Health Information Compliance Alert

Plus: CMS offers updated guide on telehealth.

Social media moves mountains and impacts change like never before. New guidance from the feds suggest it can be a valuable and essential resource for emergency efforts during and after both man-made and and natural disasters.

The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR-TRACIE) has compiled numerous resources to address the use of social media for emergency response. The department offers advice on what has worked for emergency personnel nationwide and what has not in the face of issues as varied as communicating about open shelters during a hurricane to where to meet up with survivors after a mass violence incident. ASPR-TRACIE is also asking providers, healthcare workers, and emergency responders to share what has worked for their departments as well.

Resource: To look at the HHS-ASPR guidance or to share your experiences, visit https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/73/social-media-in-emncy-response/60.

In other news...

The feds continue to boost national efforts to push telehealth to the center of healthcare. With the various coding updates and changes in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), CMS has put together a handy resource guide for providers that highlights new options, billing and payment information, and helpful links.

See the new CMS telehealth services booklet at: www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/Downloads/TelehealthSrvcsfctsht.pdf.