FQHC – Data Management – HRSA Requirements Reporting
A recent article published on our blog discussed how nurse advice line services can assist FQHCs in meeting some of the HRSA’s current requirements. In this article, we will discuss the importance of meeting the HRSA’s requirement for data management.
HRSA Health Center Program Requirement 14: Program Data Reporting Systems
Applicable Legal Statute: (Section 330(k)(3)(I)(ii) of the PHS Act and 45 CFR 75.342)
Federally Qualified Health Centers are required to have an electronic system that accurately collects and organizes data for program reporting and to support management decision making. In order to receive federal funding, a health center is expected to have clinical information systems in place for tracking, analyzing, and reporting on key performance data related to the organization’s plan. Naturally, reporting needs are always paramount for understanding historical patterns and planning for future growth, but they are also a critical component for ensuring that clinical services are being delivered effectively and efficiently.
Fonemed is an industry leading telehealth solutions provider that has developed partnerships with numerous FQHCs to assist their organizations’ in fulfilling the HRSA’s Program Data Reporting System Requirements. Our nearly two decades of experience in clinical call centers has enabled us to design an excellent software solution targeted squarely at the needs of FQHCs. For FQHCs that elect for our Nurse Advice Line service, monthly call reporting is provided as part of the service and administered on your organization’s behalf. However, our population health management software can also be acquired as stand-alone or hosted installations for your team.
Fonemed’s proprietary population health management software enables us to easily gather information and produce customizable reports, as specified by each client, under any Business Associate Agreement (BAA) that is compliant with federal and state regulations for Protected Health Information (PHI). For example, we routinely track individual and group RN metrics such as call time averages, disposition rates, average speed to answer, customer satisfaction, and abandonment rates. Additionally, patient encounter reports can be generated based on patient age, symptom, protocol, geographical location, or any other specified category that is likely to meet the needs of a FQHC.
Overview of HRSA Data Management and Reporting Features
Now that the value of clinical reporting has been established, let’s discuss a few of the actual reports and their features, starting with the individual encounter report. The individual encounter report includes patient demographics, a summary of reason for the call and outcome (disposition) of the call. The encounter report is sent to the client via secure Fax, or sFTP site, and formatted in XML, text or PDF. Encounter reports can also be uploaded directly to EMR systems. This call report is immediately transmitted following the completion of each call.
In addition to the individual encounter reports, a detailed monthly call summary report is also available. This report uses easy to read graphs, charts and tables to detail the information and often includes:
• Number of Callers
• Percentage of Calls that Required Triage
• Average Triage Call Time
• Only upon request Highest Proportion of Calls by Age of Patient
• Most Calls by Day
• Most Calls by Hour
• Most Frequent Final Disposition
We’ve provided some examples of the reporting power available in our software, but by no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list. If your FQHC organization has custom requirements or needs EMR integration, just let us know, we are here to help.
Patient Privacy and Data Security for FQHCs
Unquestionably, no conversation about electronic health records would be complete without mentioning data security. Here again we have you covered, as our software is fully compliant with all aspects of HIPAA/HITECH and its related privacy protection provisions. Fonemed maintains all records and call recordings for a minimum of seven years under security mandated by HIPAA/HITECH standards. For clients using our Nurse Advice Line and/or our Hosted Software Solution, data is stored in a remote, secured SQL Database. This database is maintained daily and data backups are stored on multiple redundant, remotely located servers for additional peace of mind.
Since patient privacy and data security extends to personnel as well as software, you can rest assured that all Fonemed nurses, health service specialists and tech team members are fully HIPAA compliant. Each of our team members operate under strictly controlled physical environments that conform to HIPAA, HITECH, OSHA and other relevant standards to ensure patient privacy and maximize data security.
About Fonemed
Each day we meet the unique needs of hundreds of clients, thousands of client groups, and provide health service coverage to over 10 million individuals. Our focus on quality of care and patient satisfaction has offered our organization the opportunity to connect with tens of thousands of patients each month, and helped us become a recognized world leader in providing telephone nurse advice services. Last year, our telehealth services saved our clients’ over $30 million, and we achieved a client and patient satisfaction rating over 95%.
Do you represent a FQHC that is seeking a partner to help your FQHC meet the demands of HRSA requirements? We would love to hear from you, contact us today.
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