2010 AHDI/MTIA Advocacy Summit Recap

Greetings again from Regan National Airport!  (Why do I always feel compelled to write when I'm sitting here waiting for my flight home?  :)

What an incredible week this was!  First of all, I must say that we were far more effective this year than in the past, and this is largely due to the efforts of Dewey Square Group.  AHDI and MTIA have a wonderful, hardworking staff, but DSG really helped us become a leaner, meaner, advocating machine.

Our primary message this year was the necessity of narrative text, or the dictation-transcription process, as part of "meaningful use" of an electronic health record.  Overall, we found legislators and staff very receptive to our message.  In the information packets we left with our senators and representatives was a sample letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services stating this opinion.  Most legislators we met with agreed with our position and stated an interest in drafting a letter to Secretary Sebelius on our behalf.  A few legislators and staffers even stated an interest in leading lawmakers in sending a group letter.

The importance of narrative text in the "meaningful use" definition is crucial to patient safety and continuity of care.  Without it, a report become very 'generic' and loses much of its meaning.  Physicians need that flexibility in their documentation, and most lawmakers seem to understand this.

The healthcare documentation industry is poised to help facilitate EHR adoption.  We are in a unique position, considering our knowledge and expertise, to act as quality assurance, or risk management, experts with respect to clinical documentation.  We cannot work quietly on the sidelines now.  We must stand up and be recognized for our valuable contribution to healthcare.