Your practitioners may be performing services for which they are neither being reimbursed nor receiving credit toward their quality reporting. You can help maximize their earning potential and receive credit where it’s due by pointing out these three separately payable services. Chronic Care Management Chronic conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, HIV, stroke, […]
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Tag Archives: Ways
Some Ways to Keep Your Electronic Medical Records Plan Moving Ahead
The most common question I get writing this column is: ‘Why is it taking so long to implement electronic medical records?’ Our initial 18-mo project turned out in about three years, instead. Though this seems a bit cautious to some colleagues, people in IT and project management industries commended our careful approach to the situation. It’s well-known that Internet Technology system implementations (such as EMR) fail up to 50 percent of the time. A solid plan must be in place, taking into account any unforeseeable circumstances which could change the time frame. For example, our journey included two new associates, two hurricanes, and a departure of an associate.
Your electronic medical records vendor should be able to refer someone to guide you through implementation. However, this person can be either a person with EMR experience or someone who knows about the system itself, though not so much about roll-out at a medical office. I strongly recommend taking on the services of a certified PM (Project Manager). One important thing a PM can do is turn your project into a dynamic process which can take a series of setbacks or delays. The standard calendar can’t really do much to ensure this sort of follow-through.
We first implemented a Project Manager to plan the location for our new office. Our employees could use what was learned from the process, which includes how to use mind-mapping software. We have used these techniques for all major projects at our practice since then, including implementation of the electronic medical records (EMR).
For meetings and other minor projects I recommend Getting Things Done by David Allen.
The primary advantage of using a work breakdown structure is that any glitches that pop up don’t completely ruin your goal to successfully implement the EMR system. Of course, at a small practice there is more schedule flexibility. A hard deadline should most certainly be set, as part of the plan for EMR roll-out. However, with a proper plan structure your plan can roll on with the punches instead of simply rolling over.
When we finally arrived a a place when staff had training, we posted the hard deadline to go live. There was a simulation date on a Saturday which occurred two days before launch; both dates were mandatory to attend.
Although theoretically we could have pushed the launch date back, these dates helped to keep us working together and exposed risks that were faced. Now we’re about 5 months into our roll-out. The stress levels have begun to settle a bit, and we’re now tweaking our templates and getting ready for the next wave of patients to introduce to electronic medical records.
Peter J. Polack, M.D., F.A.C.S., is founder of emedikon, a medical practice management consulting firm and president of Protodrone, a software development company specializing in medical practice applications. He is managing partner of Ocala Eye, a large multi-specialty ophthalmology practice. Find more useful articles and podcasts at http://www.medicalpracticetrends.com
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Ways to Become the Medical Technician
Many people mistakenly believe that a surgical technician is just accountable for cleaning and maintaining surgical equipment. However, this is a career that provides extremely good purchase the person who has what it takes to be accountable for human lives. If you’re seriously interested in as an assistant to an OR surgeon, then you can desire to continue reading.This isn’t a simple field of medicine for a person to obtain accepted in, and requires a 2 year accredited degree program, and passing the Certification Study of multiple choice questions .
When you complete your schooling and tests, you’ll qualify to become person in the Association of Surgical Technologists. The courses you will have to take are anatomy, and courses that teach extensively detailed medical terminology, along with courses within the specialized sterilization techniques. You will have real experience of hands on training with internships just like a doctor, and will be supervised on your clinical training.You won’t just be handing surgical instruments towards the surgeon throughout a surgery, you will be the main one who’s extracting human tissues and making the sutures to close in the incisions .
Your work will not end once you have signed off on the Or just being completely sterile, you’ll need a surefire stomach to keep your wits about you and become completely focused on every detail happening.You must realize that a patient’s every day life is based on you having made sure there aren’t any contaminants which can endanger outdoors incision. Your detailed focus on the cleanliness of surgical instruments can not be overstated
Courses offered in pursuing work in surgical tech include but not restricted to anatomy, medical terminology and physiology. Just like in firefighting, they incorporate a hands-on training particularly in other locations of sterilization techniques, handling of equipment, procedures of surgery, caring for patients and ensuring their safety within the hospital environment. Supervised clinical practice is also provided which really goes a long way in building the trainee’s portfolio or resume for job searching after graduation.In the usa, employers often only employ surgical techs who’ve written and passed a national certification examination. This could be the exams in the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). The exam of the board is available in are multiple choice test which is taken on a computer. Only those who passed CAAHEP or ABHES qualify to use and write this exam.
For details visit Certified Surgical Technologist
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15 Ways to Vet a Coding/Billing Vendor
Find out if what they say is true because your compliance and financial livelihood is in their hands. By Joette Derricks, MPA, FACMPE, CPC, CHC, CSSGB Before outsourcing the coding needs in your medical organization, take time to verify a potential vendor’s claims. Here are 15 ways to dig a little deeper to ensure a […]
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Ways to Boost your Hemoccult Test Coding
If you want to keep the money coming for in-office examination of fecal occult blood test (FOBT), you should train eyes on the difference between three hemoccult codes and their purpose.
Here’s a scenario:
A 60-year old patient presented in the office complaining of diarrhea preceded by intestinal cramping, which lasted two weeks. The patient has no history of cancer in the family. He also did not feel nauseous at all. The physician took a stool sample to test for both parasites and blood. How should you approach this situation?
Assign the right code for each type of collection
Since the year 2007, CPT has assigned two codes that you can use for post digital rectal exam (DREs) and consecutive specimen collection:
82270 82272 Update: With effect from January 1, 2007, CPT has terminated HCPCS code G0107 and replaced by 82270 even for routine Medicare screening FOBT. Remember: In the above scenario, it is not clear whether the doctor examined the samples herself or sent them to the lab. But as a general rule, parasite exams almost always take place in the lab. Here, the lab would be paid for the test directly. Do not forget: There are interval limitations for screenings established by Medicare and most commercial carriers. On the other hand, if a patient presents to the office with symptoms, the gastroenterologist would carry out a diagnostic FOBT, and you should bill it with 82272. One can bill CPT 82272 if 1 to 3 specimens are obtained. The diagnosis code for the test would be related to the patient’s presenting symptoms. Count number of tests If you are still not sure whether you have got the right code by differentiating screening from diagnostic, you can look further into the test’s details. Identify how many tests the gastroenterologist or lab performs. For a three-specimen collection, you would go for 82270. Use a single-specimen collection with 82272. Red flag: Even though 82270 involves analysis of three specimens, you should always assign 82270 with a “1” in the units field. Some coders incorrectly interpret 82270’s descriptor of “one to three simultaneous determinations” to mean they should bill “each of the three determinations with one unit of CPT 82270 (82270 x 3).” The revised description more clearly reminds providers that the code identifies as many as three consecutive determinations. What if: The patient fails to collect all three samples. You may still bill 82270. If this happens, the laboratory should carry out analysis of the one or two collected specimen, report the results accordingly and record one unit of 82270. Determine who obtains the sample Where the sample is collected and who performs it can also include you in to the right FOBT code. CPT Code 82270 will always be billed as a separate service when the developer has been placed on the cards after the three completed cards (or one completed triple card) have been returned to the office. In a nutshell, the doctor should not collect the specimen in the office. Instead you should use 82272 when the doctor carries out a digital rectal exam in the office and obtains a sample at that time.
We provide you simple, instant connection to official code descriptors & guidelines and other tools for 2010 CPT code, HCPCS lookup that help coders and billers to excel in the work they do every day.
What Are The Easiest Ways To Get Medical Billing And Coding Certification?
The good news is that entering this much needed profession has never been easier. Certification programs are available for just about every possible situation. There are courses online, which allow for education and placement, while participants are able to keep their current jobs or care for their families. Look for those schools that are accredited and provide a quality education, as well as their program to help prepare for certification and job placement. Using the internet makes finding these schools very easy and allows for a comprehensive comparison between programs.
Community colleges also offer affordable programs in the field of medical billing and coding. These schools can be found in nearly every state and offer various options including times, days and length of program. This path of certification offers flexibility but also allows students to interact in- person with others who are seeking positions in the same field. Networking is a crucial part of opening doors in any profession and this one is no exception. Many people prefer to learn in a classroom and community college is set up to accommodate those who need to work while obtaining degrees and certification.
Another way of working towards a certification in the field of medical billing and coding is through actual work experience. Many people who end up in this field actually begin by volunteering or working in another capacity within a medical setting. Private practice, hospitals and clinics will sometimes provide a hands -on and often tuition reimbursement to those employees who are hard-working and reliable. One of the many benefits of this route, is the actual experience of working inside the medical world. It is a great opportunity to find out whether or not this profession is something that fits. It is a way to experience first- hand the reality and demands of such a career, before time and money is spent.
Whichever road is chosen, medical billing and coding in a fast-growing career that will be around for a very long time. Deciding on which path to choose can be easily accomplished with the help of the internet and or visiting local colleges and training institutes. Bring your questions with you, gather the needed facts, and the future may just hold an exciting, lucrative career in this very important profession.
You can get more information about medical billing and coding here..
5 Ways to Communicate Effectively with Your Physician
Have you ever wondered how to approach a physician who you’ve only see once or twice in the office because they are busy with inpatients, nursing home patients, etc.? It may seem intimidating; but if you are tactful, you can communicate effectively and with confidence. Billing and coding errors by providers are common: from selecting incorrect evaluation and […]
AAPC Knowledge Center
Don’t Just Look at Your Online Patient Reviews, Find Ways to Get More of Them [Infographic]
10 Heart Stopping Facts About Your Healthcare Practice’s Online Reputation
Doctors and practice managers know that their patients are online and that reviews can affect the business. Afterall, 85% of doctors say that they proactively check online reviews about themselves.
That’s great but, you need to go one step further. The most important thing about online reviews isn’t mitigating the bad ones, it’s solicitation.
Only 10% of patients will actually leave a review for their doctor online so it’s important to develop a plan to encourage them to share their experiences online.
Negative reviews can only hurt you if you’re not counteracting them with an overwhelming number of positive reviews. Potential patients are more likely to trust you when they see both good and bad especially if you make an effort to interact with them.
And that’s the key – don’t just look at your reviews, be personable and find ways to get more of them because the online health of your practice depends on it.
Check out the infographic below for the 10 Heart Stopping Facts About Your Healthcare Practice’s Online Reputation.
— This post Don’t Just Look at Your Online Patient Reviews, Find Ways to Get More of Them [Infographic] was written by Nathan Miloszewski and first appeared on Capture Billing. Capture Billing is a medical billing company helping medical practices get their insurance claims paid faster, easier and with less stress allowing doctors to focus on their patients.
Medical Economics – Top 11 Ways Physicians Can Fight Back Against Denials
AAPC’s Vice President of Member and Certification Development, Raemarie Jimenez, CPC, CDEO, CPB, CPMA, CPPM ,CPC-I, CANPC, CRHC spoke with Medical Economics to examine how physicians should best manage denied claims. The article gives different avenues for providers to consider when receiving denials, with advice from several industry experts on next steps. Jimenez advises providers […]
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