Practice Technology

Telemedicine is an attractive new care model–the growth potential is great, it’s easy to adopt, and so far patients are very happy with it. Telemedicine is proving to be an ideal format for improving patient engagement and is creating a greater demand for services. That’s strong incentive for private practices to embrace this new frontier of healthcare. Private practices that opt-in to this care model have the ability to improve both their clinical efficiency and the patient/provider relationship.

Smart glasses and other wearable technologies could become as ubiquitous in the exam room as a stethoscope or blood pressure cuff, giving doctors not only another tool to deliver quality care but helping to bolster their personal connections with patients.

Q: Where can I find specific guidance on cloning and electronic health record (EHR) issues?

Recent guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking to clarify patient safety work product (PSWP) privilege under the Patient Safety Act has instead stoked conflicting opinions among organizations representing healthcare providers as to how the provision should be interpreted.

While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that nearly $29 billion of improper payments were made in 2015, according to spokespersons for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and CMS, the full extent of EHR fraud remains elusive.

In the latest batch of letters to the editor, Obamacare and disturbing technological advances are at the top of mind.

Practices have been collecting this data for decades-and now is the time to start using it.

As the rules for MACRA are written, we are again at a critical juncture in U.S. healthcare. The risks to both physicians and their patients is real.

Unfortunately, for many physicians, the professional rewards of status, security, and meaningful work are threatened by an avalanche of responsibility and stress characterizing today’s practice environment and further contributing to an escalating epidemic of physician stress and burnout.

HIT coalition says the medical field must measure all forms of information sharing today so it can accurately assess interoperability successes moving forward.

A Mayo Clinic report reveals many physicians are dissatisfied with EHRs and patient portals, saying they improve neither their efficiency nor patient care.

EHR errors and MOC frustrations are the hot topics of this issue's Your Voice.

Physicians may have an opportunity to engage with patients via text messaging as smartphones become ubiquitous.

In April, baby boomers passed the crown as the largest living generation to millennials, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There are now more Americans between the ages of 18-34 than those aged 51-69.

Data thieves are getting craftier with their methods-and are actively targeting healthcare records.

A new report shows office-based physician EHR use has dipped below 60%

Consumers don’t think twice about using an ATM or firing up Amazon to buy anything and everything, but engaging with their physicians via telemedicine-two-way video, emails, smartphones, wireless tools-is not yet a natural instinct.

What does this mean? Why is it a challenge? What’s happening to fix it?

Even if your practice can share data electronically, what do you want to share?

Every device with a wireless internet connection can potentially be broken into, and studies show that 1 in 4 people has been hacked. Over the past few years, white hat hackers have breached a variety of medical devices, proving that a skilled hacker could gain access to medical equipment and wreak havoc from a remote location.

There was a day when medical transcription was neat and clean. A doctor dictated what happened during an exam and a transcriptionist accurately typed each detail into the patient’s record. Each future encounter built on that record, a detailed history meant to ensure quality care. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it worked.

Experts explore the operational requirements, from care coordination to patient engagement.

The market for telemedicine is big and growing, yet despite the growth in telemedicine, many physicians resist it.

EHR use, MOC and the 2016 presidential election are the hot topics of the latest issue of Your Voice.

Electronic health record systems were not designed for population health, but help is on the way.

Regardless of size or area of specialization, every healthcare practice today needs a medical practice management (PM) solution that delivers optimal results. The technology serves as the very lifeblood of the organization, facilitating interactions and transactions between patients and information. A next-generation solution helps ensure that all facets of the practice run like a well-oiled machine - streamlining workflow, improving information access, enhancing patient healthcare quality and driving better financial outcomes. Without the right solution, it becomes virtually impossible to run a modern-day practice in an efficient and effective manner, let alone maximize revenue and profitability in what may be a highly competitive environment that, increasingly, is also beset by regulatory controls.

With the current healthcare atmosphere emphasizing both efficiency and quality, physicians are faced with constant pressure to do more in less time

Attracting and keeping patients is critical for a thriving practice but recent patient satisfaction surveys show there’s a lot of frustration out there. Private practitioners who put patient satisfaction at the top of their list are going to see their practices grow, revenue increase, and happily maintain their independence. It’s important to understand what makes patients happy to ensure that they remain under your care.

As an independent practice physician, you care about two things when it comes to your practice: patient care and its financial health. Many physicians go into business for themselves because they want to be independent, and one of the biggest ways to ensure that your practice stays independent is the ability to maximize your revenue stream.

Two years ago, the American Medical Association (AMA) created a committee to provide recommendations on how to improve the usability of electronic health records (EHR). Their list outlined eight areas where improvements were needed to stop the disruption that resulted from the Meaningful Use EHR requirement.