ScriptSender: More Than Ready for AUC

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ramps up its Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program for advanced diagnostic imaging, many ordering providers are scrambling to figure out how to comply.

CMS has established that 2020 will be an educational and testing period for the program, which includes imaging for MR, CT, PET, and NM. That gives physicians some lead time to set up the technology by which to connect to a qualified Clinical Decision Support Mechanism (qCDSM)—a platform (qualified by CMS) that the ordering physician must access to perform the AUC consult.

Sounds complicated, and it could be. No practice wants to invest time and money in building and maintaining another interface to yet another platform, and even a lead time of 12 months may not be enough to do the job right.

ScriptSender’s position is that technology is supposed to make things easier, not more complicated. That applies to AUC just as much as it does to sharing images, sending a report, getting prior authorizations, or any aspect of a practice’s workflow.

ScriptSender integrates with MedCurrent, a CMS-qualified CDSM and partner of choice, so that physicians can seamlessly order the right diagnostic exam for their patients. The technology uses artificial intelligence, leveraging predictive outcomes to automate delivery of the most accurate recommendation.

“The idea is not just to comply, it’s to be strategic,” said Chris Craft, CEO of ScriptSender. “We are experts at moving data across platforms without expensive interfaces. We can get AUC data flowing without disrupting current workflows. That means providers can be compliant right now. That not only puts them ahead of the competition, it improves outcomes and lowers costs.”

Upon ordering, physicians get real-time recommendations, based on standard diagnostic imaging guidelines, at the point of care. Physicians also see an appropriateness score for the consult. (The higher the score, the more appropriate the study for the clinical indication.)

“It’s easier than any other method out there,” said Craft. “Physicians who use ScriptSender now can already meet regulatory requirements, and that’s without HL7 or a VPN or any other complicated build or IT intervention.” Many physicians do not have a strategy for AUC, and the ScriptSender workflow offers an alternative that requires minimal behavior change and the fewest steps possible while ensuring compliance.

January 1, 2021—the start date of mandatory compliance—will arrive sooner than we think. At that point, ScriptSender customers can have 12 months of compliance under their belts. It’s great to be ahead of the curve.