Demographics Fields Updates

Foothold Technology takes the security and integrity of the data we're entrusted with very seriously.  As part of our ongoing security initiatives, we strive not only to maintain the highest possible security standards on our end, but also to encourage AWARDS users to do the same. Because a key part of data security for users is mindfulness and awareness about the information they're working with on a daily basis, we're including in this month's new features a PHI Download Alert Acknowledgment.  This alert is a pop-up that will be displayed whenever a user chooses to download a file or record from AWARDS, reminding them that it may contain protected information and should be handled accordingly.  The pop-up must be acknowledged before the download will be allowed to proceed.  We understand that this will occasionally add an extra step to some users' workflow, but we believe the security benefits are well worth it.  Please take a look at the "What's New in AWARDS" section below for more details on this change.

As we have done in previous months, we are continuing to make available a new set of useful features and functions to users of AWARDS. As always, this round of upgrades is provided free of charge to all AWARDS users and is described below. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your local Help Desk or your Foothold Client Services representative. We hope these enhancements improve the way you use AWARDS and provide services! 

Deployment Date:  May 3, 2017

BillingBuilder - Zero Fill Invoicing for Clinic Billing

In some instances a clinic client has Medicare as their primary insurer and Medicaid as their secondary insurer.  In such cases, services that are provided by Non-Medicare providers need to be invoiced directly to Medicaid, without going to Medicare first, and the claim submitted to Medicaid needs to include information indicating that service provided was not billable to Medicare.  To accommodate this the BillingBuilder will now include the following new options in the Progress Note Writer field on the second procedures configuration screen:

• No NPI Requirement - When selected (as it is by default), the procedure will be invoiced regardless of whether the note writer has or does not have an NPI recorded under Human Resources > Credentials > National Provider Identifier.
• Require NPI - When selected the procedure will only be invoiced if the note writer has an NPI recorded under Human Resources > Credentials > National Provider Identifier.
• Require No NPI/Send Non-Covered Amount in 837 - When selected the procedure will only be invoiced if the note writer does NOT have an NPI recorded under Human Resources > Credentials > National Provider Identifier.  In addition, the 837 claim file will include the Non-Covered data segment called AMT*A8. 

The AMT*A8 segment will be reported only if this option is set for a procedure where the payer's name includes "Medicaid," and the consumer has both a �Medicare� payer listed as primary and a �Medicaid� payer listed as secondary using the coordination of benefits setting in his/her entitlement record.

Additionally, since the Non-Covered amount is reported at the claim level (loop 2320) for an invoice, it is suggested that this option only be used for single procedure invoices or multi-line invoices where all procedures are set to report this data.

Client File Cabinet - "Search" Now Available

To increase the usability of the Client File Cabinet section of the Face Sheet, a new Search Cabinet search box has been added to the upper left corner of the file cabinet's documents table. Users can enter text in this search box and the table will automatically filter to display records that match the search text entered. All columns of the table are included in the search: the name of the file/link, worker, and date. Once filtered, a record count is also displayed; for example, if an index of 16 records is filtered down to 2 matches, then "matches 2 of 16 rows" appears next to the search box, and "14 rows hidden" displays at the bottom of the table.

Client History Report - Face Sheet/Intake Forms

FormBuilder forms located on the Face Sheet and in the Intake/Admission module will now be among the events included in the Client History Report. The event details for these forms will be labeled with the form name, the module menu location, and the form date.  They will also indicate whether the form has been e-signed (when applicable). As with other records in the Client History Report, clicking the link for these forms will allow you to view the corresponding records in read-only report mode.

Default Date Range Edits

The following default date range updates have been made:

• Client History Report - Previously, the default End Date on the Client History Report was today’s date.  As a result, if future events existed they were not included unless the user had manually changed that default end date. For increased usability, the End Date on this report will now default to 90 days from today’s date. 
• FormBuilder Forms on Menu pages - When working with a FormBuilder form on a module menu page, the date range will now default to 90 days in the past through today’s date. This change is designed to better reflect existing rules that these forms cannot be completed for a future date. 

E-Labs Enhancements

In response to client feedback and regulatory changes we're releasing the following useful updates to E-Labs functionality:

• Administrator Access to the E-Labs Application - The current E-labs workflow provides easy access to users to send orders and receive results while maintaining good data quality; however, we know that some users need to access the more sophisticated parts of the E-Labs application for a number of reasons.  As a result, upon request to the Foothold Help Desk a new E-Labs Administration button will be made available under System Setup. Training and help materials for the full E-Labs platform can be accessed within that application's Help menu.
• One-time Editing of Open Fields/Options on Incoming E-Labs Orders and Results - Previously the content of lab orders submitted through the E-Labs platform could not be edited after the submission was processed and results were received; however, in some instances this would result in missing data if the lab did not transmit data for all of the fields/options available in AWARDS.  In order to aid in more complete data collection in these cases users will now have the ability to edit open fields for incoming E-Labs orders and results on a limited basis.  Specifically, each field/option value will be editable once after the lab order has been submitted and results have been received.  After a field/option's value has been recorded or changed once, it will become read-only.  

In addition, next month we will be adding address flexibility to E-Labs so that users will be able to select an external housing record to override the current address logic.  This will give users more control over the address that is transmitted to the lab.  We will provide additional details on this change with next month’s new features list.

FormBuilder Dynamic Sections - New Prompts to Save Data

Currently, when FormBuilder forms that contain dynamic sections are placed on the Service Plan Coversheet, Discharge Form, within a Progress Note, or within a Medical Appointment record, users must be vigilant regarding the order of their workflow in order to make sure that all data is saved as expected. Specifically, entering form data then opening a dynamic section before the form is saved, causes the unsaved data to be removed from the form when the dynamic section opens. 

To prevent users from opening a dynamic section and navigating away from the form without saving the data, a new pop-up window will now display before the dynamic section is opened, letting the user know any entered data has not yet been saved. The user can then choose to return to the form, or proceed to the dynamic section anyway.  

HMIS Enhancements - CSV Export & One-Button Upload Changes

A few new features have been added to the HMIS Export feature to make it more user-friendly:

• Entitlements Filter Reminder - For databases that use Entitlement Filters to send only homeless clients, forgetting to use the filter can result in a big headache when you accidentally upload your full program census.  Now, if you forget to use the Entitlement Filter, AWARDS will give you a warning message asking if you'd really like to upload the full census.  (Note, if you ever do accidentally upload the wrong clients, you need to alert the destination database as soon as possible so that they can remove the clients.)
• Apply HouseholdID Translation Option - When using the HMIS Export feature you may have noticed a new "Apply HouseholdID Translation" option. This option changes the Household IDs in the CSV file so that each program history record gets a unique Household ID.  Most users can ignore this option; however, it may be helpful if you intend to upload the data to a non-AWARDS systems.    

HMIS Enhancements - Local CoC Admin Changes

In HMIS databases, Local CoC Admins are a special type of users who have been given access to oversee an entire Continuum of Care (CoC).  In recent years it has become common for some programs to span more than one CoC, but up until now Local CoC Admins have not been able to work with programs in AWARDS that are located in multiple CoCs.  This month we have revised many of the reports that Local CoC Admin users run so that they will include programs located in multiple CoCs, but will filter clients based on their "Client Location" so that only clients assigned to their CoC will be included.  Specifically, reports that will now filter clients based on Client Location include: 

• AHAR
• Supportive Services Delivery Report
• Service Contacts ReportBuilder
• HMIS ReportBuilder
• HMIS History ReportBuilder
• Demographics ReportBuilder
• Household ReportBuilder
• Program Profile Report
• System Performance Measures Report

Other reports not listed above will continue to exclude programs located in multiple CoCs. The reports that we have modified are the ones that are most likely to be run for programs that cover more than one CoC.  (Note, all persons in a household are considered to have the same Client Location since this field is only asked for heads of household.)

Merge Duplicate Agencies - New Active/Inactive Column

For users with access to the Merge Duplicate Agencies feature within the Referral Agencies module, a new "Active" and "Inactive" notation has been added to the table displaying possible agencies to merge, so that users can be aware if they are merging agencies into an inactive agency (that won't be shown in data entry) or an active one (that will). 

PHI Download Alert Acknowledgment

As part of Foothold Technology's ongoing security initiatives and user awareness efforts in regard to proper handling of clients' protected information, we are adding the following pop-up notice to AWARDS wherever data can be downloaded from the system:

The file you are about to download may contain privileged and confidential data, and/or Protected Health Information (PHI).  It is intended solely for your use, and is subject to protection under the law as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its successor legislation, and/or by other relevant policies and regulations.  By clicking OK you agree that you are aware of all relevant guidelines and restrictions on use of the information being downloaded, and that you have taken/will take all appropriate measures to protect and handle that information, including but not limited to ensuring that the device onto which the file is being downloaded has been encrypted, as appropriate.  Any questions about the status of the data or the requirements related to its handling should be directed to your HIPAA Privacy/Security Officer, supervisor, or other appropriate staff at your agency.

This message will be displayed each time you click a link or button for the purposes of downloading information from AWARDS.  You must then click OK to acknowledge the alert, or Cancel to return to the previous page.  Impacted locations in AWARDS include the following:

• ExportBuilder export file links
• ReportBuilder Excel file links
• Excel and data file links in all built-in reports
• Client File Cabinet document links
• Messages module attachments

IMPORTANT!  Please be aware that:

• All downloads from AWARDS have the potential to contain confidential and protected information that must be handled appropriately by users, regardless of whether or not your agency is a covered entity under HIPAA; as a result, this acknowledgement pop-up will display in ALL AWARDS databases. 
• If you currently use macros or scripts to download ReportBuilder output, this new PHI alert acknowledgement will impact those processes.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Permission Update - Caseload/Group Assignments

For added permissions granularity and flexibility, the "Caseload/Group Assignments" permission has been split into the following two, distinct permissions: 

• Caseload Assignments - Users with this permission can make updates to service coordinator assignments under Services > Service Coordinators. 
• Group Assignments - Users with this permission can access and work within the Individual Consumer Schedule and Group Member Status features within Services > Group Schedule Setup.

To ensure continuity in access, any user who was assigned the original, combined permission will automatically have both new permissions assigned. These assignments can be removed as needed. 

ReportBuilder Enhancements

As part of our ongoing efforts to make AWARDS ReportBuilders as comprehensive and user-friendly as possible, several changes have been made to various ReportBuilders within AWARDS:

• Client-Based ReportBuilders - Initials Data Variable - A new Initials data variable has been added to the client demographics portion of client-based ReportBuilders. When chosen for inclusion in the report, this variable will display the client’s first, middle, and last initials; for example, John Doe would display as "JD," or as "JMD" if a middle initial of M was entered. 
• Agency Programs ReportBuilder - New Default Program Selection - The Program drop-down list on the first settings page of the Agency Programs ReportBuilder (under System Setup > Agency Program Information) has been adjusted so that "All Agency Programs" is the default selection, and program groups will appear at the top of the selection list, instead of the bottom. 

Vital Signs - BMI Now Included on Form

Previously, records within the Medical >  Vital Signs feature that included BMI information only displayed the BMI value on the Vital Signs index. With this update, the system-calculated BMI value will also appear on the view and data entry versions of the record as well, as a read-only value. 

Last month we released the new HMIS Data Quality report along with the new CoC APR and PATH ARS.  So far feedback has been great, and communities are loving the ability to evaluate their programs; however, we're already planning some new changes to help you dig in and troubleshoot the reports.  In the next few months we plan on releasing a new feature that we're calling "Inline Details" which will make it much easier to find out who is being counted in each question.

In fact, lots of exciting changes will be coming in the next few months.  We're also working on:

• An expanded Consent Form project that will allow HMIS databases to customize their consent forms and provide greater sharing options.  
• New options for sharing FormBuilder data across programs.  

Each of these projects will give your Coordinated Entry Systems the flexibility that you need to share data and collaborate on a client's success.  

Speaking of changes, HUD recently gave vendors a sneak preview of the 2017 Data Standards that go into effect on October 1st, 2017.  We plan on providing more detailed information about the upcoming changes at our Expo conference this June, but here's a quick summary of the changes... First, a few new pieces of information will be collected under Agency Program Information. Several questions will have slight wording and option changes.  The Special Needs section is being streamlined to ask fewer questions.  RHY programs are reducing the number of questions that need to be asked during admission, and adding a couple questions at discharge.  One of the bigger changes is that all Permanent Housing programs will now collect a "Housing Move In Date" similar to how Rapid Re-Housing programs operate today.  And new questions are being added to allow HUD VASH programs to start participating more fully in HMIS.  

This past Wednesday was also the start of the NHSDC Spring Conference and our staff were in attendance learning about the best practices from communities across the country. If you're part of your Continuum of Care you might want to consider attending future NHSDC Conferences as they are often the first source of HMIS information and knowledge.  

Did you know... that AWARDS Online Help contains not only searchable step-by-step instructions, but also detailed recordings on various aspects of the application?  Whether you prefer to learn visually, or you�d just like a complete picture of an AWARDS feature all in one shot, our training films and demonstrations, as well as recordings of our FootholdConnect webinars, are available to you 24/7.  These videos can be accessed from the relevant module and feature overview pages in Online Help and from under Additional Resources in the Help table of contents.