Many reasons exist to strive for high patient satisfaction, including those related to maintaining certification requirements, risk management, reimbursement and simply having a competitive practice, but the most important one is that by achieving high patient satisfaction, you will find that your patients will be more motivated and more engaged in their individual care, says…
The ACR and its Rheumatology Research Foundation continue to work together to provide support for the rheumatology and patient communities. Both organizations are committed to advancing the field of rheumatology with a dedication to expanding the workforce. With a growing number of patients being diagnosed with a rheumatic disease and living longer with the disease,…
Clear. Complete. Concise. These three Cs describe ideal patient record keeping, which is why they are among the key reasons to implement a clinical documentation information (CDI) program into your rheumatology practice. Not only will CDI help you accurately document the full picture of each patient’s clinical status, but it also promotes high-quality care and…
Medicare and other third-party payers have started predicating reimbursement on adherence to standards of care. Post hoc chart reviews have resulted in substantial take-backs for failure to adhere to those values in cardiology, pulmonology and expanding to other areas. Outpatient medicine is also being subjected to such scrutiny. The question of standards and who sets…
As healthcare delivery increasingly moves from volume-based care to value-based care, providers are needing to adopt new practices to meet what is now commonly referred to as the triple aim of healthcare delivery—improving the patient experience of care (which includes satisfaction and quality), improving the health of populations and reducing cost.1 Among the most difficult…
When working with a newly diagnosed patient to determine a treatment plan, ensure the patient has a good understanding of the diagnosis, the options available and what the options entail. “It is important to help patients understand that there are choices, and that their decisions should be based on what matters to them,” says Susan…
Recruiting new patients requires a multi-faceted approach. A rheumatologist must have a solid brand and marketing platform, as well as an active strategy to attract and convert new patients. This might involve embracing social media, having a website, developing a referral network, being involved in your community and nurturing existing patients. Your brand includes such…
For keen students of American politics, the unending intrigue of the 2016 presidential race has been riveting. With an assemblage of aspiring candidates that, at its start, included a bevy of U.S. senators and former governors, a media-savvy real estate mogul, a renowned Hopkins neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist, political junkies among us have feasted on…
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging and non-judgmentally accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. Known in Sanskrit as smrti, meaning “to remember,” in Pali, the language of early Buddhist scriptures, it is recognized by the word sati (mindfulness).1 Derived from ancient meditative Buddhist disciplines,…
Value is the ratio of quality to cost. The delivery and measurement of healthcare quality, however, is complex. “We first need to understand and define the health outcomes that are important to patients. Then we need to put into place care pathways that will lead to those outcomes, and finally we need mechanisms to measure…