Five years ago, Michael DiMarino, MD, of Woodbury, N.J.-based DiMarino-Kroop-Prieto Gastrointestinal Associates, began using gMed's products to assist with the value process. He reported he has never experienced such a simplified, user-friendly platform.
Dr. DiMarino is the Director of Internet Technology of the small bowel capsule endoscopy program division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He's also the Associate Director of the Jefferson Gastrointestinal Fellowship at Inspira Health Network in Woodbury, N.J. With such vast responsibilities, he needs a suite of technology solutions to simplify his clinical responsibilities and ensure regulatory compliance without interrupting his workflow.
Now that CMS is moving toward the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), physicians and practices are required to report key performance indicators, with CMS adjusting Medicare reimbursement accordingly. The providers exceeding a minimum threshold this year stand to receive more than those who don't, and providers who fail to meet the minimum threshold could see their Medicare payments decrease.
The suite of solutions by gMed, a Modernizing Medicine® company, offers Dr. DiMarino the capabilities to meet the requirements of this value-based care environment. The suite encompasses an electronic health record (EHR) system (gGastro™), Endoscopy Report Writer (ERW), practice management solution (gPM™), patient portal (gPortal™), a data analytics tool (gInsights™) and Revenue Cycle Management. The products are Meaningful Use certified as well as ICD-10 compliant.
As value becomes increasingly important in the healthcare arena, physicians are tasked with achieving positive patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act final rule creates a new threshold of care. Pertinent to the gastroenterologist field, the final rule includes 16 gastroenterology measures.
The company's EHR, gGastro, features a built-in scorecard to gauge individual MIPS performance with a composite score factoring in a clinician's personal score in four weighted performance categories. gMed users have access to peer comparisons from other gastroenterologists reporting MIPS data on the company's analytics platform. gMed’s gAdvisor™ services will also assist gastroenterologists in achieving MIPS reporting and maximizing payment adjustments.
gGastro can now also report Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (CAHPS) Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey data to some vendors. CMS mandated ASCs report OAS CAHPS data in 2018 through a certified vendor, and centers with gGastro will have a head start to meet the new reporting requirements.
gMed's ERW, which integrates with the full suite of products, streamlines the documentation process, allowing providers to document procedure notes, referring physician letters and discharge notes in one simplified solution. ASCs and endoscopy centers can use gMed’s solutions to meet quality and efficiency benchmarks.
Six of Modernizing Medicine's specialty-specific EHR systems ranked first among Black Book Physician Practice & Ambulatory Solutions top EHRs this year, including gGastro. For the seventh consecutive year, gGastro earned Black Book's number one spot among gastroenterology-specific EHR systems and more than 3,200 physicians at 400 practices use it. Here is why Dr. DiMarino remains among them.
Question: What advantages have you realized by leveraging gMed's solutions? What gaps does the technology fill where previous products fell short?
Dr. Michael DiMarino: We started using gMed's solutions in 2012. Before that, we were on paper, so this was our first venture into an EHR. I looked at several different platforms to find what best suited our needs. I liked the way the initial note was laid out and the simplicity of the electronic record.
gGastro is a lot more efficient than using paper. With paper, we would receive calls and the front office would have to pull the chart and enter the message in the chart before it would make it to my desk. [gMed eased the process of] messaging back and forth with the front office staff. I leave at 5:15 p.m. now instead of 5:45 p.m. or 6 p.m. As soon as a call comes in, I can answer it in 15 minutes.
gMed interfaces with radiology, lab and pathology platforms allowing for a seamless and instantaneous result. This, therefore, has saved a significant amount of front desk time.
As far as the scheduling process, it's linked with the system. We utilize the whole suite, [including the] patient portal, practice management system, ERW, nursing notes and the regular office writer.
Q: As a gastroenterologist treating patients in a variety of environments — a practice, ASC and hospital — would you say the gMed solutions add value in any care setting?
MD: It has been very valuable to us. gMed ties all pieces of an electronic health record together creating a seamless flow of information. It is the only health record I know that has a built-in endoscopy writer allowing results, impressions and orders to populate the office chart automatically.
When I go to our endoscopy center for a procedure, the patient's chart is already all there and available; I don't have to open two electronic records. gGastro also will populate the patients medical, surgical, family, social and medication history automatically. When I write a note for an endoscopy, I can do that in two minutes.
Out of all the different EHRs I’ve seen, gGastro is the easiest [and] the simplest on the screen. It's very organized, very neat and very well thought out.
Q: How does the gMed suite provide an integrated solution for patient management? Are providers able to access all patient information no matter the practice setting?
MD: When I'm in the endoscopy unit, it's linked to the office platform, so if a call comes in, I just look at the patient's chart. Integration is time saving and efficient. Whenever the patients come in, everything is updated throughout the system. I think that's huge. Nurses don't have to re-enter medications; that will completely bring your endoscopy center to a standstill and drop efficiency dramatically.
Q: Expand upon how the gMed suite of solutions propels providers into value-based care, by offering tools to demonstrate gastroenterology care quality as well as ensure full compliance with hospitals and community information exchanges.
MD: gMed is integrated with GIQuIC, which is our registry for Meaningful Use. It will calculate the adenoma detection rate and withdrawal time. From the beginning [gMed] has measured our care quality and recently launched their MIPS platform, which my staff thinks will be helpful.
We've been able to attest for all the different stages of Meaningful Use and have received the highest marks in each stage. gMed has a service, gAdvisor, that we utilize to gather those measurements.
Q: Why would you recommend gMed’s suite of products to other gastroenterologists?
MD: I think the ease of use is the biggest benefit. Also the simplicity of the overall suite and it’s very well designed and integrated. gMed has made these products easy to learn, navigate and enter in orders while being able to communicate seamlessly with the front office.
This article is sponsored by Modernizing Medicine.