Have you been thinking about outsourcing but have been reluctant to commit? It’s understandable. You are allowing another organization to take control of an essential part of your practice. However, when you choose the right outsourcing partner, the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. From reducing mistakes to protecting your patient data to lowering your costs, outsourcing your medical billing can be a massive win for your operation.
Have you been thinking about outsourcing but have been reluctant to commit? It’s understandable. You are allowing another organization to take control of an essential part of your practice. However, when you choose the right outsourcing partner, the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. From reducing mistakes to protecting your patient data to lowering your costs, outsourcing your medical billing can be a massive win for your operation.
Throughout the United States, we’ve made a very sudden, necessary shift toward utilizing telemedicine for healthcare needs. Nearly every type of office – from the smallest health center to the largest medical practice – is implementing some form of virtual communication to assist patients as we head into abrupt digital transformation due to the current social distancing crisis. As with any technology, it’s only as useful as the human element that drives it. Telemedicine offers a revolutionary approach to medicine while keeping patients safe, but it doesn’t replace the personal “touch” of physicians. Read on for our top tips for effectively connecting with patients through telemedicine.
Appointments conducted via camera can be much more productive and may assist in the reduction of wait times; however, it’s still important to take your time with each patient. Just because you can log on, ask a few questions and easily log back off doesn’t mean you should. Take time to address patient concerns and analyze your notes prior to and following the appointment.
Before each appointment, send through a reminder to confirm the date and time to ensure your patient remembers to sign on. This also shows that you are taking the appointment just as seriously as if it were in person rather than via telemedicine. After each appointment, send an email follow-up with an appointment summary, personalized message, or any additional information requested.
Yes – you read that right! When you genuinely care about your patients, it shows… even through a computer screen or a phone connection. Telemedicine shouldn’t change the way you treat your patients, as patient care should always be the top priority.
For many years, we’ve been preparing to utilize telemedicine – and now that many offices must use it regularly for appointments, the benefits for social distancing purposes are already proving to be incredible. Ensuring we are still properly connecting and communicating with patients is the next necessary step forward.
There’s a gap in the healthcare industry that goes beyond money and underserved locations. Whether it’s doctors not having enough time to communicate with patients or patients not concerning or miseducating themselves with the subject matter, the shortfall in personal health literacy is a troubling issue. Why? Doctors who don’t attempt to bridge this gap may order unnecessary tests, have higher readmission rates, and misdiagnose patients altogether. Furthermore, patients who have higher health literacy rates tend to be healthier overall. So, how can this chasm be shrunk to a more palatable scenario? We’ll take a look at four ways to increase health literacy.
The best place to begin is with a simple definition. The CDC describes personal health literacy as “the degree to which individuals can find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.” What can doctors do to help patients empower themselves?
When conveying information to your patients, remember that many don’t work in the healthcare field. Technical jargon may confuse and intimidate your patients. Attempt to find the simplest way to communicate your point. Also, begin with the most important facts first and work your back. Use an active voice to be concise. When you cut down on technical terminology, prioritize your points and speak straightforwardly, your patients will have a better chance to leave your office informed.
Closed-ended questions are aptly named because they lead to a dead end. For clarification, a closed-ended question has one of two simple answers. “Yes” or No.” If you want more of the story, try utilizing open-ended questions. How? Try using the power of “what.” Start your questions with “what,” and you’ll receive more informative answers in return. For example: “What brings you to the office today?” will garner a more helpful response than “So you’re not feeling well?”
Knowledge is power, and thanks to modern mobile technology, learning can take place anywhere. There are a plethora of health-related apps that can provide your patients with reputable and timely information. A few examples of these extremely useful, and even sometimes fun, apps include the following.
CDC Health IQ: This trivia-based game tests your health knowledge in an entertaining format.
WebMD App: A good app for the facts. Patients can research symptoms, conditions, and drug information.
Mayo Clinic App: The Mayo Clinic App features an appointment maker and delivers timely news and practical health advice.
There are many other great choices for health information in both app stores, but before recommending, it’s advisable to have firsthand experience using the functions.
Go beyond the bland, black, and white words and implement graphics and other visuals. The use of images helps learners retain information longer, conveys more efficient communication, and provides a vehicle for better comprehension. And think about it, is there any other information more important to understand and retain than health-related facts?
Hopefully, the gap in health literacy will continue to disappear as more valuable tools and methods are implemented to educate the public. With dedication and great doctors like you, it’s a good bet.
Do you want more time to communicate the importance of health information to your patients? Contact us to see how we can help take some of your health center’s work off your plate. More time is always a good thing.
The modern fitness wearable had humble beginnings. Around a decade ago, they were more pedometer than they were health monitoring system. But times have changed. The new lineup of these convenient devices can do everything from monitor your heart rate to taking your blood pressure to even performing an ECG. Oh, and they still track how many steps you take too. We will take a closer look at six of these next-generation wearables and how they can benefit consumers and even assist in remote doctor care.
Price: Starts at $399
One of the undoubted leaders in wearable technology is Apple. And the Apple Watch Series 6 continues that tradition. The latest version of Apple’s line of smartwatches has features you’d expect. Such as a sharp always-on retina display, GPS to track your runs, and a swim-proof design that allows you to log your laps. However, it’s the newer features that have made those pedometer days seem light-years away. You can now check your heart rhythm and measure your blood oxygen levels. The latter has come in handy during the pandemic—a perfect wearable for remote care or just personal use. The Apple Watch Series 6 has a five-star Amazon review with over 32,000 ratings.
Price: $99.95
The Fitbit Charge 4 is a good choice for those looking for tracking on a budget. For approximately $100, the newest Fitbit Charge has a built-in GPS, oxygen saturation monitoring, and even a skin temperature sensor. One of the additional benefits of the Fitbit Charge 4 is a menstrual health tracking option. That along with the Fitbit app can record symptoms and the timing of your cycle.
Price: $349.99
Garmin has a more fitness-focused product, but that doesn’t mean it’s not packed with features. Like the previously mentioned Apple Watch Series 6 and Fitbit Charge 4, the Vivocactive 4 has a Pulse Ox sensor and heart rate monitor. However, this rugged watch is designed with the outdoor athlete in mind and is an excellent choice for those who hit the trail to improve their health rather than taking a heart rhythm reading.
Price: $89
AliveCor’s KardiaMobile device isn’t a nifty watch that lets you know how much further you need to run to reach this week’s goal. It has one purpose, to take an instant EKG. Touted as the “world’s most clinically validated EKG,” KardiaMobile is an easy-to-use option when you need to assess your heart’s health. Within 30 seconds, an EKG reading can be taken and sent to a physician– from anywhere in the world.
Price: $499
In 2018 alone, nearly 500,000 people lost their lives in the United States due to high blood pressure (CDC). Preventing these deaths is the inspiration behind the Omron HeartGuide. So, you probably guessed it, the HeartGuide’s claim to wearable fame is its ability to measure blood pressure accurately. Although, unlike the KardiaMobile, the HeartGuide does a bit more than provide you with a medical benefit. This handy watch can also track your fitness and monitor your sleep.
Price: $224
The Owlet Smart Sock isn’t a monitor targeted to athletes, the heart-health conscious, or those who want a better night of sleep before work. It’s all about your baby. Taking baby monitoring to a new level, the Smack Sock tracks your baby’s oxygen levels, heart rate, and sleep trends. The Smart Sock features a 16-hour battery life and fits babies up to 18-months old.
Wearable technology won’t be completely replacing in-person doctor visits for certain issues anytime soon. But these handy devices give a solid snapshot of the wearer’s health and can ultimately save lives. Oh, and most of them still track your steps.
Unfortunately, during the height of the pandemic, many cybercriminals took advantage of the increased mobile device usage and remote employees. According to F5 Labs, phishing attempts rose an eye-opening 220%. Healthcare is not immune to this trend. In 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that 42 percent of healthcare breaches were email-based. Finding the best methods to protect your practice from phishing scams is essential.
Phishing.org defines this cybercrime as “a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking, and credit card details, and passwords.” In other words, it’s nefarious individuals or groups pretending to be reputable in an attempt to steal your information. The best phishing scammers can make their attempts look very real. That’s why remaining vigilant is crucial.
It seems when we discuss cybersecurity, MFA is always front and center. And for good reason. When you employ the use of MFA, you can stop most forms of attacks cold. Why? Because a password alone isn’t enough to penetrate your defenses. If you haven’t done so yet, decide to start using this robust security protocol at your practice as soon as possible.
The best way to combat phishing attempts is to have a trained workforce. Consider hiring a consulting firm that can share its expertise with your employees. Devise a plan that makes it difficult for phishing scammers to get their hooks on your sensitive information. You want to prevent these attackers from gaining access because recovery from one of these attacks can be costly.
Stop phishing scammers right in their tracks with filters. Install phishing filters on email clients and browsers. These filters will catch most of the harmful information reaching your employees. However, they won’t catch everything. That’s why the first point is so essential. Your employees need proper training on how to differentiate legitimate correspondence versus harmful phishing attempts. When an attack does slip through a filter, your employees will be the last line of defense.
Combating issues like phishing scams can be time-consuming. That’s why delegating your billing and credentialing could be the best decision you made. Contact us today to discover how we can free up your time and optimize your revenue.
Online reputation. Although it’s a newer term, its impact is significant. However, as a physician, do you have to concern yourself with this area? How much influence does online reputation have on potential patients choosing your practice? Well, it’s substantial. According to a survey conducted by Software Advice, 71% of patients check online reviews as a first step in the doctor selection process.
Additionally, 90% of patients use online reviews to evaluate doctors. So, it follows that keeping up with your online reviews and presence overall is a vital component to your success. But where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you manage your online reputation.
What you don’t know can still hurt you. It’s a common adage in medicine, and the same line of thinking works with online reputation. Type your name in a Google search and see for yourself what your patients, and others, think of your practice. You have to know your reputation before you can fix it.
Now that you have searched your name and read your reviews, it’s time to get to work. Read your reviews and note points that can help improve your practice. Understand, you can learn as much, if not more, from a negative evaluation than you can from a positive one. The next step, respond. Try to react to every review. Yes, even the ones that seem unnecessarily negative. Remember, new patients will be searching through reviews to decide if your practice is a good fit for them and their families.
If you want a good rebuttal for reviews, be proactive. First, have a website. Complete with all the information a new patient, or current patient, needs. Ensure that your site is up-to-date because a website with old information is harmful to your online reputation. Next, consider having a social media presence. Patients can turn to a channel you control for answers to their questions: which is far easier to maintain than external reviews. On both mediums, consider posting your positive testimonials. Why waste a great opportunity to paint yourself in a positive light?
As we previously noted, customer service is vital for any industry. A staff trained in proper customer service techniques is the best way to promote a positive online presence. The key is to solve problems before a patient even leaves your office. If they leave with a positive outcome, they will most likely give you positive feedback. At the minimum, they won’t give you a negative review.
Whether you discover your online presence is stellar or not, so much. You aren’t powerless when it comes to setting your practice’s online narrative. React and proact, and the rest will take care of itself.
Customer service has always been a crucial factor for success in all industries. But as society has evolved, especially in the realm of technology, customer service has become even more vital. Consumers who receive poor service can now turn to the internet to share their grievances immediately. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry does not escape this scenario unscathed. Your health center or practice can suffer irreparable damage if you aren’t proactive with your customer service efforts. So, how can you improve your healthcare-based customer service? Let’s start with customer experience.
We mentioned customer service now we’ve transitioned to customer experience, but aren’t they the same concept? Well, no. Customer service is a component of the customer experience. Customer experience encompasses all your interactions with your clients. While customer service includes the support interactions you perform to problem solve or troubleshoot their issues. For instance, implementing wearable technology to help monitor a patient would be an element of customer experience. Improving the overall experience before there is an issue can impact the view of your practice.
You don’t want uninterested or even combative individuals handling your patients’ appointments, follow-ups, and other tasks like billing. The best way to avoid this issue, hire the right people in the first place. Do your due diligence and make cultural a fit a priority. A potential employee who seems like they aren’t a fit probably isn’t. Trust your research and make a wise hiring decision.
Every single employee at your practice needs to keep this point in mind. Communication isn’t a one-way activity. It’s important to get your point across, but it’s even more vital to listen actively. After you hear out their concerns or queries, you need to respond accordingly. Offer fixes for issues and either provide or find answers to their questions. Something else to take note, not all communication is verbal. Your non-verbal cues are also essential. Smile and show that you are open and ready to help.
Some patients are easier to please than others, but regardless, you have to treat them all with the same respect. When you receive a complaint, take it seriously. Your employees should put forth their best effort to resolve the issue. If there isn’t an ideal resolution, try to do the next best thing. However, in some cases, there isn’t a solution. Still, everyone should remain positive and upbeat. At the minimum, you want your patient to leave feeling you at least tried to fix the issue. Another aspect of problem-solving is responding to reviews. Whether positive or negative, try to formulate a well-thought-out reply that either thanks clients for a positive review or offer a fix for a negative one. The same concepts work in customer service and review response. Try to remain positive and be a problem solver.
Customer service is the new battleground for gaining business. If you, and your employees, put your best collective foot forward, it will make a big difference in your health center or practice. One great way to help with your new focus on customer service is to delegate other tasks. We offer help for health centers that includes revenue optimization. Find out more, and good luck making your customer service stellar.
There’s an app, or seemingly 100, for just about everything. That includes the world of health care. Many of the apps available for doctors and other medical professionals save time, improve doctor/patient communication, and even evaluate risk factors. One app can be a lifesaver on those extra busy days. But as previously mentioned, there are many apps available. Which ones are worth trying? We’re going to offer a helping hand. The following six apps are a good starting point.
Free to download, Epocrates has more than one million healthcare providers onboard. This handy app allows physicians to review drug information. The powerful interactions checker allows you to search and compare up to 30 medications at once. Additionally, if you need to identify medication in a pinch, Epocrates has you covered. The pill id feature enables doctors to identify medication by shape, color, and even scoring.
Pricing: Free with a 14-day trial of premium features. Premium plans start at 16.99 per month.
Communication with your patients is vital. And that’s where Doximity shines. This cool communication app enables doctors to contact their patients without using their private cell number. How? Your patient receives a text message, sans your cell number–you designate the callback number. Your patient doesn’t even have to download the app.
Pricing: Free with an option to upgrade to pro. Pro plans start at 19.99 per user per month.
Medscape is one of the most downloaded apps in the space, and for good reason. This powerful app provides access to over 6200 reference articles, information on 8500 drugs and supplements, and even a platform to share difficult patient cases with colleagues. And even better, it’s free.
Price: Free
Does thoroughly vetted medical reference at your fingertips sound helpful? Then you should check out DynaMed. This highly-rated app is designed to assist physicians at point of care thereby helping patient health outcomes. And isn’t that what every doctor wants?
Pricing: For physicians $399 per year.
Used by more than 2300 medical organizations, VisualDx aims to help physicians receive timely information when they need it most. Touted as “your trusted second opinion,” VisualDx helps doctors take on tough cases through visual variations of diseases. Bonus, you earn CME credit with every search.
Price: Starting at 39.99 per month.
There are more incredible medical apps on the market, but these five great examples represent the power of this cutting-edge medium.
It’s no secret that securing your health center should be a priority. But are you truly protecting your sensitive data? Consider this: One medical record can fetch as much as $1000 on the black market. No wonder healthcare is target number one for hackers. Good news. You don’t have to be a digital security expert to start making a difference right now. We’ll take a look at six ways you can down your health center’s digital assets today.
According to NordVPN, the most used password on the internet is “123456.” If you are using this password, it’s time to make a change. But how do you create a strong password? First, stay away from personal information that others may know. A few examples: your birthday, your dog’s name, or your favorite band. Instead, try a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Second, make them long. Experts may disagree on the exact length but aim for at least 12 characters. Finally, don’t fall in love with your passwords because you need to change them frequently. How often? Try to change them every few months.
Multifactor authentication, or MFA, is a security enhancement that can make hacking into your health center difficult. So, what does MFA do, and why is it more secure? Well, MFA requires more than one authentication method. In addition to something you know, like a password, logging into a system or account requires a step or two more. For example: Using MFA, you sign into an account using your password initially. But you are not done successfully signing in. Next, MFA requires you to use another device, like your phone, to verify your login. MFA is powerful because it requires the person signing in to know more than just a password.
It’s a given you should be using antivirus software. However, failing to keep it up to date almost makes it useless. Luckily, your antivirus provider usually provides handy update reminders and even offers automatic updates. Don’t skip them. Hackers are inventing new ideas to get around your security daily.
Anything that can leave your physical building can become a security risk. Know that phones, tablets, and laptops in the wild offer ideal opportunities for those who seek access to your sensitive information. However, the biggest culprits are phones. For convenience, many smartphone users opt to turn off their lock screen. Avoid this error. Set up your lock screen with a strong password, PIN, or use biometrics.
Beyond the digital world, try to limit access to your physical files and your equipment. The most complex passwords, authentication methods, and antivirus are useless if a logged-in computer is left unattended. Don’t be afraid to be selective. Only allow authorized employees to enter areas that may contain, or have easy access to, sensitive data.
A safe and secure health center involves a team of people all pulling in the same direction. All it takes is one team member to become lax in keeping up with his security protocols to allow a breach. Vet each team member thoroughly and train them in all your security protocols. Also, don’t stop with the initial training. Consider hiring a security expert to keep your team up to date with the latest in digital security.
Even when you do everything right, breaches can occur. But like a thief who looks for a building without an alarm, a hacker would rather take an easy path to your digital records. Make it as difficult as possible by following the proper digital security protocols.
We at Practice Management take digital security seriously. To learn more about our security measures click here.
Distractions are a part of everyday life. They are hard to avoid whether you are trying to read a book or a more pressing task like completing your taxes. Unfortunately, these diversions also bleed into your professional life, where focus is even more crucial. And there isn’t a profession that requires laser focus, quite like the medical field. Regardless of if you work for a health center or a regular practice, finding ways to kick distractions to the curb and give attention to your core activities is vital. We’ll investigate the biggest distraction troublemakers and ways you can reduce their workday effect.
Smartphones seem to always top any list of the worst office distractions. However, there is one issue. In many cases, they are required tools. So, how can you use a smartphone for productivity and not get distracted by a quick game of Among Us? For one, try to remove the main distraction offenders off your home screen. Next, turn off pesky push notifications. You don’t have to turn them all off, but if they don’t serve a workday or emergency purpose, mute them. If all else fails, uninstall the apps that tend to lead you away from your work like the Pied Piper. You can always reinstall them when you get home.
Does your work area look like a small tornado just ripped through your office? It may be time to clean up and organize. Your workspace doesn’t have to be pristine, a study found that a little clutter can inspire creativity, but if it’s a complete mess putting things in their proper place can reduce unnecessary distractions. Such as taking 5 minutes to locate a pen. Before arranging your workspace, come up with an organizational plan. And once implemented, try to keep it clean by scheduling a time daily to tidy up.
You may think you’re multitasking, but you aren’t. All you are doing is switching your focus from one task to the next without ever truly concentrating on one. It feels like you are doing more than one thing at a time, but unfortunately, it’s just not possible. Multitasking is the sneakiest form of distraction. Your brain is fooling you into believing that you are a task tackling dynamo. What should you do? Forget about completing more than one task at a time and instead focus on one until it is complete. In conclusion, if it kills efficiency, then it’s a distraction.
Meetings aren’t as evil as some want to portray, but too many waste precious time. How can you discern from a time-waster versus a needed meeting? If you can send a concise email that accurately conveys your message, then choose that option. If not, make sure your meeting is well-planned and has a clear goal. Don’t allow meetings to become a distraction, instead harness their power to promote teamwork and efficiency.
Cutting down on distractions, and learning how to focus, can make your day go much smoother, and improve productivity. If you are finding tasks, such as billing and credentialing, are distracting you from your core tasks maybe we can help. Contact us today to learn more.