Newsbytes, 5/14

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AHIMA concerned about EHR copy-and-paste functionality

The American Health Information Management Association has issued a position statement warning about the dangers of using copy-and-paste functionality within electronic health record systems.

“Misuse of this functionality has the potential to result in or contribute to several overarching challenges, with implications for the quality and safety of patient care, medico-legal integrity of the health record, and fraud and abuse allegations,” according to AHIMA.

The position statement proposes that public and private sector organizations work together to ensure appropriate use of the copy-and-paste feature and reduce potential risks.

Among its recommendations are that industry stakeholders collaborate on developing and promulgating copy-and-paste best practice standards. The standards should include alternative approaches to documentation capture, such as linking to the original source instead of duplicating the information.

The agency also recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology include appropriate copy-and-paste functionality within EHR certification criteria.

Health care provider organizations, AHIMA reports, should address the use of copy-and-paste features in their information governance processes and provide all EHR users with comprehensive training on the proper use of copy-and-paste functionality. Providers should also monitor compliance and enforce copy-and-paste policies and procedures, taking corrective action when needed.

Among the challenges and risks associated with copy-and-paste functionality, AHIMA continues, are inaccurate, outdated, or redundant information; inability to identify the author or intent of the documentation; propagation of false information; and inconsistent or unnecessarily lengthy progress notes.

NovoPath debuts Web portal

NovoPath has developed a customizable Web portal for its NovoPath anatomic pathology system to help its clients comply with federal legislation requiring labs to provide direct patient access to lab test reports. Patients can log on to the Web portal through a lab’s website to download reports generated through NovoPath’s AP system.

NovoPath, 877-668-6123

Data Innovations launches Laboratory Intelligence solution

Data Innovations is offering its new solution, Laboratory Intelligence, in the recently released version 8.13 of its Instrument Manager middleware.

Laboratory Intelligence, or Lab Intel, provides customizable dashboards, allowing access to actionable performance metrics. Key performance indicators displayed on the dashboards help quantify and measure the success of activities.

Critical analytics and drill-down capability help identify revenue and cost trends early and isolate the root causes.

Data Innovations, 802-264-347

Dr. Aller is director of informatics and clinical professor in the Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He can be reached at raller@usc.edu. Hal Weiner is president of Weiner Consult­ing Services, LLC, Florence, Ore. He can be reached at hal@weinerconsulting.com.