MedWorm: Small Practices

Confidence in small practices climbs

Modern Medicine — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Small-practice physicians say their businesses are doing better this year than last year. Find out what’s driving this improved attitude—and what challenges remain. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Small physician practices are targets of hackers, too

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:53:40 +0100

Source: Ken Terry, FierceHealthIT Content: “While data security breaches at big healthcare organizations capture most of the media attention, small medical practices are actually more vulnerable to data losses and theft, according to a Kroll Fraud Solutions report cited in American Medical News. Many small practices are using outdated technology to protect themselves, Kroll said. Some [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Amazing Charts EHR sweeps user satisfaction surveys in 2011

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:58:02 +0100

For an unprecedented third time in a single year, Amazing Charts has been honored as the best Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for small practices. Most recently, Amazing Charts was ranked number one in the category of Ambulatory EMR (1-10 Physicians) in the 2011 Best in KLAS Awards: Software and Services. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Amazing Charts named best EHR for small practices

Modern Medicine — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:54:30 +0100

Amazing Charts and athenaClinicals were named the best EHR systems for practices with one to 75 physicians, based on interviews by a Utah-based research firm. (Source: Modern Medicine)

10 Most read articles week 11 December 2011

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:15:20 +0100

Source: Lodewijk Bos, ICMCC Content: Telehealth technologies reduce mortality rates Unease over patient website RIQI Expo: Fear shouldn’t hold small practices back from EHR roll-outs Meaningful use stage 2 delay helps most stakeholders but hurts some Privacy, Security, and Electronic Health Records Creating a lifetime electronic health record Patient expectations in the digital world. Tallinn 2010 Students Write Code and Save [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

RIQI Expo: Fear shouldn’t hold small practices back from EHR roll-outs

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:06:25 +0100

Source: Luke Gale, CMIO Content: “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2011 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), the EHR adoption rate for Rhode Island, at 45 percent, is classified as significantly lower among the total U.S. office-based physicians’ adoption rate of 57 percent. Despite a quickening trend towards EHR adoption, barriers to [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Small practices could show big growth in EMR market

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:04:54 +0100

Source: Pamela Lewis Dolan, amednews Content: “The U.S. market for electronic medical records is expected to exceed $8 billion by 2016, up from $4.6 billion today, with the fastest-growing segment occurring in the small practice market, according to an industry report by Millennium Research Group. The Toronto-based medical technology research company’s report, “U.S. Markets for Electronic [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Health Information Systems in Small Practices: Improving the Delivery of Clinical Preventive Services

American Journal of Preventive Medicine — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:39:41 +0100

Conclusions: Delivery of CPS can increase in small primary care practices that implement an EHR that includes comprehensive quality-improvement support. (Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine)

6 golden rules of EMR implementation

Healthcare IT News — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:30:52 +0100

A few months ago, we chronicled the 7 most deadly sins of EMR implementation. From ignoring nurses to declining help, these offenses can be hard to make right. But, in an effort to help big and small practices alike avoid the most common EMR faux pas, we followed up with Rosemarie Nelson, principal of the MGMA Consulting Group, and asked for her opinion on the best practices for implementing an EMR system. No read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:10:09 +0100

Examines the safety of health IT products and their effects on patient safety. Chapters two, four, and seven discuss safety specific to small practices and hospitals. -- Institute of Medicine (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

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Why small medical practices lag in EMR adoption

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:47:29 +0100

Source: Pamela Lewis Dolan, amednews Content: “Although a growing percentage of physician practices are adopting electronic medical records, a large gap persists in adoption rates between the smallest and largest practices. Small practices are not averse to adopting technology, analysts said. But the cost of systems, confusion about federal incentives for using them and the practice [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Small Practices Can Prosper Even Now - Here's HowSmall Practices Can Prosper Even Now - Here's How

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:00:00 +0100

Despite challenges to small- and medium-sized practices, there are ways to tap into the unique advantages of smaller practices and ask yourself questions that can bolster your profits. Medscape Internal Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Inexpensive Alternatives to EHRs

Physicians Practice — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0100

For small practices, the ongoing monthly costs of an EHR may simply not be affordable. So what alternatives are out there? (Source: Physicians Practice)

Providers' perspectives on the vaginal birth after cesarean guidelines in Florida, United States: a qualitative study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The current ACOG VBAC guidelines limit US obstetricians' and midwives' ability to provide care for women with a previous cesarean, particularly in community and rural hospitals. Although ACOG has proposed that women be allowed to accept "higher levels of risk" in order to be able to attempt a trial of labor in some settings, access to VBAC is unlikely to increase in Florida as long as systemic barriers and liability risks remain high. (Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth - Latest articles)

Dermatologists struggle with electronic health record implementation

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:45:39 +0100

Source: Bob Gatty, ModernMedicine Content: “While the implementation of health information technology (HIT) systems in medical practices has the potential of improving healthcare efficiency and patient care, there are obstacles that medical practices must overcome, and those problems are especially acute for small practices such as those operated by many dermatologists. Sasha Kramer, M.D., an Olympia, [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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AAFP patient portal service for small physicians goes live

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:19:28 +0100

Source: Brita Van Fossen, Health IT Pulse Content: “Small practices across the country face many challenges in meeting meaningful use requirements. Separated from large hospitals or research institutions, these providers suffer from a lack of resources, funding and support. The American Academy of Family Physicians is attempting to address this issue by formulating a pilot program [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Pay of small-practice managers lags

Modern Medicine — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The median pay for administrators of small and medium-sized practices fell or barely increased last year. (Source: Modern Medicine)

EHR Adoption Grows Slowly, Steadily at Small Practices

Physicians Practice — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Practices of all sizes are adopting EHRs at a growing rate. And some of the fastest growth is among smaller practices. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Australian dispensing doctors' prescribing: quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Rural Remote Health — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to overseas findings, we found no evidence that Australian DDs overprescribed because of their additional dispensing role. PMID: 21843116 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Rural Remote Health)

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GE launches Centricity iPad EMR app

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:09:37 +0100

Source: Brian Dolan, mobihealthnews Content: “GE Healthcare announced this week the release of Centricity Advance Mobile, an iPad EMR app designed for primary care physicians in small practices. The app is an extension of GE Healthcare’s web-based Centricity Advance EMR offering, which focuses on practices with less than ten physicians. The app was demoed at [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

GE debuts iPad app for small practices

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:00:14 +0100

GE Healthcare releases Centricity Advance – Mobile, a native Apple iPad application, designed for small primary care physician practices. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Association of practice size and pay-for-performance incentives with the quality of diabetes management in primary care.

cmaj — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined this association between 1997 and 2005, in addition to the impact of the Quality and Outcomes Framework, a pay-for-performance incentive scheme introduced in the United Kingdom in 2004, on diabetes management. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective opencohort study using data from the General Practice Research Database. We enrolled 422 general practices providing care for 154 945 patients with diabetes. Our primary outcome measures were the achievement of national treatment targets for blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and total cholesterol. RESULTS: We saw improvements in the recording of process of care measures, prescribing and achieving intermediate outcomes in all practice sizes during the study period. We saw improvement in reaching national targets after ...

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Practice size has no effect on QOF performance, study finds

HealthcareRepublic Pharmacist News — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:05:00 +0100

Small practices perform equally as well as larger ones in achieving QOF targets for diabetes, UK research has found. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Pharmacist News)

US Physician Practices Versus Canadians: Spending Nearly Four Times As Much Money Interacting With Payers [US Administrative Costs]

Health Affairs — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Physician practices, especially the small practices with just one or two physicians that are common in the United States, incur substantial costs in time and labor interacting with multiple insurance plans about claims, coverage, and billing for patient care and prescription drugs. We surveyed physicians and administrators in the province of Ontario, Canada, about time spent interacting with payers and compared the results with a national companion survey in the United States. We estimated physician practices in Ontario spent $22,205 per physician per year interacting with Canada’s single-payer agency—just 27 percent of the $82,975 per physician per year spent in the United States. US nursing staff, including medical assistants, spent 20.6 hours per physician per week...

Systemic Barriers to Diabetes Management in Primary Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Delaware Physicians

American Journal of Medical Quality — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This article presents a qualitative analysis of systemic barriers to primary care diabetes management in the small office setting in Delaware. Grounded theory was used to identify key themes of focus group discussions with 25 Delaware physicians. A total of 6 systemic barriers were identified: (1) a persistent orientation toward acute care; (2) an inability to provide proactive, population-based patient management; (3) an inability to provide adequate self-management education; (4) poor integration of payer-driven disease management activities; (5) lack of universally available clinical information; and (6) lack of public health support. The results suggest that significant systemic barriers limit the ability of primary care providers, particularly those in small practices, to effectively ...

Part-time doctors shaking up small practices

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Practice Management - A column about keeping your practice in good health (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Doctors In Small Practices Slow To Dump Paper Records

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:46:55 +0100

Source: Susan Jaffe, iWatch News Content: “In Dr. Sandra Berglund’s well-stocked waiting room, there’s a box of children’s toys and picture books and, on either side of a magazine rack, framed photographs of sacred places: the stadiums of the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians. And in clear view behind the receptionist’s desk is something the [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Doctors in Small Practices Slow to Dump Paper Records

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Kaiser Health News article discusses how it has not been easy to convince small practices of primary care doctors to buy into the Obama Administration's electronic health record bonus payment system that transfers health information in paper medical records to a computer. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

In response to: Electronic health records in small physician practices: availability, use, and perceived benefits

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:45:12 +0100

Source: Parsons A, Wu W. J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2011 Content: In their report ‘Electronic health records in small physician practices: availability, use, and perceived benefits’, Rao et al correctly point out many of the challenges these small practices face when adopting electronic health records (EHR). As part of New York City’s Primary Care [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Design of a quality and performance improvement project for small primary care practices: reflections on the Center for Practice Innovation.

Quality in Primary Care — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:45:03 +0100

Authors: Marsteller JA, Woodward P, Underwood WS, Hsiao CJ, Barr MS Small practices often lack the human, financial and technical resources to make necessary practice improvements and infrastructure investments in order to achieve sustainable change that promotes quality and efficiency. PMID: 21703112 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Quality in Primary Care)

Small practices: Adapting to survive

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100

With more physicians choosing to join or sell to hospitals and larger practices, many wonder if the traditional physician practice is dying. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Three solo doctors offer tips on meaningful use

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:02:08 +0100

Healthcare IT News interviewed three solo practitioners who have met Stage 1 meaningful use guidelines, and asked what advice they might have for other solo practitioners or small practices. Donald Moore, MD, a primary care physician who practices in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been using his Sage Intergy EHR for about five years. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

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Helping Small Practices Survive Health System Change

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:05:00 +0100

This is a tough time for family physicians in many small or solo practices. They're working as hard as they can, struggling to keep their doors open while the health care system shifts and changes beneath their feet. Many are wondering how to transform their practices into patient-centered medical homes, or PCMHs, with the limited resources they have at hand. And now, to top it off, they're worried about the advent of accountable care organizations, or ACOs, and whether practices like theirs will be able to participate or be left behind. Faced with these challenges, many simply don't know what to do. If this describes you, I want you to know the AAFP hasn't forgotten you -- not in the programs and services we offer, and definitely not in the national debate about health care reform and ACO...

Quest Diagnostics donates EHRs to needy areas

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:53:52 +0100

Diagnostic testing services provider Quest Diagnostics will donate EHR software and services to physicians in small practices serving minority populations in Houston, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Minority Health. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

HHS Announces Initiative to Stimulate Adoption of EHRs in Minority Communities

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:07:19 +0100

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Minority Health and Quest Diagnostics, based in Madison, N.J., announced on Wednesday a program through which Quest Diagnostics will donate electronic health record (EHR) software and services to physicians in small practices serving minority populations in Houston, Texas. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

HHS announces initiative to stimulate adoption of EHRs in minority communities

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:11:08 +0100

Source: Healthcare IT News Content: “The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Minority Health and Quest Diagnostics, based in Madison, N.J., announced on Wednesday a program through which Quest Diagnostics will donate electronic health record (EHR) software and services to physicians in small practices serving minority populations in Houston, Texas. The initiative is [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

HHS Announces Initiative To Stimulate Adoption Of Electronic Health Records In Minority Communities

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0100

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Minority Health and Quest Diagnostics, based in Madison, N.J., today announced a program through which Quest Diagnostics will donate electronic health record (EHR) software and services to physicians in small practices serving minority populations in Houston, Texas. The initiative is intended to foster broader adoption and use of EHRs and support national efforts to reduce health disparities affecting minorities... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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EMRs a risky investment, say some small practices

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:04:08 +0100

A House panel investigates barriers and other problems physicians encounter when implementing new health information technology. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

Transforming Small Practices: The Authors Reply [Letters]

Health Affairs — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Health Affairs)

Increasing The Organizational Capacity Of Small Practices [Letters]

Health Affairs — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Health Affairs)

Docs tell government panel EHR tales of woe

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:46:36 +0100

The cost, physician practice size, and lack of technical resources still present barriers for small healthcare providers in adopting electronic health records and participating in the meaningful use incentive program. Solo practitioners and small practices find it difficult to locate a lender willing to offer them an unsecured loan, said Sasha Kramer, MD, a solo practitioner dermatologist in Olympia, Wash. Others who try to finance their electronic health record system with the vendor have no leverage in negotiating terms because of their limited market share. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Small practices key to MU success

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:25:16 +0100

Source: Jeff Rowe, Healthcare IT HITECHWatch Content: “Now that the first HITECH checks are being dropped in the mail, tracking the impact of the incentive program will likely become an ever-rising priority for healthcare policymakers and stakeholders. But while it will certainly be important to monitor the effectiveness of the federal HIT investment, equally, if not [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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When It Comes to EHR Adoption, Practice Size Matters

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:45:22 +0100

Source: Kate Ackerman, iHealthbeat Content: “It’s no secret that small physician practices are less likely than larger practices and hospitals to adopt and use electronic health record systems. The federal government’s meaningful use incentive program aims to drive widespread EHR adoption. But, small practices are lagging behind and face a much steeper climb to get to [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

What Could Help Oncologists in Small Practices?

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:17:00 +0100

Many oncologists in small or solo practices are struggling financially, and the situation is likely to become worse. Here's one possible solution. Medscape Business of Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

The Impact of Minute Clinics: Are You Feeling the Pain?

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:10:47 +0100

Robert Morrow discusses the issues surrounding Minute Clinics, including taking acute care visits away from small practices and other consequences. Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Mass. offers a REC success story

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:35:04 +0100

WORCESTER, Mass.—There are 62 Regional Extension Centers (RECs) covering every state and several territories, providing educational outreach, vendor selection and support and implementation guidance for small practices, said Fadesola Adetosoye, MS, project officer of the REC program at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. But only one REC—the Massachusetts e-Health Institute (MeHI)—has achieved its goal of enrolling 2,500 providers. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Test-Retest Reliability and Practice Effect of the Oral-format Symbol Digit Modalities Test in Patients with Stroke.

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Koh CL, Lu WS, Chen HC, Hsueh IP, Hsieh JJ, Hsieh CL The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is commonly used to evaluate an individual's switching attention and processing speed. However, its test-retest reliability and practice effect are not well known in patients with stroke, limiting its utility in both clinical and research settings. The present study examined the two aforementioned psychometric properties of the oral-format SDMT on a group of 30 outpatients with stroke. The oral-format SDMT demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.89) and a small practice effect (Cohen's d = 0.26) within a 1-week interval. A practice effect-corrected reliable change index [-5.29, 10.89] was also provided to help clinicians and researchers interpret their clients' test res...

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Electronic health records in small physician practices: availability, use, and perceived benefits.

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Our study found that physicians in small practices have lower levels of EHR adoption and that these providers were less likely to use these systems. Ensuring that unique barriers are addressed will be critical to the widespread meaningful use of EHR systems among small practices. PMID: 21486885 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association)

AAP Statement Homes in on Health Information Technology

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:47:56 +0100

Financial incentives recommended to shield small practices from excessive risk. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Regional Extension Centers Help Small Practices Achieve Meaningful Use

Physicians Practice — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

For small practices, implementing an EHR and achieving meaningful use is a whole lot easier with a helping hand. Newly created regional extension centers are there to provide it. Here’s how to make the best of them. (Source: Physicians Practice)

To Charge or Not to Charge

Physicians Practice — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The physician in me sometimes conflicts with the business owner in me. I’m curious to know what other small practices do. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Health IT benefits becoming more apparent

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:19:18 +0100

Source: Pamela Lewis Dolan, amednews Content: “A recent study finds that evidence of the benefits of health information technology are emerging for small practices. But the study, which reviewed previous looks at health IT, noted that the benefits don’t always translate into physician satisfaction with electronic medical records. For the article, in the March Health Affairs [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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HIMSS, MGMA unveil security tools for small practices

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:13:24 +0100

The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) have rolled out the HIMSS Privacy & Security Toolkit for Small Provider Organizations. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

EHR “measurable benefits” – What it means to Immunization Information Systems

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:56:20 +0100

Source: Janet Balog, STC Content: “In a March 8 briefing sponsored by Health Affairs journal, Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT announced its latest published studies on the impact that electronic health records (EHR) have on patient outcomes. The survey found evidence of “emerging measurable benefits” for small practices in addition to [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Response to Small Practice EMR Adoption Trust Issues

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:37:16 +0100

Source: John, EMR and EHR Content: “Last week, Katherine posted an interesting analysis of the challenges that small practices face in finding a trusted source to help them adopt an EMR. It’s a really interesting read and does highlight some important issues that small practices face as they consider and implement an EMR. What I think [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

BDA Calls For Clarity On CQC Fees, UK

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Dentists must be told what fees are to be charged for registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the British Dental Association (BDA) has argued today. In a letter to CQC, the BDA has said that it is unacceptable that dentists still don't know what fees are to be charged, even though the deadline for registration is just three weeks away. The letter also expresses the hope that the time that has been taken to consider this issue indicates that CQC has been able to reconsider the proposals published for consultation which would have seen small practices pay Â£1,500 to register... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Health Affairs: Study puts a price tag on EMR implementation in small practices

Health Imaging News — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:14:46 +0100

A study in this month’s edition of Health Affairs estimates the total first-year costs of EMR implementation for a five-physician practice to be $233,297, with average per-physician costs of $46,659. (Source: Health Imaging News)

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Small Practices Don’t Really Have Someone To Trust When Adopting EMRs

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:20:26 +0100

Source: Katherine Rourke, EMR and EHR Content: “If I were running a medical practice — and knew I had to roll an EMR soon — I’d be banging my head against a wall. While there’s plenty of talk about the reasons for EMR adoption (in some cases, 44,000 reasons) what consistent, reliable, accessible sources [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

VitalHealth offers beta of new EHR for small practices

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:51:05 +0100

VitalHealth EHR for Practices version 1.8, VitalHealth Software's latest version of its EHR for small practices, is now available for beta testing, according to the Web-based software developer. VitalHealth is inviting small practices to use the product and provide feedback for ongoing enhancements, the Milwaukee, Wis.-based company stated. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

VitalHealth Software Announces Beta Program For Ambulatory EHR Designed With Mayo Clinic

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:00:00 +0100

VitalHealth Software, a leading provider of web-based software solutions for health management, announced the beta testing availability of VitalHealth EHR for Practices version 1.8, the latest version of its electronic health record (EHR) solution for small practices. This version offers a range of new features and functionality upgrades designed to meet Meaningful Use requirements... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Physician recruitment: Big lures for small practices

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Small medical practices are having difficulty attracting new doctors. But experts say distinguishing yourself from big systems can attract physicians. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

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How EMR Process Issues Screwed Up One Small Practice

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:06:24 +0100

Source: Anne Ziegler, EMR and EHR Content: “Here’s a story which I’m sure could be retold in practices around the U.S. It’s a tale of how EMR process issues slowed down care to a crawl. I recently visited small OB/GYN practice — a busy and seemingly prosperous one in a wealthy suburb — which had [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

New Technologies Help Small Practices Curb Losses

Physicians Practice — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0100

A new survey reveals the costs of running a medical practice and insurance reimbursement concerns are keeping docs up at night more than other issues. The good news? Physicians are optimistic about new technology. (Source: Physicians Practice)

Practice Fusion Physician Survey Reveals ‘Unhealthy’ State of Small Medical Practices Nationwide

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:50:37 +0100

Source: EMR Daily News Content: “Costs of running a medical practice and insurance reimbursement issues continue to be major sources of concern for most physicians, according to a survey of small to mid-sized medical practices conducted by Practice Fusion, the free, web-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) company. The 2011 State of the Small Practice survey [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Organized medicine, others give CMS feedback on ACO regulations

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:57:26 +0100

The agency calls for input to ensure that its rules for accountable care organizations will enable small practices to participate. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Identifying poorly performing general practices in England: a longitudinal study using data from the quality and outcomes framework

Journal of Health Services Research and Policy — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions A small minority of practices have remained poor performers in terms of measurable performance indicators over a four-year period. The strongest predictors of poor QOF performance were singlehanded and small practices, and practices staffed by elderly GPs. (Source: Journal of Health Services Research and Policy)

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Medical societies weigh in on easing access to ACOs

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:33:12 +0100

Guidance emphasizes voluntary participation and removing stumbling blocks for small practices to be able to take part in accountable care organizations. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Podcast: The Patient-Centered Medical Home: How to Advance Patient Care Through Technology with Jim Stape

SoundPractice.net - Sound Ideas from The Journal of Medical Practice Management — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100

In this 20-minute podcast, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jim Stape, Practice Manager at Gilbert Center for Family Medicine</span> in Gilbert, Arizona, <a href="http://www.gilbertcenter.net" target="_blank">www.gilbertcenter.net</a> discusses the lessons learned by their small practice in applying for, and successfully gaining, NCQA patient-centered medical home recognition. He covers why the practice executives thought that they could achieve NCQA patient-centered medical home recognition, how and why incorporate Health IT to measure and report on care-giving activities, the tools and processes that have been especially helpful to them, the top benefits to the patients, and words of wisdom (and encouragement) for other small practices applying for the PCMH recognition. This ...

A simple intervention promoting patient safety improvements in small internal medicine practices.

Quality in Primary Care — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:00:10 +0100

CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into mechanisms that assist practices to make initial steps to improve patient safety and care quality. The study also suggests that with concrete recommendations, small practices can make significant changes in a short period of time and at relatively low cost. PMID: 21114911 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Quality in Primary Care)

EMR adoption rates up, with small practices left behind

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:16:29 +0100

Source: Pamela Lewis Dolan, amednews Content: “The federal stimulus funds aimed at expanding electronic medical record adoption in the U.S. seem to be having the intended effect, as a recent survey found that overall adoption rates rose about three percentage points from January to October. But the survey found that small, independent practices are the ones [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

GPC concerned over CQC fees for small practices

Healthcare Republic News — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration plans could have 'devastating' impact on small practices, the GPC has warned. (Source: Healthcare Republic News)

Massachusetts REC gains traction

Healthcare IT News — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:26:06 +0100

The Massachusetts eHealth Institute expects 600 physicians and small practices will be signed up by the end of October for health IT consulting services, which it is offering as one of 60 regional extension centers (RECS) now courting health IT newcomers throughout the country. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

The Performance of Outside Readings by Radiology Practices

American Journal of Roentgenology — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION. Outside readings were a common activity among radiology practices in 2007. There was substantial variability among practice types, sizes, and locations in whether practices performed outside readings and, if so, how much outside reading they did. (Source: American Journal of Roentgenology)

Small-Practice Update: Three Key Steps to Survive and Thrive in the New Healthcare Era

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:05:10 +0100

Practices are struggling, but by taking 3 key steps, doctors can make their practices successful despite today's new rules. Medscape Business of Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Small Medical Practices Don’t Find EHR Adoption Meaningful

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:44:32 +0100

Source: Nicole Lewis, InformationWeek Healthcare Content: “Even as the federal government continues to push the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by injecting billions of dollars into programs that encourage healthcare delivery organizations to implement the technology, these efforts may not be enough to lure many physicians at small practices to purchase an EHR, Richard [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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REC experts discuss access to rural, underserved communities

Healthcare IT News — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:22:39 +0100

While the Regional Extension Center (REC) program was designed to assist priority primary care providers in small practices, hospitals and public health clinics, some industry groups worry that rural communities and communities of color will still be left behind the digital transformation. At a session of the National Regional Extension Centers & Health Information Exchange Summit West in San Francisco on Monday, a panel of REC leaders and stakeholders showed what they're doing to engage those populations. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

AAFP Questions Claims That Health Care Reform Will Reduce Role of Solo, Small Practices

AAFP Government and Medicine — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 21:35:00 +0100

The AAFP has sent a letter to the White House regarding an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine written by top White House officials that gives the impression that health care reform will accelerate the establishment of larger group practices at the expense of solo and small physician group practices. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Large practices could hold power in consortia

HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:05:00 +0100

GPs in large practices could be given more say in consortia decision-making than small practices, commissioning groups have suggested. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News)

Most Regional Extension Centers still in planning stages

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:07:14 +0100

Most health IT Regional Extension Centers, funded by the federal government to jump start the adoption of EHRs by physicians in solo and small practices, remain in the planning phase, according to a new survey by eHealth Initiative. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

High-fidelity patient simulation: considerations for effective learning.

Nursing Education Perspectives — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This article explores a case of the implementation of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) in an undergraduate preregistration nursing program in a Canadian school of nursing. A small practice collaborative project to develop reusable simulation resources for team-based simulations is described, using HFS technology. Considerations for effective learning resulting from faculty and student evaluations of the project are discussed. Students identified positive learning experiences and indicated that real-time patient status changes proved valuable to them. Also, using these techniques offered a safe environment for improving competence. The use of reflective debriefing appeared to be a focal area for learning that requires emphasis in the planning of HFS experiences. This template, team-focused le...

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Performance of small general practices under the UK's Quality and Outcomes Framework.

The British Journal of General Practice — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Small practices were represented among both the best and the worst practices in terms of achievement of clinical quality targets. The effect of the pay-for-performance scheme appears to have been to reduce variation in performance, and to reduce the difference between large and small practices. PMID: 20849683 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The British Journal of General Practice)

Best small practices held back by QOF thresholds

HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:20:00 +0100

High-performing small practices are being held back because QOF thresholds are set too low to reward achievement adequately, a study suggests. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News)

Patient experience of access to primary care: identification of predictors in a national patient survey

BioMed Central — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: This study identifies a number of patient groups with lower satisfaction, and poorer experience, of gaining access to primary care. The finding that access is better in small practices is important given the increasing tendency for small practices to combine into larger units. Consideration needs to be given to ways of retaining these and other benefits of small practice size when primary care services are reconfigured. Differences between population groups (e.g. younger people, ethnic minorities) may be due to differences in actual care received or different response tendencies of different groups. Further analysis is needed to determine whether case-mix adjustment is required when comparing practices serving different populations. (Source: BioMed Central)

Physicians Say White House Should Not Write Off Small Practices

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:35:24 +0100

Obama administration officials say economic forces unleashed by healthcare reform will accelerate the trend toward physicians becoming hospital employees and joining large group practices. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Tax Credit Designed to Help Small Businesses Provide Health Insurance

AAFP Practice Management — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:55:00 +0100

As small-business owners, many family physicians who own solo or small practices struggle to provide health insurance for their employees. However, thanks to the recently enacted health care reform legislation, these physicians now may be eligible for a tax credit that they can use to help purchase this health insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains various provisions to help small businesses purchase health insurance for their workers, including a measure that offers a tax credit for small employers (i.e., businesses with fewer than 25 workers and average wages of less than $50,000 per worker) who provide health insurance for their employees. (Source: AAFP Practice Management)

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Businesses Prepare For Health IT Push; AMA Worries Small Practices Might Struggle

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:35:34 +0100

Source: Medical News Today Content: “In expectation of expansive new federal spending on electronic medical records, technology firms are expanding their health care businesses, Politico reports. “Now that the Obama administration has finalized the rules by which health care providers can be reimbursed for the systems with billions in stimulus dollars, they’re making serious [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Amazing Charts Emerges as EHR of Choice for Small Practices

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:58:06 +0100

For the small practice healthcare provider, selecting an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can be a daunting task, with more than 300 vendors, complicated pricing, and products that are impossible to evaluate for usability, effectiveness, and implementation times. Oftentimes this leads to buyer's remorse and later switching to another EHR. Due to its industry-leading user satisfaction ratings in multiple studies, $995 price tag, and three month risk-free trial offer, Amazing Charts has quickly emerged as the EHR-of-choice for small practices. (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

Small Practices Win Delay in I.D. Theft Regulations [Government News]

Psychiatr News — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:01:11 +0100

(Source: Psychiatr News)

ONC preps for 'real-world' tests of NHIN Direct

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:57:20 +0100

The Office of the National Coordinator is finalizing the details and design of NHIN Direct, the health information exchange tool-set it is preparing to help physicians and small practices share basic healthcare records securely over the Internet. During the summer, ONC will finish the protocols, additional health information services and underlying technical design of NHIN Direct, according to Douglas Fridsma, MD, ONC's acting director of interoperability and standards. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

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GE Healthcare Intros Cloud EMR For Small Practices

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:33:14 +0100

“GE Healthcare is often associated with e-medical record and other clinical information systems used in hospitals and larger healthcare facilities. But the vendor Tuesday introduced for small, independent doctor practices a new Web-based, cloud version of its Centricity EMR software. GE Centricity Advance is a new software-as-a-service offering that includes integrated e-medical records, practice management applications, [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

GE Healthcare Introduces True Web-Based EMR For Independent Physician Practices

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0100

At a press unveiling this afternoon, GE Healthcare will demonstrate the newest addition to the Centricity® family of healthcare IT solutions, Centricity Advance. Centricity Advance is a true Software as a Service (SaaS) solution for small, independent clinical practices. Offering a combination of EMR, practice management and patient portal solutions, Centricity Advance addresses the varying challenges facing today's small practices by offering modern technology that is simple to use and even simpler to deploy... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Study: Small Practices Achieve Medical Homes

Family Practice News — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Small practices can make the leap to the medical home model without outside financial help, but patient satisfaction may suffer early on, according to the results of the first national demonstration project to test the patient-centered medical home model. (Source: Family Practice News)

Medical home demo shows small practices can transform

MD Consult: News: Top Stories — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Read the full story on MD Consult: Medical home demo shows small practices can transform (Source: MD Consult: News: Top Stories)

ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY Partnering Private Primary Care Practices With Federally Qualified Health Centers In The Care Of Complex Patients [Delivery & Payment Reforms]

Health Affairs — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:01:11 +0100

Federally qualified health centers and small primary care practices have many challenges in common: uninsured patients; growing numbers of chronically ill patients with complex needs; inadequate reimbursements by commercial health plans; and persistent staffing problems. Smaller primary care practices also face sizable barriers to participating in new delivery and payment models that are likely to proliferate in the wake of health reform. To help remedy primary care shortages in the context of implementing health reform, independent primary care providers could contract with nearby federally qualified health centers to provide comprehensive care management services for patients with complicated health problems. Small practices could then concentrate on providing individualized medical care...

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Will RECs accidentally wreck innovation in the EMR market on their way to helping small practices?

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:12:36 +0100

“There are EMR shopping lists being created across the country – about sixty of them. Whether or not your favorite EMR vendor makes these lists may determine the vendor’s future viability. Let me explain.” Article Bobby Lee, The Healthcare IT Guy, 6 June 2010 (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Could Small Practices Be Left Behind in the Push for EHR Adoption?

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:16:04 +0100

“The federal government is banking that the billions of dollars allocated for health IT in the 2009 federal economic stimulus package will lead to widespread electronic health record adoption. But some stakeholders think it might be more of a gamble than a sure thing, noting that for many small physician practices, the Medicare and Medicaid [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Small Practices Can Become Medical Homes

Internal Medicine News — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Major Finding: At 7 months, 17 of 18 supported practices met NCQA patient-centered medical home criteria. One practice did not report data at follow-up. (Source: Internal Medicine News)

TransforMED Rolls Out New Product to Support Solo, Small Practices

AAFP Practice Management — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:50:00 +0100

TransforMED, a wholly owned subsidiary of the AAFP, has launched a new service that offers small primary care practices the help they need to implement the patient-center medical home, or PCMH, model of care. (Source: AAFP Practice Management)

TransforMED Launches New Service Offering to Accelerate Medical Home Adoption in Small Practices

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:00:00 +0100

LEAWOOD, Kan. – TransforMED, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians, today announced a new service offering aimed at helping small primary care practices implement the TransforMED patient-centered medical home model of care. TransforMED’s “Small Practice Package” program bundles together the necessary tools and components, and streamlines the process to enable practices with four or fewer physicians to implement the components of the TransforMED PCMH model in two years. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

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GPs braced for small practice cull

Pulse — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Exclusive: More than one in six English trusts are planning a cull of GP practices under the Department of Health’s cost cutting drive, a Pulse investigation can reveal. (Source: Pulse)

Health Care and Medical Liability Reform: Perspectives from a Doctor-Lawyer

Modern Medicine — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Palmisano discusses health care reform in America and how independent physicians in small practices can succeed in this interview with ModernMedicine's Richard Reece, MD. (Source: Modern Medicine)

PCT scraps franchise plan to move practices into health centres

HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:15:00 +0100

Controversial plans to move 76 small practices into 24 'franchised' health centres have been scrapped, according to GP leaders in Birmingham. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News)

Health Information Exchange: Participation by Minnesota Primary Care Practices [Original Investigation]

Archives of Internal Medicine — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:55:44 +0100

Conclusions Currently, small practices do not have the means or motivation to fully participate in regional HIEs, but many are exchanging health data in piecemeal arrangements with stakeholders with whom they are not directly competing for patients. To achieve more comprehensive HIE, regional health information organizations must provide leadership and financial incentives for community-wide meaningful use of interoperable electronic health records. (Source: Archives of Internal Medicine)

The Litmus Test for Health Information Exchange Success: Will Small Practices Participate?: Comment on "Health Information Exchange" [Invited Commentary]

Archives of Internal Medicine — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:55:44 +0100

(Source: Archives of Internal Medicine)

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Exclusive: Small practices score better on QOF

HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:20:00 +0100

Small practices perform better clinically than larger ones, according to the findings of a PCT researcher. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Independent Nurse News)

Easing The Adoption And Use Of Electronic Health Records In Small Practices [Hospitals & Practices]

Health Affairs — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:01:17 +0100

We describe how programs address barriers to adopting electronic health records by assessing readiness, setting expectations, and helping with work-flow redesign. We also highlight challenges. (Source: Health Affairs)

Sunny outlook for small practice EMR adoption, meaningful use cloudy

Healthcare IT News — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:29:27 +0100

The percentage of small physician practices that are planning to implement an EMR has grown in the last six months, according to a new vendor survey. But while the percentage of respondents who said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was driving technology adoption more than doubled during this period, most are still unaware of requirements and nearly half say it will not impact their buying decision. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

APA: Electronic Health Care Rule Could Impact Small Practice Specialists

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) submitted comments this week to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the proposed rule on the electronic health record incentive program. The APA supports a national push towards wide-scale electronic health record (EHR) adoption, but has a number of concerns that the rule defining "meaningful use" is overly prescriptive and could negatively impact participation of physicians in the incentive program, particularly psychiatrists... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

EMR use still low at solo and small practices

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:59:41 +0100

But adoption rates at practices with more than 10 physicians have grown significantly since 2009. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

NHS managers demand power to fire GPs

HSJ — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Managers are calling for the power to “fire” GPs and to get rid of small practices to make the huge spending cuts needed in coming years. (Source: HSJ)

Small practices find little incentive to go electronic

Nature Medicine — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:31:37 +0100

Nature Medicine 16, 251 (2010). doi:10.1038/nm0310-251b Author: Christian Torres (Source: Nature Medicine)

HIMSS: Small practices should take time to educate staff for EMR rollout

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:38:46 +0100

ATLANTA–In the implementation process of an EMR, time needs to be allotted in the rollout process to educate the staff about the new system, according to Stanley Wisniewski, MD, principal at Cal Arundel Family Medicine in Huntington, Md., during an educational session this morning at HIMSS10. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Surgeries urged to abolish half days

BMA daily feed — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:49:08 +0100

All surgeries, except single-handed and small practices, should not close for a half day during the week (Source: BMA daily feed)

Physician's Focus: Many Small Practices Evolve in Direction of Boutique Medicine

Modern Medicine — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A growing number of physicians dedicated to keeping the small practice model alive are succeeding with innovations like the cash-only practice, concierge medicine, the open-access office, and the micropractice. Independence seems to be the main attraction, as a solo practice--or even a group of 2, 3, or 4 physicians—makes it easier for doctors to be their own boss, set their own hours, choose their own staff, and be the captain (at least partially) of their own destinies. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Physician's Focus: Make Your Small Practice Successful

Modern Medicine Medical Economics — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A growing number of physicians are dedicated to keeping the small practice model alive and are succeeding with innovations like the cash-only practice, concierge medicine, the open-access office, and the micropractice. Independence is the main attraction, as a solo practice—or even a small group of physicians—makes it easier for doctors to be their own boss, set their own hours, choose their own staff, and be the captain (at least partially) of their own destinies. (Source: Modern Medicine Medical Economics)

Make Your Practice Successful Despite Today's Challenges: Join, Merge, or Sell Your Practice to a Hospital?

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:02:44 +0100

A practice management expert tells doctors how to decide whether they should stay in their small practice or join, merge, or sell the practice to a hospital. Medscape Business of Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

AAFP says meaningful use rules will be tough for small practices

Healthcare IT News — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:02:34 +0100

The American Academy of Family Physicians wants changes made to the government's proposed meaningful use regulations to help small and medium-sized practices become eligible for government incentives designed to spur the use of healthcare information technology. The AAFP, which represents nearly 95,000 physicians and medical students nationwide, has been an advocate of the use of healthcare IT for more than a decade. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Performance reviews important, even in small practices

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Practice Management - A column about keeping your practice in good health (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Physicians Can Receive Federal Incentives For Switching To Electronic Medical Records

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Chicago Tribune: "Beginning next year, physicians will be eligible for extra payments from federal health insurance programs upon implementing an electronic medical record system. The enhanced reimbursements were made possible by the federal stimulus bill signed into law last year by President Barack Obama. In the meantime, private firms are beginning to offer incentives to help doctors finance their electronic health record systems, which can cost several thousand dollars even for a small practice. ... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Participants' evaluation of a group-based organisational assessment tool in Danish general practice: the Maturity Matrix.

Quality in Primary Care — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:10:03 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Future attempts to improve the impact of the Maturity Matrix, and similar tools for quality improvement, could include: (a) attention to matters of variation caused by practice size, (b) systematic counselling on barriers to implementation and support to structure the change processes, (c) a commitment from participants that goes beyond participation in two-yearly assessments, and (d) an anchor person for each identified goal who takes on the responsibility for improvement in practice. PMID: 20003717 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Quality in Primary Care)

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P4P Participation by Primary Care Practices Comes With a Price

AAFP Practice Management — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:50:00 +0100

A report in the November/December issue of Annals of Family Medicine that analyzed medical practice costs associated with pay-for-performance, or P4P, programs found that participation in quality-reporting programs clearly requires resources with measurable costs. This finding was particularly true for small practices. (Source: AAFP Practice Management)

LMCs draw up federation blueprint to protect against 'APMS-hungry PCTs'

Pulse — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0100

Londonwide LMCs are working on new plans to help practices group together into federations to avoid small practices being ‘picked off’ by their PCTs. (Source: Pulse)

House Approves Legislation to Help Small Practices Purchase Health IT Systems

AAFP Government and Medicine — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:35:00 +0100

Congress has moved a step closer to approving a bill that would give small and solo physician practices the ability to obtain low-cost loans for the purchase of health information technology, or health IT, systems. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Tory plans will break small practices claims O'Brien

Pulse — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:50:00 +0100

Smaller practices could be ‘broken’ by Tory plans to write commissioning responsibility into the GP contract, health minister Mike O’Brien has warned. (Source: Pulse)

Kerry introduces bill to make small practices eligible for health IT loans

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:57:20 +0100

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced legislation last week that would help underwrite efforts by family doctors and other small medical practices to modernize their patients’ records and prescriptions. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Costs and Cost Effectiveness of a Health Care Provider-Directed Intervention to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening [Gastrointestinal Cancer]

Journal of Clinical Oncology — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:02:19 +0100

Conclusion A comprehensive, multicomponent academic detailing intervention conducted in small practices in metropolitan New York was clinically effective in improving CRC screening rates, but was not cost effective. (Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)

Practice management a hot topic for Sermo docs

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:18:32 +0100

A new social media tool highlighting practice management issues for small practices has been launched by the online physician community Sermo. Sermo officials say the Practice Management Exchange (PME) is an opportunity for physicians to exchange business advice through peer-to-peer discussions, posts and online forums as well as earn CME credits on practice management topics. (Source: Healthcare IT News)

Bill Exempts Small Practices From Red Flags Rule

Blogged_Arteries — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Small physician and accounting practices are exempt from the Federal Trade Commission's "red flags rule" under legislation the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Oct. 20. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

Bill Exempts Small Practices From Red Flag Rule

Blogged_Arteries — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Small physician and accounting practices are exempt from the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) "red flags rule" under legislation the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Oct. 20. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

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Radiology Practices' Use of External Off-Hours Teleradiology Services in 2007 and Changes Since 2003

American Journal of Roentgenology — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:02:34 +0100

CONCLUSION. Use of EOTSs was widespread by 2007, and it had been increasing rapidly in the preceding few years. Patterns of use were generally as might be expected except that nonmetropolitan practices did not have high odds of using EOTSs. (Source: American Journal of Roentgenology)

Half of large practices net bonuses from Medicare P4P demo

American Medical News — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:43:39 +0100

Participants say they are pleased with the results, despite the payout rate. Small practices start seeing their own performance dollars. (Source: American Medical News)

Carestream unveils PACS for small practices at AHRA

Health Imaging News — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:02:00 +0100

Carestream Health is launching a PACS for small medical practices at the 2009 meeting of the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) in Las Vegas, Nev., Aug. 9-13. (Source: Health Imaging News)

Big Practice, Small Practice, Part 3: A Solution to the Primary Care Conundrum -- Distribute, Don't Integrate

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:08:34 +0100

Networked providers, regulatory relief, and reining in of overbearing health plans are among the ingredients in this recipe for relieving the strain on primary care practices. Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Box Store's EHR System Targets Small Practices

Skin and Allergy News — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The big box store Sam's Club, which is owned by Wal-Mart, is setting its sights on the information technology frontier: The stores are starting to market electronic health record systems aimed at medical practices with one to three physicians. (Source: Skin and Allergy News)

Big Practice, Small Practice, Part 2: Can the Medical Home Accommodate the Small Practice?

Medscape Pediatrics Headlines — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:15:54 +0100

Will the Patient-Centered Medical Home end up being an office tower? Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Pediatrics Headlines)

Big Practice, Small Practice, Part 1: What's Behind the Economics in Primary Care?

Medscape Allergy Headlines — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:33:12 +0100

This first part of a three-part series describes some of the reimbursement issues affecting the size of primary care practices, and why economy of scale may not apply in primary care. Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Allergy Headlines)

Box Store's EHR System Targets Small Practices

Internal Medicine News — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The big box store Sam's Club is setting its sights on the information technology frontier by marketing electronic health record systems for medical practices with one to three physicians. (Source: Internal Medicine News)