Back in 2000, Donald M. Berwick, then CEO at the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement, coauthored an editorial article lamenting the persistence of paper medical records and handwritten prescriptions.
Have you noticed all that yellow-green dust settling on your porch, your driveway, your car, and maybe even the dog?
That’s pollen, of course, and while it may not be a problem for you, it’s a problem for millions of people. And pollen is just one of thousands of potential allergens that can wreak havoc with human health.
Even when faced with evidence that changes are needed within their organization, many companies hesitate. That’s natural. Change, after all, usually involves expense, disruption, and risk.
Maybe you’ve done it before? You know, clicking that “update later” button on the little notification that pops up in the corner of your computer.
Each May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness marks Mental Health Awareness Month. The annual awareness campaign seeks to build awareness of the millions of Americans living with mental illness and how society can provide the support and quality care they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Dr. Nilay M. Gandhi has authored or co-authored dozens of papers in the field of urology on topics such as the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. So, he wasn’t about to let a few technical hurdles stand in the way of serving his patients.
For writers, receiving the Pulitzer prize is a recognition of excellence in their craft. In healthcare, gaining Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition is like the Pulitzer of patient care. This means that a medical practice has invested and follows a model of care that puts patients first and emphasizes continuous quality improvement.
The practice of medicine is difficult but comes with a deeply rewarding experience — maintaining and restoring patients’ health. Properly handling all the patient data that healthcare generates, on the other hand, may be equally difficult while offering few — if any — emotional rewards.
A few years ago, most people would have given you a strange sidewise glance if you started rambling on about your favorite podcast. You’d probably be met with a few people questioning what a podcast even was. But times have changed; from sports shows to mythological storytelling, there are now podcasts covering nearly every subject you could think of.
Even in a field as busy as healthcare, it’s OK to call a timeout. Indeed, following a year shaped by the demands and uncertainties of a global pandemic, it is critical that healthcare workers take time to pause, reflect on their work, and assess the best path forward.
This week offers two opportunities to do that.
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to become available to practices, providers and staff everywhere are looking for a simple way to efficiently manage and organize the vaccine administration process. The eClinicalWorks® Vaccine Administration Management Solution (VAMS) works for those running a stand-alone vaccine clinic or integrating vaccines into their existing practice and EHR database.
Back in the Age of Sail, the last thing a captain needed in the midst of battle was a loose cannon careening around the deck and causing trouble. Today’s medical practices face a similar challenge: Winning the Population Health battle requires making sure that the powerful tools they use every day remain in place. That way, well-trained personnel know exactly where those powerful healthcare IT weapons are at all times and can quickly bring them into play as needed.
Healthcare today is a mix of payment models, third-party payers, complex regulations, and codes. A practice’s survival depends upon getting the finances right. As getting paid appropriately and accurately for rendering medical services has grown more complex, so too has the importance of having an effective Revenue Cycle Management solution.
Dr. Kenneth LeCroy says his family primary care practice, Lighthouse Family Medicine, often has nurse practitioner students who are eager to know what each patient’s diagnosis is. As much as diagnoses matter, Dr. LeCroy offers these students a broader perspective.