Communication and technology are constantly moving forward in the healthcare field. Innovation has been fueled by global collaboration giving us more advancements every day. Our lives are constantly being made better with scientists striving to improve our quality of life. Here are five recent achievements that will have you believing the future is now.
Building Fish the Size of Blood Vessels
Microfish have been printed using 3D print technology at the University of California, San Diego. These nano-fish are equipped with a propulsion mechanism and navigation abilities. The fish are made of polydiacetylene, which inactivates some toxins and also emits a fluorescent glow when interacting with blood, allowing for them to be trackable. Researcher’s goal for these fish to eventually be able to deliver targeted drug therapy.
Using Magnetics to Fight Depression
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved a transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy system, the MagVita. This device has been used in the European Union since 2011, but now patients stateside suffering major depressive disorders can access the hardware. A Danish company, MagVenture, builds the therapy system that helps treat severe sufferers of depression whom fail to respond to all other forms of therapy. This device is noninvasive and stimulates small regions of the brain by generating a pulsating magnetic field with a handheld device.
Better Health Monitoring Through Mobile Applications
Continuing with FDA approved technologies, they have given the thumb’s up to Dexcom for it’s mobile continuous glucose monitoring system, the Dexcom G5. The bluetooth-enabled sensor communicates with Apple devices sending readings to the Dexcom Follow application. Readings can be shared with caretakers and an alarm will activate anytime glucose levels drop to a level detrimental to a patient’s health.
Detecting Breast Cancer with Blood Tests
In London, The Institute of Cancer Research has created a liquid biopsy, or blood test, that can detect breast cancer relapse. Compared to traditional scans, this blood test was able to predict relapse months in advance. This new technology is able to measure the DNA shed by circulating tumor cells, measuring the level of genetic mutations. With the test predicting the nature of the metastatic disease, doctors can apply treatments targeted at the genetic mutations.
All-In-One Diagnostic Device
A prototype device called The MouthLab was recently created at John Hopkins University. The sensor combines a thermometer, a blood volume sensor, breathing rate sensor, and a pulse oximeter. It fits into a patients mouth similar to how a snorkel’s mouth piece functions. The device was developed to help emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, and patients themselves to perform a medical diagnostic. The same team is already hard at work to add a sensor that measures saliva composition for glucose levels.
The Future in Healthcare is Now
It can become very easy for any of us to be desensitized by the evolution and advancements of our healthcare system. So many concepts and ideas that seemed impossible, or at the very least, unattainable in our lifetime, appear to be happening on a weekly basis. The healthcare industry is never settling for anything less than fighting disease and curing people of their ailments.
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Innovation and reinvention within the healthcare industry has seen more advancements in the last 100 years than the previous 2 millennia combined. Yet, the medical profession is always struggling to more efficiently diagnose and fight disease. IBM took a massive step in spearheading industry reinvention this year with their high-profile acquisitions and medical-related partnerships.
IBM Buys Into the Medical Industry
The technology super giant that has been around since World War II, IBM, just bought Merge Healthcare for $1 billion! This isn’t the first medical-related acquisition IBM has purchased, but it is the biggest. The company has slowly been investing in medical related companies over the last few years while making partnerships with Apple, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic.
Image Documents Account for Most Medical Information
IBM researchers estimate that CAT scans, X-Rays, and mammograms account for over 90 percent of all medical data. Doctors traditionally have had to review the images to identify abnormalities while manually cross-referencing the parts of their medical history that they have access to. The entirety of anyone’s medical records can be scattered between multiple hospitals and general practitioner’s offices.
Artificial Intelligence That Manages Patience Healthcare
Watson was created by IBM, and its various partnerships, to analyze text in documents and data on the web. It has a large language processing capability that was put on display by beating former Jeopardy! champions at their own game. It also works with CVS Health, the country’s largest pharmacy chain, to help patient’s better manage their healthcare.
Buying Merge Healthcare and Giving Watson Some Eyes
The Merge Healthcare purchase more clearly explains IBM setting up Watson Health earlier this year. Researchers have been busy giving Watson “eyes,” using complicated algorithms allowing it to cross-reference text data with Merge’s medical imaging software. Watson is an artificial-intelligence technology that can spot patterns from all data gathered.
Medical History Storage
IBM is building a comprehensive storage service, in the cloud, for the entire medical industry. It is believed that Watson will generate medical breakthroughs over the next few years. The tech giant’s goal is to improve healthcare by providing information that leads to more sound medical prognosis. This will reduce wasteful spending for patients, healthcare providers, and insurers.
Proactive Healthcare Diagnosis From IBM
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but IBM seems to be doing everything within their imaginative power to make that a possibility for the medical industry. Creating ways for doctors to be presented with certain medical history patterns of patients will allow them to fight current ailments while predicting potential issues. IBM is also creating a resource for storing everyone’s medical files in one accessible location instead of strewn about various doctor’s offices and filing cabinets.
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Insurance claim denials can be very inconvenient for patients and can affect a practice’s ability to receive payment for services rendered. Preventing insurance claim denials before they ever occur can help your practice to more efficiently receive moneys earned and to keep a better relationship with patients. Patients will be more likely to stay loyal to your office when their claims are routinely paid as expected. In order to prevent claim denials, it is best to understand some of the common reasons for them.
Waiting Too Long to File Claim
Insurance claims generally must be filed within 60 to 90 of services being performed in order to be paid. Disorganization often lies at the root of delayed claim filing. It is important to make sure there is a convenient system in place that allows claims to be filed quickly and efficiently, so that claims are not lost and filing is not delayed.
Submitting Duplicate Claims
If a duplicate claim is filed before an insurance company has responded to the first claim, it may result in a claim denial. Multiple employees may also submit a claim if there is not an established procedure in place for claim filing. Having a system in place with claims tracking can help to avoid this common error.
Claims Filed with Information Missing
Missing patient information may be an error on the patient’s part or may be an administrative error on the part of the practice office staff. Either way, if information such as the patient’s birth date or member number is incorrect or missing when the claim is filed, it may be denied. It is important to always double check this type of information before filing claims, as the few seconds spent on double checking can save labor hours and frustration in the future – and may help you to retain a patient.
Incorrect Coding
ICD-10 has a lot of advantages over previous coding systems used for medical billing, but the volume of codes can get confusing. Implementing high quality medical billing software can help to ensure correct coding. Most systems will flag potential errors before allowing you to send claims, which may be very helpful in preventing denied claims.
Failure to Identify Medical Necessity
Insurance companies require some sort of proof of medical necessity for certain procedures. Failure to provide adequate documentation may result in claims denials. If medical billing software is integrated with patient EHRs, it becomes much easier to provide the documentation required in order to ensure claim acceptance.
If your practice could benefit from implementing medical billing software, contact us today.
Electronic prescribing, or e-prescribing, is quickly becoming the main way in which physicians communicate with pharmacies regarding prescriptions. In 2010, the DEA introduced a rule called the Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances Rule, giving physicians the option to submit prescriptions electronically without legal barriers. With improvements in technology and networks, this method for prescribing is now superior to older prescription methods in many ways.
Helps to Prevent Errors
E-prescribing greatly reduces the likelihood of prescription errors. Pharmacists do not have to read handwriting or try to differentiate the name of a drug that is very similar to the name of another drug. Electronic prescriptions are easy to read and very clear.
Works with Meaningful Use Requirements
Meaningful Use stage 3 will require that all physicians send at least 80 percent of prescriptions electronically. By switching to a system in which e-prescribing is the main method of prescribing, this requirement is more easily met. The fact that e-prescribing is a requirement of meaningful use shows that the advantages of this method are becoming evident.
Provides Alerts for Potential Reactions
E-prescribing platforms work with electronic health records, so all of a patient’s allergies, medical conditions, and other prescribed drugs are available to a physician when a drug is being prescribed. If a drug is prescribed that may negatively react with another prescription, exacerbate conditions, or cause an allergic reaction, the system alerts the physician. This can help to reduce injuries caused by adverse medication reactions.
Saves Patients a Step
When a paper prescription is written, a patient must deliver the prescription to the pharmacy and then wait for it to be filled. E-prescribing saves patients the extra step by sending the prescription directly to the pharmacy. This saves the patient time and trouble, while also eliminating the potential for the patient to lose the prescription.
Makes Controlled Substance Monitoring Possible
When a prescription is written, it is difficult to determine whether the patient got the prescription filled. Patients may decide not to get the prescription filled for many reasons, or they may forget, but the records will show that the patient was prescribed the drug and the assumption will be that they took it. This may alter medical care and record accuracy.
On the other hand, patients may also visit several physicians for a controlled substance due to addiction issues. This is difficult to spot with paper prescriptions and even with faxed prescriptions. E-prescribing creates a record of all prescriptions that a patient has received, allowing effective monitoring and tracking that can help with identifying abuse and can improve the accuracy of patient records.
To find out more about how e-prescribing could benefit your practice, give us a call today.
October 1, 2015 was the deadline for all medical facilities to officially switch medical coding and billing to the ICD-10 format. ICD-9 coding had been used since the 1970s, with periodic updates and expansions to the coding used. In 1999, ICD-10 was published and many developed nations of the world began to adopt the format. The United States was not on board at first and has repeatedly delayed upgrading to the new coding system.
Why Delay the Upgrade?
Changing the formatting of all medical coding is hugely expensive and time-consuming. For some small practices that have been doing medical billing manually, the change may be very difficult to implement. Training everyone on staff and changing the way that medical billing is done to suit the new system may hamper productivity and the ability of the practice to deliver quality care to patients. In addition to these woes, some practices could not survive the delays in payment resulting from billing errors during the adjustment phase.
Why Implement the Switch?
While making the switch has not been easy, it is worth it in the end. Using ICD-10 codes finally brings the United States into the loop with countries that have been using the coding system for years, fostering better communications between countries. The coding system is also more accurate. There is about 10 times the number of codes in the ICD-10 system as in the ICD-9 system.
Benefits of Larger Code Sets
In the years since ICD-9 was introduced, huge amounts of advancements have been made. New procedures, surgeries, and tests have been introduced. New diseases have been discovered. The limited ICD-9 set of codes made it difficult to code for many of the newer procedures and disease classifications. ICD-10 has much more versatility and was designed in such a way that it will be easy to add new codes as advancements in medicine are made.
Benefits of More Accurate Coding
The goal of medical billing should always be to bill as accurately as possible. Billing more accurately will allow insurance companies to more accurately estimate payouts, which may help to streamline claims payments. Having a more accurate medical coding system will also allow researchers to use the codes to identify patterns in medical diagnoses and treatments. This may help to improve the quality of the information available to the public and may even assist with finding better treatments for diseases.
Making the Switch
Making the switch to ICD-10 has been hard on some practices. In some cases, it may be easier for the office to switch to outsourced medical billing. Having qualified experts handle the medical billing can help to ensure a higher percentage of accepted claims and can take the pressure off of the office staff. Billing software that simplifies the new coding system and provides assistance with determining the right coding for different diseases and procedures may be the best way to go for other offices.
2015 was a big year in medicine, with many technological advances and even a few big breakthroughs. The pace is certainly not slowing down when it comes to advancing technology and bringing healthcare into the digital age, so 2016 should see the advancements of 2015 go even further. There may also be other changes to healthcare as we know it, brought forth by the elections and other situations. Here are a few things to look for through the next year and beyond.
1. Improved Patient Engagement through Technology
With EMRs and EHRs being used more widely than ever and mHealth apps becoming available at an increased rate, patients can now view their own medical records and take control of their own wellness like never before. With wearable technologies also improving, 2016 may see wearables that help patients monitor health in new and inventive ways. With mobile alerts, monitors, and even therapies, patients may see improved outcomes aided by technology.
2. Drug Pricing Legislation
In September, the price of a crucial medication used to treat auto-immune disorders was increased from $13.50 to $750. While this was not the only example of massive price increases in medications in recent times, it was certainly one of the most dramatic. The incident resulted in a public outcry against medication price gouging. We may see legislation drawn up in 2016 to prevent increases like this.
3. Even More Mergers
Mergers and acquisitions among both healthcare providers and insurance companies have been on the rise. This trend is expected to continue through 2016 as medical providers attempt to stay profitable and increase their competitive advantage. Many physicians and specialists running private practices will likely see benefits in joining larger healthcare facilities as the landscape of insurance and health related technology continues to change and become more difficult to keep up with.
4. Politically Inspired Healthcare Changes
While the next president won’t actually be sworn in until January 20, 2017, we will likely see changes to some healthcare laws brought about as the elections unfold and candidates voice their opinions. The ACA will not be repealed in 2016, but key elements may be voted out or altered. As presidential candidates continue to propose changes to healthcare and speak about unfavorable aspects of care options and insurance offerings, many issues will come up and demand attention.
5. Home Care Increase
Home care has been increasing in recent years and will probably continue to do so into 2016 as the senior population continues to expand. The preference to stay in the home rather than seek institutional style care, the increasingly crowded conditions in nursing facilities, and the greater availability of home care providers may all work to continue the trend towards “aging in place.” Insurance changes may also come about as a result of this trend.
In the recent slew of United States Supreme Court cases, a decision was upheld involving the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Better known as “Obamacare,” the Supreme Court ruled on the wording and phrasing of the ACA. This case was a matter of a state’s obligation versus the federal government’s obligation.
Due to funding issues and technology deficiencies, states have been unable to keep up with enrollment demand and communication. The Affordable Care Act stated, “Established by the State,” with the most recent ruling interpreting that to mean, “State or Federal Government.” As a result, states are now allowed to piggy-back off of the federal government’s communication technologies, partially or completely. This helps create easier access to enrollment, speeding up the administrative process of providing healthcare insurance to Americans not covered.
The Ruling’s Immediate Impact
The Affordable Care Act allows for tax credits in all 50 states, where as before, the incentives were only extended to the 16 states with authorized online federal insurance exchanges. This allows for the current subsidies in place to continue providing healthcare access to the millions of uninsured. None of the current processes have changed as a result of this ruling, they have just been reaffirmed, and allow the IRS to continue providing a tax credit to those Americans that acquire health insurance.
What This Means at the State Level
Consumers can continue to receive, or gain access to, subsidies that help lower premiums regardless if they purchase their healthcare through federal or state exchanges. If this ruling would have gone the other way, over 6 million insured in 34 states would have lost their subsidy assistance, and their premiums would have rose any where from 300 to 600 percent.
Additional Benefits Reaffirmed Under This Ruling
In addition to the above results, the ruling also confirms the following:
Children stay insured under their parents until age 26
Seniors continue to receive discounts on medication
Americans with disability continue to receive discounts on prescriptions
Cost-equality; if you’re a woman you can’t be charged more than anyone else
The Outlook for Health Insurance
This court case was brought before The Supreme Court as a means to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts knew the judicial implications within the healthcare insurance field if the Federal Government’s involvement was removed. There are currently over 17 million previously uninsured Americans that are now covered because of Obamacare.
Many experts assert that withdrawing those benefits would throw the healthcare industry into disarray, negatively impacting general practitioners. This most recent ruling helps provide easier access to healthcare for the remaining 35 million uninsured individuals. A nice caveat to take away from this: many health insurance entities have benefitted from the ruling. Providers like Humana and United Health Group saw their stock prices increase as a result this decision.
Medical billing is the process of filling out and submitting necessary forms in order to claim funds owed by insurance companies for services provided to patients. Medical billing is extremely important for all types of medical practices, but may be the single most mundane task performed in the office. For many medical offices, outsourcing can provide a barrage of benefits over performing medical billing tasks in-house.
1. Reduces Strain on Staff
Outsourcing medical billing can benefit both large and small medical practices in many different specialty areas. Depending on how billing is handled, less staff may be needed or staff members that currently work on medical billing may be free to perform other tasks. Removing this cumbersome task from the shoulders of staff members may improve the company culture and help to create a friendlier office that is more appealing to patients.
2. Allows Greater Customer Focus
With billing tasks being handled by professionals, receptionists, doctors, and other staff members can increase their focus on the most important part of the job-the patients. Doctors may have more time for each patient, which may help to improve the overall service provided. Staff members may also breathe easier and have more time to focus on patient needs.
3. Decreases Potential for Errors
Medical billing may be mundane, but it is not easy. CPT codes are updated and deleted annually, requirements and rules change frequently, fees change, and carrier rules change. It can be exceedingly difficult for over-worked staff members or physicians to keep up with these changes. Medical billing specialists are experts, however. By outsourcing medical billing to a third party that focuses solely on this area, medical offices greatly reduce the potential for errors that may affect revenues and even incur penalties.
4. Speeds Time to Payment
Medical billing services can submit claims quickly and will thoroughly review the claim to prevent errors that may result in denials. This means a faster turnaround time, with money going into the banks instead of just onto the books. If denials do occur, medical billing service specialists will quickly correct the errors and back their work to recover payment as quickly as possible.
5. Increases Transparency
While some offices are afraid to relinquish control of medical billing for fear of losing transparency in their operations, the opposite is generally true. Allowing professionals to handle time consuming medical billing tasks and headaches can free physicians and staff up to have more time to review monthly reports and get a better feel for the overall health of the practice. This can give medical offices greater control over operations than they generally have when they are stretched thin trying to handle all tasks in-house.
Companies are increasingly using technology to change the landscape of the healthcare industry. Physicians and other healthcare providers have recently begun to adopt new technologies en masse to increase their efficacy in treating patients and improve the quality of care. A company in Australia has created a new electronic medical records (EMR) software platform known as Clinic to Cloud (C2C).
It is unique in that it is entirely cloud hosted meaning EMRs can be accessed and edited from anywhere and is not kept in a physical office. This is a huge advantage for healthcare providers as it allows them to access patient records from their tablet or smartphone and hosts a ton of other features designed to increase the quality of care the healthcare provider delivers to each patient.
Cloud-Based EMRs
Almost overnight, it seemed that everyone started talking about the “Cloud” which refers to storing data on a third-party server to allow access from anywhere in the world. This technological development breaks down huge barriers to efficiency by removing the need for doctors and other healthcare specialists to retrieve physical copies of EMRs or have physical access to the database that houses the EMRs. C2C allows doctors to access their patients’ inf0rmation via their smartphones and tablets from anywhere. This is extremely useful and reduces the barriers of inconvenience for doctors who might wish to review a case while not in the office or the hospital.
Prescription Drugs
C2C also allows doctors and healthcare providers to track pharmaceutical drug use by patients. This reduces the potential for error and accidental complications from combining inappropriate pharmaceuticals. The program has a page for the prescription drugs that the doctor has prescribed and even allows the doctor to create a page of “favorite” drugs for quick reference and comparison. C2C can also be integrated with Medicare, MIMS, and other databases to identify potentially harmful drug interactions.
Patient Services
Another useful aspect of C2C is its patient portal and patient services. It allows for patients to communicate points of concern with the doctor as well as schedule appointments. The CEO of the software claims that this is a feature unique to C2C and should revolutionize the doctor/patient relationship.
Other Features
C2C also delivers a host of other unique and exciting features. These include voice recognition and text-to-speech as well as a clean, minimal interface designed to minimize clicks to save time and increase efficiency. With many of these new medical technology companies on the rise, it remains to be seen how these developments will change the landscape of EMR, medical billing, and the doctor/patient relationship.
In an in age of increasingly complex technology, the doctor-patient relationship has evolved in certain ways. Electronic health records (EHRs) also known as electronic medical records (EMRs) have become instrumental by increasing efficiency through saving doctors time while increasing the quality of care that each patient receives.
Not only do EMRs streamline the management and accuracy of patient health information (PHI) but they also provide doctors access to a patient’s PHI from anywhere in the world. By connecting doctors more quickly than with telephones and paper, doctors are able to save time and resources while simultaneously increasing the likelihood of successfully treating a patient.
EMR Software
EMR software has made it easier to store large amounts of PHI. When it is stored and transmitted electronically, it is referred to as ePHI. It has also changed the way that doctors are able to access ePHI. EMR software allows doctors to search by specified criteria and cross reference other doctors’ notes from one place.
Allowing doctors access from anywhere is vital to the increase in efficiency not only because doctors across the world have access to the ePHI, but primary doctors are also able to access the ePHI from home. In recent polls, as many as half of the doctors surveyed reported accessing patients’ ePHI from home. . In this way, EMR software facilitates the ways in which doctors can approach treatments and diagnoses.
Smartphone and Tablet Apps
EMR software has other implications. Many doctors are now reporting accessing ePHI through their smartphones and tablets. A new market has emerged for apps related to management of EMR. Recent software developments have made it possible to create a doctor-patient portal in which the doctors and patient can engage in a virtual dialogue and share information without needing to be face to face. This provides care and attention in addition to the scheduled appointments.
Transitioning to Virtual Platforms
Some may argue that this could lead to a dependence on technology and a reduction in actual face-to-face time between the doctor and the patient. While it is always important for patients to maintain regularly scheduled appointments with doctors, these developments in EMR software and applications allow doctors to provide care and effort without the constraint of physically being with the patient.
This could lead to doctors being more productive and successful in their treatment. EMR software companies like Quest National Services reduce the burden on doctors and allow them to focus more on patients.
