Englewood, Colo. July 22, 2013—Medical groups are navigating the ever-changing healthcare environment by increasingly seeking out and adopting health information technology (HIT) solutions in their organizations. Successful adoption of HIT requires having the proper staff in place to manage and optimize. According to the MGMA Management Compensation Survey: 2013 Report Based on 2012 Data, chief information officers (CIOs) and information system directors (ISDs) reported median compensation increases of more than 7 percent since 2011.
The current HIT landscape facing CIOs and ISDs includes implementing electronic health records (EHRs), enhancing the functionality of practice management (PM) system software, employing new technologies, such as patient portals, and complying with complex new federal programs and mandates, such as meeting "meaningful use" criteria and transitioning to ICD-10.
"There are a variety of emerging technologies for medical practices, and many are exploring how to use these tools effectively," said Susan L. Turney, MD, MS, FACMPE, FACP, MGMA-ACMPE president and CEO. "As practices are rapidly adding technologies that are increasingly complex and interwoven, having technology-focused staff in the practice is becoming even more necessary. It's critical that practices have the personnel in place to fully leverage sophisticated HIT tools and, subsequently, to analyze and utilize data they provide in a meaningful way, which could ultimately improve patient care and produce higher efficiencies."
The healthcare industry's upcoming transition to the complex new ICD-10 code set is one of the largest technological transitions CIOs and ISDs have confronted in recent decades. As the October 2014 deadline for practices to covert to ICD-10 approaches, even more staff time and resources will need to be devoted to upgrading or replacing EHR and PM systems, training clinical and administrative staff, and conducting testing with trading partners. RecentAssociation research indicates that ICD-10 readiness is lagging, with only 4.8 percent of practices reporting that they have made significant progress when rating their overall readiness for ICD-10 implementation.
"With the transition to ICD-10 being extremely costly and challenging for medical groups, a well-trained CIO and ISD will be a critical component to success," Turney said. "Our Association continues to arm practices with the knowledge, tools and resources to minimize the potential of significant cash flow disruption following the compliance date."
The MGMA Management Compensation Survey: 2013 Report Based on 2012 Data includes data from practice professionals in 1,350 medical practices. The report contains expanded compensation graphs by geographic section. Compensation data can also be found by select single specialties, experience and education, and retirement contributions.
The information is available on DataDive, an easy-to-use Web-based format that allows users to access and drill down data for analysis as well as aprinted report.
Additional resources for physicians and medical practice professionals on HIT:
MGMA Annual Conference, San Diego, Oct 6-9. Visit our website to register as a media representative.
Access a list of questions to help prepare for the ICD-10 transition
MGMA Government Affairs: ICD-10 and 5010 Implementation
MGMA In Practice blog: HIEs promise easier exchange of patient information
Note: MGMA-ACMPE surveys depend on voluntary participation and may not be representative of the industry. Readers are urged to review the entire survey report when making conclusions regarding trends or other observations.
Contact Liz Boten, media relations representative, at [email protected] to request data or information about the survey. Click here to purchase a copy of the report.
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About MGMA-ACMPE
MGMA-ACMPE is the premier association for professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices. In 2011, members of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and its standard-setting division, the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), voted to merge to form a new association. Since 1926, the Association has delivered networking, professional education and resources, political advocacy and certification for medical practice professionals. The Association represents 22,500 members who lead 13,200 organizations nationwide in which some 280,000 physicians provide more than 40 percent of the healthcare services delivered in the United States.
MGMA-ACMPE's mission is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent, helping medical practices provide efficient, safe, patient-focused and affordable care. MGMA-ACMPE is headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and maintains a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. Please visit mgma.com.