By Ron Harman King, MS bio There's a lot of debate in the healthcare profession these days about social media. On one hand, I've heard some good arguments against doctors taking precious time from successful practices for social media and also against using social media to communicate directly with patients, which obviously creates big privacy problems. On the other … [Read more...] about What happened when a doctor cried on social media
Technology
Are online coding discussions putting your practice at risk?
By Cheryl Toth, MBA bio Here's an email we recently saw while monitoring a specialty coding listserv: From: Smith, Debra (debra.smith@famousacademicinstitution.edu) Sent: Monday, June 04, 2018 2:08 PM Subject: Acromioplasty and hardware removal with total shoulder arthroplasty Hello All, We have a surgeon that says I am not an aggressive coder because I communicate to him … [Read more...] about Are online coding discussions putting your practice at risk?
Diagnostic errors and test results top ECRI Institute’s patient safety list
Diagnostic errors and improper management of test results in electronic health records (EHRs) were recently named by ECRI Institute as among the most serious patient safety challenges facing healthcare leaders in 2019. Released in conjunction with National Patient Safety Awareness week, ECRI's Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2019 raises the profile of safety issues that pose … [Read more...] about Diagnostic errors and test results top ECRI Institute’s patient safety list
New CMS competition seeks innovative AI solutions to better predict healthcare outcomes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new competition that aims to accelerate innovative solutions to better predict health outcomes and improve the quality of care for patients. "The Artificial Intelligence Health Outcomes Challenge is an opportunity for innovators to demonstrate how artificial intelligence tools—such as deep learning and … [Read more...] about New CMS competition seeks innovative AI solutions to better predict healthcare outcomes
Four digital trends that can transform your medical practice
Medical practices of every type and size are rapidly being transformed by the digital revolution. Your patients are ratcheting up health-related online activities to unprecedented levels, says Ron Harman King, founder of Vanguard Communications. "Patients now routinely do medical research, seek medical guidance and search for medical services online. The surge in digital … [Read more...] about Four digital trends that can transform your medical practice
HIPAA security can fail if the office doesn’t take common-sense precautions
No matter how tight its HIPAA privacy procedures, if the office isn't also focusing on common sense, the patient data is wide open to compromise. "That's because we do things we don't think about," says Rosemarie Nelson, a principle with MGMA practice management consulting in Syracuse, NY. "It's not hackers trying to get at the office's data" that the manager needs to worry … [Read more...] about HIPAA security can fail if the office doesn’t take common-sense precautions
Five tips to boost efficiency for the front office
By Cheyenne Brinson, MBA, CPA bio The front office is the face of the practice, the first impression for the patient, and the beginning of the revenue cycle. They are tasked with multiple assignments, competing priorities, and a sense of urgency from everyone, yet asked to do it all with a smile. Here are five tips to boost efficiency for the front office. … [Read more...] about Five tips to boost efficiency for the front office
Top 5 digital tools to increase medical practice efficiency in 2019
By Lisa A. Eramo, MA bio Busy practice managers are constantly searching for ways to increase efficiency. Sometimes it feels like an unattainable goal. Just when you begin to streamline a process, another challenge arises, and you're immediately drowning in backlogged claims and increased patient wait times yet again. The good news is that practices can leverage a variety of … [Read more...] about Top 5 digital tools to increase medical practice efficiency in 2019
Survey: Patients prefer secure texting over patient portal communication from their physicians
Only 10 percent of patients prefer to receive physician communications via patient portals, whereas twice that many (19.6 percent) favor receiving information via secure text messages when in-person and phone calls are not an option. The new survey, conducted by DrFirst, a provider of e-prescribing and patient medication management solutions, also found that more than 90 … [Read more...] about Survey: Patients prefer secure texting over patient portal communication from their physicians
5 efficiency-draining traps to avoid in your practice
By Karen Mattocks, Vice President of Business Development at RxVantage bio It is a practice manager's worst nightmare. You arrive at work one morning and suddenly realize you no longer have a grip on operational efficiency. Patient wait times are at an all-time high, physicians continue to complain about the electronic health record (EHR), unbilled claims pile up … [Read more...] about 5 efficiency-draining traps to avoid in your practice