Electronic Recording for HomeHemo

Beth wrote:

What can cause a problem is if you are scheduled to do a treatment and you don’t do it and don’t turn in your flow sheets. If the clinic bills Medicare (or your insurance) thinking you’d done dialysis, the clinic could get in trouble for billing too much. With Medicare, this is called Medicare fraud.

Does the clinic send a copy of the flow sheets to Medicare in order to bill? If not, does Medicare ever ask to see copies of run sheets or do they ever check the accuracy of recorded info. on run sheets?

Thanks for clarifying this in depth…

So there you go people, I guess my clinic really cares and wants it all…

Medicare doesn’t require that the clinic send in copies of the flow sheets with Medicaare claims any more than the IRS asks you to send in documentation of what you claim on your tax return. However, in either case an audit is possible. No one wants the hassle of having to deal with an audit or the bad press that can come from an announcement that Medicare is reviewing your records for questionable claims.

What other sorts of things, besides charging for txs that were not provided, count as Medicare fraud when it comes to the flow sheets and other dialysis unit regulations?

Medicare has webpage with provides an overview of fraud and abuse, educational materials on fraud and abuse, prevention tips to help people identify fraud and abuse schemes, and a form for reporting fraud and abuse.
http://www.medicare.gov/FraudAbuse/Overview.asp

The overview states that most errors in billing are just that, mistakes that are not intentional. It’s the intentional efforts to bill Medicare for services not provided that Medicare is most concerned about.

Hi all,
I already use a PDA for all of Ralph’s records and I am considering using a thumb drive (the little ones that are about 2" in length). I have a 1 Gig one that wlill hold all of his info. This will be really good for traveling as all you need to do is put it into a USB port and all his info will come up on their computer.
Boy oh Boy technology is really making life a little easier.
Pat :lol:

Hey, that sounds great!

As for the Thumb Drive you mention I believe your talking about “USB JumpDrive” ??

I have to say those small Jump Drives are a life-safer…if your PC breaks down and you have all your data on the JumpDrive then your day is saved… :slight_smile:

I really think implementing data collection technology, espcially those of wireless…Bluetooth or Wi-Fi can really streamline our home dialysis therapy letting us patients have a more relaxed treatment without intefering arm or body movements while dialyzing.

Gus,
Yes that is what I am talking about.
I know that Diabetic ID has one just for Info like I said. But I think if I can get all the doctors to add to mine. It should work.
Those drives are sure great!
Have a great day/evening and great dialysing! :lol:
Pat

What do you do with the accumulated data from past treatments? I’ve got my log sheets from the very beginning, but to be honest, over the past year, I’ve never actually needed any data from further back than a day or two, maybe a week if adjusting dry weight based on BP. I don’t really need a handheld computer for that. My lab results are more interesting, but even in this case, getting bloodwork done monthly, I’m only looking at 12 lab reports for a whole year.
Pierre

Hi Pierre,
I was really talking about his total medical history, diabetes, Heart Bi-Pass, PDA surgery etc.
Not really about daily run sheets.
Maybe only the last few if we are traveling.
Pat

Hey guys, its been awhile since I last updated this section but hey, alot has changed in tech since the very first post here…everything is going wireless and looks like logging can be done the wireless way… here’s my findings…

Wireless bluetooth technology may be the answer…basicly you’ll need a blood pressure machine that supports BlueTooth…something like this

BLOOD PRESSURE MACHINE & SCALE with BLUETOOTH
http://www.convergentech.com/detail.aspx?ID=295

Now the only problem is that NxStage System One does not support Bluetooth yet…

In order for all this to work you’ll need those ULTRA MOBILE PC that have BlueTooth
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/umpc/default.mspx
http://origamiproject.com/default.aspx

The last thing is that a smart programmer can make us an application exclusively used in this
setup…all data will be sent to our ULTRA MOBILE PC, and from there we can transfer the report to our clinics digitally, or just print out the report…basicly, the whole tech is hereand if we push NxStage to add these features we can make it happen.

:roll:

Hi Gus,
You do such a great job of keeping us informed. We are waiting for our Center to work everything out so we can do Nxstage nocturnal.
We are monitored by internet now so all I do is BP, Temp and Weight and amount to take off. In morining call in with BP, Temp and weight.
No recording of anything. Don’t know what will happen with Nxstage as they haven’t worked out the internet thing yet with Rubin.
Pat

Hi all, am back again with some nifty tech gadgets report that may prove to be something every geeky home dialysis patient may want!

This year 2007 brings some amazing cool toys for us to play with and one that has caught my attention was a product from Nokia that I have been keeping eye out since last year. Basicly, its a wireless communication device to rival UMPC(Ultra Mobile PC) devices costing hundreds more! The most interesting aspect of all this is the it runs on Linux Os which is an openSource development platfrom maintained by one of the biggest software communities over the net, free of cost! You heard right! That means that this Nokia device is hackable and modifiable making it a universal communication device supported by many software developers without needing to pay any high license costs like that of Microsoft. There’s some BIG potential on this is that there’s a chance we can get a recording software developed for it. Anyway, for further researching here you go…

Nokia 770 Specs (Last years Model)
http://www.nokiausa.com/770/

Nokia N800 (This years Model)
http://www.nokiausa.com/N800

Need more info? No problem!

Overall, I think this is the perfect internet device for home dialysis patients to be connected to the net while dialyzing. Its lightweight and easy to move around. One thing for sure is that just maybe just maybe someone will develop a home recording program for it.