Hey Doc, It Pays to Listen Written by web_developers on July 25, 2014. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Hey Doc, It Pays to Listen The doctor/patient relationship is a two-way street and more positive outcomes occur when there is collaborative communication between the two parties. However, many doctors cite lack of time for their inability to interact one-on-one with patients. According to a report from Health Affairs, many physicians don’t see the need for a patient’s opinion and remain entrenched in the antiquated, physician-directed, decision-making strategy rather than implementing a share-directed, decision-making strategy. The healthcare culture is shifting from provider-centered to true patient-centered care. However, like everything else in the healthcare industry, change comes slowly. With the move to healthcare consumerism and a growing trend of healthcare information transparency, medical practices are looking to implement more patient-centric programs. Examples of these programs are: NurseLines, online education sessions, patient portals and many more. The goal is to engage and educate patients and aid in making better decisions about treatment options. This generation of patients isn’t satisfied with the archaic take two aspirin and calls me in the morning suggestion. Many are tech savvy and want to be an active participant in the decision-making process as it relates to their healthcare choice. They want to know what kind of aspirin. Should it be Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin or any other brand of pain reliever? They may also not use the phone to contact the physician. It could be a text or via a virtual consultation. The modern patient doesn’t have time to go to the doctor. He or she expects the doctor to come to him or her. Consider Sequence Health’s patient portal solution as the virtual house call. A horse-drawn carriage or motorized vehicle has been replaced by a click of the mouse, and if your practice is not in tune with the digital age, your practice could go the way of the horse-drawn carriage. The next generation of patients is out there. Let us aid you in transforming your practice to the digital age. Let us share our solutions with you, including professionally trained NurseLine, HIPAA-compliant security and simple website incorporation and much more. Visit our website and request a demo today.
Call Center, NurseLine saves time for a busy OB/GYN office and gives them a competitive advantage Written by web_developers on June 12, 2014. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Call Center, NurseLine saves time for a busy OB/GYN office and gives them a competitive advantage For over 10 years, MDnetSolutions has provided medical call center solutions for hundreds of healthcare organizations. We handle every call – patient scheduling, appointment reminders, and insurance pre-certification and authorization are just a few examples. We also have a NurseLine, staffed with RNs, who answer your patients’ questions. For Mid-City OB/GYN in Omaha, MDnetSolutions handles all of their patient calls and NurseLine. Read the latest Case Study about how MDnetSolutions helped them free up their staff’s time and helped give them a competitive advantage in their area. MDnet Case Study – Mid-City OB,GYN
3 Ways Your Practice Can Save Money and Be Cost-Efficient Written by web_developers on April 11, 2014. Posted in Manage. No Comments on 3 Ways Your Practice Can Save Money and Be Cost-Efficient Out-of-pocket healthcare expenses are on to the rise. Your patients’ medical bills have also increased, and they may pay slowly or not at all. If so, that means it’s more important now than ever for your practice to save money and be cost-efficient. MDnetSolutions can help. Since 2004, MDnetSolutions has been helping healthcare professionals like you with patient engagement, patient management and outcomes management solutions. We understand the challenges you face in the healthcare industry. Here are three solutions that can have an immediate impact on your practice: Boutique medical call center – an extension of your practice without the expense of adding additional staff MDnetSolutions’ team of professionals answers patients’ calls on your behalf, manages intake into your scheduling book and reminds patients of appointments. Through our team’s efforts, your patients will get the timely care they need and you will have fewer no-shows. Lead and Patient Tracking – maximize patient intake Our web-based, HIPAA-compliant program captures and tracks your patients from initial intake through every stage they progress to while under your care. Everything you need to know about everyone under your care is available with just one click. Online patient education – a cost savings and a convenient way to expand your reach You and your patients no longer have the expense or inconvenience of traveling to in-person educational events. MDnetSolutions creates educational videos that help you communicate your message to a larger audience 24/7 on your website. All it takes is a brief needs assessment with an MDnetSolutions representative to get these services up and running in no time. Call 888-986-3638 today or visit https://www.sequencehealth.com/contact-us to schedule a quick consultation.
Electronic Medical Records to be used in 2012 Olympic Games Written by web_developers on June 1, 2012. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Electronic Medical Records to be used in 2012 Olympic Games Medical records for more than 700 United States Olympians will be managed electronically for the first time ever at this year’s London Olympic Games. This is in great contrast to how the U.S. Olympic Committee historically shipped electronic medical records in paper form on pallets around the world to where the athletes and doctors were at the time. Aside from being costly, paper medical records are much less efficient and provide a greater risk of destruction than EMRs. The implementation of EMRs at the Olympic Games will mean a world of difference for the athletes and participating physicians. EMRs will enable quicker response time of treatment, a better understanding of an athlete’s medical history and performance, and easier management of individual treatment for members of a team. Included in the collection of EMRs is an additional 3,000 records of images and other vital documents, including X-ray and ultrasound. Tracking medical information electronically also enables health care providers to track and analyze data for further treatment. With real, reportable information, providers can analyze what treatments were more effective and custom-build programs for each individual athlete. The success of EMRs isn’t exclusive to athletes. MDnetSolutions’ first-class patient management system allows healthcare providers to track and analyze patients’ health data from lead capture to treatment follow-up and beyond. We take the guess work out of tracking data entry and help save you time. To learn more about how you can integrate Electronic Medical Records in your practice today, visit our website or call us at 888-986-3638.
Patients are not happy with hospital care, says new poll Written by web_developers on May 25, 2012. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Patients are not happy with hospital care, says new poll In a recent study, NPR found that people who have been hospitalized recently considered their care to be very costly and not up to quality standards. “Sick In America,” as NPR is calling it, exposes the numbers behind patients’ recent experiences and their feedback, and the results have some hospitals double-thinking their care. Overwhelmingly, patients found communication and time spent with patients to be the biggest areas hospitals lack in. Among 291 patients who had been seriously ill and hospitalized overnight at least one night in the last year: 34% said nurses were not available when they needed them or did not respond quickly to requests for assistance 30% said that there was poor communication among the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals involved in their care 24% said doctors, nurses and health care professionals did not communicate information about their condition or treatment clearly to them or a family member Also to be noted, 3 out of 5 patients today feel like their doctor is rushing through their exam. We understands health care providers’ challenges with time and resources, and our services fit in to create relief in your daily schedule. From lead capture and tracking, to U.S.-based call center support, and online marketing services, MDnetSolutions helps reduce patient dissatisfaction by allowing you to spend more time assessing your performance. Leaving the administrative work up to us will help you spend more time and efforts doing what you do best — serving your patients. To find out how we can help your practice by visiting our website or giving us a call at 888-986-3638.
How a medical call center can help your practice Written by web_developers on May 16, 2012. Posted in Manage. No Comments on How a medical call center can help your practice Patient intake. Scheduling appointments. Answering questions. Verifying insurance. Seminar and event registration. Patient outreach and recruitment. Patient followup. These can all be extremely time-consuming tasks for any medical office, especially for a small-to-medium-sized practice with only a few people making phone calls. That’s when a medical call center can be the perfect solution. Medical call centers are comprehensive resource-savers by allowing time to be spent elsewhere. MDnetSolutions’ medical call center does the heavy lifting for practices which need routine phone calls made to patients. Our patient care coordinators communicate with patients as a representative of your practice in a professional manner that is customized and feels personal to them. We also provide nurse triage service to them around the clock. Our medical call center also features: Call activity reporting Call recording Voice mail-to-email integration NurseLine with registered RN’s in all 50 states 100% HIPAA-compliant to ensure the privacy of your patients To learn more about how you can integrate our medical call center into your practice, call us at 888-986-3638.
Virtual consults put the spotlight on new health communication tools Written by web_developers on April 27, 2012. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Virtual consults put the spotlight on new health communication tools Gone are the days when picking up the telephone or getting in the car and driving to the office are the only ways to communicate with your healthcare provider. Thanks to abundant access to new video conferencing technology, patients can now video conference with their providers from the comfort of their home, a.k.a. telehealth or virtual visits. The most recent case of success with virtual visits comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. According to a recent article, the VA is considering a proposal to waive co-pays for patients when they participate in telehealth visits. The VA could be paving a way for healthcare providers as a leader in video technology and electronic patient experience. In its proposal, the VA says it “hopes to make the home a preferred place of care.” In doing so, the VA is recognizing that not only is telehealth a better patient experience, but also a large cost-saver to both parties, and therefore would make telehealth eligible to waive associated cost to patients. Communication is an integral part of patient management. Whether meeting for the first time or conducting a follow-up, patients’ needs come first. And that means convenience, comfortability, and often finances. Virtual visits meet those needs. Telehealth, however, doesn’t exclusively benefit the patient. Through telehealth, health care providers have the ability to hear and see their patients — in contrast to holding conferences via phone only — and can get a better idea of the progress a patient is making. They also save time and stress when trying to fit consults and follow-ups into a block of busy appointments every day. Virtual visits through patient portals are the way to communicate with patients today. And they don’t require much. With simple technology and the right training, health care providers can be telehealth users in no time. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to communicate with your patients through a method that’s convenient and comfortable to them. Call MDnetSolutions today to learn more about integrating virtual visits into your practice — 888-986-3638.
From Waiting Rooms To eVisits Written by web_developers on March 3, 2012. Posted in Manage. No Comments on From Waiting Rooms To eVisits Nobody likes to drive to the doctor’s office and sit for an hour or more in the waiting room to see a physician, especially if the visit is for something routine like a chronic illness check-up or a prescription renewal. Most physicians aren’t fond of these routine appointments either. They take valuable time away from patients that truly require face-to-face attention and treatment. Why then hasn’t the Internet been leveraged more as an interaction medium between doctors and patients? The technology certainly exists to connect patients with their physicians virtually via email, Web chat, or teleconference. However, these technologies have not been widely adopted in healthcare because 1) several security and patient privacy concerns exist regarding online doctor/patient interaction, and 2) physicians aren’t being paid adequately for these services. Let’s take a closer look at each of these technology adoption barriers. Online Interaction Raises Patient Privacy & Security Concerns While most Americans routinely leverage Web sites like WebMD to search for health information, online interactions with actual physicians carry much tighter security protocols. Doctor/patient interactions via the Internet or telephone must comply with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy rules. This requires a secure Web portal with high-levels of encryption to ensure a hospital or physician’s office does not accidentally expose sensitive patient data to outside parties. Building this infrastructure can require a significant technology investment from the physician community — one that many are reluctant to make due to inadequate reimbursement. Insurers Must Recognize The Value Of eVisits In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times titled “The Doctor’s Inbox,” author Lisa Zamosky states that less than 5% of doctors communicating online with their patients are being paid to do so by insurers. The fact is that most major insurers, including Medicare, don’t currently reimburse physicians for clinical consultations conducted via the Internet or teleconference. However, this is slowly beginning to change. Some larger insurers including Cigna and Aetna are beginning to compensate doctors for online and telehealth consultations. Payment for these virtual services averages about $30 per visit, as compared with $75 to $100 for in-office appointments. This trend is likely to continue as the federal government and state governments are beginning to create new payment incentives for virtual doctor/patient consultations. For example, 12 states currently have laws requiring health plans to pay for telemedicine services. Furthermore, the federal government has provided more than $6 billion in telehealth incentives as part of ARRA (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). Online doctor/interactions are typically recognized as part of a telehealth initiative. The Benefits Of eVisits Hopefully, as reimbursement practices for eVisits improve, so will the adoption of the enabling eVisit technologies. Doctor/patient interactions via the web and telehealth have shown great promise in overcoming a variety of healthcare challenges. For example, combining virtual consultations with in-office visits can help physicians see more patients throughout the day. This not only provides the doctor with the potential to make more money, but it also can help physicians address an influx of newly insured patients under healthcare reform. The option for patients (particularly chronically ill patients) to receive virtual consultations from their doctor can also create powerful customer loyalty advantages. Convenient eVisit services can be the differentiator that helps attract new clientele to your offices, while keeping current patients happy. If you’re interested in more information about virtual consultations for your practice, MDnetSolutions is here to help. We can answer all your questions about virtual consultations for your website and work with you on creating a more effective marketing plan for your practice. Learn more about virtual consultations by contacting Carol O’Dell at [email protected] or 888.986.3638. Source
Streamlining Costs While Implementing EMR Written by web_developers on June 22, 2010. Posted in Manage. No Comments on Streamlining Costs While Implementing EMR Peter J. Polack, MD, FACS at Health Plan News mentions using electronic medical records in his healthcare practice in order to increase efficiency and eventually reduce costs. Some of the costs of an EMR system he mentions are: “EMR system implementation involves the following expenses: technical support IT consulting infrastructure costs computer hardware licensed software Also consider the costs of training staff, and the extra data entry that they will perform to move information over to the new system.” With MDnetSolutions Patient Management Systems, you get fully integrated EMR and Outcomes management software. This allows you to reap the benefits of an efficient paperless system at a lower cost than what you would spend by setting up the system on your own. Contact us today for more information.
The Advantages of Using a Healthcare Call Center Written by web_developers on June 22, 2010. Posted in Manage. No Comments on The Advantages of Using a Healthcare Call Center Renu Chopra at The Outsource Blog mentions the benefits of using an outsourced call center: “The main benefits of outsourcing call center outsourcing services is cost saving that can be derived from the reduction in overhead and labor costs required to host in-house call center. Call center allows a business to reduce the labor and infrastructure costs and the associated expenses by outsourcing work to any outside organizations that specialize in call center management activities.” MDnetSolutions offers a US-based, HIPAA-compliant medical call center that functions as an extension of your healthcare practice. Contact us today to learn how our patient care representatives can give your practice a voice.