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Recommit to ‘health’ in healthcare
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareFor many of us in healthcare, clinical practice is no picnic. Long hours, clipped patient visits, staffing shortages, electronic glitches and myriad insurance issues often curtail our ability to provide preventive patient education and counseling. Over and over again, research has demonstrated that our lifestyle hugely impacts our wellness and longevity. Yet, typically, we do a suboptimal job addressing this area with our patients — and ourselves. How can we, even with all the constraints that currently constrict us, amp up our game and be the change we wish to see?
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Public health cuts undermine US pandemic preparedness
Michelle R. Matisons Medical & Allied HealthcareAs China's coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads, the federal government in the U.S. has a limited health preparedness infrastructure in the event of a stateside pandemic viral outbreak. Instead, public health precautions taken by communities and hospitals must shape a proactive response to a global threat still in its nascent stages. The hollow husk left by recent public health budget cuts leave military command structures as the only coordinated "safety net" in a U.S. pandemic event.
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The complications of choosing a pain reliever
Dorothy L. Tengler PharmaceuticalAlthough over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat pain, these drugs cause about 100,000 hospitalizations and 17,000 deaths annually. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently strengthened its warning about the risks of cardiovascular disease attributed to NSAIDs. Because choosing a pain reliever can be complicated for healthcare providers and their patients, researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine have addressed cardiovascular risks as well as gastrointestinal and kidney side effects of pain relievers, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs for pain relief.
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Podcast: How your patients can file out-of-network self-claims in less…
Jarod Carter Healthcare AdministrationWhen Vatsal Thakkar first opened his own practice, he decided on the cash-based model because he wanted to spend more time with each patient. He found the experience of helping his patients inspiring and "magical" compared with what he saw among many of his in-network colleagues who had to see 20-30 patients a day. Throughout the years, Thakkar found ways to streamline the process of filing out-of-network reimbursement claims for his patients.
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The brain on nature: The why behind biophilic design
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesNatural environments and the presence of nature in built environments have been found to produce beneficial effects on occupants. Those findings have given rise to the growing use of biophilic design strategies, which seek to improve occupant health and well-being through the incorporation of nature views and natural elements into interior environments. Now, scientists are learning more about how and why we respond to natural stimuli in certain ways — research that can help designers to refine their application of biophilia to have greater impact.
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Millions of high school students set for success: Celebrating Career and…
Sheilamary Koch Education"I learned the formula for success," says Ian Solano, reflecting on what he gained from his high school career and technical education (CTE) classes. Now a business and marketing junior at the University of Southern California, Ian articulately shares how the hands-on experience of completing real-world projects and presenting them to “clients” in high school taught him a process he’s applied to internships and his college coursework. Solano is part of the changing face of high school vocational education.
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How blockchain technology can benefit your patients
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a physician or administrator, it's crucial that you keep patient transactions and data easily shareable and totally secure. Blockchain technology may be just the right way for your organization to do it. In a blockchain system, data is linked in a segmented system that makes for ease of sharing, eliminates the risk of inaccurate data being kept in a patient ledger, and automatically distributes to a set network of recipients. Blockchain is currently being used most in healthcare payment applications. However, as it matures further, it is being adapted for virtually every healthcare need.
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HHS responds to arguments against hospital price transparency
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRegarding healthcare pricing transparency, the Trump administration says patients should have the right to know how much care will cost before they receive it. The argument seems to hold water, because in all other transactions where are wallets are concerned, consumers know the price of the products and services before they buy. These are the points continually made by leaders at HHS. These are also the arguments made in a brief filed last week in response to a lawsuit challenging the price transparency rule. HHS also argues that Congress meant for hospital pricing be made public.
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Healthcare mergers and acquisitions: Navigating the landscape
Tory Barringer Healthcare AdministrationThe past few years have seen a marked increase in hospital mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with deals closing at an average pace of about 100 annually, according to an estimate from the Los Angeles Times. In many cases, these mergers are a net positive for the communities they impact. Yet, healthcare observers and researchers argue that takeovers have the downside of eliminating competition and driving up prices, to say nothing of the risk to patient safety. Regardless of the debate surrounding M&A, activity is likely to continue at a brisk pace unless regulators step in or the healthcare landscape changes enough to force another shift. With that in mind, hospitals are advised to keep a few pointers in mind when it comes to a successful merger.
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Podcast: Ideal cash-pay services for in-network and out-of-network practices
Jarod Carter Healthcare AdministrationIn this episode, Phil Plisky explains exactly how an insurance-based clinic can generate lots of cash-based revenue by offering wellness-focused screenings and injury-prevention services. He precisely describes how his clinic has successfully leveraged injury-prevention screenings to develop a wellness-service niche that patients are happy to pay for out of pocket, even though they are accustomed to using their insurance at that PT practice. This low-risk approach to developing out-of-network business might be an ideal way for practices that are highly reliant on insurance-based business to get started with the cash-based model.
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