Professional Development

Wireless pill bottle takes top innovation prize May 17, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

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.

AMA maintains operational vigor May 17, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

The largest U.S. physician organization remains in good health, according to its 2012 annual report, released May 16. American Medical Association membership grew 3 percent during the report period to a current level of nearly 225,000. Financially, the association recorded its 13th consecutive year of operating profits, $16.6 million in 2012.

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

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.

Workflow remains formidable HIT challenge May 15, 2013 | Tom Sullivan - Government Health IT

During the May 7 meeting of the HIT Policy Committee, National Health IT Coordinator Farzad Mostashari, MD, shared three suggestions for transforming the healthcare system to take advantage of the evolving IT infrastructure.

Law expert's views on excluded persons May 15, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

PhysBizTech talked to Paula Sanders, principal and chair of law firm Post & Schell's Health Care Practice Group, about the potential impact at the physician practice level of the Office of Inspector General's May 9 guidance on excluded persons. "The penalties can be catastrophic if you are working with someone who has been excluded," cautions Sanders.

Doctors transform how they practice May 15, 2013 | Kaiser Health News - www.kaiserhealthnews.org

Physicians are experimenting with business models and new practice techniques, hoping to find work that is both financially and personally rewarding. One doctor comments, "Unless you remain independent, you will have no say in what kind of medicine you practice."

App locks down doc communications May 14, 2013 | Eric Wicklund - Senior Editor

Two mHealth companies, Medweb and DocbookMD, have unveiled a mobile application designed to enable clinicians to communicate and share labs, images and reports via mobile device with other clinicians.

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3 ways practices can empower staff May 16, 2013 | Amanda Guerrero - Contributing Writer

How do you engage employees and get them to feel committed to your practice? You do this by making sure that they are challenged, that they feel valued, and their role within your practice is important. Here are a few tips you can use to increase empowerment among your staff.

OIG strengthens authority on exclusions May 14, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

The Office of Inspector General has the authority to exclude from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs persons who "have engaged in fraud or abuse and to impose civil money penalties (CMPs) for certain misconduct related to federal healthcare programs." Providers who employ or contract with an excluded person retain substantial potential CMP liability.

How Is Your Website Feeling? May 14, 2013 | David S. Brooks - Vice President, Client Services, Doctor.com

[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

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.

How dates of service affect ICD-10 coding May 10, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

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

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

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.

5 hot tips for lowering cancer risk May 07, 2013 | Frank Irving - Editor

With cookout season about to spark into high flame in many parts of the country, the time is right to inform patients about the hidden hazards of grilling. The American Institute for Cancer Research offers five simple steps your patients can keep in mind to make this summer's backyard BBQ healthier.

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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.

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.

Code Red: Rescue Your Flagging Medicare Reimbursements August 02, 2012 | Resource Central

As healthcare costs and insurance premiums continue to rise at a pace far surpassing inflation, payers have responded to the mounting economic pressures by employing complex billing and coding rules to eliminate inappropriate payments. Lacking adequate error detection and research tools, the typical healthcare business suffers from a backlog of denied claims and diminished revenues. Read this paper to learn how to rescue your flagging Medicare reimbursements.

A Guide To Understanding and Qualifying for Meaningful Use Incentives July 12, 2012 | Resource Central

Are you looking to gain a better understanding of the meaningful use requirements? Do you want to avoid federal penalties and qualify for incentive payments instead? This white paper will teach you all about meaningful use, when the incentives kick in, and how much money you could potentially receive. Download now and find out how you can earn between $44,000 and $63,750!

Getting Ready for ICD-10 April 10, 2012 | Resource Central

On October 1, 2013, U.S. providers will be required to move from the current ICD-9 coding standards to ICD-10 in their practice management and electronic medical record systems. The changes represented in ICD-10, while sweeping in their scope, are not beyond the ability of medical practices to adopt. The earlier you begin, the easier the changeover will be. In this whitepaper learn the basics of ICD-10, the differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, the benefits ICD-10 will provide and what you should be doing now to prepare.

Enhancing Cash Collections and Internal Controls April 10, 2012 | Resource Central

Healthcare co-payments now account for 20% of total revenue in the typical physician practice, but providers who have not adopted the current set of industry best practices generally only collect 50-60% of these payments. By implementing the best practices in this whitepaper, healthcare providers can increase collection rates to over 90% and decrease billing expenses, both of which contribute to wider operating margins and a healthier bottom line.

On EHR data integrity: A patient's perspective May 17, 2013 | Deborah Kohn - Principal and Founder, Dak Systems Consulting

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.

Acknowledging shortage from all sides May 16, 2013 | Madelyn Kearns - Associate Editor

And although the attention is warranted, concern for the MD trade has seemingly left other occupational staples also in need of personnel supply — such as nurses — without much oversight.

Dual coding: Will medical practices be required to keep both code sets? May 15, 2013 | Carl Natale - ICD10Watch

I have to wonder if practice isn't a compelling enough reason for medical offices of all sizes to try dual coding.

More trouble May 14, 2013 | Rob Lamberts, MD

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

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.

What if the healthcare cost crisis solves itself? May 10, 2013 | David Williams - Health Business Blog

Health plans tend to follow Medicare rates and do little to independently establish and negotiate price levels.

Comparative analytics: The future of business intelligence in healthcare May 09, 2013 | Brian Fugere - Chief Operating Officer, RemitDATA

Comparative analytics solutions leverage the concepts of business intelligence but contextually compare that data against peers and other benchmarks.

Is the cure for cancer around the corner? May 07, 2013 | Zack Fisher - Contributing Writer

Targeting cancer stem cells is a viable therapeutic strategy, and many researchers and drug companies are enthusiastically embracing it in cancer therapy.

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COLA to offer lab quality program to American College of Physicians January 10, 2013 | Industry Release

COLA, a laboratory accreditor, today announced an agreement with the American College of Physicians (ACP) to promote a program of laboratory excellence to ACP members. The joint initiative is designed to assist Patient-Centered Medical Home practices in delivering quality and value-driven laboratory medicine to their patients through a new COLA laboratory recognition program, called Patient-Centered Laboratory Excellence (PCLE).

HIMSS Media Announces The Launch of HIMSSwire October 18, 2012 | Industry Release

MedTech Media, a division of HIMSS Media, announced today the launch of HIMSSwire (www.himsswire.com), a custom content news service for healthcare professionals, accessible through feeds on a network of healthcare websites.

PhysBizTech and ADP AdvancedMD Webinar to Help Physicians Prepare for Upcoming Reductions in Medicare Reimbursements October 17, 2012 | Industry Release

ADP AdvancedMD, a leader in all-in-one, cloud-based electronic health record (EHR), practice management (PM), and medical scheduling software as well as medical billing services, today announced a webinar titled “Preparing for the 2013 Medicare Cut and Improving Your Practice’s Long Term Financial Performance,” with Frank Irving, editor of PhysBizTech and Anne M. Dunne, Director of Healthcare Management Consulting, Grassi & Co, an ADP AdvancedMD partner. The complimentary webinar takes place on Thursday, October 18 from 12-12:30 p.m. Eastern / 9-9:30 a.m. Pacific time. Participants will learn about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) rule imposing a seven percent reduction in specialists’ pay for 2013, on top of proposed “sustainable growth” reductions of 27 percent.

Epocrates invests in future physicians August 17, 2012 | Industry Release

Epocrates, Inc., developer of the top medical app among U.S. physicians, is investing in education and care quality by offering free subscriptions for its premium mobile product to all U.S. medical students. The next generation of physicians is now heading back to school with an essential tool -- Epocrates(R) Essentials drug, disease and diagnosis reference -- at no cost..

EHE International announces nationwide expansion of its physician network August 15, 2012 | Industry Release

EHE International, the nation's largest specialty preventive medicine practice organization, announced today that it has immediate market opportunities for qualified physician practice groups to join its private network to accommodate this growth. Entering its centennial year, EHE International is the recognized leader in employer-sponsored preventive medicine programs. These programs are designed for the early detection of life-threatening chronic disease and its associated life-style behaviors by way of comprehensive physical exams and clinical counseling.

Cardiovascular Systems announces physician training and educational opportunities at AMP Chicago 2012 August 10, 2012 | Industry Release

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., a medical device company developing and commercializing innovative interventional treatment systems for vascular disease, today announced a slate of training and educational activities for physicians at the upcoming LEAD (Latest Endovascular Atherectomy Devices) Course and AMP (Amputation Prevention) Symposium in Chicago.

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.

EMS introduces Orion, the next generation clinical simulation management platform August 07, 2012 | Industry Release

Education Management Solutions (EMS), a global leader in simulation-based educational training solutions for healthcare providers and educators, today announced the launch of ORION, the next generation Clinical Simulation Management platform. Leveraging the latest technologies to maximize user experience, Orion is the most intuitive, feature-rich, and powerful clinical simulation management platform on the market for training programs focused on optimizing clinical outcomes.

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