In an effort to focus more on patient care and less on the clerical aspects of the job, physicians are increasingly turning to medical scribes. If you're not familiar with the term "medical scribe," you'll definitely want to read on. In many ways, a medical scribe is a new spin on a longtime position. For decades, physicians have dictated notes into a tape recorder, relying on … [Read more...] about Does your office need a ‘medical scribe’?
Working with physicians
How to manage personal cell phone use in the workplace
"Like many offices, we have had problems with employees using cell phones for personal calls, texts, etc. during business hours," says Beverly Bragg, administrator at San Antonio Preventive & Diagnostic Medicine. It hasn't been an easy problem to resolve. "Although we've talked about this issue on a routine basis at our monthly staff meetings, employees continued to use … [Read more...] about How to manage personal cell phone use in the workplace
Caitlyn Jenner raises awareness, questions about transgender people
Olympic gold medalist and reality television personality Bruce Jenner has become Caitlyn Jenner. Jenner's transition has been well documented by the media, culminating in a photo of Caitlyn on the cover of Vanity Fair. Although her journey has been more public than most, Jenner's story is not unique. It is estimated that 700,000 people in the United States are transgender, … [Read more...] about Caitlyn Jenner raises awareness, questions about transgender people
Why your doctor left town in a huff
Contracts often limit where physicians can work if they change employers Patients may just shrug when they learn their doctor plans to move to a new office. After all, they can just follow, right? Maybe not. Or at least, not easily. Physician contracts often contain restrictive covenants that limit where doctors can work if they leave their current practices. The … [Read more...] about Why your doctor left town in a huff
ICD-10 research reveals physicians’ views
Clinical documentation and reimbursement lead the list of concerns that physicians have about ICD-10, according to new research from the CAREinnoLab of Care Communications, Inc., a provider of health information solutions, and the Department of Health Information Management in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Patty Sheridan, … [Read more...] about ICD-10 research reveals physicians’ views
Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Selfies, photos you take of yourself using a smartphone, are no longer a craze; they are a way of life. Usually, however, these photos serve little purpose besides entertainment. That may be about to change. DICOM Grid, an open cloud platform for medical imaging applications, has released "medical selfie," a new feature available through its mobile optimized medical image … [Read more...] about Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Five bonus tips from our readers
1. One manager sets a positive theme for each staff meeting and lists it at the top of the agenda. Staff spend the last 15 minutes of the meeting discussing it. The theme can be anything. At one meeting it was Do you really know what this person is doing? Then each staffer explained her duties to the group. Sometimes the theme is used to correct a problem without hitting people … [Read more...] about Five bonus tips from our readers
Best and worst states for doctors
Doctors are among the most highly paid, educated, and celebrated professions in the United States. The profession has also been undergoing intense change in recent years, with the Affordable Care Act, the rise of branded hospital networks, the impending retirement of baby boomers, and an increasingly litigious society all complicating the lives of doctors and providing pause to … [Read more...] about Best and worst states for doctors
4 steps to take now so your practice is ready for ICD-10
By Judy Monestime bio Now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed October 1, 2015 as the go-live date for ICD-10, providers must focus on making their ICD-10 implementation strategy a top priority. The vast majority of healthcare providers expect to encounter a wide range of barriers to the ICD-10 implementation within the first six … [Read more...] about 4 steps to take now so your practice is ready for ICD-10
How to help your physicians cope with stress and burnout
Studies find physician stress is significant, and that external stressors play a major role in physician burnout. Because physician stress and burnout have the potential to affect nearly every aspect of a medical practice, it's important to understand the situation – and know what you can do about it. First, the facts A 2013 survey conducted by Medscape, part of the WebMD … [Read more...] about How to help your physicians cope with stress and burnout