New EMR Solutions Available to Alberta Physicians

October 9, 2009

Alberta Health and Wellness, the Alberta Medical Association and Alberta Health Services are pleased to announce that the new Physician Office System Program (POSP) electronic medical record (EMR) solutions are in the market.

In 2006, trilateral negotiations determined that the Physician Office System Program (POSP) should be renewed. While POSP has been the most successful program in North America in terms of physician uptake of EMRs, it was recognized a renewal was required to meet increased physician expectations of functionality and system support, and to better align with other health initiatives.

In order to ensure the success of this renewal the following decisions were made:

• The new EMR solutions would be turnkey and would significantly increase functionality and reliability while decreasing demands on physicians to maintain IT systems.
• POSP would be aligned and integrated with the provincial eHealth architecture and strategic plans.
• POSP will move from a grant funding program (where monthly payments are made to physicians with no requirement for physicians to provide proof of expenditures) to an invoice-based reimbursement program (where payments are made to physicians only after the physicians have provided proof of expenditure).
• The number of EMR vendors would be reduced to three to better facilitate a partnership model and manage working relationships.
• POSP would continue to support physician use of legacy applications until such time as the three selected vendor solutions were available.

"All three vendors - Wolf Medical Systems, Med Access and Practice Solutions - have substantially completed the required build out and conformance phase and have fully demonstrated the capabilities of their solutions," said Mark Brisson, chief information officer at Alberta Health and Wellness and POSP Committee co-chair. "This means physicians are now able to begin signing contracts for the new VCUR* 2008 EMR solutions."

The new EMR solutions are turnkey - including software, hardware, networking, interoperability and 24/7 support within the cost of the solution. These solutions take the basic capabilities of an EMR, such as electronic charting, billing and scheduling to an enhanced EMR solution that can provide better tools for chronic disease management, population health, referral management, and access to diagnostic imaging reports and lab results.

"The process to develop these new solutions has been long, but thorough," said Dr. Fraser Armstrong, a co-chair on the POSP Committee. "Physicians have been involved in every step of the process, from the selection of the shortlisted vendors to the testing of the new solutions. Physicians will continue to be involved as implementation begins."

Once business pilots are completed in October, the qualified service providers will begin deploying their new solutions across the province.

Bill Trafford, senior vice-president and CIO at Alberta Health Services and POSP Committee co-chair agreed that the new EMR solutions are essential tools for physicians. "Reliable, integrated and comprehensive patient records are a critical piece of how our health information systems work. These solutions will ultimately enhance the care that Albertans receive."

All eligible physicians to be asked to join POSP

There is a consensus among both political and clinical leadership that the automation of health care is a key building block in creating a sustainable healthcare system. Minister Ron Liepert announced last week at the AMA Representative Forum, "I also think we could achieve 95% of our physicians using the electronic health record by spring 2011."

The CMA's new president, Saskatoon family physician Anne Doig, would like to see all Canadian physicians using electronic medical records (EMRs) by 2011.

She made the announcement in her inaugural address during the association's recent annual meeting in Saskatoon, reflecting the importance she places on the CMA's information technology agenda.

"Physicians know that electronic medical records are essential buildings blocks in the creation of an electronic health record capability across Canada," Doig said. "EMRs are also a critical part of effective patient care within an individual physician's office."

Early in the new year representatives from POSP will be in contact with physicians across the province to ask them indicate their intention to automate. This will clearly demonstrate the commitment of Alberta's physicians to automation of health care and from a practical perspective will allow more accurate forecasting of demand and deployment scheduling. Detailed background information and briefing sessions will inform this process.

All POSP participants to move to invoice-based reimbursement in January 2010

Now that new solutions are available, physicians will need to determine if they will transition to one of the new EMR solutions. To support a common and equitable reimbursement mechanism for all physicians enrolled in POSP, the current grant funding structure for legacy systems will be transitioned to an invoice-based reimbursement program in January 2010. This means physicians who are currently receiving the grant funding of $740 per month will be required to provide proof of expenditures to receive further funding once the new program becomes effective. Physicians who are under 48-month grant funding agreements will be allowed to finish their agreement before moving to invoice-based reimbursement.

More details will be available this fall and a help line will be set up effective November 1, 2009 to help clinics prepare for the new process.

"We've moved into a new phase of the program and are encouraging physicians to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of the new EMR solutions as soon as possible," said David Ulis, program director, POSP. "We will be hosting information sessions across the province to help physicians understand the new and enhanced functionality of the new EMR solution and how these solutions may benefit their practice."

Substantial resources have been allocated through the tripartite process to support the deployment of the new solutions and to reimburse physicians for their use. Alberta Health and Wellness, the Alberta Medical Association and Alberta Health Services are all committed to the success of POSP and to the benefits for patients and physicians that will result from this program renewal.