Several Practice Management software packages are adding Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) compliance to their software packages. The Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative, also known as pay for performance, is an incentive program instituted by Medicare. This program is now a permanent program but the incentive payments are only authorized through 2010. That is not to say that additional incentive payments will not continue in the coming years. 

In addition, the program is currently voluntary but there is always the possibility that it could become mandatory. If it becomes mandatory, that means a whole lot of additional paperwork for physicians, work that may or may not involve monetary incentives. 

If you are upgrading your practice management software or if you are in the market for a practice management system, you should consider selecting one that is PQRI compliant. Participating in the PQRI requires tracking a complex amount of data sets. It is possible to do the paperwork by hand for PQRI, but its enormously time consuming. The advantages to selecting a practice management software that is PQRI compliant is about more then time savings. Having a software package that is set up for the PQRI can ensure that you maximize your monetary incentive.

You do not need to have an electronic medical record system to participate in PQRI but if you do you should be able to modify your EMR system to interface with the practice management software to allow the practice management software to help you capture all the codes needed to submit the PQRI reports. In order to participate, you must use a National Provider Identifier. This is an individual number issued to a physician, not a clinic or hospital. This means you can participate in the PQRI even if you are part of a larger practice that as a whole is not participating in PQRI.

Several vendors are adding the PQRI requirements. Vendors such as Allscripts, working with TeamPraxis has added the Clinical Quality Solution tool to its software and ClaimStaker-claims editing software by Alpha II is now set up to check the coding and reporting for the PQRI. Advance Data Systems Corporations MedicsElite practice management software now includes PQRI coding in their package.