Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is for informational purposes only and does not represent a contract.
What is the The Arizona Purchasing Assistance Collaborative for Electronic Health Records (PACeHR)?
Who is eligible for participation in PACeHR?
What functions can I expect from the web-based EHR available through PACeHR?
What other benefits are available through PACeHR?
Do I directly contract with the EHR Offeror?
When can I start using the EHR purchased through PACeHR?
How will the PACeHR Offeror be recommended?
What does the monthly PACeHR subscription fee cover?
How is the PACeHR subscription fee determined?
What will I need to use the EHR recommended through PACeHR?
What if I only have a dial-up Internet connection?
Who is responsible for system security and privacy?
Who will provide PACeHR training?
Can old medical records be scanned?
What if I already have an EMR?
What if I want to opt out after initial participation? What happens if I want to switch to another vendor?
What if the EHR Offeror goes out of business?
How is the "Medical Home" concept linked to PACeHR?
How is Arizona's e-prescribing initiative (EAZRx) linked to PACeHR?
Will this be linked to any other incentive programs (e.g., AzHEC, other insurers)?
What if only some of our providers want to use the EHR?
How does the EHR Offeror acquisition process work?
How do EHR and EMR differ?
What is CCHIT (Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology)?
What is the The Arizona Purchasing Assistance Collaborative for Electronic Health Records (PACeHR)?
PACeHR was created in collaboration with Arizona's provider organizations and the Arizona Health-e Connection. PACeHR is designed to help providers in small- and medium-sized medical practices with the transition to an affordable, user friendly EHR system. PACeHR leverages group purchasing and Offeror oversight to deliver a low-hassle, low-cost web-based CCHIT*-certified EHR and the services needed to plan for, implement, use, and maintain an EHR. Discounts for hardware and other products and services are also anticipated. PACeHR was created using funds from the Medicaid Transformation Grant program.
*CCHIT (Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology) www.cchit.org
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Who is eligible for participation in PACeHR?
All licensed Arizona providers are eligible for participation. Initial program capacity may be limited, so priority will be given to Primary Care Providers* from small (1-5) and medium-sized (6-49) practices who are AHCCCS registered providers and who have submitted the Early Adopter Form available at http://www.azhealtherecord.gov/PACeHR/AdopterForm.aspx
*Primary Care providers are those licensed in Arizona as allopathic or osteopathic physicians and who specialize in family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology or pediatrics; certified nurse practitioners or certified nurse midwives; or physician assistants.
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What functions can I expect from the web-based EHR available through PACeHR?
PACeHR will offer a CCHIT-certified, web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) that includes the following modular features:
Clinical notes (medical history, problem list, SOAP notes)
E-Prescribing (medication list, allergies, interactions, formularies, refills)
Clinical Decision Support
E-Referrals (Continuity of Care Record [CCR], attachments)
Interfaces with lab, radiology, hospital, and other key service providers
Eligibility verification (AHCCCS)
Practice management (financial and administrative modules optional)
Secure patient portal
Discounted monthly subscription (under 500 per full-time provider-dependent on upon total number of participating providers and customization features)
Standard reports, including:
HEDIS http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/59/Default.aspx
CMS PQRI http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/15_MeasuresCodes.asp#TopOfPage
EPSDT http://www.azahcccs.gov/shared/Downloads/MedicalPolicyManual/AppendixB.pdf
Medical Home http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/631/Default.aspx
Ad-hoc reporting tools
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What other benefits are available through PACeHR?
The PACeHR will connect participants to group discounts and other programs not available to individual practices or clinics.
PACeHR Participants will be eligible for:
Group purchase rates for hardware, software, interfaces, maintenance, and support services
Help with practice assessment, planning, selection, set-up, training, implementation, and policies
Tiered discounts and arrangements for part-time providers and students
Contract management and expedited issues resolution
Facilitated user forum
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Do I directly contract with the EHR Offeror?
You (or your organization) will sign a standardized agreement with PACeHR that includes an End User License Agreement (EULA) with the EHR Offeror.
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When can I start using the EHR purchased through PACeHR?
Arizona's Purchasing & Assistance Collaborative for Electronic Health Records (PACeHR) is pleased to announce that e-MDs and Noteworthy Medical Systems (NMS) have been selected to provide PACeHR's first web-hosted EHR solutions through a special group purchasing contract.
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How will the PACeHR Offeror be recommended?
The State of Arizona Standardized Inquiry (SI) process was used to select the EHR product. The core review criteria include: organization and system stability, system technology and functional capabilities, cost, and completeness of SI response. A practicing clinician panel will assist in the final product(s) selection, and an independent technology consulting company will oversee the process and provide subject matter expertise.
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What does the monthly PACeHR subscription fee cover?
The monthly subscription fee will cover training, licenses, maintenance, software and system upgrades (excluding your office computers hardware), common interfaces and support.
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How is the PACeHR subscription fee determined?
The fee initially will be based on the number of interested clinicians (as assessed by the number of completed Interest Forms): the greater the number of participants, the lower the subscription fee.
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What will I need to use the EHR recommended through PACeHR?
The EHR requires access to a high-speed Internet connection. This connection will facilitate the delivery of the web-based functions of the EHR and data security tools for your workstations. It also will enable you to obtain privacy protection, disaster recovery, hosting, versioning, maintenance of databases, additional application software (for internal workstations), and interfaces to external data sources (e.g., lab, hospital, radiology).
Any mid-range computer purchased in the last three years should suffice for this application. When the recommended EHR(s) available through PACeHR is selected, specific requirements will be available. Typically, a mid-range computer meets the following specifications:
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 7
Mozilla Firefox 2.0
Safari 3.0
Computer Processor Intel® Pentium® 4 Class
Operating Systems: Microsoft XP
Apple OS X
Memory: 1 GB (RAM)
30 GB hard drive
Display: Super VGA (800 X 600)
Network Interface: 10 / 100 Mbps Ethernet card
Peripherals/Other: Pointer device
Printer (optional)
Video accelerator card
USB port
Broadband Internet access (cable or DSL)
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What if I only have a dial-up Internet connection?
To effectively use a web-based EHR in a busy clinic or practice, a high-speed Internet connection is required. As a member of PACeHR, we will help you to investigate broadband options in your area. You may be eligible for special high-speed connectivity assistance.
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Who is responsible for system security and privacy?
The company providing the EHR solution will be responsible for ensuring system security and must adhere to the industry-standard security and privacy requirements as outlined in the State contract.
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Who will provide PACeHR training?
Web-based and on-site training will be provided by the EHR Offeror in a collaborative arrangement with provider organizations and health plans.
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Can old medical records be scanned?
Yes, document processing will be a feature of PACeHR. This process will be personalized to your environment.
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What if I already have an EMR?
Congratulations on being an early adopter! You are positively impacting the quality, safety and efficiency of care for your patients, and will be eligible to participate in the local, state and/or national medical home incentive programs that will launch in 2009. You may be interested in the other discounts and services offered as part of the PACeHR, including the reporting modules. Or, if your current EMR system is not meeting your needs, you may wish to explore PACeHR as an alternative option.
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What if I want to opt out after initial participation? What happens if I want to switch to another vendor?
If you decide to discontinue your EHR subscription, you may transition your data to another system or print it out. Key elements of the record will be exportable and therefore interoperable with other CCHIT-certified EHR systems. The specific process and details of opting out of the agreement will be determined once the EHR Offeror(s) is/are identified.
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What if the EHR Offeror goes out of business?
The financial status of the company is part of the evaluation process. It includes a requirement that the company providing the EHR will have a contingency plan that specifies that the EHR system electronic code will be held in escrow. This ensures that the application will be able to be used to transition data even after the product is no longer supported. Additionally, key elements of the records will be exportable so that your information can easily transition to another product.
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How is the "Medical Home" concept linked to PACeHR?
The "patient-centered Medical Home" model and reimbursement structure requires an EHR to take advantage of the full quality, safety, and efficiency benefits. PACeHR will include Medical Home reporting modules. For more information on the Medical Home measures, visit: http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/631/Default.aspx
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How is Arizona's e-prescribing initiative (EAZRx) linked to PACeHR?
The PACeHR EHR includes an e-prescribing application that meets CCHIT and SureScripts standards, including connectivity to SureScripts/RxHub. You may choose to implement the e-prescribing application first to start taking advantage of e-prescribing benefits right away. For more information about EAZRx http://www.azhec.org/ePrescribingAZ.jsp
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Will this be linked to any other incentive programs (e.g., AzHEC, other insurers)?
Coordination with other incentive programs will make adoption easier. We are working with Arizona Health-e Connection, provider organizations, and local health plan representatives to align the incentives for EHR adoption and facilitate participation in related programs. PACeHR members will be notified as these programs become available.
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What if only some of our providers want to use the EHR?
The most successful EHR implementations occur when everyone in the practice is engaged, but phased implementations are possible and identified through the "needs assessment" part of the planning phase.
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How does the EHR Offeror acquisition process work?
The PACeHR Standardized Inquiry was released in February 2009 with responses received in late March. After a preliminary review by PACeHR, a representative panel of clinicians participated in demonstrations and assisted in the final product selection. See the PACeHR press release 09/30/2009
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How do EHR and EMR differ?
The terms EHR and EMR are often used interchangeably. Technically, there are differences, which are identified in the standard terminology approved this year by the ONC (Office of the National Coordinator):
EHR contains health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization. (The purpose of the EHR is to facilitate care across organizations to support continuity of care)
EMR contains health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.
For more detailed information, visit ONC at: www.hhs.gov/healthit/onc/mission
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What is CCHIT (Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology)?
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology or CCHIT is a recognized certification body for electronic health records and their networks, and an independent, voluntary, private-sector initiative. Their mission is to accelerate the adoption of health information technology by creating an efficient, credible and sustainable certification program. http://www.cchit.org
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With additional questions, please contact the PACeHR Information Desk at pacerinfo@pacehr.org.
Arizona Health-e Connection has applied to be the HIT Regional Extension Center for Arizona, and anticipates working closely with PACeHR to deliver direct technical assistance services to Arizona's providers. Due to this impending collaboration, the PACeHR web pages are temporarily being hosted on the AzHeC website until a new, comprehensive website is developed for the Regional Extension Center. Both AzHeC and PACeHR look forward to working closely with Arizona's providers to ensure successful adoption and utilization of electronic health records.