Technology and The Patient

True engagement comes about through two-way, mutually beneficial conversations.

Technology must look to create multiple ways to facilitate both formal and informal Patient- Doctor Communication. The telephone made a huge impact on the way we communicate, and so did email. Newer technologies must be used to offer ease of use, increase reach and lower costs. Many providers today communicate with their patients using skype, google chat and even facebook. Technologies must build on such success stories.

Doctor–Patient Communication will also benefit if technology vendors link Communication mechanisms to Provider Information Sources and Health Information Exchanges

-- Provide integrations of these mechanisms with clinical and diagnostic software(EMR's, EHR's , etc)

-- Emailing of schedules and reports to patients is a must.

-- Using SMS to send Medical alerts, reminders, and schedules

-- Go the extra distance and use Social Media to provide alerts and reminders to patients via Facebook Messages, Twitter DM's, etc

For years, patients have liked to work in groups, to support each other, to help themselves cope with illnesses which their near and dear ones don’t understand, to seek advice from others who have similar ailments. 

Bringing people together in collaborative dialogue to explore social conditions that are the major influences of health and illness generates deeper collective awareness and community-driven action.

Since Individuals don’t see their lives partitioned into an online and offline world, Online communities should be given as much value as offline ones. A variety of Online Communities must come up for connecting patients quickly and privately with others who share similar health experiences. A fantastic example of one such community is Patients Like Me

Technology today exists not only in the form of created online communities but also online community frameworks; These allow just about anyone with an idea for a group or community to set up an online network, full with video and audio chats, whiteboarding, discussion forums and groups and all the other good stuff.

This helps create an integrated digital ecosystem which simultaneously addresses both individual and social dimensions of health. In effect this

-- Allows Patients to engage with each other

-- Allows Providers to engage with this medium

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What Is The Average Time Before A Practice Is Comfortable With Their EMR?

Making the shift to an EMR-based practice is sure to impact your work-method in more ways than you can count. This impact recoils with a significant amount of change that practitioners are known to dislike as it brings them to a rather discomforting and unfamiliar territory. In fact, a research by evitontest.info suggests that the biggest obstacles to EMR implementation have been physician resistance and lack of useful information or not knowing where to start.

It does not take much to realize that the manner in which you approach these obstacles will determine the time it will take your practice to get comfortable with the EMR. Therefore, the real challenge resides in adopting realistic measures to help your staff internalize the new technology and utilize it to its maximum potential.


EMR Training and Change Management

As a practitioner, your goal is not just to accommodate the EMR in the daily work life of your practice but to have it used in a way that contributes to your productivity and Meaningful Use objectives. This process can stretch from a few months to even more than a year depending on the quality and effectiveness of EMR and IT training that is imparted to all levels of the practice. To begin with, all EMR users must be equipped with basic IT and computer skills to help them understand and efficiently execute the more advanced EMR processes. Only when they are comfortable with routine activities like using the mouse, printing, scanning, working with files and basic graphical user interface, should they be put onto working with the EMR. Sure, you want to take the system live as soon as possible, but you must allow for a learning curve, not expecting them to construct a whole sentence when they still haven’t been taught the alphabet!


EMR Implementation - One Step at A time

You must keep in mind that your staff is already resistant to this new technology. Overwhelming them with a load of new information to save on training time will only demoralize them and there is a strong possibility that going too fast may have them give up on it altogether. Taking one step at a time is a good idea to help your employees feel comfortable and confident about the software. Opt for a gradual and progressive training module that steadily moves from feature to feature instead of bombarding them with a whole new world of technical jargon and processes they are not likely to befriend.
Also, if an EMR feature is to be used only by a certain set of employees, training the whole staff on that feature will only eat into their grasping ability for the features they truly require. Hence, you must ensure that your training plan takes this redundancy into account and focuses on relevant function-based features.


Motivation Boosters

Without a doubt, for effective and expeditious EMR implementation, the motivation has to come right from the top. Physicians must convey the importance of incorporating the EMR into the practice and leading by example, should display the dedication and commitment they expect from their staff. In order to get employees to accept the new technology without feeling like they’re being punished, physicians must involve them in decision-making processes for training programs, schedules, time lines and so on.

To put a number on how long it takes for a practice to get comfortable with their EMR, one has to take the above factors into consideration. Instead of intimidating your staff by rushing in, focus on building a strong base and steadily look to capitalize on it. This might take you an additional few months to completely ‘go live’ and use it like second nature, but it is an investment that is bound to reap long term benefits of productivity and improved quality of care.


References:

1.    http://evitontest.info/tag/emr-implementation/
2.    http://www.healthcareguy.com/2011/03/12/waiting-until-2012-on-attestation-for-meaningful-use-doesnt-mean-you-shouldnt-buy-an-ehr-in-2011/
3.    http://hubpages.com/hub/Meaningful-Use-Made-Easy-Understanding-Core-Objectives
4.    http://www.revenuexl.com/blog/bid/23066/8-Cardinal-Sins-of-Electronic-Medical-Records-EMR-Training
5.    http://www.ctsguides.com/Training-makes-EMR-Software-Investment-Succeed.asp

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What Do Practices Look For When Hiring A Medical Assistant?

Digitization of the healthcare industry has lead to an increasing demand for qualified, experienced and IT educated medical assistants to help practices and physicians meet their Meaningful Use objectives. Although this has opened up many new opportunities for job seeking medical assistants, it has also resulted in practices raising the bar pertaining to candidate quality, experience and training standards.

Jobs and Duties of a Medical Assistant

As a medical assistant, you are in charge of performing administrative and basic clinical tasks of the practice. While your job description may differ depending on the size and location of the practice, your basic responsibility is to ensure the smooth and efficient running of day to day operations and clinical tasks that are assigned to you. The clinical duties that a medical assistant is eligible to discharge vary according to state law. Practices require medical assistants to be well-versed with patient and laboratory work, administrative activities like maintaining medical records, bookkeeping, filing tax returns and insurance forms, hospital admissions, appointment scheduling, patient-practice correspondence, billing and other practice management duties.

Some practices require medical assistants to help physicians with pre and post treatment procedures like recording vital stats (height, weight, blood pressure, temperature), medical histories, drug allergies and routine lab tests. They may also be expected to provide first aid, remove sutures, change bandages, give injections and take X-rays or other scans.

Formal Education, Training and Certification

Although practices impart training on the job, experienced candidates with formal education, certification or a degree are generally preferred. 1 year certificate or diploma programs, or 2 year associate degree programs are offered in vocational-technical high schools.
 
Candidates who have received formal training in medical assisting are well-versed with anatomy, physiology, medical terminology and administrative functions like maintaining records, transcripts, accounts and insurance processing. Clinical and diagnostic procedures, laboratory testing, pharmaceutical proficiency, first aid are also covered in these programs along with office management activities, skills and techniques. As formally trained candidates already have a good command over the duties and functions of medical assisting, they naturally hold the edge over novice medical assistants in job interviews and selection procedures.


Healthcare IT Skills

Practices require medical assistants to look after the front office administration including staff management, appointment scheduling, filing reports, maintaining patient charts, bookkeeping, billing, tax and insurance processes. With the federal government incentivizing Meaningful Use of EMR implementations, a majority of administrative and clinical tasks have been digitized. As the onus of meeting Meaningful Use objectives lies largely with medical assistants, practices have started to consider IT skills as indispensable to medical assistant skill sets and resumes.

Soft Skills

Medical assistants must be equipped with good communication skills. As they are essentially the connecting link between patients and physicians, it is important for medical assistants to develop soft skills that make the patients feel welcome and comfortable in a place they don’t really want to be in. Interacting with patients and their families, providing them all the information they would need in order to ease their apprehensions, displaying empathy and understanding the delicacies of communication in a dispiriting hospital environment, are skills that practices are imploring their medical assistants to imbibe and develop.

Lastly, medical assistants must be capable of handling intense emergency situations placed against chaotic emotions, flying egos and anxieties. It is absolutely essential for them to maintain a calm, patient and positive attitude to focus on keeping their nerves intact and getting the job done.

References:

1. http://medicalassistant-jobs.blogspot.com/2010/03/communication-therapeutic-skills-for.html
2. http://www.ehow.com/about_5341447_general-skills-needed-medical-assistant.html
3. http://technology4doctors.blogspot.com/2011/05/information-technology-orientation-for.html
4. http://www.medicalassistantx.com/expectations-of-behaviour-and-medical-assistant-code-of-ethics/
5. http://www.medicalassistantx.com/know-the-basic-medical-assistant-requirements/
6. http://www.medicalassistantx.com/the-skills-of-the-medical-assistant/
7. http://www.medicalassistantx.com/whatdoesamedicalassistantdo/

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What Do Hospitals Look For When Buying A Practice?

Hospitals today are aggressively engaging in practice acquisitions in their local markets.  Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) statistics reveal that over 50% of physician practices are now owned by hospitals.  Before buying a practice, hospitals assess the practice’s value in terms of its patient volumes, number of hospital referrals, estimates of patient turnover, and so on.

Sustainability

Hospitals usually avoid buying practices that are in the last stages of their life cycle. Practices that cannot offer sustainability do not make good prospects as they lack future planning and goals. It is true that hospitals get tempted to buy out retiring physicians only because of their reputation and respect in the medical community. However, a growing number of hospitals have started to realize the importance of the asset value of a practice in terms of its long-term sustainability, to make the acquisition profitable.

Financial Stability of the Practice

The practice under consideration must be financially stable. A thorough financial and performance evaluation of the practice is conducted by hospitals in order to ascertain the feasibility of the acquisition. The profitability of the practice is determined by reviewing its financial history. Trends, patterns and discrepancies in the practice’s records help hospitals estimate their return on investment and revenue growth from the acquisition.

Referrals

Hospitals look to expand their referral networks and increase profits by acquiring private practices. This not only widens the hospital’s patient base but also reduces outpatient competition with local physicians. Practices that will add to a hospital’s inpatient and outpatient referral base will naturally be considered better buys.

Communication Skills

Medicare has been pressing hospitals to address inpatient medical errors that seriously affect patient-safety.  As a result, hospitals are looking for practices and physicians that value patient-doctor communication as well as communication between the doctor and other employees. Many hospitals conduct a communication audit of the physicians in the practice to ensure high patient-safety standards and quality of medical care.

Unity of Service and Quality Goals

Hospitals are looking to overcome the historic physician – hospital clash that has lead to many failed acquisitions. They are looking for practices that share similar service and quality goals in order to improve the acquisition’s strategic alignment.
Practices where the physicians support hospital goals and are more agreeable to work in collaboration with the hospital’s service, quality and organizational objectives are considered better prospects.

Agreement Contract

The physician employment contract is of crucial significance in determining a practice’s rank in the acquisition process. Hospital boards want physicians to align themselves to hospital goals and work ethic. Physicians, on the other hand, are not known to compromise on their autonomy and independence. Compensation is another major issue. Practices that agree to balance the terms and conditions of both parties without demanding a contract that sways majorly in their favor are naturally preferred.


Practice acquisitions require hospitals to review and consider a number of financial, administrative and personal factors that determine the feasibility and profitability of the deal. It is important for both the players to respect each other’s objectives, concerns and work cultures. Open communication and a collaborative approach will allow practices and hospitals attain higher profitability without compromising on their individual professional and personal goals.


References:

1.    http://www.healthdirections.com/articles/acquiring-a-physician-group/
2.    http://www.deltahealthcare.com/pdf/Why-Hospitals-Buy.pdf
3.    http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/jan/09/tdcomm03-hospitals-are-buying-private-medical-prac-ar-760564/
4.    http://www.darkdaily.com/hospitals-on-buying-spree-snap-up-physician-practices-531
5.    http://blog.acpinternist.org/2010/04/hospitals-check-doctors-communication.html
6.    http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/news-analysis/10-best-practices-for-increasing-hospital-profitability.html
7.    http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/3-considerations-for-hospitals-acquiring-practices.html

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