Showing posts with label HIT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HIT. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Data Security and Backup Solutions in Health Care

2:14 PM Nrip Nihalani

Data security is like exercise: Everyone knows it's good. Few people care enough to do it…
Which is why it is important, to have the right strategy, and the right tools. 

Computers, Keyboards, Mice and Even Hard drives fail. It's a fact of computing life. It's not a question of whether your computer will stop working or even a matter of when. The question is how much it will disrupt your life, your processes, your practice and your patients - and it won't, if you have a backup copy. 

Backing up your data is most indispensable thing you do on your computer. The 2 important considerations one must have when deciding a backup strategy are the backup media and the backup tools.  

Local Backup Media: 

Using CD/DVD’s to store data backups 

Using CD/DVD’s to store data backups is popular. Blank CD/DVD’s are inexpensive, and copying data onto CD/DVD’s is easy. Unfortunately CD/DVD’s, like the floppy disks they've replaced, have a limited shelf life. We don’t recommend this method of data backup for any practice. 

Using tapes to store data backups 

Tape backups are a many times more reliable than DVDss, but tape drives and their associated media are many times more expensive than DVD writers and CD/DVDs. A good tape drive can cost over $1000, and individual tapes for the drive can cost up to $40 each. If one can afford the equipment, however, tape backup is far more reliable and recommended backup method. 

Using external hard drives to store data backups 

External hard disks are cheap compared to tape drive systems. They’re also easy to use as most of them support plug and play use with the computers USB port. And while hard drives do fail, their failure rate is much lower than that of other backup media such as DVD’s. A big factor to why we recommend External Hard Disks as the best Local backup medium is that a single hard disk drive or a maximum of 2 used for backups may well be enough to store your practice data. 

Online Backup in the Cloud: 

An online backup service offers the advantage of securely store your files at off-site server locations, so that your data stays intact and available even if your local disks, CD/DVD’s are corrupted or in a severe case stolen. 

With more and more emphasis on "cloud computing", it only makes sense that one should take advantage of this hot trend in technology for backups.

Factors to consider when choosing an online backup service: 
Does it upload new and changed files immediately? 
Does it allow syncing or sharing of data? 
Can it back up files while you have them open? 
Is there a Web client for restoring? 
Is there a mobile client? 
Does it offer a remote control feature via my mobile phone? 
Can I view my backed up files on an iPad? 
How much will it cost? 
Is it HIPAA Compliant? 

Limitations: 

The advantages of Online Backup solutions can be limited due to bandwidth problems. 

Secondly, the method is only as reliable as the company offering the online backup service. 

Thirdly, one should ensure that HIPAA requirements are met by the vendor who is offering the Online Backup Service 

 
If you'd like to know more about TechnicalDr's flexible and powerful HIPAA Compliant Backup Solution  please check the website http://www.technicaldr.com/tdr/hipaa-compliant-backup or Call 630 433 7453 for a Super Offer - Waiver on Setup and Training Costs

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Terminologies profiling IT usage within Healthcare

8:12 AM Nrip Nihalani

Health Telematics
Health Telematics is a composite term for health-related activities, services and systems, carried out over a distance by means of information and communications technologies, for the purposes of global health promotion, disease control, and health care, as well as education, management, and research for health.


eHealth
E-health is the combined use in the health sector of electronic communication and information technology (digital data transmitted, stored and retrieved electronically) for clinical, education and administrative purposes, both at the local site and at a distance.

mHealth
mHealth (also written as m-health or mobile health) is a term used for the practice of medicine and public health, supported by mobile devices. The term is most commonly used in reference to using mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers and PDAs, for health services and information. The mHealth field has emerged as a sub-segment of eHealth

Telemedicine
The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by health care professionals using information and communications technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interest of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization.

Electronic Health Record (EHR)
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization.

Personal Health Record (PHR)
An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.

Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Health information exchange (HIE) is the electronic movement of health-related information among organizations according to nationally recognized standards. It refers to the process of reliable and interoperable electronic health-related information sharing conducted in a manner that protects the confidentiality, privacy, and security of the information.

Integrated EHR
This refers to an EHR that is integrated with practice management software. Typical choices include purchasing a fully integrated product which performs all the functions of practice management software, or a stand-alone EHR which is compatible with an existing practice management system.

Disclaimer: The definitions have been used as is from multiple sources.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Features in Practice Websites which increase Patient Satisfaction

5:54 AM Nrip Nihalani

An important part of managing a patient over a long period of time is communicating with the patient. Most follow up cases in medical practices have niche requirements and consequently patients have certain expectations from their physicians. Also a happy patient is a physician’s most powerful marketing asset. Practices should strive to provide for such patients by offering services which improve the quality of service they perceive, which in turn will increases their satisfaction.

A well planned and feature rich practice website allows physicians to assist patients in their day-to-day living by providing timely solutions for all their health queries even after a visit. For a patient, this continued access to expert medical advice via simple online tools is one of the most cherished features of any e-practice.

Despite best efforts, many patients make errors while following medical advice. Many times, follow-up patients have new queries they wish they could simply share with their physicians. A large number of patients also do not ask new questions just because they don’t want to look stupid in front of their physicians! These patients are often unsure of the importance of their queries and generally procrastinate visiting their physicians for answers. Sometimes new complaints crop up which may or may not affect the ongoing medical management. The internet, via a medical website, allows physicians to clarify many such small doubts these patients face while following medical advice. A timely word of advice can save these patients a whole lot of pain, literally and figuratively. Important issues which may arise during such advice can be solved by arranging for a new visit.

There are a number of ways medical websites and integrated web 2.0 tools can be used to help physicians improve patient-physician communications and thus decrease the morbidity among patients. Let’s look at five such applications:

Online Chats

Chatting on the internet is something most patients are comfortable with. Medical websites can have widgets which allow patients to directly chat with the physician or the physician’s representative. This is a common and simple to add functionality within any medical website. Patients can be given pre-decided timings (say, 9 p.m - 10 p.m on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) when the physician shall be available for the chat. Such chat transcripts can then be appended to the electronic medical record of the concerned patient. More people can be added to chats so as to allow group discussions (e.g: Friday evening hour long chat session for all Pregnant women, in case of gynae practices).

Contact Forms and Feedback Forms

Medical websites allow all registered members (i.e. follow-up cases) to access some parts of the website which are meant only for them. A simple form is embedded within this secure area through which a follow-up patient can ask a question. These questions are then directed to the physician’s email address. The physician can answer such questions securely via email or even ask the patient to book an appointment if required. Ideally, physicians should create an email id purely for answering queries of follow up cases. This will help in segmenting all electronic medical communications between physicians and patients. All such queries are also automatically added to electronic medical record of that patient.

Facebook Groups

After email, Facebook is the most commonly used online platform for communications. physicians can easily use this platform (by forming closed groups) for answering some of the common queries by their patients. All follow up patients who share their primary email id can be added to specific closed groups on Facebook. These patients can post their queries on the group wall (which is not public and viewable only by group members) or send it as a direct message. Answers which have general significance for all patients can be posted on the group wall (e.g.: I am taking Metoprolol XL 50 mg once daily for my hypertension. I am scheduled for a tooth extraction next week. What precautions should I take? ). Personal queries can be answered via direct messaging. Urgent and important issues can be simply escalated to a telephonic conversation. Over time, such a Facebook group shall mature into a powerful resource for all new members. 

Video Chat
Questions which require visual inputs (like appearance of rashes or swelling on hands and feet) can be handled by using Video chat within Facebook. Important advice can be reinforced by typing it into the chat area so as to create a transcript document of the encounter. There are medical social media guidelines published by many international organizations which can be followed for all such patient-physician communications on Facebook.

eVisits using Skype
Physicians can also use Skype and payment gateways like PayPal to organize revenue generating e-visits by follow-up cases who find it difficult to physically visit the clinic premises at regular intervals. This is especially the case with geriatric and physically challenged patients.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Social Networking for Physicians – Tips and Options

12:00 PM Nrip Nihalani

With millions of patients seeking medical help and information on social media and the Internet, it has become imperative for physicians to connect with existing and potential patients as well as the medical community across the globe using social media and other means of electronic communication. A study by the online physician learning collaborative QuantiaMD in August 2011 indicates that nearly all physicians in the United States are social media users. However, the study also reveals that most physicians engage in social networking for personal purposes only, appearing rather reluctant to adopt it for enhancing professional interactivity and building a web presence for their medical brands.

Social Media Tips for Physicians

Social networking can help physicians manage their online reputation. Signing up for a static profile on Facebook or Twitter does not make for an active social media presence as it contributes zero value to doctor-patient relationships or the physician’s positioning in the medical and patient community. A good social media strategy must consolidate your presence and identity over a number of social media communities.

Here are some tips on how physicians can improve their social media presence to build a strong online medical brand for themselves.

Content Creation - Blogs and Social Media Sites

Social media websites give you access to a valuable network of prospective patients looking for credible medical information. Naturally, the best way to reach out and connect with them is to provide the information they need. Creating and publishing medical content like your medical experiences, breakthrough cases, innovative medical practices and other crucial medical information on your website, blog and also guest medical blogs can help you create a reputation of credibility and goodwill.

Posting links to such exclusive and valuable medical content on social media websites and other medical blogs will boost your visibility and reach. Over time, such consistent and organized social media linked blogging will make you a trusted name in the medical community, helping you position yourself as an influential thought leader in your specialization.

Informative Videos

Another effective way to engage patients is by posting informative and educational medical videos on You Tube and similar sites. Conversion rates from You Tube are found to be about 20% higher than search engines. A good social media strategy will include this tool to achieve greater reach, link building and visibility.

Social Media Attitude

Social media plays an important role in influencing opinions and perceptions. With so much information available on the Internet, patients often resort to online medical communities to conduct background checks, read patient reviews and testimonials before consulting a physician. Doctors must therefore maintain strict social media etiquette and decorum at all times. Upholding a positive attitude towards patients and other professionals in the network, willingness to help, answer questions, address concerns and being accessible can go a long way in building strong social media relationships as well as your medical brand and practice.

Social Networking Options for Physicians

Apart from general social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, specialized physician communities are a great way to connect with other professionals in the industry. 

Some popular social media sites for physicians are DocGlobal, Sermo, Ozmosis, DoctorsHangout.com, MomMD, DoctorNetwork and StudentDoctor.net.

These medical networking circles help you interact with the international medical community. They are also a valuable resource for critical medical information and research.

Patient communities are also very effective in leveraging social media to encourage patient-doctor communication. Even though they are not very popular with physicians as compared to other social networking platforms, practitioners must use these forums to learn about their patients and inform themselves about patient concerns, needs and healthcare requirements and utilize these to improve the quality of care.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Why IT Companies Are Important For Doctors?

2:46 AM Nrip Nihalani

Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) has the potential to transform global healthcare systems ensuring safer and more effective treatments while increasing the productivity, profitability and efficiency of practices. IT companies have integrated path breaking medical research with ingenious information technology, giving us medical tools, data systems, applications and devices that can change the way healthcare is practiced. Not only has it enabled doctors to connect with patients and other doctors in different parts of the world, HIT makes it possible for them to access a global database of precious medical information. 

Healthcare Information Technology promises to help doctors save money, attend to larger number of patients as well as allow them to implement a patient-centric model of care. The biggest breakthrough that Healthcare IT companies have made so far is the centralization and digitization of patient medical records, popularly known as the Electronic Medical Record or EMR, that has already begun to single handedly revolutionize healthcare as we have known it through the ages.

Benefits of Healthcare IT
 
The adoption of EMRs, contrary to what is popularly perceived, is as beneficial to doctors if not more, as it is to their patients. Since EMRs allow for the creation of one, single interaccesible national medical data system, medical records can be transferred anywhere in the country to help doctors provide effective, accurate and rapid treatment wherever required. So far, with paper based record systems, quick digital record transfers have been impossible, resulting in many unfortunate treatment errors and failures. 

However, IT companies have made it possible for doctors to improve the quality and safety of healthcare with the introduction of the EMR and other such revolutionizing healthcare tools. This has also significantly reduced the enormous assemblage of paperwork that has characterized physician offices and clinics all these years and has given doctors easier and faster access to information. Health insurance policy records and information are also easily retrievable from medical databases, saving practitioners hours of cumbersome and time consuming search work. 

Adoption of HIT has enabled doctors to optimize the cost of treatment and pass the same onto patients due to higher productivity and efficiency levels achieved in their practice. Features such as Computerized Physician Order Entry or CPOE, bar-code scanners and digital decision management systems increase the accuracy levels of administrative processes and treatments by introducing seamless, methodical practice management techniques. 

IT companies have empowered doctors to improve their practice on several fronts like,
 - Patient safety
 - Improved quality of care
 - Error free, accurate treatments
 - Higher doctor and staff productivity
 - Greater and faster access to patient information and medical research
 - Enhanced revenue
 - Lowered costs
 - Paperless offices and clutterfree working conditions
 - Efficient practice management systems

Doctors and Medical Networking
 
The Internet and social networking websites have made it possible for doctors to influence a whole medical community and establish themselves as thought leaders in their field. It has also enabled them to interface with a global clientele through video and web consulting tools, online medical diagnosis, web-based symptom analysis, and other mobile platforms that connect them to patients in remote locations. Doctors can join specialized medical social networks where they can exchange and discuss valuable ideas, diagnoses, complex cases and medical information with other dignitaries in their field. Real time industry news is easily available on such sites and is indispensable for keeping physicians updated and abreast with latest information in a field as dynamic as medicine. These forums not only help practitioners gain relevant and required medical information but also get them noticed and respected by peers and patients alike.

Healthcare IT companies are on their way to building a smarter, centralized and digitally managed healthcare system that will link doctors, patients and policy providers through a single, intelligible medical database. This fusion of medical knowledge and information technology driven by IT companies will not only lend patients a more pleasant and personalized healthcare experience, but will enable doctors to work with greater speeds and accuracy. 

However, for real change to come by, doctors must understand the importance of the game changers that healthcare IT companies are, and work in cooperation with them to contribute to a smart, intelligent and seamless global healthcare system.

References:

http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-technology/
http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Advantages-Of-Doctors-Social-Networking/2803300
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/health-information-technology.html