News from the AOA's Blog

The policy experts at the Washington, DC-based Heritage Foundation are well-known in the nation’s capital and across the country for leading the crusade to stop the expansion of unruly government programs and eliminate unnecessary regulations.  

That’s why earlier this week, after learning the details of a campaign unfairly targeting ODs, Heritage joined with AOA to shine a critical spotlight on nefarious legislation that’s been a top priority this year on Capitol Hill for organized medicine’s lobbying machine. 

After being briefed by the AOA Washington office team about the AMA and ophthalmology-backed “truth and transparency in health care” legislation (HR 451) – sponsored by Congressman John Sullivan (R) of Oklahoma – Heritage officials were immediately able to see through medicine’s false claims.   Read the rest of this entry ?

About one in four pharmaceutical prescriptions are now issued electronically in the United States, according to the National Progress Report on e-Prescribing and Interoperable Healthcare, issued May 10 by Surescripts, the nation’s largest e-prescribing network.

By December 2010, approximately 25 percent of prescriptions were being sent electronically, up from only one in 18 prescriptions at the end of 2008, according to the report. Read the rest of this entry ?

Optometrists who prescribe pharmaceuticals electronically – or plan to start e-prescribing soon – still have time to earn payment bonuses through the Medicare e-Prescribing Incentive Program during 2011, according to the AOA Health Information Technology (HIT) Subcommittee.

Moreover, they can ensure they will not be assessed payment penalties that the AOA expects Medicare to impose during 2013 on optometrists who fail to meet government e-prescribing targets this year. Read the rest of this entry ?

The following electronic health records (EHR) systems, developed specifically for optometric practices, have been certified for use in the Medicare EHR incentive program:

• Abeo Solutions, Crystal Practice Management software program
• Compulink Business Systems, Advantage EHR Version 10
• EMRlogic Systems, activEHR™ 2011.1
• Eyefinity/OfficeMate, ExamWRITER Version 10
• First Insight Corporation, MaximEyes® SQL Electronic Health Records Version 1.1.0
• Health Innovation Technologies, RevolutionEHR Version 5.1.0
• Medflow Electronic Health Records (EHR) Version 7.6
• QuikEyes Ocular Medical Records Version 11.0

At least one additional optometric EHR provider – Practice Director Software – plans to have a product tested for certification this year.

Additional information on the federal EHR incentive program can be found on the AOA Web site EHR page (www.aoa.org/EHR).