Study finds candy can be sweet on obesity, cardiovascular disease
Adults who eat candy at least every other day are no more prone to being overweight or otherwise unfit in the cardiovascular department than their moderate (about once a week) and infrequent (less than 3 times per month) candy-craving counterparts, studies find. MORE

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Study finds candy can be sweet on obesity, cardiovascular disease May 20, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor
Adults who eat candy at least every other day are no more prone to being overweight or otherwise unfit in the cardiovascular department than their moderate (about once a week) and infrequent (less than 3 times per month) candy-craving counterparts, studies find.
Physician groups beta-test URAC clinical integration program May 20, 2013 | Bernie Monegain - Editor
Physician groups beta-test URAC clinical integration program
The independent standards organization created the new program to serve as a roadmap for health providers to achieve clinical integration and accountable care. By earning URAC accreditation, providers will demonstrate they are delivering improved patient care and reducing costs.
Medicare Advantage outshines fee-for-service model in study May 20, 2013 | Chris Anderson - Contributing Editor
Medicare Advantage outshines fee-for-service model in study
U.S. private insurers have created an operating model that can deliver better care at a lower cost and have a major role to play in the ongoing national efforts to improve healthcare quality, according to Stefan Larsson, co-author of a newly released report from Boston Consulting Group.
Reinvigorating clinical trial participation May 17, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor
Web-based videos flush with educational information on clinical trials may aid significantly in the participation of said experiments, according to researchers at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center’s Seidman Cancer Center.
Wireless pill bottle takes innovation prize May 17, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Wireless pill bottle takes top innovation prize
A device that can measure the exact number of pills in a bottle in real time, wirelessly send HIPAA-compliant data into the cloud, and remind patients to take their medication via automated phone call or text message, took the first-prize award of $50,000 in the Healthcare Innovation World Cup on May 10.
Screening suggested for alcohol misuse May 16, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor
USPSTF suggests screening for alcohol misuse in all adults
In an epic regulatory spin of the bottle, the United State Preventative Task Force has put forth a final recommendation statement calling for medical staffers to screen “adults aged 18 years or older for alcohol misuse."
CUIs seen as boon to patient engagement May 16, 2013 | Jeff Rowe - Contributing Writer
Conversational user interfaces seen as boon to patient engagement
"People's interaction with technology changes dramatically when you have voices involved," according to Nick van Terheyden, MD, chief medical information officer for Nuance Communications. He says healthcare has three big things to gain from conversational user interfaces, especially on the patient engagement front.
Solo docs behind on attestation May 16, 2013 | Erin McCann - Contributing Writer
Solo practices behind on Stage 1 attestation
According to a Deloitte survey of 1,613 U.S. primary care and specialist physicians, solo practitioners reported a Stage 1 attestation rate of 31 percent, versus 62 percent of mid-size practices and 82 percent of large-sized practices. However, overall, those physicians who have gone full-throttle with health IT adoption have witnessed substantial positive results.

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The benefits of e-prescribing May 20, 2013 | Molly Merrill - Contributing writer
The benefits of e-prescribing
Using an e-prescribing system integrated with its EHR, East Lake Pediatrics in Trinity, Fla., not only cuts down on wait times for patients, but improves efficiency for physicians and staff as well.
Drilling down on clinical summaries May 17, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Drilling down on clinical summaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated its website with two new FAQs regarding clinical summaries as they relate to the agency's incentive programs for making meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Here's the latest guidance.
How Is Your Website Feeling? May 14, 2013 | David S. Brooks - Vice President, Client Services, Doctor.com
David Brooks
[Sponsored Content] Today’s practice manager is responsible for an effective marketing strategy, especially involving the website and (more importantly) the dozens of social media platforms that patients use to find doctors. To help you make good decisions about your web marketing programs, here's a checklist of seven diagnostic questions to determine the health of your practice web site and web presence.
Double down on EHR and PQRS incentives May 13, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Double down on EHR and PQRS incentives
If you treat Medicare patients and bill for Part B services on the Physician Fee Schedule, you may be eligible for two incentive programs offered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
EHR access: How much is too much? May 13, 2013 | Xavier E. Martinez
Patient access to EHRs: How much is too much?
A recent Harris Interactive survey shows that 82 percent of physicians want patients to be active in their healthcare through electronic health records, but only 31 percent believe patients should have full access to their EHR record. Although there are clear benefits to providing patients access to their medical data, such as improved quality of care and patient satisfaction, the report refers to several instances where full patient access to medical records may not be conducive to proper care.
How dates of service affect ICD-10 coding May 10, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
How dates of service will affect ICD-10 coding
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services explains how you would handle submission of a claim in October 2014 for a service you provided in September 2014.
Complete testing urged for hep C patients May 10, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
Complete testing urged for hepatitis C patients
Many people who test positive on an initial hepatitis C test are not receiving the necessary follow-up testing to determine if their body has cleared the virus or if they are still infected, according to Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). May 19 is National Hepatitis Testing Day; this article includes CDC's recommendations for who should be tested.
Deadline looms for 2014 eRx adjustment May 08, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor
June 30 deadline looms for 2014 eRx payment adjustment
Individual eligible professionals and group practices participating in the Group Practice Reporting Option must successfully report as an electronic prescriber before June 30, 2013, in order to avoid a 2014 payment adjustment for professional services covered under Medicare Part B's Physician Fee Schedule.

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Saving Private Practice: The Front Office April 03, 2013 | Resource Central
20 million newly-insured patients will enter the healthcare system by 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act. 80% of these newly-insured patients are deemed “High Risk” for non-payment. As a practitioner, you cannot afford inefficient front office processes. In this webinar, learn about the changing healthcare landscape, how it may affect you, and best practices for ensuring you receive payment.
Achieving Meaningful Use in Private Practice: A close examination of Stage 2 requirements November 28, 2012 | Resource Central
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Federal Government laid the groundwork for the nationwide implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems as a measure to improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and increase the level of overall public health. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) program requires providers to demonstrate meaningful use (MU) of an electronic health record system to be eligible for monetary incentives. The implementation of EHR and compliance with meaningful use regulations, should be a top priority for all eligible healthcare professionals (EPs).
A Guide to Selecting a Medical Billing Service: 5 Key Questions to Ask November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
Choosing the right service for your billing may be among the most important decisions for your practice. Use this guide to make sure you’re covering all of your bases when selecting this important partner. Learn why you should outsource your billing now and how to find medical billing service providers. In addition, this guide will tell you what questions to ask during your selection process and more.
Revenue Cycle Mastery: How to Support Industry Standard Best Practices November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
Achieving the highest revenue potential in your medical practice is only found through applying innovative and proven operational principles. The Revenue Cycle Mastery Training and Companion Guide outlines how to implement these industry best practices and secure reimbursements in your practice.
EHR & Practice Management Software Buyer's Guide November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
Eliminate buyer's remorse! Make the right software choice for your medical practice the first time. This paper includes a comprehensive checklist of features and functionality that you must consider in your search for medical software. Cut to the chase to be aware of hidden costs, contract terms, and true ROI.
What You Should Know About ICD-10 Codes November 14, 2012 | Resource Central
This paper identifies what medical offices need to know about ICD-10 codes including: Facts, timing & impact of ICD-10 medical codes; expansion of ICD medical code base; ICD-10 impact on the medical practice and comparison table of ICD-9 & ICD-10 diagnosis medical codes.
Learn What is New for Stage 2! October 05, 2012 | Resource Central
Read this white paper to learn what objectives you will be required to report on for Meaningful Use Stage 2.
Physicians Medical Center Prepares for Inevitable Changes September 04, 2012 | Resource Central
Physicians Medical Center faced increasing challenges with decentralized patient information among its various practice locations. CEO, Sharron Grodzinsky wanted to prepare the group for imminent changes in the industry and decided that integrating its Electronic Health Record and Practice Management systems was the right decision. Read this story to learn how the medical center has realized better care, centralized and easily accessible patient data, as well as eligibility for Medicare incentives for using ePrescribing.

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The big data bubble May 20, 2013 | Arlen Meyers - CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs
Arlen Meyers
Most doctors need targeted, small bits of information to make clinical decisions, not reams of data.
On EHR data integrity: A patient's perspective May 17, 2013 | Deborah Kohn - Principal and Founder, Dak Systems Consulting
Deborah Kohn
It's time our industry professionals address the integrity of information contained in EHRs, not just the technical and operational mechanisms for the sending and receiving of the information.
More trouble May 14, 2013 | Rob Lamberts, MD
Rob Lamberts
I want my patients to see as few doctors, be sick as infrequently, and be on as few drugs as possible. I hope to wage an all-out assault on "more."
How to get the biggest ROI on your marketing communications dollars May 13, 2013 | Cindy Thomas Wright - Physician Practice Marketing
Cindy Thomas Wright
Putting dollars toward building on a solid brand is much more efficient, for example, than having to spend resources on undoing inappropriate messaging or bad public relations.
Is the cure for cancer around the corner? May 07, 2013 | Zack Fisher - Contributing Writer
Is the cure for cancer around the corner?
Targeting cancer stem cells is a viable therapeutic strategy, and many researchers and drug companies are enthusiastically embracing it in cancer therapy.
Telling a good story May 01, 2013 | Rob Lamberts, MD
Rob Lamberts
In some ways things are going about as well as could be expected with my new practice. The hard part has been that I have not been able to find tools to help me organize my business so it can run efficiently.
Sequester could doom funding for promising cancer research April 30, 2013 | Deborah J. Cornwall
Deborah J. Cornwall
In an environment where we are concerned about creating jobs, cutting research funding is not just shortsighted -- it is economically and morally wrong.
Email as a patient communications tool? Read before you hit 'send' April 29, 2013 | Cindy Thomas Wright - Physician Practice Marketing
Cindy Wright
Before you decide to open the lines to an email conversation, you should take a good look at the pros and cons of doing so.

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Creating a future of personalized medicine: U-M forms nonprofit joint venture August 17, 2012 | Industry Release
As a key step toward providing patients with treatments based on their own DNA profiles, the University of Michigan and the International Genomics Consortium (IGC) have launched a new joint venture that will help usher in an age of personalized medicine.
Practice Fusion partners with NJ-HITEC to help local doctors earn up to $44K in government incentives August 16, 2012 | Industry Release
Practice Fusion – the nation's largest doctor-patient community – and the New Jersey Health Information Technology Extension Center (NJ-HITEC) are teaming up to help medical professionals across New Jersey quickly and easily start using Practice Fusion's free Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. The partnership, the first of its kind for Practice Fusion, aims to provide doctors with all the resources they need to qualify for up to $44,000 in Meaningful Use incentives, a federal program designed to promote EMR usage.
Axis Diagnostics and Advanced Data Systems collaborate on EHR and lab August 15, 2012 | Industry Release
Axis Diagnostics, Inc. of Langhorne, PA and Advanced Data Systems (ADS) of Paramus, NJ have successfully collaborated on integrating systems.
New Commonwealth Fund white paper caucuses on strategies for implementing ACOs August 14, 2012 | Industry Release
The Commonwealth Fund released a new white paper on lessons learned from members of the Premier healthcare alliance’s accountable care collaborative.
New ACO to improve care and lower costs for 40,000 NJ patients August 13, 2012 | Industry Release
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) and Optimus Healthcare Partners (Optimus) today announced the launch of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) agreement to deliver more effective care at lower costs to more than 40,000 Horizon BCBSNJ members. The new ACO agreement will include 42 primary care practices and 104 primary care physicians within 11 New Jersey counties.
HIMSS and Healthcare IT News announce privacy & security forum August 08, 2012 | Industry Release
HIMSS, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, and Healthcare IT News, the industry's leading news source for health IT, have partnered to present The Privacy & Security Forum. The event will bring together CIOs and IT executives for a day-and-a-half of collaboration, networking and presentations by leading health IT professionals, industry thought leaders and key government officials.
Welch Allyn offers vital signs device connectivity to physician practices in Canada August 08, 2012 | Industry Release
Through a partnership with QHR Technologies, Inc., Welch Allyn, a leading global provider of medical diagnostic solutions, now offers a more comprehensive line of connected vital signs devices in Canada's primary care market. Welch Allyn vital signs devices now interface with one of Canada's leading national electronic medical record (EMR) software solutions, Accuro®EMRa comprehensive, physician clinic management program. The integration of Welch Allyn devices will allow electronic transfer of patient test results directly between the digital diagnostic devices and AccuroEMR—eliminating the need for manual data entry by providers, increasing efficiency and alleviating the risk of transcription and latency errors.
CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic is first retail clinic provider to earn approval from The Joint Commission August 06, 2012 | Industry Release
Building on its established record for clinical quality, MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy, has become the first retail clinic provider to achieve three consecutive accreditation awards from The Joint Commission. MinuteClinic has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ a third time by demonstrating compliance with the commission's national standards for health care quality and safety.

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Featured Video

New research from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests amoxicillin for patients with acute uncomplicated rhinosinusitis did not result in a significant difference in symptoms compared to patients who received placebo. The findings were published in the February 15 issue of JAMA. This video details those findings.

Featured Podcast

In this audio interview with PhysBizTech Editor Frank Irving, Marla Roberts, DrPH, RN, senior delivery manager for CTG Health Solutions, discusses items to be addressed as physician practices move along the path to achieving Stage 2 meaningful use of certified EHRs. She also describes opportunities to coordinate MU activities with participation in accountable care organizations.