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Cody Frew


Pros & Cons of Using Your EHR Vendor for PQRS Reporting

January 25, 2016


Clinician, EHR 3 Minute Read

With the deadline to submit your 2015 PQRS reports approaching fast, March 31, 2016, now is the time to start the submission process. Ā This process can take up to a month and you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of time to sort through any issues you may run into.

There are five methods in which you can submit your PQRS reportsĀ as listed on CMS’s How To Get Started page:

  1. Medicare Part B claims
  2. Qualified PQRS registry
  3. Direct electronic health record (EHR) using certified EHR technology (CEHRT)
  4. CEHRT via Data Submission Vendor
  5. Qualified clinical data registry (QCDR)

Each method has a different set of requirements and benefits, but for this post, we will focus on the fourth method, CEHRT via Data Submission Vendor. This method will collect the data from the CEHRT, format the data and submit the data to CMS, making it very easy for the end user.

However, even with this method, there are several additional options to consider:

  1. Collect the data from the EHR yourself.
  2. Allow the Data Submission VendorĀ to pull the data for you.
  3. Use your EHR vendor to collect and submit the PQRS data.

Collect the data from the EHR yourself.

Pros:

Potentially the cheapest option and gives you full control over the data you collect.

Cons:

Collecting the right data for PQRS can sometimes be a complicated process and is prone to running into issues when trying to meet each measure. Unless you know the data and all the measures extremely well, the process could take longer than expected and could potentially not be submitted correctly.

Allow the Data Submission VendorĀ to pull the data for you.

Pros:

Data Submission Vendor companies usually only focus on PQRS reporting and know the ins and outs of the process. They will make sure they collect the right information and get everything submitted correctly. They will also help you along the way to meet the required measures.

Cons:

With so many EHR vendors out there, the company may not be an expert in the one you use and sometimes the practice is still required to collect the data themselves. Like the first option, this isn’t always the easiest task and could cause potential delays in the process. There would be a lot of back and forth between you and the company until everything is ready for submission. Depending on how the company charges for their services, this could even increase the cost.

Use your EHR vendor to submit the PQRS data.

Pros:

Even if there is not a direct submission process (PQRS Option #3) inside your CEHRT, your EHR vendor may offer this as a service and they will handle almost the entire process for you. Like the second option of using a third-party company, the EHR vendor will collect all necessary data, as well as take care of submitting the reports and making sure you meet all the measures. This option is normally much smoother since they are obviously experts in your EHR software. They will work with you along the way, but this option will be the least amount of work on your end.

Cons:

There is usually a fee associated with this service, but if you compare it to how much you will save in avoiding Medicare penalties, the return on investment is very high. Not all EHR vendors offer this service, so be sure to ask them to make sure.

ChartLogic PQRS:

ChartLogic offers a complete PQRS service package that will handle everything from collecting the data from ChartLogic EHR to submitting the reports to CMS and working with the practice to make sure they meet all the requirements for each measure. To learn more, contact us to speak with a PQRS expert.



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