Practice Technology

Interoperability is a nice dream, but the waking version is still a nightmare.

Although the interoperability of electronic health records (EHRs) currently is very limited, several moves are afoot to improve it.

From apps to help patients track their wellness to disease research and clinical information at the tap of an icon, here are peer-recommended apps to download today.

Final Rule makes additional changes to reporting requirements

How can you avoid the risk of ending up just as unhappy with your new EHR as your current one? Your next EHR purchaseneeds to be risk free, which can only happen with a free trial of the software in your office. Only by using a full version of thesoftware – not a “demo” version – in your practice, seeing real patients, will you know if an EHR is right for you.

Use these questions to help guide your decision. It’s worth it to take yourtime evaluating your options so that you get the best service possible fromthe start. Kareo Billing Service gives small practices easy to use front-officetools, expert billing staff, and a flexible, refreshingly transparent approach topartnering with a billing service.

The challenges of the regulatory environment, the complexity of the coding system, and the shifting dynamics of reimbursement are not going away. Maintaining your focus on the key drivers of revenue cycle success is business critical. Concentrate on these seven strategies, and you’ll be in position to optimize your practice’s revenue cycle.

In a 2014 JAMA survey, physicians reported an EHR-associated loss of 48 minutes of free time per clinic day. Similarly, an IDC Report published in 2013 found that the top reason for physician dissatisfaction with EHR software was lost productivity.

Discover the five key data metrics that will help power your practice's financial success.

You can maximize the benefits of your current position or make the transition into one of many profitable, fulfilling opportunities in healthcare.

The medical industry is growing more complex every day as insurance reimbursement rates decline, operating costs go up, and administrative challenges increase. From elaborate and confusing payment systems and intricate compliance requirements to IT-related issues like security and reliability, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the business of your practice without losing focus on what matters most – your patients.

A physician’s visit with a patient often centers on telling the patient’s story. Yet a physician’s revenue often centers upon properly documenting and coding that patient encounter.

Two new studies highlight shortcomings of Meaningful Use program and doctors’ dissatisfaction with technology

This white paper produced by Pulse outlines the preparations that physician practices need to make prior to the ICD-10 implementation deadline.

Securing sensitive patient data presents its own set of challenges – even when medical groups enact their own policies that go beyond HIPAA minimums. Find out how to protect yourself and your patients

Technology has changed the practice of medicine-clinically and operationally. But what about the technology on the business operations side of your practice? Do you have a strategy for keeping up in this mobile world?

As major healthcare systems begin to offer patients virtual visits, they’re going to affect physicians, both employed and independent. So it’s time to sit up and take notice of what’s happening in the marketplace. Here’s what to expect and how telehealth may change your practice.

EHR technology may not be the greatest, but it is a necessary part of most medical practices. Here are three ways to make it work better.

A successful EHR implementation should begin well before the vendor arrives at your practice

A new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine shows that healthcare information technology is not helping providers with the aspects of care coordination they need most.

Electronic health records (EHRs) promised to revolutionize healthcare delivery. In some respects, they have. But for physicians deluged by patients, EHRs have yet to fulfill their lofty promises and, in many cases, have added considerable strain to the daily workload of physicians. In this article, physicians discuss with Medical Economics how EHRs should-and must-improve to reach their potential.

Primary care physicians often complain that the benefits of using electronic health record (EHR) systems are outweighed by the costs of implementing the technology and meeting government meaningful use (MU) standards. But a new study suggests that in at least one area-reducing adverse drug events-EHRs are having an impact.

Many physicians regard patient portals as just another hoop they have to jump through to get their electronic health record (EHR) incentives and/or avoid Medicare penalties. But that view can be short-sighted, consultants say, if practices neglect portal services that are attractive to patients.

A study of 34 physician practices jointly sponsored by RAND Corporation and the American Medical Association found that alternative payment models are changing the way physicians and medical practices operate. However, changing the payment system doesn't always ensure patient care improves.

At first glance, Medicare’s new chronic care management (CCM) billing code, which became available January 1, looks like a major opportunity for primary care practices. But many practices will find it difficult to meet the requirements for billing the code, and a major reason is the limitations of today’s electronic health record (EHR) systems.