The physician-patient relationship is drastically changing due to new technology. However, these new forms of communication are making it difficult for physicians to find the right balance between patient engagement and IT advances.  There are many benefits to be had with IT but physicians are struggling to understand and embrace them. Below are five keys [...]

The Harrisonburg Community Health Center in Virginia is using telemedicine as a way to advance health care and increase the number of patients it helps. Many patients using this new technology are poor or uninsured and can’t afford to travel to their regular appointments. By allowing them to videoconference with a doctor instead of driving [...]

A recent survey by PwC Health Research Institute found that a third of respondents are looking to social media as a new way to interact with their physicians and discuss health care. This shift is prompting many health care organizations to reevaluate their marketing efforts and develop ones more focused on interacting and providing services [...]

Now, more than ever, patients are worrying more about financial pressures. Recent data released by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics indicates that fewer patients are visiting their doctors and those with prescriptions are cutting what they spend on them. Doctors say that patients are also asking about cheaper alternatives and if certain tests are [...]

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) going for higher bonuses have to choose how to cover their potential losses. According to the Medicare shared savings program’s final rule, ACOs can set aside cash reserves in escrow, establish a line of credit, have the amount deducted from future fee-for-service payments, or purchase reinsurance to repay the agency. Physicians [...]

A new rule, extending from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, recently proposed that medical practices be required to report any Medicare payments discovered within ten years of the date that the funds were received. Physicians would have two months to return the overpayments or face penalties. Critics believe the 10-year requirement places a [...]

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Recently, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new set of proposed rules for certified EHR systems in response to the release of the stage 2 requirements for the meaningful use of EHRs. The new rules will focus on strengthening quality [...]

Primary care physicians (PCP) need to be more cautious when prescribing painkillers due to a recent incidence where a doctor over-prescribed painkillers that resulted in two patients’ death. Lawyers agree that PCPs are put in a hard place because insurance plans often require the patient to see a PCP before being referred to a specialist. [...]

Many patients struggle to understand written health materials and medical information. In fact, according to the U.S. Dept. of Education, nearly 90% of U.S. adults are less than proficient in reading, understanding and acting on medical information. Unfortunately, this literacy gap has many medical consequences. Patients with poor literacy skills have much worse health outcomes [...]