With today’s challenging economy, the need to market is vital for every medical practice—new or established, small or large
Practice Page: Improving Patient Flow
Two techniques you can use to improve patient flow are flow mapping and cycle-time measurement. Flow mapping requires practice staff to walk through the practice and take notes about what a patient experiences during a visit. This allows you to understand the flow from the patient’s point of view. Key things to record are experiences and impressions of the practice from start to finish, such as observations of customer service, right down to the paperwork and equipment used.
Locum Tenens: How, When, and Who
Is the term locum tenens familiar to you as a practicing physician? It means “to hold the place of or to substitute.” This applies to a physician who temporarily takes over a practice or fills in for a partner for Medicare patients. This may occur for several reasons, such as vacation, maternity leave, or illness.
Are You a Meaningful User?
As a follow-up to last month’s article (August 2010) about the final rule for the electronic health record (EHR) stimulus program—which offers up to $64,000 to eligible providers who are meaningful users of an EHR system—this month we will explore the minimum requirements for successful meaningful use, which take effect in 2011 and will build gradually each year of the program.
Meet the Model Biologics Policy
At its February meeting, the ACR board of directors approved the Model Biologics Policy, which will be used when discussing guidelines and patients’ quality of treatment with health insurance companies.
What Can Clinical Decision Support Do for You?
The current health system places increasing pressure on physicians and their practices to find new and innovative ways to maximize reimbursement through the implementation of programs and workflows that ensure the delivery of higher quality care—all while the ever-increasing needs of the patient population are placing a greater demand on physician time.
A Glance at the Evolving Rheumatology Practice
The healthcare delivery environment is ever evolving and has experienced rapid growth in the past few decades. These changes are reflected within rheumatology practices in how the rheumatology care team interacts with patients and how patients manage their care.
Update on Meaningful Use
On December 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the long-awaited proposed rule establishing the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, which lays out a set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. This program has been developed in response to the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” (ARRA), which authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide a reimbursement incentive for physician and hospital providers who become “meaningful users” of an EHR.
Reach Beyond the Digital Walls of Your Practice
How much time and money do you spend trying to find information about your patients? Are you frustrated by the difficulties in obtaining patient medical records, test results, lab reports, radiology results, and insurance eligibility from organizations across state lines, down the street, or even across the hall? Do you ever order redundant tests simply because you are unable to access the results of tests ordered by another member of the care team?
Documentation: Better Sooner Than Later
Do you want to save your practice time and money? Here’s a tip: Stay on top of documenting your patients’ records.