Certification for techs (retina) to perform OCT and other tasks

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:11:41 GMT

Here is the recent question I've been asked to reply to

I would like to know how you all are handling the requirement that techs need to be certified as of 01/01/15 in order to perform OCT's, send escripts, etc. And eventually will have to have certification just to enter information into the EHR."

This is from an office manager in Michigan.

Did anyone catch wind of this at AAO? anyone attend any ATPO that made mention of this?

Thanks for any response.

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:20:39 GMT

I haven't heard anything about this. Is it a Michigan requirement?

I will keep my ears open. Do you know what agency is requiring certification? Also, what type of certification. I would think if the OCT requires certification, our BOC would have been made aware of that, as they are The certifying body.

Alan

CMC Order Entry Ophthalmic Personnel

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 18:29:22 GMT

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS) are working on "final rules" regarding entering of data into EHR systems

"credentialed medical personnel" effective Jan 1, 2013

Still being worked on

2014 CMC rules Stage 3 and 2015 Stage 4

Denice

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 17:06:27 GMT

Thank you Alan and Denice. I will pass this on and post anything relevant as I get information.

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:50:57 GMT

This is on the main page of JCAHPO hope this helps some.

CMS Agrees that JCAHPO Certificants - COA, COT, COMT- Can Enter CPOE Orders for Meaningful Use 2

JCAHPO is aware that there have been some questions recently in some parts of the ophthalmic community regarding which staff members are allowed to enter medication or laboratory orders under the CMS EHR Incentive Program for Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) meaningful use. After considering all of the relevant regulations and CMS guidance, we believe that orders entered by credentialed ophthalmic assistants are included in the meaningful use criterion calculation as long as the applicable requirements are met. Significantly, recent CMS guidance confirms our interpretation of the requirements.

CMS guidance on the CPOE meaningful use criterion, including the Final Rule on EHR Incentive Programs - Stage 2 and an August 20, 2013 FAQ, permits inclusion of orders entered by staff members who perform similar functions to medical assistants but who have more specific titles due to their specialization, like ophthalmic assistants. These staff members must be appropriately credentialed by an organization other than the employing organization, such as JCAHPO. Further, each eligible provider participating in the EHR Incentive Program must determine that each included staff member is appropriately credentialed, performs similar assistive services as a medical assistant, and is in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law and professional guidelines.

On May 13, 2014, Elisabeth Myers, the Policy and Outreach Lead at the CMS Office of eHealth Standards and Services, responded to questions about the EHR program. Specifically, Myers responded to a question regarding the certifications offered by JCAHPO:
QUESTION: Do the designations of Certified Ophthalmic Technologist, Certified Ophthalmic Assistant and Certified Ophthalmic Technician count as certified medical assistants able to enter orders into the EHR?
ANSWER: Yes they count if they are they [sic] equivalent of a CMA. We don't specify every single variation on Medical Assistant because if we made a list and left someone out it would cause a problem. Instead we specify that: 1) The job title doesn't have to be "Medical Assistant" and 2) They don't have to be certified by AAMA we just use the AAMA definition of what 'certified' means which is certified by an accredited credentialing body outside the organization employing the MA.

JCAHPO is an Accredited Credentialing body. For more than 30 years, JCAHPO's three core certifications have been accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Certified Ophthalmic Assistants (COA), Certified Ophthalmic Technicians (COT), and Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologists (COMT) have received credentials appropriate under the EHR Incentive Program requirements as confirmed by this response from CMS to JCAHPO and other organizations' questions. It is the duty of each individual provider, however, to determine whether his or her staff members are appropriately credentialed under the regulations. Before orders entered by a particular staff member are included in the Incentive Program calculation, a provider should first document that the staff member meets the required criteria.

JCAHPO's Commission and leadership congratulate all JCAHPO certificants for your accomplishments and commitment to excellence that is recognized by CMS. We hope that this information is helpful to you in determining your practice's compliance with these requirements.

Wed, 5 Nov 2014 21:58:53 GMT

Thank you also Ray. Excellent information.

Fri, 7 Nov 2014 04:30:15 GMT

Ray is right about pointing out that this requirement is only relevent when it comes to meeting Meaningful Use requirements, not for billing CMS for services. It is already in effect, since the final rule was announced a month or so ago. That said, I believe it is just a matter of time before these requirements will become a requirement for payment...
It is true that a certification is required to enter meds into EMR. This is supposed to ensure that the people processing the data/orders have a certain level of understanding. I have not heard about OCT certification as a requirement, and if this should become mandatory, there will be a large response from the AAO as it would cripple most offices. I am in favor of requiring that people who handle these duties demonstrate that they are minimally competent, which is all these certifications attest to.

Lydia

Lydia