Patients need reminder on UV danger to eyes
More than 55 percent of adults in the United States lose or break their sunglasses every year, according to a new report released by The Vision Council. For these and the 27 percent of adults who do not wear sunglasses, exposure to ultraviolet radiation could put their eye health at risk. MORE

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Can pharma align with physicians, payers and patients? May 18, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
In the current healthcare landscape, physicians, health insurers and patients want to know how well a drug will work and affect total medical costs. However, according to a report published May 17 by the Health Research Institute at PwC US, information provided by the biopharmaceutical industry no longer suffices.
FCC to vote on allocating broadband spectrum for mobile body area networks May 18, 2012 | Eric Wicklund - Senior Editor
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on May 24 on whether to allow the healthcare industry to use designated broadband space to develop and deploy mobile body area networks. If approved, the move would open the door to more and better uses of wireless monitoring both inside and outside the hospital setting.
Research drills down on regional readmission rates for heart failure May 17, 2012 | Kelsey Brimmer - Associate Editor
Differences in regional readmission rates for heart failure are more closely connected with the availability of care and socioeconomics rather than with hospital performance or a patient’s degree of illness, according to recently released research.
HL7 extends membership program to caregivers May 17, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Standards development organization Health Level Seven International announced on May 16 a pilot membership program and webpage to encourage clinician caregivers to participate in the process of developing standards for EHRs.
Poll shows Americans in favor of healthcare credits for organ donations May 16, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
The latest Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll finds that a majority of Americans believe live organ donors should be afforded compensation in the form of healthcare credits for their donation, and it should come from health insurance companies.
FDA issues alert on MS treatment May 16, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration alerted healthcare professionals and patients about the use of "liberation therapy" to treat chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. The FDA said it has learned of death and injuries associated with the experimental procedure.
AMA wants physicians to help older patients steer clear of driving problems May 15, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Recognizing motor vehicle injuries as a leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65, the American Medical Association has introduced a free Web-based educational course to help physicians address the driving safety of their older patients.
AGA issues call to action on hepatitis C testing May 14, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
An online survey reveals that almost three-quarters of baby boomers have never been tested or are unsure if they have been tested for hepatitis C, and 80 percent do not consider themselves at any risk for having the disease. That patient population is actually most likely to have the disease.

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Patients need reminder on UV danger to eyes May 18, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
More than 55 percent of adults in the United States lose or break their sunglasses every year, according to a new report released by The Vision Council. For these and the 27 percent of adults who do not wear sunglasses, exposure to ultraviolet radiation could put their eye health at risk.
Six essentials of exceptional service May 16, 2012 | John Tschohl - President, Service Quality Institute
Providing your customers with exceptional service will give you and your organization a competitive edge by increasing customer loyalty. The following six basic principles of customer service, if mastered, will help you succeed as a small business owner.
What you should know about data encryption May 15, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
A new report acknowledges that misconceptions about data encryption persist – even among people who are generally knowledgeable about computers. The report outlines what you should know about data encryption by debunking seven common myths.
What to study before purchasing cyber insurance May 14, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
There's no denying that data breaches pose an increasing threat to healthcare entities of all sizes. That's why current risk-management strategy calls for consideration of cyber insurance, according to a recently released report.
Share these spring cleaning strategies with your patients May 08, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Springtime can bring an influx of patients with strains, pains and injuries sustained while housecleaning or doing yard work. Consider sending a reminder to patients advising them that, of the millions of home-related injuries that occur each year, many result from household cleaning.
5 quick scripts for responding to complaints
 May 08, 2012 | Frank Irving - Editor
Patients with complaints don't want to hear you say: “You’re wrong.” They want to hear that you understand them, appreciate them and agree with them on the importance of the value they have cited in their complaints.
Cloud-related PHI security holes – and what to do about them May 02, 2012 | Rick Kam, CIPP - President and Co-founder, ID Experts
For all of its benefits, cloud computing poses very real dangers to covered entities responsible for safeguarding protected health information.
Help your senior patients to stay safe at home April 30, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
For those 65 and older, falling can be fatal. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among this age group, and some 40 percent of seniors fall at least once each year. Here's a checklist you can share with seniors to help them prevent potentially life-threatening falls.

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Selecting the Right EHR for the Life of your Practice and Your Patients March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
If we are at or approaching a technological tipping point in the history of healthcare, then it has never been more important for physician practices to select the right electronic health record (EHR) – and there are tangible reasons to believe so. This whitepaper comments on recent customer surveys, and discusses foundational criteria for selecting the right EHR solution, determining your “game plan” and the process for assessment and selection. Justin Barnes is chairman emeritus of the national Electronic Health Record Association (EHR Association), and is vice president of marketing, industry affairs and government affairs for Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc.
Accessing Medical Records on Mobile Devices March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
The emergence of a new class of Android (TM) mobile devices creates an opportunity for doctors and medical professionals to access patient data wherever they are. Read this white paper to learn how to access patient data and view medical images on Android devices.
3 Steps to Faster EMR Adoption with Desktop Virtualization & SSO March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
The Meaningful Use objectives in the HITECH Act are creating new urgency for hospitals and other healthcare provider organizations to implement EHR and CPOE systems. This white paper outlines three key steps that your organization can take to accelerate EHR and CPOE adoption. Read on to discover out how the combination of desktop virtualization and single sign-on make it faster and easier to deploy new clinical applications while optimizing the clinician experience, protecting patient data, and reducing cost and complexity.
The State of EHR Adoption: On The Road to Improving Patient Safety March 19, 2012 | Resource Central
Despite being identified as an essential tool to support quality care initiatives, improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs, EMR and EHR systems have been stuck in a slow growth cycle. However, pressure is quickly mounting on caregivers to adopt and demonstrate meaningful use of EMR/EHR technology. Healthcare Informatics Research recently interviewed nearly 500 healthcare organizations to shed light on the current state of EMR/EHR adoption. Download this report to discover how organizations are overcoming obstacles to adoption, how they're benefitting from EMR/EHR solutions, and where the industry is going next.
mHealth should make old healthcare 'excuses' obsolete May 17, 2012 | Eric Wicklund - Senior Editor
mHealth advocates should be jumping all over a newly released federal report that equates less education with more health problems.
The medical app is a patient advocacy tool May 14, 2012 | David Lee Scher, MD
Regardless of the scope of the app, if it generates meaningful support of the caregiver (which ultimately benefits the patient), it is a patient advocacy tool.
Survey of cancer patients shows desire to plug in May 11, 2012 | Jeff Rowe - Contributing Editor
A survey of cancer patients conducted this past winter may show a way to get the public more plugged into managing their health information.
Is telemedicine mobile health? May 10, 2012 | Doug Smith, MD - Chief Medical Officer, Consult A Doctor; Founder of MinuteClinic
By closing the gap between system developers and end-users, mobile technology will come closer to fulfilling its potential.
ICD-10 essentials for busy physicians who would rather be doing something else -- depression and anxiety May 09, 2012 | Rhonda Butler - ICD-10, 3M
This post looks at documentation and coding in ICD-10 for people who typically are on prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiolytics for something other than a formally diagnosed thought disorder.
Health exchange standards finally surfacing May 08, 2012 | Hannah King - Health Information Exchange
HIEs have to talk to each other in order to source data across cities and states so that information can be where the corresponding patients are. The technical capability is alive and well. All we need are standards to facilitate the movement.
EHR lessons learned from small practices: part 2 May 07, 2012 | Arjen Westerink - Director of Business Development, VitalHealth Software
While perhaps the greatest emphasis of transition support needs to be focused on technical challenges, it is also important to address practical challenges, such as the EHR’s effect on the patient-physician encounter and relationship.
The data tsunami May 04, 2012 | Dave Lareau - CEO of Medicomp Systems
The incoming sea of data has great potential for improving patient and population health, but only if providers have efficient tools to intelligently identify and interpret the relevant information.

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Solantic Partners with PatientPoint to transform the patient experience in urgent care May 18, 2012 | Industry Release
PatientPoint®, a leading provider of care coordination and patient care management solutions, today announced that Solantic, the largest operator of urgent care centers in Florida, will be deploying the PatientPoint HealthSync™ Platform to improve patient outreach and access to care.
SynerMed partners with IEHIE – expanding technology between physicians and patients for better coordinated care May 16, 2012 | Industry Release
SynerMed, Inc. announced today that it has formed a partnership with IEHIE (www.iehie.org) that will link patient health information to medical providers across California. SynerMed brings an additional 650,000 lives and more than 10,000 contracted physicians in Sacramento, Fresno, Madera, Kings, Los Angeles and San Diego counties to join the existing pool of 4.1 million members and 2800 providers that currently comprise the exchange. IEHIE offers an enhanced Health Information Exchange (HIE) service, which allows doctors, clinics, hospitals and other healthcare providers to electronically review and access medical records, resulting in timely, safer and improved quality of healthcare for patients, particularly those in underserved and disadvantaged populations.
NextGen Healthcare selected by Norton Sound Health Corporation to enhance rural patient care May 15, 2012 | Industry Release
NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, today announced a new agreement with Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) to deploy NextGen® Ambulatory EHR, NextGen® Practice Management, NextGen® Inpatient Solutions, and other NextGen® solutions throughout the organization. This agreement further strengthens NextGen Healthcare’s position as one of the leading providers of information technology (IT) solutions for tribal health services nationwide.
Clear Vision Information System's Medicare advantage risk-adjustment tool leads to improved care and revenue optimization May 15, 2012 | Industry Release
Clear Vision Information Systems, offering Medicare Advantage risk-adjustment solutions and strategies to health plans and providers nationwide, will be exhibiting at the annual meeting of the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG), May 17-20, in Palm Desert, California.
SampleMD connecting more pharmaceutical manufacturers to more doctors and patients wanting their vouchers & co-pay support May 10, 2012 | Industry Release
OPTIMIZERx Corp. continues to expand their proprietary SampleMD technology to enable more doctors to add and distribute savings and patient education right within their ePrescribing workflow. The Company is on track to launch this technology within another leading ePrescribe platform that will reach an additional 35,000 doctors within 2nd quarter 2012. More prescribers are looking for an alternative to drug samples that are being restricted or only serving select patients versus the much broader savings and support they can provide when SampleMD is electronically integrated within their EMR or ePrescribe platform.
Chilmark Research examines changing HIE market May 10, 2012 | Industry Release
Even as the last of the federal funds earmarked for public health information exchanges (HIEs) run dry this year, rapid growth and evolution will continue to define the nascent HIE market, according to a report released this week by Chilmark Research. The report, 2012 HIE Market Report: Analysis and Trends, uncovers a market that is making a significant shift to serving healthcare organizations (HCOs) of all sizes -- what the report defines as the enterprise market.
AACN and AONE partner to enhance patient care through academic-practice partnerships May 09, 2012 | Industry Release
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) are pleased to announce the creation of a new online resource developed to advance robust academic-practice partnerships. This new clearinghouse, hosted on the AACN Web site, features an interactive tool kit with practical guidelines for establishing successful collaborations as well as a Guiding Principles document that outlines the eight tenets for productive partnerships.
Physicians group chooses Phytel to further enhance its patient-centered medical home model May 08, 2012 | Industry Release
Phytel, the leader in automated physician-led population health improvement, announced today that Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG), part of Northeast Georgia Health System and one of the largest multispecialty groups in Northeast Georgia, has selected Phytel and its Atmosphere™ platform to help transform all of its 30-plus ambulatory-care clinics into patient-centered medical homes by the end of this year.

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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.