The Journal of medical practice management : MPM
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First Health has become the first national managed care company to establish reimbursement for Web-based Internet consultations between patients and their physicians. Initially limited to chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and congestive heart failure, the program will reimburse up to 24 consultations per year at a rate of $25 each. Privacy issues have been addressed by utilizing secure network procedures. First Health believes that this initiative will enhance subscribers' well-being and potentially reduce the rates of hospitalization and even lengths of stay.
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Nearly one-third of all job applicants may make unjustified claims, exaggerate, omit important information, or lie in their resumes, employment applications, or interviews. Checking credentials before you hire is the best way to protect your staff and patients and to save time, money, and effort. ⋯ It offers practical advice for verifying academic credentials, employment history, and awards and honors. Finally, this article provides useful suggestions for avoiding discrimination suits in hiring practices and techniques for coping with employees who have lied to you.
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Electronic prescribing is an emerging technology that allows physicians to write appropriate, legible, and safe prescriptions quickly and easily, using a handheld computer unit linked to their office computer. The early physician adapters using this innovation had little objective information upon which to base their choice, so cost was their main criterion. Now, a variety of vendors and options are available, so the discriminating physician is able to select the electronic prescribing system most complementary to his or her practice's needs and unique style.
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Based on the prevalence of medical error that continues to make headlines, you would think that physicians are so busy defending medical malpractice lawsuits that they don't have time to practice medicine. Although many physicians may feel like this, in fact, it is not the case. Contrary to what the media would have you believing, it is not "the conspiracy of silence" that's keeping physicians out of court. ⋯ Because the complexity of health care delivery imposes ever-greater demands on physicians' time, medical office staff play a larger-than-ever role in defining the tenor of physician-patient relationships. It has become incumbent on staff to become the physicians' partners in effectuating patient relationships built on quality communications. This article will discuss ways in which office staff can utilize effective communications to improve physician-patient relationships, thereby reducing professional liability exposures.