Practice Management

Despite the initial inconvenience, a well-implemented electronic health record (EHR) system can improve patient care and office workflows, according to an expert.

Patients are online, looking for information about their symptoms and illnesses or tips for living healthier lives. With so much information out there, why would a dermatologist add to the incredible amount of online noise by starting a new blog? Here are nine specific reasons why dermatologists should blog.

For dermatologists, key concerns created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other elements of healthcare reform include patient access and provider payments, says an AAD official. Fortunately, he adds, the varied and largely office-based nature of dermatology could provide unique advantages in the evolving regulatory environment.

Captive insurance companies can help physicians manage financial risks, reduce taxable income by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, and build a side fund to help manage future changes.

From branding to business basics, the technology startup companies of Silicon Valley offer lessons for entrepreneurs including core aesthetic medicine specialists, an expert says.

Are you a dermatologist using social media to market your practice? Wondering which metrics you should be paying attention to? The answer is a lot easier than you think.

Do you have a Facebook marketing strategy for your dermatology practice? Without a strategy and definitive goals to market your practice, you won’t be able to reach the people that need skincare services.

Not all office politics are inherently bad - the key is how individuals in a group work together to meet common goals, according to an expert.

Are you wondering how your dermatology practice can draw in more patients? Social media is the ideal platform to share your brand’s story, connect directly with target audiences and influence their opinion about your practice.

Dr. Derm has become very successful in his 20 years of practice. He now runs 16 offices with 82 employees - most of them full-time. Among his many coveted employees is his 37-year-old nursing clinical coordinator. She has worked with him for more than 10 years and oversees all of the many nurses and medical assistants in the office. Her role is of enormous importance to Dr. Derm and for this she is paid well.

A medical practice owner should spend some of his/her time working on the practice, not just in the practice. We know this because we have our own practice ourselves. Even if the owner works “on” the practice, however, if they ignore one fundamental legal contract, all of his/her work may be in jeopardy - as a single bad event could wipe out everything they have worked so hard to build.

Leaders in aesthetic medicine gathered last week in Las Vegas to share their pearls of wisdom on cosmetic treatments and best business practices to meet the changing needs of a dynamic patient market. Get the details of the valuable insight they exchanged.

My hospital requires documentation of how I spend my time, tabulated in hours per week, for one representative week every month, an exercise related to CMS funding. The time can be allotted among only three mutually exclusive categories: “Hospital Activities,” “Teaching Activities” and “Patient Care.” My university also quantifies my productivity in RVUs, clinical charges, grants submitted, grants awarded and publications.

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems should be considered the digital foundation of a medical practice, allowing practitioners to streamline everything from marketing to scheduling.

With medspas and new dermatology and cosmetic surgery practices popping up all over the place, standing out in the crowd can prove difficult.

Dermatologists have until Sept. 23 to put into place internal policies and procedures needed to comply with sweeping changes coming to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Making each patient visit unforgettably positive requires looking honestly at oneself and one’s practice, says an expert who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Getting payments from Medicare and other insurers promptly and accurately - and, for many Medicare physicians, continuing to receive payments - requires a strong detail orientation, says an expert who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Managing group dynamics requires recognizing and addressing a group’s developmental stage and the roles its members are playing - without judgment, an expert says.

Dermatologists still can thrive in small private practices - even in this healthcare environment, where bigger is arguably better.

When considering the best way to spend $100,000 on one’s practice, an expert who spoke at the Cosmetic Surgery Forum recommends a pragmatic approach.

Physicians have a lot on their mind these days and, of course, some of it stems from the tenuous concerns about healthcare reform at a time when they are so busy trying to manage their schedules they don’t have time to come up for air.

Smartphones are the newest distracter in the healthcare environment. A study of pediatric housestaff and faculty at a university-affiliated public teaching hospital noted that residents self reported missing a piece of clinical information in 19 percent of their cases and faculty in 12 percent of their cases due to distractions caused by smartphones.

Workplace violence not only compromises employee safety, it also has legal implications. In 1996, OSHA established federal guidelines for businesses implementing violence-prevention programs. The guidelines, although not mandatory, are often cited in workplace violence-related lawsuits.

When it comes to electronic health record (EHR) implementation, dermatology isn’t at the beginning - the naive stage - or at the end - where the technology is doing what it’s supposed to do. Dermatology is in what one might call the teenage years, an awkward, frustrating, but hopeful, time.

Successful social networking requires consistent messaging and a working grasp of how these media interconnect, says an expert who spoke at the Cosmetic Surgery Forum.

Even if a dermatologist has only a few minutes per visit to devote to patient education, taking a practical approach can boost the impact of these efforts, says Judith Hong, M.D., a third-year dermatology resident at the University of California, San Francisco.

To address a medical mistake or unsatisfactory outcome, Neil S. Prose, M.D., has a unique suggestion: “Imagine yourself on the opposite side of the table from the patient, with the problem in the middle. Then imagine what it would take to get on the same side of the table, working together.”

Dermatologists can provide value in the era of healthcare reform by realistically gauging the cost-effectiveness of many treatment strategies, according to an expert who spoke at the 71st annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Miami Beach, Fla.

A letter comes across your office fax machine indicating that your practice has been scheduled for an audit and site visit from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a Medicare administrative contractor, or a zone program integrity contractor the next morning at 8 a.m. Sound far-fetched? This exact scenario is likely if your practice is scheduled for such a visit from the federal government or a government contractor. The timing is intended to give you little chance to prepare.