Contracts often limit where physicians can work if they change employers Patients may just shrug when they learn their doctor plans to move to a new office. After all, they can just follow, right? Maybe not. Or at least, not easily. Physician contracts often contain restrictive covenants that limit where doctors can work if they leave their current practices. The … [Read more...] about Why your doctor left town in a huff
Managing patients
Dealing with loss as a health care professional
Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one at some point in life, but many health care professionals deal with death every day. Nurses, as well as members of a medical office staff, often become shoulders to cry on and emotional sounding boards for their patients' families, which can make it difficult for them to deal with their own grief in a healthy way. Author, nursing … [Read more...] about Dealing with loss as a health care professional
Cardiology practice makes staff safety a priority
A Davenport, IA, cardiology practice with 40 providers faced a major challenge, one that had the potential to affect the safety of practice staff. "Like most medical offices, we ask our patients to bring all their medications with them to the office and our rooming staff reconciles their medications at each office visit," says Marcia Brunsvold, supervisor of patient … [Read more...] about Cardiology practice makes staff safety a priority
Top 10 patient safety concerns
Patient safety is a top priority for every healthcare organization, but knowing where to direct initiatives can be daunting. To help organizations decide where to focus their efforts, ECRI Institute has compiled its second annual list of the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations. "This is more than just a list; it's a reminder that, despite the attention … [Read more...] about Top 10 patient safety concerns
Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Selfies, photos you take of yourself using a smartphone, are no longer a craze; they are a way of life. Usually, however, these photos serve little purpose besides entertainment. That may be about to change. DICOM Grid, an open cloud platform for medical imaging applications, has released "medical selfie," a new feature available through its mobile optimized medical image … [Read more...] about Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Best and worst states for doctors
Doctors are among the most highly paid, educated, and celebrated professions in the United States. The profession has also been undergoing intense change in recent years, with the Affordable Care Act, the rise of branded hospital networks, the impending retirement of baby boomers, and an increasingly litigious society all complicating the lives of doctors and providing pause to … [Read more...] about Best and worst states for doctors
Should your practice enlist the services of a medical interpreter?
Approximately 8 million foreign-born Americans say they speak English "not well." Additionally, approximately 4 million foreign-born Americans cannot speak English at all. These figures, from a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, means there are 12 million people, which is about 30 percent of the foreign-born American population, who have difficulty communicating in … [Read more...] about Should your practice enlist the services of a medical interpreter?
Mobile service provides seniors with immediate access to doctors
Seniors Wireless, a subsidiary of mobile virtual network operator emveno, has launched the first combined mobile and telemedicine service in the United States specifically for the 55+ age group demographic. The service features teleMED Assist, which provides seniors unlimited, direct access to board-certified doctors via phone or video, for any reason, anytime and anywhere. … [Read more...] about Mobile service provides seniors with immediate access to doctors
How Google Glass is changing the medical profession
Imagine this scenario. A physician completes a medical examination and begins to give the patient detailed instructions for maintaining his health. However, the doctor senses the patient isn't absorbing the information. So the physician dons his special eyewear, which, with a push of a button, allows him to create a video that can immediately be emailed to the patient. When the … [Read more...] about How Google Glass is changing the medical profession
Model Tool: Notice to educate patients
Why you need this model notice: HHS advises providers to “engage in a dialogue” with patients about this new patient right to request PHI not be disclosed to their health plan. You can do that using our model patient notice. You can adapt this notice to also address aspects specific to your operations. How this model notice helps you: This model notice helps you convey the … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Notice to educate patients