The manager of a surgical medical office in Maine tracks both the big and the not-so-big elements of office management on spreadsheets. The spreadsheets show past numbers, current numbers, credentialing deadlines, and even when subscription renewals are coming up. And the result is that all the files are in one place and all the information is always readily available. The … [Read more...] about Spreadsheets track everything from payers to subscriptions
Technology
Health IT safety collaborative releases new safe practices for patient identification
Improving the accuracy of patient identification remains a challenge across all healthcare settings. In fact, the ECRI Institute recently completed its Deep Dive analysis of over 7,600 safety events related to patient identification and found that misidentifications occur during every aspect of care from registration to discharge and beyond. These errors impact patient care, … [Read more...] about Health IT safety collaborative releases new safe practices for patient identification
Machine learning and healthcare: Improving outcomes through predictive analytics
Machine learning is a part of everyday life for most Americans, from navigation apps to Amazon's omniscient purchase recommendations. But in healthcare, the use of machine learning has so far been limited to niche science projects in large and academic health systems—those able to afford the highly skilled data scientists and dedicated teams required to turn their data into … [Read more...] about Machine learning and healthcare: Improving outcomes through predictive analytics
For a Colorado clinic, telecommuting fills the gap in long-term absences
A large Colorado clinic has started allowing staff to work from home. But unlike most employers, it doesn't view telecommuting as a way to reduce overhead. Instead, the clinic uses it to accommodate staffers who would otherwise have to take extended time off. And it's picky about who can take advantage of it. The clinic introduced telecommuting after one staffer's child became … [Read more...] about For a Colorado clinic, telecommuting fills the gap in long-term absences
How to reduce patient stress and pain during vaccination
A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics examined the reasons for vaccine delays and found that three-quarters of surveyed doctors said parents postponed shots over concerns about their children's discomfort. For these parents and children, help may be on the way. Virtually calm A recent pilot study done by Sansum Clinic doctors showed that patients who … [Read more...] about How to reduce patient stress and pain during vaccination
How would you grade your cybersecurity program?
DomainTools, a leader in domain name and DNS-based cyber threat intelligence, has released its 2017 Cybersecurity Report Card global research. Developed in conjunction with cybersecurity veteran Byron Acohido, the survey took place in December 2016 and polled more than 550 security analysts, IT managers, and executives working in healthcare, government, finance, retail, and … [Read more...] about How would you grade your cybersecurity program?
Beware of HIPAA-related text messaging risks
The ease, speed, and efficiency of mobile device-based text messaging has made it a primary communications tool among doctors and other health care providers, covered entities, and business associates. But this convenience can also lead to security risks, cautions Melissa (Lisa) Thompson, a shareholder in national law firm LeClairRyan's Boston office. "Unless preventive … [Read more...] about Beware of HIPAA-related text messaging risks
IBM Watson Health and FDA to improve public health using blockchain technology
IBM Watson Health has signed a research initiative with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aimed at defining a secure, efficient, and scalable exchange of health data using blockchain technology. IBM and the FDA will explore the exchange of owner-mediated data from several sources, such as Electronic Medical Records, clinical trials, genomic data, and health data … [Read more...] about IBM Watson Health and FDA to improve public health using blockchain technology
Should your practice invest in medical billing software?
By Aiden Spencer bio There has been considerable debate among physicians about whether or not it is beneficial to get an EHR (electronic health record). If your practice is having this debate, let's evaluate the benefits and problems associated with an EHR and see if one is right for you. [Full disclosure: I have abundant experience in the field because I am working for a … [Read more...] about Should your practice invest in medical billing software?
New healthcare cybersecurity report exposes risk of attacks through social engineering
SecurityScorecard, a security rating and continuous risk monitoring platform, recently released its 2016 Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Report. This comprehensive analysis exposed alarming cybersecurity vulnerabilities across 700 healthcare organizations including medical treatment facilities, health insurance agencies, and healthcare manufacturing companies. Security … [Read more...] about New healthcare cybersecurity report exposes risk of attacks through social engineering