CCME has a unique perspective on EHR Consulting – quality improvement. Our roots as a federally designated quality improvement organization have provided us with over 25 years of quality improvement experience. This experience, coupled with our expertise in electronic health records, allows us to offer consulting services not available from any other source. With quality improvement as the foundation of our consulting services, we can help transform a practice that has daily struggles with their EHR to one that maximizes use of its EHR for improved quality of care.

Our consulting services are offered at an hourly rate or as a deliverable driven agreement and are managed by a certified project management professional (PMP).

Personalized EHR Consulting
CCME will provide an experienced EHR consultant to work with an organization to guide the EHR implementation process. Services may include work plan development, overall implementation project management, vendor selection support, or implementation support.

EHR System Optimization Study (EHR SOS)
Many EHR vendors focus their implementation support on loading software and training users on general system functionality. Vendors are generally not onsite for an extended period of time to help the practice build templates, use prompts and reminders, set up system efficiencies, or establish reports. Ironically, these are the system functions that help the practice become clinically effective and achieve a return on investment.

Our service offering for the EHR System Optimization Study (EHR SOS) includes a complete EHR system assessment to determine if the practice is using the system to the fullest capability and maximizing efficiency. Specific areas of assessment may include: analysis of physical practice design in regards to EHR use, overall system set-up, provider use of templates, health maintenance tracking, order tracking, use of electronic prescribing, use of patient education materials, and disease care management.

Meaningful Use Assessment
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) incentive programs for providers who have adopted and can demonstrate "meaningful use" of the EHR. For many practices, determining what constitutes "meaningful use" and positioning themselves to demonstrate system usage is a daunting task. CCME will assess the practices’ use of the system, prepare a "meaningful use" gap analysis, and create an action plan for ensuring the final criteria are met.

Contact us today at EHRServices@thecarolinascenter.org, to learn more about our EHR services and how we can help your practice adopt an EHR system.