According to a recently released Patient Safety Report, Americans are confident that the medical care they receive is safe and follows proper protocols. In fact, nearly all Americans surveyed (91 percent) who sought medical attention at a doctor's office, hospital, urgent care or other medical facility in the last year agree that their medical professional followed protocols … [Read more...] about Do your patients know how to properly dispose of medications?
Managing patients
6 key ingredients of a profitable medical practice
Medical office managers are often so focused on the day-to-day that it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture. That big picture is profitability—because, without it, the practice will not remain in business. Although profitability isn't rocket science—after all, only rocket science is rocket science—it does require attention to detail, or what Medical Office Manager … [Read more...] about 6 key ingredients of a profitable medical practice
HIPAA Refresher: Is your practice on top of NPPs?
By Ranadene K. Tapio, MBA, CMRS, CMC, Guest Contributor bio I know, HIPAA is old news. And ALL of your offices are presenting your patients with a HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) already. Right? Are you sure? Do you have systems in place to ensure this is being done? Do you work the front desk, so you know it's getting done? Are you in the back office, and in … [Read more...] about HIPAA Refresher: Is your practice on top of NPPs?
New study highlights importance of meaningful conversations between clinicians and terminally ill patients
The final year of life with serious illness can be filled with emotional distress and uncertainty about treatment options. And when people with serious illness have conversations with their doctors and nurses about their personal values, goals, and what might be ahead with their illness, they are more likely to receive the care they want, feel less distress and report better … [Read more...] about New study highlights importance of meaningful conversations between clinicians and terminally ill patients
8 steps to quickly and (almost) painlessly creating an employee handbook tailored to your medical office
Writing an employee handbook from scratch can be a daunting task. Where do you start? What do you include? And how are you going to find time to write the thing? It's tempting to set the job aside and wait until work slows down a bit. Of course if you wait for the perfect time to write, it's unlikely that you will actually do it at all. So we're here to help you get the project … [Read more...] about 8 steps to quickly and (almost) painlessly creating an employee handbook tailored to your medical office
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
What are the chief business concerns of independent doctors?
Competing for patients against hospitals and health systems, which have substantial marketing budgets, topped the list of problems independent doctors face, according to a new survey out from the Association of Independent Doctors, a national nonprofit trade association. The pay gap between employed and independent doctors ranked a close second. "A variety of market forces … [Read more...] about What are the chief business concerns of independent doctors?
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
4 best practices to help optimize your processes and increase your reimbursements
By Ranadene (Randi) K. Tapio, MBA, CMRS, CMC, Guest Contributor bio Revenue Cycle Management is multi-faceted. There may not be a right or wrong way as far as your process goes, but there are tips, tricks, and best practices that can optimize the process, and in turn, your reimbursements. After years of experience working with varying sized and specialty practices, … [Read more...] about 4 best practices to help optimize your processes and increase your reimbursements