Podcasts

Both physicians and patients enter a practice visit with certain expectations. Sometimes they are the same but sometimes, they differ and the relationship can get strained.

From "Tweeting" a link to a great article or blogging about a hot issue, to suggesting patients “like” your practice on Facebook, using the right online tools can enhance your career. But there are also dangers to spending time as a social doctor on the Internet.

Changing tax laws and other financial issues are a lot for a physician and his office to keep up with. So what can you do to ensure you follow all the necessary guidelines to protect yourself and your practice? You can ask for some help.

The medical home model relies not only on teamwork between multiple healthcare providers, but complete and constant communication. A health information exchange, or HIE, allows providers to move information quickly and easily to all involved caregivers through various means.

How can everyday devices like a weight scale and a blood pressure cuff keep an individual from returning to the hospital? They can if they are directly connected to a patient's healthcare provider for remote monitoring and feedback if needed.

With an increased drive to empower patients, the healthcare industry is turning to many new initiatives, including the personal health record, or PHR. The online tool allows patients to access information, such as test results, while also taking action on their own care, such as scheduling an appointment with their physician or placing a prescription refill request.

Risks like security breaches, privacy violations, and misplaced patient information all need to be addressed when you adopt new technologies at your practice, say the co-authors of a book on "E-Health Hazards."

As America's battle against illicit drugs shifts focus away from street-level narcotics and toward prescription painkillers, physicians are increasingly finding themselves targeted for investigation - and prosecution. Attorney Marcos Hasbun offers insight into this trend, and guidance on how well-meaning physicians can continue to help their patients while protecting themselves.

At the American Medical Association's recent policy-making meeting in San Diego, the association weighed in on the structure of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and professionalism when utilizing social media.

The path to the Affordable Care Act was not an easy one and continues to generate ongoing debate. The American Medical Association faced heavy criticism for its support of the bill, with many suggesting its membership has suffered as a result.

Congress is about to address a potential double-digit cut to physician reimbursement under the Medicare program. With a Dec. 1 deadline looming and a lame-duck session of Congress about to reconvene, the American Medical Association is urging lawmakers to take more time to find a long-term solution to declining physician payments.

Doctors don't always get along with each other. Some might avoid contact with other physicians, or speak negatively about a colleague in front of a patient. This kind of behavior can directly compromise patient care.

Workplace negativity can drag down a practice and its staff, hurting both patient care and the bottom line. So what can you do to boost staff morale and encourage teamwork at your office?

Nearly every physician today is looking for ways to boost efficiency and productivity to stay profitable. So how do you achieve this goal without adding staff or compromising your patient satisfaction?

Negotiating rates with your payers is important, but so is the language in your contracts. Practices can face a number of possibly adverse provisions that could contradict practice policies and cause confusion with patients. But how do you discover and address such provisions?

Are you confused about EHR certification? You're not alone. To receive federal incentive payments for your EHR, you must show that you are using a certified technology in a meaningful way. But what does that really mean - certified technology?

Most of the highly publicized cases of security breaches involving personal health information have been due to lost or stolen laptops and storage devices. But EHRs are full of personal health information that practices must ensure is protected. And, a recent study showed the general public is still very concerned about the security of EHRs, which could be a barrier to adoption.

Looking for a better way to gauge physician productivity? A number of physicians' practices and hospitals are turning to relative value units (RVUs) over traditional benchmarks including charges, receipts, collections, or number of encounters. But what exactly are RVUs?

What about that government stimulus money? Expert Rosemarie Nelson explains it all.

The federal government’s commitment to encourage more health information technology means there is a need for some 50,000 health IT workers in the next five years. One organization answering that call is the Oregon Institute of Technology, which just launched a health informatics degree program.

Michael Howe, former CEO of CVS MinuteClinic, discusses how care-delivery models will continue to change and what physicians can learn from industries outside of healthcare.

Congressman Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas who was an OB/GYN before being elected to Congress, discusses healthcare reform and his unique perspective as a lawmaker and a physician.

Joyce Dubensky, of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, talks about what happens when medicine and religion interact, and how you can provide religiously conscious care.

In this podcast, Justin Barnes, of the EHR Association and Greenway Medical Technologies, explains CMS’ final rule for meaningful use criteria for EHR incentives.

In this podcast, Justin Barnes, of the EHR Association and Greenway Medical Technologies, explains CMS’ final rule for meaningful use criteria for EHR incentives.

Michael Williams, managing partner of Weitz & Williams CPAs and member of the National CPA Healthcare Advisors Association, discusses some of the changes to this year's tax code that could affect physicians.

Consultant Nick Fabrizio details how you can prepare your practice for the H1N1 virus this season

This podcast series features conversations with two experts from the MGMA: Robert Bennett, a member of MGMA’s government affairs staff, who explains what parts of the law are likely to affect medical practices, and Dave Gans, vice president of practice management resources at MGMA, who details what practices can do now to get ready for reform. 

In this podcast, Robert Tennant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association, explains the EHR meaningful use draft criteria.