SPOTLIGHT -
Physicians spend 16 minutes using EHR per patient encounter
Chart review is the most time-consuming made up the largest portion of the time spent on EHR software.
More than half of patients don’t take required prescriptions due to high cost, survey finds
Vast majority of respondents said they’d take a cheaper alternative if their physician had suggested one.
Appeals court strikes down Arkansas Medicaid work requirement
The three-judge panel found HHS Secretary Alexander Azar’s approval of the requirement to be “arbitrary and capricious.”
Digital healthcare tools growing in popularity, AMA survey finds
Doctors are adopting digital healthcare tools in greater numbers since 2016.
Number of nurse practitioners more than doubles, study finds
A study found the number of nurse practitioners in the U.S. rose from 91,000 to 190,000 between 2010 and 2017.
Medicare to cover acupuncture for chronic lower back pain
The decision is backed by a review of acupuncture studies showing the treatment is successful at alleviating pain without the use of opioids.
EHR vendor Practice Fusion to pay $145 million for illegal kickback opioid scheme
The company admitted to soliciting and receiving kickbacks from a major opioid company to push doctors to prescribe the drugs, according to the Department of Justice.
FDA approves diabetes combo drug Trijardy XR
The triple-combination tablet is taken once daily to lower blood sugar in adults.
Study finds payment audits expensive and administrative labor intensive
Payment integrity audits can cost as much as $1 million annually and lead to hundreds or thousands of record requests a month.
Coronavirus outbreak 2020: The latest info for doctors
As the deadly coronavirus spreads to thousands, concern grows across the globe.
Female physicians still paid less than male peers, study finds
As the gender pay gap grows, female doctors’ choices in specialty may be the cause, but their search for work-life balance seems to have no effect.
Pharmacy chains sue hundreds of Ohio doctors in opioid lawsuits
Major pharmacy chains are seeking recourse from Ohio doctors saying they also bear responsibility for the opioid epidemic.
Report: $13.3 billion in health spending can be saved with automation
The healthcare industry can save 33 percent of the $40.6 billion spent annually by automating eight administrative transactions.
U.S. Supreme Court won’t rule on ACA before 2020 election
The one-sentence denial preserves the ACA status quo-at least until after the presidential election.
Texas doctor convicted in false diagnosis fraud scheme
The rheumatologist is expected to be sentenced in March for the $325 million scheme.
Compassionate healthcare collections strategies for physicians
NIH gives nearly $2 million grant to fund development of non-opiate chronic pain treatment
The funds were given to a Cornell Medicine professor and Akelos Inc. to develop the non-addictive neuropathic treatment alternative.
Physicians preparing for changes in patient care, but feeling burned out, new report finds
Doctors are actively preparing for the ways advancing technologies will change healthcare but are still feeling pressure and burnout.
Feds file Stark Law complaint against Indiana health network
Community Health Network Inc. faces allegations for illegally billing Medicare for services provided by physicians with whom it has a financial relationship.
New program to automate prior authorization review and approval
Program will use technology to speed the prior authorization process.
Most medical students feel low sense of personal achievement, new study finds
Despite high performance in medical school, 80 percent showing signs of burnout.
Study finds virtual healthcare tutorial nearly as effective as in-person teaching
The findings may be a good sign for the future of telehealth services.
Study: Hospital acquisitions hurt patient experience
Patient experience showed a modest decline in hospitals which were acquired between 2009 and 2013.
Appellate judges rule ACA individual mandate unconstitutional
The ruling left physician groups concerned that their patients will face continued uncertainty about their insurance coverage
Trump administration proposes rule to import Canadian prescription drugs
Proposed rule would allow states to import certain prescription drugs from Canada under conditions that pose no additional risk to patients.
Florida-based company pays thousands for not giving patients medical records
Korunda Medical, LLC, of Florida, has agreed to pay $85,000 and take corrective actions to settle allegations they violated HIPAA’s right to access provision.
U.S. primary care physicians lacking timely information to coordinate care
New research article finds U.S. primary care doctors don’t receive the timely information needed to coordinate patients’ care compared to other high-income countries.
Senate confirms FDA Chief
The U.S. Senate confirmed Stephen Hahn, MD, to head up the FDA replacing Scott Gottlieb, MD, who left the post in the spring.
Gender discrimination in medicine prevalent in the form of lower pay, inappropriate conduct, survey finds
Unconscious bias is the main cause of gender discriminations against female doctors.
Most payments come through alternative payment methods, new study finds
That’s the good news for advocates of value-based pay. The bad news is the system remains largely dependent on fee-for-service.