R 011828Z DEC 10


SUBJ: MANDATORY USE OF MEDICAL ENCOUNTER REVIEW SYSTEM (MERS)

1. THIS AIG ANNOUNCES THE PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEDICAL

ENCOUNTER REVIEW SYSTEM (MERS), AN INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC COAST GUARD

WIDE PEER REVIEW AND PATIENT/CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SYSTEM.  THIS

SYSTEM WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT PROVIDER PEER REVIEW SYSTEM (MAXIMUS)

AND CONSOLIDATE/STANDARDIZE THE CURRENT CLINIC SPECIFIC PATIENT

SATISFACTION PROCESS. MERS IS A QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM AND IS

PROTECTED UNDER TITLE 14 SECTION 645 OF THE US CODE.  MERS DATA IS TO

BE USED FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PURPOSES ONLY. THE RESULTS OF PATIENT

SATISFACTION AND PEER REVIEW WILL BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO THE

INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISORY CHAIN.

INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER SCORES CAN ONLY BE REVIEWED BY THE PROVIDER AND

THEIR SUPERVISOR. ALL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WILL HAVE ACCESS TO

ROLL-UP REPORTS BASED ON THEIR POSITION WHICH WILL CONTAIN PATIENT

SATISFACTION AND PEER REVIEW DATA THAT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO AN

INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER.

2. EFFECTIVE 6 DECEMBER 2010, ALL COAST GUARD PROVIDERS ACTIVELY

ENGAGED IN PATIENT CARE ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN PEER REVIEW.

AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH, 5 ENCOUNTERS WILL BE RANDOMLY

SELECTED FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTHS ENCOUNTERS AND ASSIGNED TO

INDIVIDUAL PROVIDERS FOR REVIEW.  EACH REVIEWER WILL RECEIVE AN

E-MAIL NOTIFICATION AND HAS 30 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED PEER

REVIEWS ONLINE.  AFTER 30 DAYS, INCOMPLETE REVIEWS WILL BE REPORTED

BY THE SYSTEM TO THE REVIEWERS IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR AND MADE

AVAILABLE TO THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WORKLIFE SERVICE CENTER (HSWL

SC) CHAIN OF COMMAND.

3.  EFFECTIVE 03 JANUARY 2010, ALL COAST GUARD PROVIDERS WHO

SUPERVISE MID-LEVEL PROVIDERS ARE REQUIRED TO USE MERS FOR THEIR

REVIEW OF MID-LEVEL PROVIDERS.  SUPERVISORS WILL BE ASSIGNED 5

ENCOUNTERS FOR REVIEW FOR EACH MID-LEVEL PROVIDER EVERY MONTH.  THE

PREVIOUS REQUIREMENT OF 10 REVIEWS PER MID-LEVEL PER MONTH HAS BEEN

SUSPENDED.  THE SUPERVISOR HAS 30 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED

REVIEWS.  AFTER 30 DAYS, INCOMPLETE REVIEWS WILL BE REPORTED BY THE

SYSTEM TO THE SENIOR MEDICAL EXECUTIVE AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE HSWL

CHAIN OF COMMAND.

4. EFFECTIVE 03 JANUARY 2011, ALL PROVIDERS ARE REQUIRED TO REVIEW

THEIR PERSONAL PEER REVIEW SCORES MONTHLY IN MERS IN ORDER TO

COMPLETE THE FEEDBACK LOOP.  THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY CHECKING THE BOX

AT THE END OF EACH PEER REVIEW SCORE REPORT.

5.  PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEYS CONTINUE TO BE SENT TO RANDOMLY

SELECTED PATIENTS DAILY.  SURVEY RESULTS ARE POSTED TO THE PROVIDERS

PROFILE IN MERS WEEKLY.  MERS WILL NOT DIVULGE THE PATIENTS IDENTITY

UNLESS THE PATIENT IDENTIFIES THEMSELVES IN THE WRITTEN COMMENTS.

6. ALL USERS WILL RECEIVE AN INTRODUCTORY EMAIL WITH BRIEF

INSTRUCTIONS AND THEIR USERNAME AND PASSWORD.  USER TRAINING FOR MERS

IS AVAILABLE IN THE JOB AIDE ENTITLED, MEDICAL ENCOUNTER REVIEW

SYSTEM (MERS), WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON THE CG-1121 WEBSITE AT

WWW.USCG.MIL/HQ/CG1/CG112/CG1121/DEFAULT.ASP.  ADVANCED USER TRAINING

WILL BE PROVIDED BY CG-1122/23 IN JANUARY 2011 VIA WEB CONFERENCE.

DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED THROUGH THE HSWL SERVICE CENTER.  THE WEB

ADDRESS FOR MERS IS

HTTPS://ATHENS.SYNOVATE.COM/COASTGUARD/COASTGUARD.LOGIN

7. THE PROGRAM MANAGERS FOR MERS ARE CDR TRENT JANDA (FOR INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY) AT TRENTON.A.JANDA(AT)USCG.MIL, (202) 475-5184 AND CDR

MONICA KUENY (FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE) AT MONICA.R.KUENY(AT)USCG.MIL,

(202) 475-5162.

8. RELEASED BY CAPT MAURA K. DOLLYMORE, CHIEF, OFFICE OF HEALTH

SERVICES.

9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.