI and provide access to others. This convenience represents a giant leap in the accessibility, sharing, and usefulness of patient health information.

What does the Cures Act mean for EHR Vendors?

The Cures Act defines new requirements for product features, functionality, and program business practices that must be met to maintain EHR certification. EHR providers must complete development, certification, and upgrades within two years of the final rule’s effect. The new standard requires using APIs that conform to the HL7 FHIR Release 4 (R4) specification. EHR providers must adhere to the following business practices to maintain EHR certification:

 

  1. Encourage the flow of patient information by not breaking blocking rules
  2. Permit the electronic exchange, access, and use of health information
  3. Don’t stop customer communication with gag rules.
  4. Follow API business practices
  5. Conduct annual real-world product testing
  6. Perform product attestation biannually 

 

With these rules, the market should shift towards improving the accessibility of patient information and facilitating patient care. Healthcare providers should not rely on a single EHR provider for critical access to the patient information they need. These rules allow physicians to choose their preferred EHR provider, not who their hospital or community works with. While it may seem daunting at first, this will go a long way in helping patients and doctors see the benefits of electronic health records.

What do Interoperability and Data Sharing Requirements in the Cures Act mean?

Most importantly for practices and providers, the Cures Act introduces new interoperability and data sharing requirements. These new rules are designed to encourage data sharing and ensure patients can access their data.

 

The most comprehensive of these is the Information Blocking Rule, which took effect on April 5, 2021. Under this rule, EHR providers, health information exchanges, and providers are prohibited from interfering with or preventing access, sharing, or use of EHI, with exceptions for security and privacy. However, the information blocking rules are designed to improve access to EHI, especially for patients. In most cases, practices must respond to requests to share data on time. Violations of information blocking rules are subject to fines of up to $1 million for each instance.

 

The information blocking rules are rolled out in stages. From April 5, 2021, to October 6, 2022, the new rules apply only to data contained in US Interoperability Core Data. After the initial introductory phase, these rules apply to all HIPAA-covered data, including claims and billing.

 

The Cures Act also includes provisions to encourage the use of APIs. Information blocking rules and others ensure that patients can access their data through the applications of their choice. By requiring EHR providers, health information exchanges, and providers to open their systems to APIs, the Cures Act will encourage innovation in quality comparison tools, health management applications, and cost calculators.

Does the Cures Act encourage automation?

For compliance professionals, there will be a delicate balance between HIPAA, which protects patient information, and the Cures Act rules, which aim to open access to that information. At this point, perhaps the most crucial aspect of the new regulations is the automation of patient access and records management.

 

More recently, access, copying, and sharing of patient information were provided only for or during treatment, for payment and operational purposes for patient access, as part of a business partner providing services to affected entities, or for specific purposes after authorized disclosure with few exceptions. The bar is notably high for proof of who is requesting information and ensuring no breaches have occurred. Accessing patient information requests has been manually executed due to poor interoperability, the existence of mixed paper/electronic records, and the lack of automated exchange of information.

 

These manual processes are ripe for an automation upgrade to increase speed and efficiency, but that requires a federal law. EHRs will improve automation, as will systems containing other designated patient information. Other vendors will offer compliance automation to manage new processes and reduce this risk.

 

In addition to improved interoperability with API and EHI exports, automation from the new rules covers information blocking incidents and complaint investigations, digital/mobile health applications, and requests related to interoperability and patient access.

Is HIPAA a barrier to the Cures Act?

HIPAA is often blamed for barriers to patient information disclosure, primarily a byproduct of misunderstanding its complex rules. The result is that the free sharing of patient information is restricted to authorized or otherwise permitted parties, making the free data sharing vision challenging to achieve.

 

While reducing some of the burdensome aspects of HIPAA is a goal, the Cures Act is not designed to minimize the importance of HIPAA. The idea behind the rules is to create processes that automate the bulk of patient data access, replication, and exchange requests with little or no human intervention. Automating the collection, dissemination, and storage of patient information without HIPAA protections significantly increases the risk of breaches.

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The Future of Post-Acute Interoperability

Posted on by email@aidahealthcare.com

The Future of Post-Acute Interoperability

(KIRKLAND) November 2nd, 2020 – The HL7 FHIR Connectathon event happens three times a year in cities all around the world. This year the conference was virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. HL7 is the organization that is responsible for the ongoing development of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource). FHIR is quickly becoming the new standard for healthcare interoperability, and because of a final rule released by the ONC this year, it should continue to gain rapid momentum.

The promise of FHIR is a modern REST-API-based architecture for communicating highly structured healthcare information using standard web protocols (HTTPS). HL7 coordinates the specification of standardized resources to facilitate this interoperability. HL7 provides a structure for many different groups of stakeholders to collaborate and ultimately vote on what standards should be created and how they should evolve over time.

The purpose of the HL7 FHIR Connectathon is to improve the quality of FHIR specifications through testing connections between different pieces of software. A Connectathon is broken up into different tracks that test different projects. One of the most exciting projects that participated in the Connectathon was the PACIO Project.

The PACIO Project is coordinated by a group of organizations led by The MITRE Corporation and sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The purpose of the project is to advance interoperability between post-acute care, other providers, and patients. All PACIO documents and resources are open source to promote wide adoption.

Some key concepts of the PACIO Project are:

• The patient should be at the center of healthcare information exchange

• Structured data about a patient’s plan of care and status should be readily available

• Health information should be accessible to the patient and/or their designated representative through a centralized, user-friendly portal

The PACIO team that participated at HL7 Connectathon 25 was focused on creating a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the use of FHIR to exchange data for two purposes:

1) Integration of CMS assessment data elements from the Data Element Library (DEL) into health IT systems

2) Exchange patient level Cognitive and Functional Status data between multiple health IT systems for consumption by clinicians, patients, and their representatives

Both of these purposes coalesce around assessment requirements established by the IMPACT Act of 2014. CMS developed standardized patient assessments in several categories, including Cognitive and Functional Status for exchange between different stakeholder groups, including patients. The PACIO team was able to demonstrate that both purposes could be managed using FHIR resource implementation as specified by PACIO’s current implementation guides. They did this using simulated version of real health IT software facilitated by stakeholder representatives with the different software companies.

Though the PACIO team’s work is not yet being used in any health IT production environments, it represents a bright future where health information exchange can be fast, standardized, and accessible to all stakeholders. The PACIO team also demonstrated a patient-facing portal that reported the FHIR-exchanged assessment data into a very organized and navigable user-interface that appeared well-suited for use by clinicians and approaching a functional state for patient consumption as well. It was very exciting to see this work take shape as part of this proof-of-concept.

It is AIDA’s goal to participate actively in the PACIO Project in the coming months as it is very well aligned with our company goals and roadmap for the future. For those of you who have personal experience working in the post-acute world, as I do, I’m sure you are aware of the many challenges that are faced by clinicians and their support staff when it comes to collection, interpretation, and conveyance of healthcare information. AIDA is a leader amongst a new and powerful crop of software tools that will facilitate much more efficient and transparent exchange of vital information. The work that HL7 International and the PACIO Project is doing is foundational to many improved patient outcomes facilitated by companies like AIDA Healthcare and others.

At AIDA, our purpose is to advance user-friendly, FHIR-focused interoperability between acute and post-acute settings. Today, our focus is on care management and referral management for continuously growing number of care provider types. Looking forward, we anticipate a shift in focus toward patient-facing interfaces and broadened support for leading EMRs. If you would like to learn more, please visit aidahealthcare.com or send me a note on LinkedIn.

PACIO is a trademark of MITRE and is used with permission from The MITRE Corporation.

Published on November 2, 2020

pacioproject.org

AIDA is Ready to Help with your COVID-19 Response

Posted on by email@aidahealthcare.com

AIDA is Ready to Help with your COVID-19 Response

(KIRKLAND) March 23, 2020 – In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, AIDA Healthcare, creators of Artificial Intelligence Discharge Agent (AIDA), a patent-pending, HIPAA-compliant software platform focused on helping patients, hospitals, health systems, and ACOs connect with all post-acute care providers and improve the patient transition process, announced that it will offer Patient Choice at no cost to hospitals currently being impacted by COVID-19.

Patient Choice is part of the AIDA platform, which simplifies the complexity of the patient transition process for all providers in the care continuum, helping to achieve clarity about each episode of care. AIDA creates clarity by offering a deeper level of information about downstream providers and a technology-driven approach to communicating with them, which increases efficiency, reduces length of stay, and reduces hospital readmissions.

“With the spread of COVID-19, concerns are mounting about hospital bed capacity. Hospitals are focused on preparing for high-utilization and will need to improve efficiency around the patient discharge and transition process. Accurate and live data sharing across multiple providers throughout the care continuum is crucial to meeting this need”, says Julian Paraschiv, CEO, AIDA Healthcare. “Hospitals are anticipating large caseloads of COVID-19 patients and case management efficiency is more important than ever. According to recent reports, nearly two-thirds of the nation’s estimated hospital beds are already occupied. We know that hospitals are facing a huge challenge and AIDA is committed to assist them during this time.”

AIDA PATIENT CHOICE BENEFITS

• With 1-click filters, determine which post-acute providers are willing to provide care for recovering and sub acute COVID-19 diagnosed patients.

• Match patients’ commercial insurance with contracted post-acute providers anywhere in the country.

• Access to AIDA’s database of more than 2,500 active SNF, HHA, IPR, LTCH, Hospice, DME, and other care providers, including CMS star ratings.

• Share provider profiles with patients and family members by email, text, or as printed handouts.

• Easily document activity in Patient Choice inside existing EHR/EMR.

• Access real-time analytics dashboards that monitor usage and compliance.

• Quick implementation as a web-based solution that does not require installation by an IT team and does not require case managers to input PHI or PII.

Additionally, AIDA is offering AIDA Provider Admission Module for FREE indefinitely to all post-acute care (PAC) providers nationwide. The module allows PACs to receive referrals from acute care hospitals.

Published on March 23, 2020