Medicine & Technology

You can use two types of specialized computer software to analyze your financial and operational information in order to detect fraud: Data Extraction software and Financial Analysis software.

Just why is it that the practice of medicine is one of the few businesses today that still keeps the majority of its customer information in paper file folders? And how can a practice ensure that when it is ready to automate, it is making the best possible decisions?

Many practices are dealing with vendors that have contacted them with confusing correspondence about whether or not they will be HIPAA compliant, or have failed to provide adequate updates on insurance company regulations.

More than half of physician practices indicate interest in outsourcing their management information systems/information technology (MIS/IT) function. To evaluate outsourcing options among three broad categories, you can use the three "Cs" as a benchmark: cost, control and capability.

The implications of this decision extend far beyond the purchase price of the software and hardware. There are a wide variety of systems on the market, and it is important to identify the features you are looking for before purchasing a system.

Following the lead of hospitals, physician groups are adding more dynamic content and interactivity to their websites. While the potential functionality to be added is limitless, there are several enhancements that provide a balance between the ease of implementation and expected benefits.

The use of electronic medical records has been slowly growing but is not expanding as quickly as many expected. There are several potential reasons for this.

Several important trends virtually ensure that automation of medical practice operations, including certain clinical activities, will grow significantly and rapidly.

As health care on the Internet continues to evolve from fairly static first generation information sites toward third generation interactive health management programs online, courts, regulators and private accrediting entities are struggling to apply existing law to a new medium and to develop new law when needed.

Internet/intranet technologies offer new capabilities to the health care industry due to their ease of use, platform independence and inexpensive connectivity. Taking advantage of these evolving capabilities can help lower costs, improve patient/member service and assist in the delivery of better-coordinated care.