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MIE announced the addition of a Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) module to its WebChart EHR

This module automatically generates the data required for the PQRI voluntary reporting program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, making it easier for practices to qualify for the 1.5 percent PQRI bonus payment.

The WebChart PQRI module was developed with significant physician input. According to Dr. Michael Mirro, American College of Cardiology trustee and chair of the ACC HIT Committee, "The most practical challenge to participating in the PQRI program and realizing its financial benefits is that in order to collect the clinical data required for reporting, you either have to add significant overhead or have advanced information systems capable of providing the information at low or no cost to the practice."

"The MIE PQRI module enables seamless data collection at the point of care," said Mirro. "It allows your practice to capture data electronically without adding overhead, so you can realize the full benefit of the 1.5 percent Medicare reimbursement. We’re even seeing physicians who are establishing the return on investment for their EMR with PQRI as a significant component."

"MIE’s ability to listen to the medical community and rapidly develop this cost-effective quality reporting module really showed us that whatever quality initiatives insurance companies or the government send our way, we can find a solution for outpatient care," added Dr. Jay Alexander from North Shore Cardiologists in Bannockburn, Illinois. "Anyone that purchases an EMR and is interested in how that EMR can be modified to fit changes in healthcare, especially pay for performance and other reporting initiatives, should look at how simple this was. "

As patient encounters are documented, WebChart automatically populates the PQRI module based on 74 unique measures identified by CMS for the 2007 PQRI program. WebChart also makes it easy to document allowable performance exclusions. The WebChart PQRI module then generates specific CPT® II quality-data codes associated with each measure, which are submitted as part of each claim.

"From a practice management point of view, this tool is so simple to use that even doctors who are electronically challenged find it easy," added Dr. Mirro. "Implementation was seamless, and even physicians who hardly know how to use a computer had no trouble."

Dr. Alexander concurs. "It’s amazing how easily 12 other physicians in our practice have gotten on board with EMR and PQRI. Thanks to MIE, we were able to find a good solution to streamline the process."