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PURCHASING

A good courier service helps keep the medical office running smoothly.

As a medical office manager, you know how important it is to ensure that your office runs efficiently and effectively. One way to help achieve this is by using a courier service to transport important documents and materials to and from your office. In this article, we’ll explore what a medical office might use a courier service for, and how to choose a good courier service for your office’s specific needs. What a Medical Office Might Use a Courier Service For Transporting Medical Records: Medical offices often need to transport patient medical records to other healthcare providers or insurance companies. Using a courier service ensures that these records are delivered quickly and securely. Delivering Samples: Medical offices may need to transport laboratory samples or other specimens to testing facilities. A… . . . read more.

TOOL

Model Policy: Office Temperature

The purpose of this model policy is to ensure a comfortable and healthy work environment for all staff and patients by maintaining appropriate temperature settings in the medical office.

TOOLS

Here’s a simple sample cancellation policy

Last-minute cancellations can turn an orderly day at the office into chaos as you scramble to reach patients to fill unexpected openings in the schedule. Unfilled appointment slots are costly in terms of clinician time, staff time and office overhead. That’s why you need to have an appointment cancellation policy and convey it to your patients. Here’s a short and simple cancellation policy you can post on your website and include in email and text appointment reminders. Appointment Cancellation Policy We understand that circumstances may arise that prevent you from keeping your scheduled appointment. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please provide us with at least 24 hours’ notice so that we can offer the appointment to another patient. If you do not provide us with at least… . . . read more.

TECHNOLOGY

Declutter your phone and declutter your mind

As a busy medical office manager, you are responsible for keeping things organized and efficient in your workplace. But have you considered the clutter on your smartphone? Your device may be full of unnecessary apps, files, and notifications, which can affect your productivity and increase stress levels. In this article, we’ll discuss why and how to declutter your smartphone. Why Declutter Your Smartphone? Decluttering your smartphone can provide many benefits, including: Increased productivity: With a decluttered smartphone, you can find what you need quickly, saving time and increasing productivity. Reduced stress: A cluttered smartphone can lead to stress and anxiety. By decluttering your device, you can create a more peaceful and organized environment. Improved security: Unnecessary apps and files can pose a security risk. By decluttering your smartphone, you can… . . . read more.

MANAGING PATIENTS

7 good reasons to use online scheduling

Still on the fence about using online scheduling in your medical office? Consider these advantages to an online scheduling system: Increased convenience: Patients can easily book appointments online 24/7, without having to call the office during business hours. Improved efficiency: Automated scheduling reduces the need for manual scheduling, minimizing the risk of errors and freeing up staff time for other tasks. Better patient experience: Patients can easily view available appointment times and select the one that works best for them, reducing wait times and improving the overall patient experience. Real-time scheduling: Online scheduling systems offer real-time updates, ensuring that everyone is working with the most current information. Accessibility: An online scheduling system can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, making it easy for patients to book appointments… . . . read more.

INCREASING PROFITS

Track these 5 metrics for practice profitability

By Mike Rigert “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … , ” wrote author Charles Dickens in his classic novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” While it’s certainly not the worst of times for most healthcare practices (that honor likely went to 2020-2021), things could always be better, right? You’re likely still dealing with the impacts of rampant inflation and ongoing short staffing, among other things. Despite these setbacks, there’s clear opportunities to move your practice forward to improve both production and productivity to help you reach your financial goals. It all goes back to numbers—the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine whether your practice sinks or swims. Some metrics are more important and vital to the success of your practice than others. We’ve outlined five… . . . read more.

TECHNOLOGY

7 tips for leading a video meeting

We’ve become accustomed to attending work meetings on Zoom and other video conferencing platforms since the pandemic lockdown of 2020. But you might not be at ease as the leader of a Zoom meeting for your medical office team. Here are some tips for conducting a successful video work meeting: Set a clear agenda: Before the meeting, create an agenda that outlines the topics to be discussed and the goals of the meeting. Send this agenda to all participants in advance so that they can come prepared. Establish ground rules: Set some ground rules for the meeting, such as requiring all participants to mute their microphones when not speaking and encouraging people to use the chat function to ask questions or make comments. Start on time: Respect the time of… . . . read more.

HIPAA

Proposed rule would standardize how to send health care attachments

It might get easier for your medical office to send healthcare attachments and electronic signatures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has issued a proposed rule, “Adoption of Standards for Health Care Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures, and Modification to Referral Certification and Authorization Transaction Standard (CMS-0053-P).” If finalized, the proposed rule, would adopt standards for “health care attachments” transactions, such as medical charts, x-rays, and provider notes that document physician referrals, and office or telemedicine visits. The modifications to the HIPAA transactions would support both health care claims and prior authorization transactions, standards for electronic signatures to be used in conjunction with health care attachments transactions, and a modification to the standard for the referral certification and authorization transaction. The is a part of ongoing efforts to… . . . read more.

DATA SECURITY

9-point checklist for medical office cybersecurity

Is your office doing all it can to protect your patients’ sensitive medical data? Here’s a nine-point checklist to protect the security and privacy of your patients. Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and change them regularly. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security. Keep all software and systems up to date with the latest security patches. Use antivirus software and firewall protection to prevent unauthorized access to your systems. Educate employees on cybersecurity best practices, such as not clicking on links in suspicious emails and not sharing login information. Use encryption to protect sensitive data, such as patient medical records, when it is transmitted or stored electronically. Regularly backup important data to protect against data loss due to cyber attacks or other disasters. Implement policies and procedures for… . . . read more.

CYBERSECURITY

Treat passwords like underwear: Change often and don’t share

Did you know that most confirmed data breaches involve the leveraging of weak, stolen, or default passwords? One of your practice’s frontline defenses for avoiding the phishing  attacks and other cybercriminal schemes is effective password management. How well are you managing yours? Take this quiz from Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and CEO of the Medical Risk Institute, to find out.  Strong passwords are too complicated to remember. It’s fine to use passwords that are short and easy.            True or False?  Answer: False Easy passwords are easy to crack. Popular passwords in the United States continue to be “password” and “12345.” These weak passwords offer little security and are simply dangerous. Instruct your team to create strong passwords that contain a mix of letters, cases, and… . . . read more.


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