The Internet and social media have ushered in new ways of doing business. But as with so many other aspects of running a medical office, health care is different from any other business when it comes to an online presence. The sanctity of the physician-patient relationship can often be at odds with the openness, anonymity, and wide accessibility of the Internet and social … [Read more...] about 4 big social media mistakes your practice must avoid
Technology
Model Tool: Certification table – health information management
Why you need this tool: Credentials serve as notification that you have acquired a certain level of knowledge and professional status. As such, they enhance your standing at your current job and your marketability should you seek a new position. How this tool helps you: You may already be eligible, or almost eligible, for health information management certifications. How to … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Certification table – health information management
3 ways to more safely process patient payments and enhance overall security
By Paul Panos bio Today's office managers face security concerns from all sides – from HIPAA compliance to PHI laws. Shouldn't protecting financial data be the last thing on your mind? We've already explored in a previous article how the right payment processing technology can boost a practice's profitability, but it can also enhance a practice's level of security … [Read more...] about 3 ways to more safely process patient payments and enhance overall security
Mobile usage on the rise at medical practices, emphasis now on safeguards
More physicians are going mobile, and iPhones and iPads are the devices of choice, with more than 68 percent of doctors preferring Apple technology over Android. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 59.3 percent of all primary care physicians' daily emails are for the interpretation of test results, while 21.7 percent are responses to … [Read more...] about Mobile usage on the rise at medical practices, emphasis now on safeguards
Nurses’ work-related injuries and physical discomfort impact patient care
Findings of an independent survey conducted by Ergotron, a Nortek company that manufactures ergonomic workplace products, highlights many of the day-to-day difficulties nurses face with medical equipment, clinical workflow, electronic health records (EHRs), physical strain or injury and how these factors impact the delivery of quality patient care. Of note, 60 percent of nurses … [Read more...] about Nurses’ work-related injuries and physical discomfort impact patient care
Model Tool: 8 ways employee social networking can hurt your practice
Why you need this checklist: Social networking by employees can endanger your practice with liability issues and misinformation. How this checklist helps you: This list covers eight areas of danger created by employee social networking. How to use this checklist: Become aware of each of these eight danger areas so you can prevent liability issues and the spread of … [Read more...] about Model Tool: 8 ways employee social networking can hurt your practice
Top 10 cities with happiest medical practice patients
Did you make the list? Patients in San Francisco and Oakland appear to be happiest with their doctors, while the least satisfied American health care consumers live in other California cities as well as in New York State locales. This is according to an in-depth evaluation of the ever-contentious online reviews that many physicians denounce. In a nationwide study, Denver-based … [Read more...] about Top 10 cities with happiest medical practice patients
CMS proposes new deadline for “meaningful use” reporting compliance
Recently, Medical Office Manager told you about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) electronic health records (EHRs) incentive programs and meaningful use requirements. Now, CMS has released a proposed rule that would alter the timeline for meaningful use reporting. Washington, DC, health care attorney at Alston & Bird, Paula Stannard, a former Health and … [Read more...] about CMS proposes new deadline for “meaningful use” reporting compliance
Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?
Certain professionals can alternatively pursue meaningful use incentive payments from the Medicaid program, which is run by the state Medicaid agencies. Eligible professionals for Medicaid include doctors of medicine and osteopathy, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, dentists, and physician assistants in a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic led … [Read more...] about Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?
CQM reporting and HIPAA
One reader questioned whether reporting CQMs using the Physician Quality Reporting System and reporting patient level data in the Quality Reporting Data Architecture (QRDA) format would require sending protected health information to CMS in violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The QRDA format does require some identifying information. However, Paula Stannard, a health care … [Read more...] about CQM reporting and HIPAA