MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'consulting'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:04:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159833&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSUw2xkpf29g%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Astellas US named Percival Barretto-Ko as senior vp of corporate strategy and government affairs. Before that, he was executive director, corporate strategy and communications at Astellas Pharma Europe. Prior to joining Astellas, he held senior... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159833 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:11:26 +0100 5159833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008365&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FbrEuvSpFHdM%2F I think it’s quite easy to predict that 3-5 years from now, one of the top topics on this blog and in the EHR world as a whole is going to be around EHR data extraction or if you prefer EMR data conversion. I’ve previously predicted that by the end of the EHR stimulus money we’re be lucky to achieve 50% EHR adoption. So, you’d think that in 3-5 years we’d still be talking about EHR selection and implementation. Certainly, that will still be a topic of discussion. Not to mention, which EHR vendor they should go to for their second EHR. However, I am certain that 3-5 years from now we’re going to see a mass of doctors switching EHR vendors. As part of my EHR blog week challenge (if you’re a blogger, you should participate too), today I’m going ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008365 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:31:57 +0100 5008365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862666&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FVUYWB9SQsl8%2F Discussion of Obama EHR Stimulus Today the following videos came across my Twitter feed and... Video of Meaningful Use EMR Integrations and MU Dashboard Ever since I saw my first meaningful use dashboard in... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862666 Tue, 24 May 2011 17:17:49 +0100 4862666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841749&cid=t_166415_123_f&fid=39036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricinc.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fhow-can-you-become-a-change-agent-in-your-medical-practice%2F The other day I was catching up with a friend of mine. He was telling me that he was a bit frustrated at work because the people he works with aren’t as efficient as he’d like them to be. He went on to say that management wasn’t open to making improvements, listen to new ideas or open to change. I told him that he was describing a classic leadership (you don’t have to be in charge to be a leader) problem; which is, getting people to change. It seems that whether you’re on the employee side or the employer, fundamentally, if you’re a leader, you’re always in this predicament. I shared with him that despite running our own business, we still face the “change” challenge; except this time around, it comes directly from our employees. They resist change sometimes. On my way ho... Pediatric Inc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841749 Wed, 18 May 2011 15:23:27 +0100 4841749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841661&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F05%2F15%2Femr-twiter-thoughts-from-emr-answers%2F I found a couple interesting tweets from EMR answers. Some interesting advice for those interested in EMR and EHR. #bbpBox_69798257995431937 a { text-decoration:none; color:#220882; }#bbpBox_69798257995431937 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; } #EMR #EHR Vendors- busy w/ #MU R&D. Demo specific to #physician spec. & work flow. Watch for clicks, alert fatigue and “One size fits all” May 15, 2011 9:16 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite @EMRAnswers Linda Lia Stotsky Some good advice and scary thought that all the EMR and EHR vendors’ R&D is going to meaningful use. #bbpBox_69796911237959680 a { text-decoration:none; color:#220882; }#bbpBox_69796911237959680 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; } #EMR #EHR 101.Vendor Customization.”Fit” syst... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841661 Mon, 16 May 2011 06:12:16 +0100 4841661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821149&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSDqAl15JK8k%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Huron Consulting hired Mark Linver as a managing director in the life sciences practice to handle aggregate spend, merger integration requirements, contract management, government pricing and accrual analysis. Previously, Linver served as a sen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821149 Fri, 13 May 2011 12:19:00 +0100 4821149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803274&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FMUB3BdSehPE%2F Much ink has been spilled discussing why physicians are resistant to adopting EMRs. The thing is, it’s really no mystery.  Researchers have arrived at what seem like sensible answers to the question, including a) problems changing their work habits, b) fear of the unknown and c) struggles with kludgy interfaces. So, why not take these problems on directly? While we can’t get inside clinicians’ heads and tell them how to think, we can address their issues concretely. If the anecdotes I hear are accurate, many are pushed into EMR use and forced to do all the adapting, rather than getting the help they need. So how can we help? Obviously, physicians and other clinical staffers need access to accessible, intelligent training — ideally, both Web-based and live — a... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803274 Mon, 09 May 2011 03:18:19 +0100 4803274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747722&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F04%2F22%2Fim-a-plumber-despite-just-wanting-to-be-an-emr-blogger%2F About a month ago, the market finally fell enough for my wife and I to buy our first house. It’s pretty exciting to finally be able to do it since we pretty much tried to buy a house every year since we moved to Las Vegas 6 years ago. Thankfully, we never did until now (although that’s another story). After purchasing the home, I found myself spending a fair amount of time having to repair a number of things around the house. One day I pretty much spent all day being a plumber as I (and a nice friend) replaced the garbage disposal, fixed a leaking sink, replaced the mechanism (whatever it’s called) in the toilet. Turns out that none of these things are really all that difficult. Although, it definitely had the initial learning curve for me to realize that it’s prett... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747722 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:57:58 +0100 4747722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693507&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FvHycW-dgqLw%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that QuantumMethod has hired Michele McHugh-Mazzatta, as a partner and she will manage east coast operations. Before joining the marketing firm, she ran her own firm, Four M Group, and previously spent more than 20 years at GlaxoSmithKline, most rec... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693507 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:00:11 +0100 4693507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532257&cid=t_166415_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F28%2Fmoving-in-the-right-direction-my-new-role-at-psych-central%2F Oprah Winfrey told the 1997 graduating class of Wellesley College that failure is God’s way of saying “Excuse me, you’re moving in the wrong direction.” She also said that when you are doing what you were created to do, it should feel like breathing. The talk show host was spot on with me because the last six months as a strategic communications consultant (whatever the hell that is) at a large consulting firm felt like 175 days of suffocation. The more I tried to fit in with all the Harvard MBAs, the more awkward I felt (as a theology major). The more I studied the various models of change management and how to direct a government agency from vision to implementation, the greater gap I felt between who I was and what I was doing for a steady paycheck. I didn’t ma... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532257 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:45:58 +0100 4532257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501649&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FhHPAaFVwK7E%2F Today I have a special shirt made just for HIMSS, thanks to the great people at Enterprise Software Deployment. If you see me at HIMSS, check out my shirt. It has the top 10 real reasons I’m at HIMSS listed on the back of the shirt. My favorite is #4 Booth babes. I’ll post the full top 10 later tonight. Also, be sure to check out Enterprise Software Deployment at HIMSS if you need a great EMR consultant or if you’re looking for a position doing EMR consulting. You can find them at Booth #2777. Here’s their HIMSS exhibitor description: At ESD, our goal is to ensure successful implementation of a new EHR system or upgrade from start to finish in healthcare organizations around the globe. Our services include Clinical Transformation, Legacy System Support, Training, Su... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501649 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:13:22 +0100 4501649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265914&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FfFyyf5rn0Fg%2F A reader of EMR and HIPAA asked the following interesting question: I was wondering if you had or heard of anyone coming up with a way to measure if the EHR implementation was successful. Other than “its in!”. Im trying to help some clients define this but cant seem to find anyone who has done this. Im thinking something like: Were all staff trained prior to go live? Were project goals achieved? etc Here’s my response that I hope you’ll find useful as well: It’s an interesting question. I’d suggest you download my free EMR Selection e-Book. In the book, I cover the various areas where a practice can get benefit from implementing an EMR. I suggest that each practice evaluate which of the benefits they are looking to achieve with their EMR implementation. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265914 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:45:58 +0100 4265914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119198&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnine-ways-icd-10-will-better-your-business The healthcare industry might not yet realize this simple fact: Although this does not garner much in the way of media attention, ICD-10 promises to improve the business of healthcare in numerous ways. Despite the cost, expanse, and overwhelming transformation payers and providers will have to undertake to achieve ICD-10 compliance, ultimately it will be a boon for both healthcare in America and those organizations that serve up that care. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119198 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:15:09 +0100 4119198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013300&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmobile-results-reporting-solutions-help-physicians-stay-connected As physicians seek more efficient ways of accessing and managing clinical information, they are relying more and more on mobile technologies to increase patient safety and improve productivity. According to Manhattan Research, the number of physicians who owned smartphones in 2009 was 64 percent, and that number is expected to reach 81 percent by 2012. And, of those physicians who own smartphones, a recent study by the Spyglass Consulting Group revealed that 94 percent are using the devices to communicate, manage personal and business workflows, and access medical information. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013300 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:52:57 +0100 4013300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003337&cid=t_166415_123_f&fid=39036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricinc.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F27%2Fi-have-a-proposal%2F Since I’ve started the blog, I’ve gotten a few requests from people to help them out with different practice/business issues. After answering a few of these questions, I’ve realized that I really enjoy doing this type of work. I enjoy analyzing data, researching topics, and giving different perspectives in an effort to solve medical practice business problems for other managers and physicians. Here’s why I like it Not only do I help people out (which I think is a cool thing to do), but I also benefit from it because every situation is unique and there is always something to learn. The Proposal So here is the deal. If you have an interesting practice management issue, and need some help resolving it, I’d like to help. Just reach out (email, phone, Twitter) and I’ll be happy ... Pediatric Inc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003337 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:30:05 +0100 4003337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3938401&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F09%2F03%2Femr-consulting-business-model%2F I’ve been thinking about the EMR consulting business model for a long time (check out my first post on EMR consulting back on October 27, 2006). My personal career path has taken me a different direction. I do some occasional consulting for people, but it’s not really my core business. Unfortunately, I don’t scale very well. With that said, I think there’s definitely a business model for a company that does EMR consulting. In fact, today I learned that one of my advertisers and also an EMR consulting company, Enterprise Software Development, was ranked #561 out of the 5000 fastest growing companies in America (see press release). That’s right. I guess EMR consulting is a good enough business that they can use an EMR consulting business to become one of the fas... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3938401 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:30:02 +0100 3938401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929309&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ficd-10-wrong-side-medical-loss-ratio-naics-draft-proposal ICD-10 looks a bit beleaguered this week. That's after state insurance commissioners issued a proposal under which health insurers would not be permitted to consider ICD-10 within their medical-loss ratio (MLR) – and physician and hospital organizations backed the idea. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929309 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:17:30 +0100 3929309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907687&cid=t_166415_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2FW23W2mjvEmM%2F I recently had the pleasure of working on a consulting project with Buchanan & Associates Consulting.  Lynn, and the consultants who work with her, have a wealth of knowledge about the ever-changing field of medical staff services.  This post is to help spread the word that the BAC web site has recently moved to a new location on the web and can now be found at   www.buchananassociatesconsulting.com (Source: MSSPNexus Blog) MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907687 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:33:21 +0100 3907687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876752&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F08%2F09%2Femr-stimulus-meaningful-use-checklist%2F A recent comment from Jim Hook from The Fox Group had a nice checklist of items that doctors and practice managers could start doing to make sure that their EMR implementation is ready to meet the meaningful use standards. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I thought was a good list for those providers wanting to being their preparation for showing meaningful use and obtaining the EMR stimulus money. Everyone should keep in mind that there are no systems “Certified” at this point. Here are some things to check as you get ready to claim your incentives for EHR Meaningful Use under the HITECH Act. This information is based on (EPs) qualifying for the Medicare incentives. 1) Start talking to your vendor about their plans to submit their EHR software for certification as �... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876752 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:14:36 +0100 3876752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740826&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FgGRcWHGyFM0%2F The healthcare giant joins a growing list of drugmakers that are disclosing info about their financial ties to physicians. The move comes after passage of the health care reform bill, which includes a provision known as Physician Payments Sunshine that requires drugmakers each year to record - starting 2012 - all gifts and payments to docs and teaching hospitals. Posting begins in 2013. The J&J list, however, offers both good news and bad news. The good news? J&J is disclosing payments. The bad news? Since J&J runs what are effectively different operating units, there are separate lists for separate units - which makes it difficult to get the bigger picture. The J&J units that have posted their first quarterly reports are Ortho-McNeil-Janssen, Centocor Ortho Biotech and... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740826 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:24:48 +0100 3740826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794954&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator-2%2Fdoes-your-dental-practice-make-the-grade%2F No matter how busy you may be in the daily grind of your dental practice it’s important to gather together as a team on a regular basis to determine how well your practice systems are working. Jameson teams use the 25 systems of a dental practice that Jameson has pinpointed and they rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being poor; 10 being excellent.  Everyone rates the systems individually; then the group tallies their scores and studies the averages.  This acts as a measurement tool and a compass on where to focus your attention as a team for practice improvement and continuous growth. Have you graded your practice lately?  Rate yourself on Jameson’s 25 systems: Improve Teamwork Discover Effective Communication Develop & Achieve Mission / Vision / Goals – Strategic Plan... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794954 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:37:41 +0100 3794954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652690&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FnijjsaDZvoo%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something that’s become a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Pfizer hired Michael Ehlers as chief scientific officer for neuroscience research. Most recently, he was a Duke Univerity neurology professor and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Ehlers also head... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652690 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:10:27 +0100 3652690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641150&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fthe-frank-sinatra-principle%2F What does Frank Sinatra have to do with your practice? Follow his lead and you may see your case acceptance numbers rise dramatically. Using the Sinatra Principle, Ken Runkle presents 4 Proven Steps to increasing case acceptance that will have more patients saying “Yes!” right away. Read the entire article. Listen to the companion audio portion at The Paragon Podcast. (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641150 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:40:06 +0100 3641150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635890&cid=t_166415_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Ftransforming-healthcare-epocrates-ceo.html " Why is the healthcare market so backward?"KL: One of the main points I have addressed is that the incentives are misaligned. There is another inhibitor. You cannot require the healthcare providers to change their workflow. You have to be a tool or service that fits into their existing workflow. Too many of the products require them to change the way they interact with patients. It is too invasive. That is why we have experienced great adoption. Our tools are convenient and easy. We are not invasive. As we move into new areas, we have to be careful that we do not fall into the same trap of requiring clients to change to match us.While most doctors have a lot of medical expertise, they are usually poor at practise management because they are often not well organised. There's a lot doctors... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635890 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:34:00 +0100 3635890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595717&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fbanta-consulting-group-purchases-speaking-consulting-network-scn%2F NEWS! One of Linda Miles’ most successful ventures, Speaking Consulting Network, was created in 1996 to bring together the wisdom and knowledge of mentors in the speaking and consulting field once a year. Corporate sponsors, editors, and meeting planners gather with dental consultants and writers for an annual cruise. Networking at the seminar leads to excellent opportunities throughout the year. Members stay in touch with one another, mentor newcomers, and receive leads from their involvement with SCN. Linda Miles, a renowned dental consultant, retired from Linda L. Miles & Associates last year after selling the business to Dr. Rhonda Savage. Mrs. Miles held on to SCN a little longer, but recently Lois Banta of Banta Consulting Group purchased SCN. Banta Consulting offers top-of-the... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595717 Tue, 25 May 2010 13:56:24 +0100 3595717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581698&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpayers-downshifting-icd-10-efforts-innovative-pragmatic As many of the front-of-the-pack payers steer from ICD-10 assessment into remediation, they are finding the transition to be more challenging and even more resource-intensive than they thought. And that realization is forcing payers to take a more pragmatic – and less strategic – approach to the conversion. The general consensus has been that health plans gained the ICD-10 pole position and jumped out ahead of providers, but healthcare companies of all ilks have a lot on their plates right now. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581698 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:44:08 +0100 3581698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577512&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2F5-tips-to-remember-when-creating-digital-case-presentations%2F Here are a few tips to help you stay on the right path when it comes to creating powerful and effective digital case presentations. Less is more.  Too much animation, sound effects, objects, text, etc., can overwhelm your patient, diluting your overall message. The total amount of time you or a team member should invest into one digital case presentation is approximately 35 minutes. Use PowerPoint templates to minimize the time you put into creating the presentation.  Why reinvent the wheel? When altering an image to show potential cosmetic results, remember the purpose is to give the patient an idea of what he or she would look like with cosmetic dentistry.  It is not a diagnostic tool. The patient photos need to show his or her teeth.  Sounds simple and like common sense.  However,... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577512 Tue, 18 May 2010 17:53:04 +0100 3577512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556197&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FOCLOMf7dIcU%2F When I wrote my previous post about EMR consultant challenges, I thought it might be valuable to create a list of possible ways to do EMR consulting. This list is just off the top of my head, so please feel free to add other EMR consulting opportunities that exist out there in the comments: EMR Selection – Consult on selecting the right EMR. EMR Implementation – Consult on the best way to implement the EMR. Map EMR workflows to their existing paper workflows. Meaningful Use – Consult a practice on how they can achieve meaningful use and get the EMR stimulus money. EMR Vendors – Consult EMR vendors on their software, their marketing, etc. IT Consulting – Consult practices on the right IT infrastructure to support an EMR in their practice. EMR Review – Review an already implemen... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556197 Tue, 11 May 2010 15:37:15 +0100 3556197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542872&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZ2lVXUknQLU%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something we hope to make a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that The University City Science Center in Philadelphia promoted Chris Laing to vp, Science & Technology, overseeing business incubators and the QED Proof-of-Concept Program. He also provides direct R&D strategy sup... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542872 Fri, 07 May 2010 11:40:40 +0100 3542872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533976&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fthe-secret-of-successful-dental-teamwork%2F Emphasizing the Strengths; the Secret of Successful Dental Teamwork “Every team works best when the members of the team have clearly defined and understood roles. Some do one thing, others do another. One isn’t better or more important than the other, just different. When teams operate out of their strengths and in their roles, they win”.  These are the words of famous American motivational coach, Chris Widener.  And they are never truer than in the business of dentistry. We are all very aware of the economic downturn we are facing today and likely feeling the effect in our own businesses.  Many practices are reporting a higher than usual cancellation rate and a plummeting case acceptance rate.  What can we do to combat this trend? Do we lower our fees?  Do we cut back on ou... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533976 Wed, 05 May 2010 14:34:38 +0100 3533976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533944&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F05%2F04%2Femr-consultant-challenges%2F Everyone has been touting all the tremendous opportunities that are out there for EMR consultants and healthcare IT people. No doubt, there’s a lot of action right now around EMR. However, I’ve started to see many EMR consultants starting to wonder where the fountain of youthwork is that they heard was coming for EMR consultants. EMR consultants face a really interesting challenge. The small clinics usually can’t afford the services of a consultant (or feel that they can’t) and the large clinics have their own in house resources and so their reticent to pay an outside EMR consultant to come into their practice. Where does that leave the EMR consultants that heard there’s this amazing need for help with EMR selection and implementation? Not an easy problem to s... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533944 Tue, 04 May 2010 15:06:04 +0100 3533944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346536&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F03%2F08%2Fselecting-the-right-emr-e-book-on-sale-now%2F I’m very happy to finally publish my first e-Book on EMR selection called “Selecting the Right EMR.” It’s 35 pages which I believe will help doctors and practice managers select the right EMR. This EMR selection e-Book is a good mix of education about the various types of EMR software and the advantages and disadvantages of those differences. Selecting the Right EMR – $49.99 To give you an idea of the content, here’s the Table of Contents for the EMR selection book: Table of Contents: Introduction EMR vs. EHR Gaining EMR Implementation Buy-In Narrowing the Field of EMR Vendors Tools for Narrowing the Field of EMR Vendors Details to Consider When Evaluating EMR Vendors EMR Demos EMR Site Visits EMR Vendor Background Check Selecting the EMR Contract Nego... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346536 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:08:01 +0100 3346536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262899&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2F3sR4YZT7fTQ%2Fepharma-summit-2010-use-online-video.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262899 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0100 3262899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236084&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Ftransparency-vs-translucency-in.html "Transparency" is a word you often hear today. It's being used a lot in relation to Wall Street bonuses. It's also used by pharmaceutical companies who are reporting payments made to physicians.The latest pharma company to report its physician payments is Cephalon. "Cephalon supports transparency in its financial relationships with healthcare professionals," says the intro to the page where financial data are presented (see "Fee for Services Paid to Healthcare Professionals"). "We believe it is important for the public to understand that our partnerships with healthcare professionals allow us to develop and bring new medicines to market, address the needs of patients, and assure the safe and appropriate use of our medications."Now I could be "snarky" and debate whether or not all these "fe... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236084 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:28:00 +0100 3236084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220736&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fnew-kol-your-local-community-doctor.html Matthew Herper, contributor to Forbe's The Science of Business blog, suggests that an "unintended consequence" of regulating financial conflicts of interest in medicine -- eg, academics taking big speaking fees from drug companies -- is that the drug industry "can make experts out of community docs, then use those for speaking. Cutting them [drug companies] off from paying the academics just keeps the academics out of the system. It doesn't get rid of the system" (see "The Pharma Marketing Hydra").I found this insight interesting because I just finished writing a Pharma Marketing News article related to this issue: "Corporate Reputation in the New Media World: Influencing the New Influencers" (PMN reprint #91-02; keep reading to get a discount code for ordering it FREE!). In that article, ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220736 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0100 3220736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096975&cid=t_166415_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fmultiple-sclerosis-and-holiday-travel%2F Back in the day, pre multiple sclerosis, when it was my job to fly to places for work, this was the time of year I absolutely loathed! I often referred myself (or rather my former wife referred to me) as a “professional traveler.”  While the flights were only the fastest way to get me to my real job, flying nearly a quarter of a million miles every year did make it seem as if it were my job to board an airplane in one time zone and deplane in another. These were pre-9/11/2001 days when I’d finish up a meeting in the car on the way to the airport, pop through security with my pre-printed boarding pass and, more often than not, be the last person to board before the door was closed. The holiday season brought out the folks, who hadn’t flown, it would seem, in years.  They would clo... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096975 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:55:25 +0100 3096975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995840&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdental-management-u-dr-rhonda-savage-in-2010%2F Dr. Rhonda Savage of Linda Miles & Associates (LLM&A) has a full schedule for 2010! See the image here to review her full speaking schedule, and visit http://www.dentalmanagementu.com/ for more information. Linda and Rhonda were regular contributors here at DentalBlogs.com in 2009. Their column, Two Sides of the Management Coin, provides practical tips and information on issues you face every day in your dental practice. The goal? To help you increase production and collections for a bright, solid future. (Source: dental blog for dentists about dentistry) dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995840 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:41:14 +0100 2995840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989408&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FA-XPZsFcYF8%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something that may become a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Irwin Lerner, a former chief executive officer of Roche’s U.S. pharma biz and most recently interim ceo at Medarex, will be among three inductees into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame for 2010. ImmunoGen named ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989408 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:05:14 +0100 2989408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931075&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F9SLLjKdn4SE%2F Everyone and their dog seems to be telling people that “Now is the time to purchase an EMR system.” Well, maybe not everyone, but a lot of highly visible people in HIT and many bloggers. I previously posted some of my thoughts about when to implement an EMR. However, I think many people missed the point of what I was trying to say. Now is the time for every doctor to select an EMR software. This is not a simple process (see this 300+ EMR vendor list) and every clinic should be participating in this process. Now is a GREAT time to select an EMR software. Plus, many, many, many clinics should even buy an EMR now. A large number of clinics aren’t going to have access to any of the EMR stimulus money no matter what they do. I work for one clinic that is in this exact situatio... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931075 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:08 +0100 2931075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902837&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FlUtSFXEBkVE%2F In a recent EMR vendor demo I did, they talked about strongly encouraging purchasers of their EMR software to do what they called a “clinical process review” before implementing their EMR. They had a contract with a third party group that would do the analysis and give the organization an idea of their current processes and what the future processes would be with an EMR. It highlighted things that would need to change, additional processes that would be added and processes that would be removed. I’ve talked about this a lot in the past and I think it’s essential to a successful EMR implementation. I called it mapping your workflows, but clinical process review sounds prettier. Certainly if you’re a large organization it can sometimes pay off to get someone els... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902837 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:07:47 +0100 2902837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879587&cid=t_166415_123_f&fid=39036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricinc.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F22%2Fwhy-i-like-physician-computer-company%2F In August I attended Physician’s Computer Company (PCC) practice management conference in Orlando, Florida. I’m going to share some of the things I learned at the conference in a subsequent post, but before I do that, I wanted to tell you about Physician Computer Company, the company that hosted the event. PCC develops a practice management (PM) software application for pediatricians. That alone is cool because there are not any (that I know) PM applications that are pediatric specific. Would you  rather work with a vendor that has many specialties or work with a company that makes your specialty their specialty? Big difference in my mind. PCC not only sells a fine piece of software, but the company partners with their clients in an effort to leverage the software for practice improve... Pediatric Inc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879587 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:34:36 +0100 2879587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807879&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fexcept-for-helicopter-pfizer-got-this.html According to a law suit filed by by Mark R. Westlock - who was a Pfizer sales rep from 1991 to 2007 - Dr. Neil S. Kaye, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College, "was known to Pfizer sales representatives as a 'big gun'" (see "Pfizer Paid for Doc's Helicopter in Off-Label Geodon Push").In his whistleblower law suit, which was part of the $2.3 billion Bextra settlement, Westlock claimed that Pfizer "conspired with Dr. Kaye as early as 2001 to begin a nationwide Geodon® promotional campaign at locations across the United States. In exchange for promoting Geodon® off-label, Defendant Dr. Kaye was paid up to $4,000 per day plus all his expenses. Defendant Dr. Kaye became such a frequent speaker that he used his own private helicopter to fly to various locati... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807879 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:11:00 +0100 2807879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778558&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdr-john-cranham-on-the-future-of-dental-implants%2F I can’t imagine doing restorative dentistry without a good relationship with an oral surgeon or periodontist. Implants are an important part of comprehensive treatment planing. Research shows, a single-tooth implant fares better than a 3-part bridge. That’s why I encourage my patients to get implants rather than bridges. There’s a great number of patients who are edentulous or edentulous just in the lower arch and cannot wear a denture comfortably. Some patients need just two or three implants or the bar system for denture stability or full fixed dentures. I am seeing that through the tough economic times, cosmetic dentistry is down, but implants are still popular. There is no question that the statistics show implants and grafts are down – still, the number of people who want the ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778558 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:59:55 +0100 2778558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2766164&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Flina-miles%2Flinda-miles-dr-rhonda-savage-on-dental-case-acceptance%2F Verbal Skills on the part of the Doctor and the Team Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles - Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage Patients build trust based on how they perceive the dentist. Does he or she treat their employees well? Is the doctor warm, caring and empathetic? Do you have your patient’s best interests at heart? In addition, many dentists have employees who are empathetic and care about their patients, but they have trouble expressing warmth. How many of you have known someone who knows dentistry perfectly but doesn’t understand the human side of case acceptance? Doctor’s Viewpoint: (Rhonda Savage) You may have spent years focusing on the technical side of dentistry and are very knowledgeable about it, yet its warmth and a relationship that our patients need and want. It... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2766164 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:32:58 +0100 2766164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757948&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fcranham%2Fcranham-on-important-planning-for-new-and-seasoned-dentists%2F The most important thing young dentists can think about, beyond gaining clinical expertise and good business practices, is a long term financial plan. I use Cain Watters & Associates, which helped my wife and me establish goals for retirement, as well as life insurance and disability insurance. Security for your family must be worked into your budget, as should disability planning. Having a fixed point in time when you can retire or only work because you want to, not because you have to, gives great peace of mind. These things are possible for dentists, and the earlier you start, the better. I began at 34 and just turned 48, and despite highs and lows, I’m still on course to retire or choose at 55. But I can’t imagine quitting at 55! When a seasoned dentist like myself looks toward... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757948 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:41:24 +0100 2757948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741458&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FHh57XlFxoWI%2F I’m really coming around on this fact. I’m not sure I should, but I am. I’m beginning to realize how big of an impact for good or bad that all this EMR stimulus money can have. Now, don’t get me wrong. I think long term there’s a lot of other benefits to EMR and I think there’s a strong case that can be made for implementing an EMR based on other EMR benefts. However, I’m starting to realize that to a large extent it is about the money. Before the EMR stimulus came to the forefront of the EMR and HIT world, I would often be asked about EMR adoption and the trends that I’d seen in EMR adoption. I’d then start to describe that about 4 years ago when I started blogging about EMR, doctors and practices were asking the question “Should... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741458 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:16:15 +0100 2741458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737892&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdental-practice-transition-planning%2F This informative article about planning for a giant career move, practice transition, was submitted to DentalBlogs by our friends at Henry Schein. Your principal asset For most dentists, ownership of their dental practice is the major focus of their energy expenditures, financial situation, and professional lives. Years of blood, sweat, and tears, coupled with the relationships formed with both staff and patients, have caused dentists to form a deep-seated emotional attachment with their practice. For many, the dollar value of that practice represents a significant portion of their financial assets. For the new dentist, there is a definite value in acquiring the patient base which has taken the transitioning dentist years to develop and will provide an immediate and substantial cash flow. ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737892 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:37:38 +0100 2737892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737893&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fcranham-on-dentistry-in-the-recession%2F As dentists, we must consider how we act in diagnosis and treatment planning. It’s very important that we don’t stop doing comprehensive examinations. In my practice, we’ve still been seeing the same number of new patients. What’s changed is the speed at which patients want to complete treatment. Only after thorough diagnosis can you create a solid treatment plan. You must do X-Rays, photos, workups, etc. Many dentists have stopped doing thorough evaluations and exams, but this will lead to not creating good treatment plans. In this situation, you could actually create your own recession in your practice! Hold your patients’ hands now, and keep them stable and healthy. Some will do major dentistry now, but many phase their treatment to accommodate a reduced personal budget. My te... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737893 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:51:31 +0100 2737893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734123&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FbkDV7zHG0Cs%2F Ok, I know I should see this coming and just expect it. However, it doesn’t make it any more right or me any more upset that this kind of shady practices occur. Yes, today I received my first notification that some EMR Consultant…errr…should I say Meaningful Use consultant…err…should I say liar…was giving detailed recommendations to a practice on how to meet meaningful use. The sad part is that the practice didn’t know that nothing is final with meaningful use and may not be until middle of 2010 and so they were handing over their money. Looks like I need to add meaningful use consultants to my list of Big Winners from the ARRA EHR stimulus money. Of course, if you’re reading this blog, you’re not likely to be the one being duped. So, t... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734123 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:30:17 +0100 2734123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734157&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fsmart-dentists-overcome-the-recession%2F In “Dentists work on reducing costs” by Arlene Furlong, an article posted on the American Dental Association’s website, we’re told that dentists are making these changes to weather the economic storm: Adding or Adjusting Hours of Operation Adding Services Hiring Associates (for extended hours & services) Do More General Dentistry Cut Overhead Cut Staff Hours Fully Use Assistants & Hygienists Tips from the experts include… Change your hours to three full days rather than four short days. Open the office early – those appointment times always book up! People work 9-5 and don’t want to dip into paid time off (or unpaid) to go to the dentist, so make sure your hours accommodate the working class – the people who have money to spend at your office. Book up empty sched... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734157 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:04:40 +0100 2734157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716043&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fphrs-what-are-they-good Title of this post is the title of a session I’ll be moderating at the upcoming AHRQ conference to be held in Bethesda, MD from Sept 13-16.  If you’ve been thinking of attending this free conference (its put on by the feds) you’ll have to register soon for as of yesterday the event was almost sold-out. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716043 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:41:07 +0100 2716043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719786&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F08%2F17%2Freplacing-an-existing-emr%2F I received the following email from a reader of this blog: I am the manager of a 2 physician, 2 nurse practitioner practice with an 11 bed sleep lab. We purchased our EMR in 2006, without much research, because it was compatible with our billing/scheduling program. It is grossly time consuming. Just entering a problem list takes 5 steps (for each disorder we are entering). It will not create notes as many EMRs do. We dictate notes to a transcription service and they are uploaded as documents. Basically it is a non-interactive storage unit, much like our paper charts were, except more time consuming. The company has basically told us that they will not be changing the system. The doctors and NPs are nearing revolt at this point because of the time that they spend trying to use this system. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719786 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:18:13 +0100 2719786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719791&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F08%2F11%2Fproblem-with-emr-selection-process%2F I read a number of online forums and blogs about EMR. Most of the time I’m amazed at all the smart people that are participating in the discussion of EMR. However, occasionally I come across comments that just make me cringe. Here’s one of those comments about the EMR selection process: Key factors to consider are cost of licensing; maintenance and any other cost of ownership fees; types of service level agreements (SLAs); redundancy/mirror imaging (ability to minimize downtime or restore system in minimal time or an alternative process for business continuity); types of technical environment/architecture required; security and access points; implementation costs (avoid customization or keep them to a minimum whenever possible); maintenance costs for customizations, which vendo... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719791 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:07:56 +0100 2719791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634536&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Ftwo-sides-to-the-management-coin-investing-and-expanding-your-dental-practice%2F Investing in New Dental Technology, Practice Expansion, or a New Building Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles – Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage During the life of a practice (30-40 years), keeping up to date with new equipment, technology and facility updates are all necessary investments that take time and money. In the past few years having a tax credit for equipment purchases has made it easier for dentists to make the decision that now is the time to make some of those purchases they have put off for a long time. Being technologically savvy is actually a marketing tool to patients who are also big on technology. One of the biggest mistakes dentists make is investing in computer software and hardware along with other pieces of equipment is NOT investing in the training for the en... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634536 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:53:42 +0100 2634536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580373&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdb-column-two-sides-of-the-management-coin%2F True Teamwork How to bring the staff and doctor(s) together Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles – Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage Life would be great, at times, if it weren’t for other people! Yet it is through relationships with others that you’ll often obtain the greatest rewards! Your dental office is where you spend many hours of your life. Getting along and working productively is so important, yet many offices experience stress because team members argue, give each other the silent treatment or allow someone else to do all the work. How well does your team work together? Can you depend on each other? Trust and respect one another? Trust and respect are two essential key elements for a dental office. Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles: Why do I have to work with her? She’s on... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580373 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:08:23 +0100 2580373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512146&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fkeeping-up-with-dental-technology-it%25e2%2580%2599s-easy%2F It’s not like you don’t have a full schedule. You practice dentistry and run a business, go to local professional meetings – maybe city meetings, travel to CE courses, and somehow, you manage to have a family and a social life. These days, dentists also have to stay in touch with the latest technological developments. “State-of-the-art” has become synonymous with “quality dental care.” DentalBlogs feels your pain! Fortunately, the Internet has revolutionized how we research and gather information. These days, you can research anywhere, anytime. Five days a week, DentalBlogs brings dentists the latest news. For up-to-the-minute dental technology news, befriend DentalBlogs on Facebook! At Facebook, we post dental news all day long. You may also want to subscribe to the feeds or... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512146 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:48:11 +0100 2512146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381362&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FyNahKMohJgM%2F Some of you might remember that I relatively recently wrote an article about types of EHR consultants for MDNG magazine. It was a fun article to write. Considering my word limitations, I had to limit it to just a very specific topic. However, I still have a bunch of other commentary on EHR consultants that I plan on posting either on this blog or as an e-book eventually, but I digress. What I thought was pretty cool about MDNG was that they took my article and not only published it online and as the cover story of the magazine, but they also did a podcast of a doctor reading my article on EHR consultants. I love their use of technology in this way. I wish computer voices would improve and then I could easily publish this whole blog as a series of podcasts. Would be pretty cool. Related p... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381362 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:52:05 +0100 2381362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348735&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D803 We have created our new brochure and we wanted share it with our blog readers first. We hope you enjoy it! (Source: Implementing EMRs) Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348735 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:54:42 +0100 2348735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2288987&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F5RF4gmcjn6k%2F A recent comment asked me what I thought about this person becoming essentially an EMR selection consultant. I started to reply in the comment, but it got so long that I decided that it was worthy of it’s own post. Plus, then all the EMR and HIPAA readers can provide other counsel and advice in the comments which will probably be even more valuable than what I have to offer. Considering so many people are losing jobs and searching for new emr jobs (no, I wasn’t paid for that link, but I was paid for the EMR Jobs ad on this page), I think this post is timely. So, the follow is my advice to Jim about becoming an EMR selection consultant. Jim, I think there are a lot of doctors that could use this type of service. There are 4 things I think our worth mentioning to you. 1. Are doct... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2288987 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:34:03 +0100 2288987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259651&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fkeeping-you-plugged-in-dr-larry-emmott%2F As always, Dr. Emmott is on the forefront of dental technology – your one-stop resource for all things dental and geeky! This week, he tells us in his blog, www.emmottontechnology.com, that the two trends that will continue to define technology in the future are the Internet and synchronizing separate devices. Want to know more? As for the Internet, it’s obviously here to stay! And as technology advances, more devices will be Internet-enabled. For instance, your phone, alarm clock, car, and even your dental supply cabinet might be linked to the Internet. In regards to synchronization, one current example is that you can watch TV on your cell phone (if you opt in to the service). Moving forward, you will begin to see this joining of technologies in the dental office. Don’t be scared o... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259651 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:48:23 +0100 2259651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259658&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdb-column-%25e2%2580%2593-two-sides-of-the-management-coin%2F Numbers and Overhead Staff Viewpoint by Linda Miles - Doctor’s Viewpoint by Dr. Rhonda Savage Knowing the numbers and overhead control in a dental office is important for both the staff and dentist. To control overhead, the staff must be aware of the numbers. Oftentimes dentists hesitate to share financial information with the team because of confidentiality concerns. However, if your team is capable of patient privacy, they are likewise capable of keeping the business information about your practice under wraps. You will be amazed how sharing the information can empower your team to work together for the greater benefit of the dental practice. STAFF VIEWPOINT (Linda Miles) We’ve all heard the phrase, “what gets measured improves.” “Why then does our doctor not want to share pra... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259658 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:05:19 +0100 2259658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240646&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fon-target-a-dentalblogs-exclusive-interview-with-kirk-behrendt-of-act-dental%2F May 1, 2009Kirk Behrendt, a powerful dental practice performance coach, international speaker, and author founded ACT Dental in 1998. He aims to “provide the most ethical and value-driven service known to the dental practice development profession.” Kirk’s lectures for 2009, The Fusion Series, include topics such as how to make dental practices thrive, creating high-performance teams, marketing, taming overhead, and building viral energy. In the current economy, Kirk’s advice for marketing and practice growth could prove invaluable to your success. Be sure to visit www.kirkbehrendt.com to learn about his upcoming speaking engagements or to register for “Motivate Your Team with Some Recession Proofing Energy” on Friday, May 1st in Eastchester, NY. At the website, you’ll also ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240646 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:51:39 +0100 2240646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2235820&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D617 A good friend and mentor was known for sitting patiently during long, contentious meetings before finally asking “What problem are we trying to solve?” After receiving blank stares, she would respond with “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s define the problem before we attempt to solve it.” I consistently find problem definition to be one of the most overlooked components of any project. And what’s funny is PMPs often get so busy coming up with a charter, vision statement, or some other Project Management Institute concoctions, rather than gaining a firm grasp of the problem to be solved. This approach directly results in loss in money, time, and resources as the project drifts without a clear mission. Similarly, when making decisions ... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2235820 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:36:21 +0100 2235820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2235821&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D654 “Change”…..a term we experienced every day during last year’s election.  Now the rubber hits the road and with the infusion of funding into Health IT that change has to be successful if we want to control our national healthcare costs. Who hasn’t spent the last several weeks reading the HITECH ACT, meeting with various stakeholders to figure out what position to take, how best to angle for funding and who can do the work with the time comes?  Intriguing almost… However, this financial infusion into the healthcare is something that HAS to work this time around, not for political reasons but for pragmatic reasons when faced with some of the following trends in healthcare spending…. National spending is approx. 16% of the GDP.  This translates to ... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2235821 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:34:10 +0100 2235821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249057&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FZm6KGM0_HWU%2F The more I read comments on this blog and on EMR forums, I realize that there’s a real need for some sort of simple but effective guide to understanding the EMR selection and implementation process. Basically, I’m talking about a mix of showing a realistic picture of selecting an implementing an EMR. A discussion of the realities faced by almost everyone implementing an EMR. This of course would be coupled with some strategies to avoid as many problems as possible. However, hopefully it would also help doctors have a better vision of what they can expect in the EMR selection and implementation process. DrQ from EMRUpdate was one of my motivations for wanting to do this, so I feel I should give him some credit. So, this weekend I’m going to start the process of creating a ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249057 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:52:26 +0100 2249057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2224525&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D612 John Lynn at EMR and HIPAA wrote a great article about choosing EHR/EMR Consultants: Does Your EHR Consultant Have Your Best Interest in Mind? I believe people who are thinking about choosing a consultant, should take a couple of moments to read it. One of the reasons I love this article is because it re-affirms a conscious choice Ben & I chose with TempDev: not to be involved in the selection process. We are both very comfortable with NextGen and while we know other EHRs we would be completely biased towards one EHR. For this reason, we decided it wouldn’t be ethical for our company to be involved in selection. One selection and contracts are signed our company can bring vendor relationships to the client to help them with thorough implementation and optimization experience. We ... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2224525 Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:07:44 +0100 2224525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216452&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FjasomQbcoWo%2F I mentioned previously that I was working on an article about EHR consultants. I wanted to sincerely thank all those people who commented on EHR consultants and sent me feedback on things I should include in my article. As you’ll see, I used a lot of the feedback that you gave me to form the article. That’s really the power of the internet to bring a bunch of bright people together to create something of far greater value than I could have created on my own. Thank you for your feedback. I’m told the Magazine has been sent to the presses and those of you who get MDNG magazine will see my article soon (hopefully someone will get one to me). The cool thing is that my article is the cover story for the February issue of MDNG. For those that don’t want to wait for the ma... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216452 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:47:59 +0100 2216452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2206082&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D582 We’ve posted several times recently about Obama’s EHR stimulus, now called HITECH, but we’ve only looked at the stimulus from the Medicare perspective. It turns out that even more money, potentially $65,000 per provider, may be available from Medicaid for qualifying safety net providers. Unfortunately, the requirements are a legislative mess, so here’s a quick summary. Under the Medicaid plan, qualifying providers are physicians, dentists, certified nurse mid-wives, nps, and practioners. Providers’ patient population must be comprised of 30% needy patients (20% for pediatricians). The legislation defines a needy patient as covered by Medicaid, receiving services under Title XXI, unable to pay, or receiving services on a sliding scale due to inability to pay. I... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2206082 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:22:56 +0100 2206082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200360&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F02%2F19%2Fbig-winners-from-obama-ehr-stimulus-hitech%2F Discussion of Obama EHR Stimulus Today the following videos came across my Twitter feed and...Economic Stimulus Bill Simplified Today, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” was...Effect of Stimulus Package on EHR Adoption The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act’s... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200360 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:19:56 +0100 2200360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144435&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F01%2F28%2Fallscripts-ceos-stunning-take-on-obamas-emr-plans%2F In a recent Wall Street Journal article on electronic medical records, they talk about Allscripts’ CEO’s take on the governments planned $20 billion investment in EMR.  Here’s a portion of the article: Glen Tullman, chief executive of the health IT outfit Allscripts-Misys Healthcare and an advisor to the Obama campaign on health information technology issues, argues that that any legislation should first help doctors buy and install electronic medical records, then give them financial incentives to actually use them in a way that could reduce waste and improve care. “That one-two punch would dramatically change the adoption rate for physicians,” he said in an interview with the Health Blog. I’ve talked about Obama EMR many times before on this blog and over the... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144435 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:19:20 +0100 2144435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2137491&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fa-dentalblogs-exclusive-interview-with-dr-rhonda-savage%2F Joining our panel of Great Minds for 2009 is Dr. Rhonda Savage, the new owner of Linda L. Miles & Associates, a respected and established consulting firm. Dr. Savage has a diverse history in dentistry, ranging from a Navy dental officer to being the first female president of the Washington Dental Association to running two successful private practices. Why is Dr. Savage a Great Mind? She says, “All practices should increase profits every year, even in the current recession.” And she can show you how to make it happen. DB: What has your history been in dentistry? I started working in the front office of a dental practice while in high school. Then, in 1976, I became a dental assistant and continued that for four years. I earned my DDS from University of Washington School of ... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2137491 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:52:32 +0100 2137491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110551&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Flina-miles%2Fdb-column-two-sides-of-the-management-coin-dental-team-compensation-and-benefits%2F STAFF VIEWPOINT (LINDA MILES) During these difficult economic times, the dental team doesn’t understand WHY raises and improved benefits don’t automatically happen. This is especially true if they are having a more difficult time with their personal finances. There needs to be open and concise communication from the doctor as to how times like these are handled so that when times are better, their personal compensation can be better as well. Not discussing this issue with the team crates low morale, inner-office gossip, and total dissatisfaction of employees. The staff members think and in most cases say to each other: “We have worked harder this past year than any other, yet there was no end-of-the year bonus, as in the past (or it was much lower)…AND, have you he... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110551 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:05:19 +0100 2110551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2098744&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D513 So being a consultant I’m very passionate about the topic of our series on the Good, Bad, and Ugly of the consultant community. I have to say that after cleaning up “the ugly” as a full time employee and as a consultant, it makes me even more fired up. I’m excited to contribute to John’s questions about Making the Most of an EHR Consultant. This is a huge topic, so I will break it down to the different types of consultants for the different phases of your implementation. Phase 1 - EHR/EMR Selection Consultants There are consulting groups that specialize in helping you make the selection of your EMR/EHR vendor. If your group needs help getting vendors together, viewing demos, knowing what to looking for, and helping you decide what would be the best for your g... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2098744 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:54:13 +0100 2098744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2096229&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D523 So tonight as I was celebrating my husband’s birthday at Dave and Buster’s, I was using Twitter to see who was winning the Golden Globes on their Twitter Page. Twitter as Wikipedia defines it is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. I have my personal Twitter and my professional Twitter which I love to use to communicate with friends. Sometimes it’s easier to send a text to update everyone about what is going on that anything else. So here is my new idea: when there is a large muli-site implementation, use Twitter to communicate with the different onsite implementation teams. Here is how to set it up: H... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2096229 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:43:59 +0100 2096229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2095449&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D510 As continuation of our series on the Good, Bad, and Ugly of the consultant community, we’ll answer another of John’s questions: Does unbiased consultant exist? As a consultant, the answer is clearly no! Every consultant will have experience with certain EMRs, maybe even partnerships with specific EMR companies, and will consciously or sub-consciously drive you to their EMR of choice. However, there are benefits to having consultants assist with the system selection process. Consultants who have been through successful EMR implementations will know the right questions to ask, be able to quickly identify red flags (such as vaporware), and have access to fellow consultants to query for honest, off the record, opinions. So how do you use a consultant for system selection when they&... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2095449 Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:21:15 +0100 2095449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2092501&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fon-target-an-exclusive-dentalblogs-interview-with-linda-miles-of-speaking-consulting-network%2F Linda Miles, CSP, CMC will join our panel of Great Minds for 2009, and we’re excited to introduce her to our readers through this insightful interview. Linda owned LLM&A, a respected dental consulting firm, for 30 years before turning over the reigns to Dr. Rhonda Savage (more on Dr. Savage, another Great Mind, to follow!). Linda also started Speaking Consulting Network in 1997, which she still maintains. SCN is a networking organization for speakers, consultants, and writers in the dental industry. Each year, the crowning event is the Sun Fun Seminar - a three-day seminar on land, followed by a four-day cruise. DB: Tell us about LLM&A and how you got started. LM: LLM&A is a practice management and team development company that has evolved over the past three decades int... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2092501 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:49:01 +0100 2092501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990532&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F11%2F26%2Fencouraging-new-emr-users%2F I think we need more people like this that offer some words of advice and encouragement for new EMR users. Start slow, don’t hesitate to ask for pointers, and get some good habits started at the outset. And you’ll do fine. The last part is the best part. You really will do fine. Many have implemented an EMR successfully before you and you can do it also. It will take work and effort, but it will make it that much more meaningful and fulfilling to you in the end. Related posts:Biometrics - Multiple Users Multiple Users In my continuing Biometrics experience I found some...EMR Software Selection Websites I get quite a few emails from people that are...EMR and EHR Jobs Just the other day I saw an old link to... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990532 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:57:05 +0100 1990532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968612&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F11%2F18%2Fprerequisites-for-achieving-interoperable-emr-and-ehr%2F Today I came across an organization called the Electronic Health Record Association (EHRA). It looks like it’s kind of a consortium of EHR vendors that are also members of HIMSS. I’ve just begun reading some of the work and goals they have. A very interesting organization. I have much to say about what I’ve read, but one of their main initiatives seems to be the EHRVA Interoperability Roadmap. I took a quick look at version 2 of the document to try and gain an idea of how they were trying to accomplish the lofty and difficult goal of interoperable EHR/EMR software. Briefly looking at the document one section in particular caught my eye that was called “Prerequisites for Achieving Interoperability.” I was excited to read what they thought was important for inte... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968612 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:34:51 +0100 1968612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960485&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F11%2F13%2Freasons-small-practices-arent-implementing-an-ehr%2F I’m sad that I didn’t see this list until now. Mike Gleason provides an interesting list of reasons why small practices aren’t implementing an EHR as fast as we’d like them to implement. Here’s his list of 10 reasons: Fear Ego Money War Stories No one wants to go first Product not perfected yet Waiting on Govt mandates Waiting on hospital install or Stark gift I have people for that Change A really great list. Mike also discusses each of these points. As time permits I’d love to take some of his points and write some comments on each. More important for this post, I wondered what other reasons might be missing from this list. Here’s a few others that I came up with: I’m retiring soon I don’t like computers (similar to “Computers S... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960485 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:18:58 +0100 1960485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1938845&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F11%2F06%2Fbenefits-of-converting-from-paper-chart-to-emr%2F Today, I decided to start a new web page that I believe will really grow over time. It’s basically a list of the possible benefits a doctor or clinic can receive from using an EMR or EHR rather than paper charts. I haven’t take much time to make the list at all, but I think it’s better to start it and then as ideas come to my head I can add to it as time permits. I already have a number of other ideas (like quality of medical care), but I need some more free time to put all the details down. Now that I’m thinking about it a little bit more, maybe each benefit of an EMR should have it’s very own blog post describing the benefit that’s received by using EMR. We’ll see how that works. Seems like a worthwhile series of posts to me. Also, in all fairnes... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1938845 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:04:57 +0100 1938845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1922185&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D286 Sometimes people say to me that they want to do what I do, so I thought I’d write about what it takes to be an independent consultant. Well luckily it’s not just me now, a couple of months ago I brought a partner (Ben) into the company which is awesome. So here are some of my tips: Be absolutely certain that you’re prepared to be a consultant. It’s a lot more demanding than being an employee and mistakes aren’t as easily forgiven. Have a solid contract, at least a year commitment, with a group before leaving your full time job. This doesn’t have to be full-time contract , but at least something that will pay your bills. Get a CPA! Keeping track of quarterly with holdings and paying the IRA & State all your money is tough. Try to find a good niche ma... Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1922185 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:06:59 +0100 1922185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1906169&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F429566227%2F Andrew Witty wants to board the transparency train. After a few rival drugmakers - such as Lilly and Merck - vowed to disclose payments to doctors, Glaxo is now saying it will do the same. And so the ceo promises to make public the level of advisory fees it offers to doctors and medical academics, and will strictly cap the payments they can receive in the US to $150,000 a year, according to The Financial Times. He tells the paper that he will impose a cap “without exception” on payments and promised to publish the amounts. Although, a timetable has not been revealed. [Our thought: $150,000 is a lot of money, Andrew. Why so much?] The move comes after Glaxo has been caught up in pair of publicized debacles. In the US, Charles Nemeroff received about $1 million in payments from G... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1906169 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:03:07 +0100 1906169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1880647&cid=t_166415_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F420552891%2F Have you ever wondered how we can maintain SharpBrains website, blog and newsletter without selling any product and with only limited advertising? People often ask us that question, especially once we explain that we don't sell products (selling products would present a conflict of interest given our mission to "provide individuals, companies and institutions with high-quality, research-based, information and guidance to navigate the growing cognitive and brain fitness market".) The answer is, we offer proprietary market research and advisory services to organizations such as these. They want to fully understand emerging Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health trends, opportunities and challenges, in order to make better-informed decisions. Examples: - leading healthcare providers eva... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880647 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:38 +0100 1880647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1816187&cid=t_166415_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F399010221%2F A recent CNN article explains well why a growing number of companies use brainteasers and logic puzzles of a type called “guesstimations” during job interviews: - "Seemingly random questions like these have become commonplace in Silicon Valley and other tech outposts, where companies aren't as interested in the correct answer to a tough question as they are in how a prospective employee might try to solve it. Since businesses today have to be able to react quickly to shifting market dynamics, they want more than engineers with high IQs and good college transcripts. They want people who can think on their feet." What are technology companies (Google, Microsoft, Amazon) and consulting companies (McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture...) looking for? They want employees w... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1816187 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:47:07 +0100 1816187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809643&cid=t_166415_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdentists-get-creative-during-economic-downswing%2F Depending on where you practice dentistry, you may be feeling the financial effects of our economic downswing. While cosmetic dentistry and dental spas were hot topics two and three years ago, today, many dentists are working hard to break even by providing bread-and-butter services. An article at www.mlive.com, a Michigan news site, reports that one dentist found a solution for patients who didn’t qualify for credit with traditional patient financing companies. He met with a local bank to create a payment option that would draft patients’ bank accounts monthly. Their program was called SmartPay, and it worked. With a default rate of approximately ten percent, a set up fee of ten percent helped offset losses. In the end, the bank, dentist, and patients were happy. Many dentis... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809643 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:16:59 +0100 1809643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1682878&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F08%2F05%2Fpractice-fusions-free-emr-reaches-milestone%2F I’ve recently been rather critical of Practice Fusion’s free EMR offering. I honestly don’t think that any of my feelings have changed about their offering. However, here’s a part of their press release that at least shows they’re getting some traction Practice Fusion, the leader in free, web-based physician practice applications, announced today the addition of 1,300 medical professionals since its launch in November of 2007 and is currently serving more than a quarter million patients. That should be a large enough sample size to get some interesting feedback about the product. The question is whether the product is really that good or whether the people at Practice Fusion are just great at marketing. Granted, marketing a free product is easier than getting... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1682878 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:38:40 +0100 1682878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652923&cid=t_166415_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F345368972%2F Busy as we have been, we only recently compiled the list of organizations who have purchased our Brain Fitness Market Report so far. We were impressed by the quality and variety represented, and the cross-sector demand for quality information in the emerging brain fitness/ cognitive health category. Seeing the list helps us prioritize efforts and coverage of market and research news and trends. Below you have a selection of main categories, and a few selected clients: · Research centers and universities: Harvard Medical School, US Army Research Lab, Oregon Center for Applied Science, University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan. · Older adults organizations and communities: American Association of Retired People (AARP), Sunrise Senior Living, Belmont Village Senior Living. ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652923 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:12:55 +0100 1652923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622143&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fcandid-camera-research-into-physician.html The folks at MBS/Vox, part of CommonHealth, "a research-based consultancy specializing in the physician-patient dialogue," is at it again with their "candid camera" doctor's office research.You may remember CommonHealth's claim that drug advertisers don't know how DTC works. They based that conclusion on video recordings of physician-patient communications during office visits. CommonHealth claimed that very few patients asked for a brand name that they saw in a recent DTC ad. Therefore, DTC does not work by causing patients to ask for brand name drugs. Ergo, DTC works, but we don't know why. I totally destroyed the validity of the conclusions of that research in a previous post to this blog (see "Advertisers Don't Know How DTC Works. Say wha?").I received an email today from my friends ov... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622143 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:39:00 +0100 1622143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522553&cid=t_166415_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-medical-research%2F Gardiner Harris and Benedict Carey wrote an article in last week’s New York Times includes, titled “Researchers Fail to Reveal Full Drug Pay.“ In it , they describe yet another instance of industry influence over what research and manipulation of the marketplace of ideas. We’ve included a few excerpts from the story below. * * * A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university officials, according to information given Congressional investigators. By failing to report income, the psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Biederman, and a colleague in the psych... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522553 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:01:35 +0100 1522553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1442672&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F05%2F14%2Frating-your-own-emr%2F Some people have asked me how I rate the EMR I work with every day. I can’t bring myself to do it. It’s unfair to me and the people I work with. It’s not that I don’t have strong feelings about my EMR. I really do. I know the pros and cons, the ins the outs, and everything in between. However, it’s just hard rating my EMR and hopefully I can help you understand why. My job is to implement this EMR the best way possible. That’s what I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s good bad or ugly. It’s counter productive for me to rate how good my EMR is. It is what it is. I haven’t been assigned the task of selecting an EMR. I’m not paid right now to see what other EMR vendors might be better than the one I have. I’m paid to do my ver... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1442672 Wed, 14 May 2008 18:45:11 +0100 1442672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439427&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F05%2F12%2Fusing-an-emr-for-business-intelligence-bi%2F We reported on appointments by date (this includes day, month, quarter, year, etc), provider, gender, birthdate, ethnicity, etc. We also uploaded the room number that an appointment used so that we could measure the utilization of our exam rooms. Luckily our EMR stored all the information about exam rooms. We also pulled in the data that described when a patient arrived at the clinic, when the nurse started the intake and when the provider finally saw them. We haven’t actually built any reports on that time study data, but it would be really interesting. That’s really just the beginning of what we were able to do with the EMR data, but I think you get the point. The real question at this point is what other EMR data could benefit from some quality BI analysis? Here’s a fe... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439427 Tue, 13 May 2008 07:14:34 +0100 1439427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1418695&cid=t_166415_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F282910329%2F In the past two days, The New York Times has published two excellent articles on brain and cognitive fitness. Despite appearing in separate sections (technology and editorial), the two have more in common than immediately meets the eye. Both raise key questions that politicians, health policy makers, business leaders, educators and consumers should pay attention to. 1) First, Exercise Your Brain, or Else You’ll ... Uh ..., by Katie Hafner (5/3/08). Some quotes: - "At the same time, boomers are seizing on a mounting body of evidence that suggests that brains contain more plasticity than previously thought, and many people are taking matters into their own hands, doing brain fitness exercises with the same intensity with which they attack a treadmill." - "Alvar... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1418695 Sat, 03 May 2008 20:03:03 +0100 1418695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413598&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F281452200%2F The growing effort to isolate ties between industry and academia is playing out in a curious way in the editorial pages of Boston’s big newspapers. Last week, a pair of prominent academic docs lashed out at a Massachusetts bill designed to ban gifts to doctors as a way to lower prescription drug costs. The editorial in The Boston Herald, however, at first failed to note their conflicts (since then, it was updated with one disclosure). Earlier this week, yet another editorial appeared in The Boston Globe in which one of the same academic docs - Dennis Ausiello, chief of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital - and David Shaywitz, a former research fellow at MassGen and former Merck research scientist - complained that criticism of industry-funded academic research is often unfair ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413598 Thu, 01 May 2008 13:39:26 +0100 1413598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373837&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F270681667%2F With little fanfare, a small number of prominent academic scientists have decided to stop accepting payments from drug and device makers for speaking at meetings or for sitting on advisory boards. And while they maintain that it’s important for for knowledgeable scientists to help companies draw up and interpret studies, any work they do will be pro bono, The New York Times writes. As an example, the paper cites Peter Libby, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who began receiving offers from drugmakers 25 years ago. And it seemed like a natural reflection of his growing reputation. He never owned stock in companies that he consulted for and always disclosed his consulting and speaking. So he thought he was protected from accusations of favo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373837 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:35:22 +0100 1373837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1278315&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F245558858%2F The Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General is likely to start requiring disclosure of consulting relationships with doctors as part of settlement agreements with drugmakers in the coming year, according to The RPM Report. The arrangement will likely mirror what several device makers are now doing. You may recall that, last fall, four medical device implant makers - Zimmer, DePuy Orthopaedics, Biomet, Smith & Nephew - signed deals with the US Attorney’s Office in New Jersey to address allegations they used “consulting agreements, lavish trips and other perks” as marketing and sales tools. So they signed Deferred Prosecution Agreements and made payments of about $300 million. But that wasn’t all. The prosecutors required them to create lists of all of ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1278315 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:11:00 +0100 1278315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179667&cid=t_166415_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fcafe-culture.html Today I sat in a cafe with my laptop, writing an article for eventual publication on the new Nurse LinkUp website. What freedom to sit in a busy cafe on a cold winter day, steaming coffee by my side, getting paid to write. Is this really how I can now live some of my days?The cafe is filled with people with laptops, typing away, sipping coffee and munching pastries. I help the woman next to me connect to the cafe's wireless internet network, and I surmise that she is a student. I run into an acquaintance who builds websites for a particular educational institution, and she praises the fact that she can telecommute two days a week. We wonder at the notion that more and more people seem to be able to work without leaving the comfort of home (or a cozy cafe). We also acknowledge that it is an... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179667 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:03:00 +0100 1179667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162477&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F01%2F19%2Fbenefits-of-using-an-emrehr-consultant-improved-clinical-buy-in%2F Part five of our five part series on the benefits of an EMR or EHR consultant is improved clinical buy-in. Improved Clinical Buy-In Hiring a proven EMR consultant alleviates fear and increases clinical buy in. However, more importantly, EMR consultants are able to provide a clinic the tools needed to show an EMR implementation’s ROI. EMR consultants should do a comprehensive analysis to show how an EMR implementation will reduce costs, increase revenues, and better care for patients. Quantifying the potential returns on an EMR investment generates significant buy in at all levels of a clinical organization. See other parts of Benefits of using an EMR/EHR Consultant: Benefits of Using an EMR/EHR Consultant - Selection Process Benefits of Using an EMR/EHR Consultant - EMR Training Bene... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162477 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:32:17 +0100 1162477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1161993&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F01%2F18%2Fbenefits-of-using-an-emrehr-consultant-comprehensive-technology-support%2F Part four of our five part series on the benefits of an EMR or EHR consultant is comprehensive technology support. Comprehensive Technology Support By providing a comprehensive set of technology support, a technical EMR consultant can alleviate doctor’s concern over the implementation of new technology. An EMR consultant’s proven track record of implementing these health care related technologies in doctors’ offices allows them to do it in a robust, efficient, and cost effective manner. Doctors save time searching through the numerous technology choices because EMR consultants can point them to the best brand of technology or even to technologies the doctor didn’t know existed. See other parts of “Benefits of using an EMR/EHR Consultant: Benefits of Using an E... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1161993 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:17:45 +0100 1161993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155761&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F01%2F16%2Fbenefits-of-using-an-emrehr-consultant-clinical-process-mapping%2F Part three of our five part series on the benefits of an EMR or EHR consultant is clinical process mapping. Clinical Process Mapping One of the hardest things for a doctor new to EMR to do is see how their current clinical processes will work electronically in an EMR. To alleviate this fear, EMR consultants can first map out a doctor’s clinical processes. They can then use their experience with other EMR implementations and show how current clinical processes will be done using an EMR. This will save doctors a lot of time mapping out these processes. It also provides a clear understanding of what a doctor’s clinic will look like electronically. However, the most important part of this process is that it provides a way to find problems that may occur with an EMR before you&#8217... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155761 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:13:16 +0100 1155761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146113&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2008%2F01%2F12%2Fbenefits-of-using-an-emrehr-consultant-emr-training%2F Part two of our five part series on the benefits of an EMR or EHR consultant is EMR Training. EMR Training Using an EMR consultant’s experience in successful EMR implementations, they have a strong ability to train doctors on EMR and other related technologies. Some of this training occurs in an initial meeting where they discuss challenges related to EMR selection and implementation. EMR consultants also provide ongoing training on how to best use their EMR in their clinic. Furthermore, EMR consultants can train clinical staff on using the various technologies associated with using an EMR. See other parts of “Benefits of using an EMR/EHR Consultant: Benefits of Using an EMR/EHR Consultant - Selection Process (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146113 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:54:33 +0100 1146113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146114&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F01%2F11%2Fbenefits-of-using-an-emrehr-consultant-selection-process%2F A while back I wrote something about why having an EMR or EHR consultant could be beneficial to a doctor looking to implement an EHR. Here’s the first part of a five part series on reasons why I think a well qualified, experienced EMR or EHR consultant is valuable. The first part is how an EMR or EHR consultant helps with the selection process. EHR Selection Process By first evaluating a doctor’s needs and preferences EHR consultants are able to eliminate a majority of the EHR companies and provide doctors with a short list of high quality EHR vendors to evaluate. By providing a smaller pool of EHR vendors, doctors are more comfortable with the selection process and don’t get discouraged seeing hundreds of EHR vendors that don’t meet their needs. EHR consultants als... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146114 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:59:53 +0100 1146114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1052292&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fdr-carlats-true-confession-199999-more.html Dr. Daniel Carlat knew his career as an industry-sponsored speaker (aka, industry ho) was over when the Wyeth district manager (aka, pimp) who first hired him said: "My reps told me that you weren't as enthusiastic about our product at your last talk. I told them that even Dr. Carlat can't hit a home run every time. Have you been sick?".That is just one of the many tidbits into the life of an "industry-sponsored (MD) speaker" Carlat offered in a lengthy New York Times Magazine story published this past Sunday (see "Dr. Drug Rep")."Regardless of how I preferred to think of myself (an educator, a psychiatrist, a consultant), I was now classified as one facet of a lunch helping to pitch a drug, a convincing sidekick to help the sales rep." Sidekick does not accurately describe the relationshi... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1052292 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:37:00 +0100 1052292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027027&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F11%2F14%2Fattending-the-pccha-conference%2F I’m currently attending the PCCHA conference which is basically the college health association conference for the west coast. The conference has been quite interesting. A few of the sessions ended up being quite useful, but more than anything it was just fun for me to talk to all of the various people working in the college health community. Most of my conversations centered around EHR and EMR implementation, but it was also fun to see these other college health professionals jealous of the really state of the art facilities we have on our campus. My presentation on EMR went quite well and I think that many of the people in the audience got some useful information. At least that’s my hope. It was fun to present on EMR and the things we’ve learned. The interesting thing fo... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027027 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:09:45 +0100 1027027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=974091&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F10%2F23%2Femr-software-selection-websites%2F I get quite a few emails from people that are interested in having me write something about their company or website. I always welcome those emails as long as they are not spam to hundreds of websites. I must get 100s of emails asking me to buy lists of doctors. Do they really think if they keep sending me spam emails that I’ll finally change my mind and buy one of their lists. Never. I already have thousands of doctors reading my blog. I don’t need some snail mail method of communicating with doctors. I digress, but my point is that if someone wants to contact me, then they better use something that doesn’t look like spam and looks like they took time to look at my website. Once such email did just that. I could tell it was more than the average spam. How many other peop... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=974091 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:46:13 +0100 974091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=962464&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F10%2F18%2Fpresenting-on-emr-at-pccha-conference%2F The day is fast approaching for me to present at the Pacific Coast College Health Association conference in Hawaii. In fact, I have less than a month to finish my preparations. I feel pretty good about my ability to present and also my knowledge of EMR, but presenting something always gets my nerves going. I think once I get started talking about EMR, then I won’t be able to stop. My real hope is that the people that attend my session will be interested in what I have to say, find it useful and ask good questions. Honestly, a part of me really wishes that I was a member of a panel where I just answered questions about EMR. I think that would be a lot of fun. Since it’s not a panel, then I’d love to hear any feedback from people on things I should include in my presentatio... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=962464 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:05:04 +0100 962464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=954026&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fpfizer-has-gold-mine-in-sermo.html "For now, we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known." -- Cor. 13:12The recent announcement of the Pfizer-Sermo deal has been discussed by practically every blogger in the Pharma Blogosphere and beyond!Is Pfizer in this to promote its products to Sermo docs? Reading all these blog posts and articles would lead you to believe that that is what's behind this.If you look at Cafe Pharma, for example, you will find that some Pfizer sales reps wonder if this signals the "Beginning of the End for Sales Reps.""Look people," says one rep, "the days of old are gone. Companies will have more and more docs working for them, giving other physicians our message. [Whether] it be through Sermo, conference calls, video p... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=954026 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:23:00 +0100 954026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=847513&cid=t_166415_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F153160334%2Fgembutsu_consultants_for_brain.html Change can work in a firm’s favor – and Gembutsu Consulting shows how it happens in four brain based stages.1. Engage people's intelligences for solutions. You’d be hard pressed to miss Gembutsu Consulting’s  emphasis on transformation – built on quality consensus  that capitalizes on problem solving tools … such as creating solutions … in smaller bite sized segments. It’s not usually a given though.2. Motivate waste elimination and refined processes. Perhaps you’ve introduced change and ended up with chaos. Have you ever altered one part of a system at work, for instance, only to have all the other parts shift and consume that change … so that its effect is barely felt … or not at all evident? The key... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=847513 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:30:56 +0100 847513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=789134&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F08%2F08%2Fmy-theory-of-5-emr-systems%2F I personally have a theory on doctors selecting an EMR system. I call it “My Theory of 5.” It goes like this. I believe that after a short discussion with a doctor’s office, I could give them a list of 5 EMR systems to evaluate. My guarantee is that Any of the 5 suggested systems can work for their doctor’s office. Furthermore, I also guarantee that every one of those 5 EMR systems will cause them a certain number of headaches and challenges. However, in the end if they are willing to adapt and learn the new system, they will be happy they decided to use an EMR. It’s a pretty simple system that I’ve only used one time. That’s why I call it a theory. It worked well for the doctor that used it. I gave him a list of 5 systems to evaluate. We talked a ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=789134 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:17:47 +0100 789134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=777539&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F08%2F03%2Fdetermining-proper-electronic-check-in-forms%2F As I pointed out in my previous post on patients filling out forms electronically, it is absolutely essential that your EMR software supports a robust set of preferences for determining which forms a patient should fill out. Let’s take three example forms to illustrate most of the needed options: HIPAA privacy form, Health History form, Consent for Pap Smear. All of these forms need to be filled out in different intervals. HIPAA Privacy Form I think that in most cases, the HIPAA privacy form is something that just has to be filled out one time. Once I’ve filled it out, then I don’t want to have to ever see that form again. What does this mean for the EMR self check in kiosk? That means the computer has to check my account and know if that form has been filled out already ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=777539 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:48:32 +0100 777539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=776050&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F08%2F02%2Fself-check-in-patients-electronic-paperwork%2F It looks like my previous post about Digital Signatures in an EMR drew quite a bit of interest looking at the stats. Really this isn’t surprising. How long have we been signing things electronically at Walmart. Longer than I can remember honestly. Sure, Walmart is worth billions of dollars, but the technology isn’t that expensive. The real advantage that Walmart has is a great legal team. Setting the legal items aside, the technology of a digital signature is not rocket science by any means. In fact, it’s the legal questions that are harder mostly because there just hasn’t been much case law that has dealt with it. Just as a thought, I would highly suggest that whoever reads about this talks with a good legal team before implementing it. Of course, reading the comme... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=776050 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:14:10 +0100 776050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=734429&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2007%2F07%2F13%2Fan-emr-documentation-wiki%2F I’ve previously talked about having a HIPAA wiki for your offices HIPAA documentation. I still think that’s genius. However, I’ve extended that idea a lot more into having an offices internal documentation, policies and procedures and any other documentation on a wiki. It just makes sense. It’s the best way to keep things updated and accessible. No, those pile of word documents that people can search isn’t even close to as powerful as a wiki. Even if you have version control and use sharepoint. Today I started thinking about how every EMR vendor should have an EMR documentation wiki for their software. I know my EMR vendor gave us a manual that was outdated before it could be printed. A paper based manual for EMR should not be useful for you. If it is, then yo... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=734429 Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:25:31 +0100 734429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=702096&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fpimp-my-doc.html Catherine DeAngelis, the editor of JAMA, is costing her "ride" (aka the ad folks at JAMA) a bundle of pharma ad dollars because she once said to a doctor who dodged a tough question during an industry-funded speech, "Do you understand what prostituting yourself is? That's what you just did." This is according to a recent post to the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog (see "How to Rile Up the Editor of JAMA").This got my creative juices following and I just had to interpret Catherine's remarks visually. Maybe she''ll frame the above image and hang it on her office wall. (BTW, don't write me any comments about the political correctness of this image. I work with what I have.)According the WSJ Health Blog:How does DeAngelis reconcile her tough stance on drug information with the pharmaceutical... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=702096 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:16:00 +0100 702096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=655492&cid=t_166415_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fpharma-hires-charlatans-for-research.html What would you call a doctor who "violated the protocols of every study he led that [the FDA] audited?"Or a doctor who was criticised by a medical board "for writing narcotics prescriptions for patients he knew were using false names, a violation of federal narcotics laws?"Or a doctor who "repeatedly prescribed narcotics and other controlled substances to addicts, renewing one patient's prescriptions six weeks after the patient was jailed and telling another that his addictive pills should be thought of as 'Hamburger Helper.'"?Or a doctor who "prescribed narcotics to pregnant patients, one of whom prematurely delivered a baby who soon died."?I would say that calling this doctor a CHARLATAN would be justified!Yet, according to a New York Times story, this doctor, whose name is Dr. Faruk Abu... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=655492 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:39:00 +0100 655492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=622958&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2007%2F05%2F17%2Fquestions-to-ask-during-an-emr-site-visit%2F There are a ton of questions that you should ask when doing an EMR site visit. Yes, I’m not going to even address that you should do a site visit. If you don’t think you should, then just plan on your EMR implementation to fail. Ok, that might be a small exaggeration, but not by much. A site visit to see the EMR software working and to ask questions from actual users of the system should be an essential part of any EMR selection process. Here’s a few questions you might want to ask when you’re doing an EMR site visit (Thanks Elsie): * Was the amount and quality of training sufficient? * How did you go about minimizing productivity loss during implementation? * Are interfaces with lab, PMS, etc. functioning to your expectations? * Where there any unexpected costs? ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=622958 Fri, 18 May 2007 06:50:03 +0100 622958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610989&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2007%2F05%2F08%2Fshort-list-of-emr-benefits%2F In my business plan I made a short list of benefits that can come from implementing an EMR. • Avoid Medical Mistakes – there have been 44,000-98,000 deaths due to medical errors • Reduce Costs – An EMR significantly reduces and often eliminates transcription and medical records costs • Increases Revenue – Complete and proper documentation with an EMR can allow doctors to charge insurance companies a higher rate while avoiding liability • Precise Medical Record – An EMR makes a record more legible, accessible and consistent • Meet Standards – An EMR is required for some accreditation standards and helps meet legal and regulatory requirements • Improve Efficiency – Being able to share and access patient data quickly from any location improves the clinical workflow an... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610989 Wed, 09 May 2007 02:41:03 +0100 610989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=547070&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2007%2F04%2F16%2Fquoted-in-an-article-on-emr-consulting%2F I want to thank Selena Chavis for writing a good article on EMR consulting in For the Record Magazine. It was interesting to see how she would integrate the things I told her into an article. The other gentleman in the article made some good points. Here’s one interesting point: Bryson acknowledges that he has witnessed a reluctance on the part of physicians to pay for outside consulting services. “Everything [in the EMR process] is so cost-prohibitive right now. I hear physicians say, ‘I don’t really want to pay these guys $10,000 to do this—I’ll do it myself,’” he says, adding a warning that without knowledge of the inner workings of the technology field, expensive errors can be made. “For them to make the right decision is paramount. There are monies to be saved b... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=547070 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:26:47 +0100 547070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=506549&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2007%2F03%2F27%2Fmy-emr-consulting-business-plan%2F I know I’ve talked about being an EMR consultant, but now I’ve taken some really serious steps to doing EMR consulting full time. Last week I submitted a business plan to the Nevada Governor’s Cup. It’s a pretty exciting competition. Unfortunately, I have to wait until April 3rd to find out if I make the finals. There is $100,000 in prize money at stake so you can imagine I’m pretty nervous about making the finals. I think I did a pretty good job of showing how the EMR consulting business can be scalable. However, I’m not sure that the judges will understand how important and essential regular windows update, antivirus and adware spyware scans are to a doctor’s office. Add in backup verification and you pretty much have a lock with a doctors office... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=506549 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:50:05 +0100 506549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462357&cid=t_166415_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fadministrator%2F2007%2F02%2F21%2Fpreliminary-questions-for-an-emr-vendor%2F In my recent post about EMR site visits, I got a comment from prakash about what questions a doctor should ask an EMR vendor. He gave me the following list of preliminary questions: What is the cost per physician license? Do you have any existing clients in our specialty? Does your system come pre-loaded with templates for my specialty? Is your company the developers of the software or is it re-branded from another vendor? Is your system client/server based or ASP based? Does your system include practice management software? How many clients does your company have? Is your system HL7 compliant? How long has your company been in business? Is your development done overseas? Is support done overseas? Is your software CCHIT certified? If not, why? How often is the software updated? I don&#8... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462357 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:56:45 +0100 462357