Practice Technology

The federal government may finally be getting serious about promoting interoperability in health records.

By 2019, 64% of patients using U.S. health systems will book medical appointments online, generating $3.2 billion in value. Learn how online scheduling can boost your revenue, improve patient satisfaction and ensure your day is fully booked.

While patient portals can improve efficiency in some practices, they bring with them a host of challenges

EHRs, physician shortages, patient records are the latest topics of discussion in this issue's Your Voice.

Introducing new tools for the practice should also include addressing ways to maintain productivity.

Joining forces with other physicians to thrive is necessary, and a clinically integrated network may be a route to consider

To remain independent, your private practice needs to run like a well-oiled machine, delivering quality patient carewhile thriving financially as a business

From creating a mission statement to troubleshooting what’s working or not in yourpractice, a strategic plan is going to provide a framework for your pathway to success.A well-structured strategic business planning process can help your practice in both theshort and the long term. Short term, it can immediately facilitate decisions on activitiesand goals and long term, it will ensure that your goals for the future are taking shape

You’re not just running a private practice, you’re running a business. But running a private practice today is more than providing quality patient care.

WHEN PATIENTS COLLABORATE ON TREATMENT PLANS, THE SENSE OF PLAN CO-OWNERSHIP CAN LEAD TO A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF ADHERENCE AND BETTER OUTCOMES.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has laid out an approach to optimizethe healthcare system deemed the “Triple Aim.”2 The IHI believes we mustsimultaneously pursue three dimensions: improving the patient’s experienceof care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs. Topromote the triple aim, payers are pushing forward “value-based” reimbursementbased on the quality of care. To properly take advantage of these value-basedprograms, practices must begin to engage in population health management.This transformation requires not only a change in philosophical view, butsignificant investments in new organizational, workflow, and IT processes.

An EHR should “become invisible to us,” said Steven Schiebel, M.D., of Pediatric Associates, a large eight-location practice based in Bellevue, Washington, summing up what providers really want from their EHRs. Dr. Schiebel likened it to driving a car: you don’t think about it, you just do it.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 72 percent of Internet users say they looked online for health informationwithin the past year. And of those users, 77 percent of online health seekers say, “they began their lastsession at a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.” The numbers are overwhelming and paint a clearpicture -- search engines are an integral and necessary component to any healthcare provider’s online success.

Doctors put a great deal of thought and effort into developing treatment plans for patients, but typically have no way of knowing-beyond results at follow-up appointments-whether the patient is actually following it. But advances in technology are giving physicians and their staff new tools for improving and tracking patient adherence.

In today’s healthcare environment, using data analysis to improve your bottom line is an issue of survival.

Your guides to collect more of what your practice is owed, manage patient data more efficiently, staff training resources, and more.

No surprise here-patients say they are usually less satisfied with their doctor’s care when computers were used during appointments, according to a recent JAMA Internal Medicine study.

CMS head says new program will focus on outcomes, not technology use.

Technology giants such as Google, Apple, and IBM seek to revolutionize how healthcare is delivered.

The massive contract could create a ripple effect,analysts say, but impact won’t be clear for years.

A new concept is changing how physicians feel about EHRs. The Problem-Oriented Medical Record allows you to chart the same way you think about patient problems, letting you keep your eyes on the patient and not the screen. Download the white paper.

After using multiple EHRs, Dr. Dan Weeden saysPri-Med InLight EHR is like a “breath of fresh air.”

Electronic health record pop-up notices, intended to help physicians by providing timely reminders and alerts, could end up actually compromising patient care. Customizing the system and integrating it into the practice workflow is one of the best strategies for appropriately and efficiently using alerts-and avoiding potential alert fatigue.

Your guide to collect more of what your practice is owed, brought to you by ChartLogic, including preventing claims denials, payer negotiation tips for practices, and the hidden benefits of medical billing services for your medical practice.

The use of telemedicine has grown dramatically in recent years. For patients, it may mean increasing convenience and access, but questions remain among providers as to how and when telemedicine should be used.

The Practice Profitability Index (PPI) provides an annual window into the issues affecting the financial and operational health of physician practices across the US. Reflecting input from more than 5,000 physicians, this third edition reveals how physicians expect practice profitability to trend in the year ahead, the top challenges they’re facing, and the key steps they're taking to shore up operations and boost financial results.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 130 million Americans suffer from a chronic illness - Now, Medicare patients with two or more chronic conditions have new care options that are billable under the new CPT code

In the year since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved payments to support chronic care management (CCM), practices across the U.S. have been evaluating their options.

Tim Dudley, MD describes how his patients use patient portals and how the lessons he's learn can apply to others.

Physicians who consider changing EHRs can take steps to ensure the next system meets their needs