OREANDA-NEWS. March 07, 2013. More than 90 percent of physicians using iKnowMed electronic health record (EHR) have successfully attested for Meaningful Use, earning them and their practices more than USD12 million in combined incentive dollars and positioning them for success in the ever changing and ever complex healthcare environment.

iKnowMed, a product of McKesson Specialty Health developed in collaboration with the physicians of The US Oncology Network, is a top-ranked web-based oncology-specific EHR that has achieved 2011 Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) Complete EHR Certification in accordance with Meaningful Use criteria. iKnowMed provides practices with Meaningful Use training, tools and support as well as the ability to generate reports to track and monitor eligible professionals’ (EPs’) progress.

“iKnowMed enhanced our practice efficiency with improved communication and quick access to patient information,” said Samer Renno, M.D., an oncologist with Hematology & Oncology Consultants, P.C., located throughout Nebraska. “The iKnowMed support team at McKesson Specialty Health provided our practice with easy to follow steps and tools that made our Meaningful Use implementation a simple process. All of our physicians completed their first year attestation thanks to the help they provided to us.”

The Medicare EHR Incentive Program was established as a part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009. The program offers eligible professionals the opportunity to receive incentive payments for successfully demonstrating a series of Meaningful Use criteria using certified EHR technology.

To demonstrate Meaningful Use Stage 1, EPs are required to report on 20 of 25 objectives aimed at improving data capture and sharing. The iKnowMed Meaningful Use support team helps physicians utilize iKnowMed to meet these requirements as part of their daily workflow, enabling their practices to improve efficiency and focus on delivering high-quality patient care.

“The Meaningful Use regulations are complex and attestation is demanding,” said Nini Wu, M.D., C.M., medical oncologist and hematologist with New York Oncology Hematology. “I have spoken with physicians inside and outside of oncology who are deeply challenged by this program. At New York Oncology Hematology, our local team, alongside the iKnowMed support team, has done such a good job that there has been minimal disruption to the daily workflow, and all communications have been clear.”

To be eligible for the maximum incentives, EPs must have completed their first year of Meaningful Use by Dec. 31, 2012 and attest by Feb. 28, 2013. Those who have successfully attested for two or more years by the end of 2013 will transition to Stage 2 in 2014. Stage 2 will also require the use of a patient portal. iKnowMed users have the option to use the McKesson Specialty Health My Care PlusSM patient portal, which currently provides more than 20,000 enrolled patients with secure, online access to their health records.

“We have worked hard to stay a step ahead of Meaningful Use requirements,” said Asif Ahmad, senior vice president of Information and Technology Services and chief information officer for McKesson Specialty Health. “Our goal is to give iKnowMed users the resources they need to complete attestations and be successful. That’s why we are continuously developing, improving and building upon our EHR platform and providing a well-trained Meaningful Use support team to meet the unique needs of oncologists.”

iKnowMed was recently named the top-ranked EHR for oncologists and hematologists by Black Book Rankings for the second consecutive year. The web-based EHR, implemented in more than 400 sites of care nationwide, allows practices to have 24/7 immediate access to comprehensive patient charts, detailed cancer diagnosis and staging content, and an extensive up-to-date cancer regimen library that enables them to contemplate different treatment options from anywhere at any time without the need of a patient’s paper record. iKnowMed further enhances patient safety in the practice through the elimination of handwritten notes and drug orders, which minimizes misinterpretations, and through safety alerts generated through the system when it detects possible medication conflicts or high toxicity levels. The system also has the ability to identify patients for appropriate clinical trials available at the practice and suggests evidence-based treatment options with point-of-care decision support.

To learn more about iKnowMed, visit www.iknowmed.com.