Health Insurance Fraud and Its Impact on Healthcare Systems

Health Insurance Fraud and Its Impact on Healthcare Systems

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Health Insurance Fraud and Its Impact on Healthcare Systems

Fraud and abuse have plagued our healthcare systems for many years.  In fact, the Department of Justice reported a $1.4 billion loss from health care fraud schemes in this year alone. So it is no wonder why there have been several crackdowns on fraud initiated by both the state and federal governments.

Whether it is intentional or not, healthcare frauds have serious implications on all of us. It is not just healthcare service providers or violators facing consequences, it also affects people who rely on federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Health Insurance Fraud and Its Impact on Healthcare Systems

Healthcare fraud stresses and puts too much pressure on our healthcare system, which in turn diminishes the quality of the healthcare services that we receive. Some even linked fraud and see it as one of the primary reasons why we have to pay higher premiums as well as receive unnecessary or risky services that we do not even need in the first place.  

Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to self-report or report any healthcare fraud. Apart from it being a great public service, reporting fraud to the authorities would also help mitigate and prevent these adverse impacts in our healthcare systems.

Overwhelming our Healthcare System

The last thing that every doctor or any healthcare service provider should worry about is a lawsuit. Our healthcare system can function more efficiently and effectively if health practitioners only focus on the health of their patients. With a pending violation or lawsuit hanging about, their undivided attention can compromise their work as well as the healthcare service that the patient receives.

As a doctor usually says, “prevention is better than cure.” So in order to not overburden our healthcare system, we must do our best to prevent these frauds from ever occurring.

If you are a healthcare professional or healthcare service provider, one of the best ways to avoid unintentional violation is to be familiar with the laws related to our healthcare system. This way, you would be able to determine what practices are prohibited and then overcorrect those practices as soon as possible.

Otherwise, or if you are a witness or a patient who happens to be a victim of fraud, then your best option is to file a report to your local authorities or get assistance from a healthcare fraud lawyer. It is worth noting that whistleblowers can even get monetary rewards once they successfully report healthcare fraud.

Another reason why healthcare fraud occurs is due to the lack of an effective standardized patient identifier. Fraudsters, when committing these acts, have information on the patients from a number of sources, and can easily pass verification as there’s no effective patient identifier. However, many healthcare providers are preventing medical identity theft via accurate patient identification with RightPatient. It is a touchless biometric patient identification platform that identifies patients using their photos, and since patients’ faces are used for verification, fraudsters are red-flagged easily – preventing healthcare fraud. 

Detrimental to Patients’ Health

Healthcare fraud can come in many forms. It is not just manipulating medical bills or upcoding, it can also be ordering too many tests or recommending unnecessary treatments to patients. These types of fraudulent and abusive activities are detrimental to the health of the patients because doctors can misdiagnose a disease and some illnesses can even resurface due to unnecessary treatments.

Other types of fraud that are also detrimental to the health of patients are medical record errors, false statements, and unqualified medical recommendations. Take the case of the patients in Maryland who paid to get treated but still died because their X-rays were not reviewed properly by a qualified radiologist. It is a perfect illustration of how money and lives were lost due to fraudulent activities.

Unfortunately, the example above is just some of the many examples of fraud that are happening across the country. That being the case, it is then up to us to be on the lookout for these abusive activities; and as much as possible, try to prevent these unfortunate cases from ever happening.

Higher Premiums

If you rely on health insurance to foot your sudden emergency medical bill, then you probably already know how monthly premiums work and how it can sometimes leave a hole in your pocket. But, did you also know that fraud is one of the deciding factors that determine how much your monthly premiums should be?

According to the Department of Justice, monetary losses due to healthcare fraud are offset by higher premiums, increased taxes, and reduced services. Oftentimes, the largest recoveries are due to fictitious or false claims. The DOJ has pursued and recovered thousands to billions of dollars due to violation of the False Claims Act.

Cases like these affect our healthcare systems and increase our monthly premiums because as the cost of healthcare rises, so will the cost associated with these fraudulent activities. As a result, patients would then have to shoulder these out-of-pocket expenses and rising insurance premiums.

With all that said, healthcare insurance fraud trickles down and affects our entire healthcare system. No matter if it is intentional or not, it is apparent that these fraudulent activities are harmful to everyone. So we must assume responsibilities in safeguarding our healthcare system and make sure that these fraudulent activities would not go unpunished. This way, we would not overburden our healthcare professionals and patients would receive the proper medical care they are rightfully entitled to. 

How to Handle a Patient's Insurance Information Securely

How to Handle a Patient’s Insurance Information Securely

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How to Handle a Patient's Insurance Information Securely

The Internet of Things has made healthcare more accessible, affordable, and convenient for patients and providers alike. It’s also helped to ensure health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic. However, telehealth appointments and electronic records don’t come without their fair share of risks. 

How to Handle a Patient's Insurance Information Securely

Criminal attacks and security breaches within the healthcare industry have skyrocketed within the past decade. Patients want assurance that their data is safe, which is why it’s so essential to handle insurance information securely. 

Educate Staff

Many people fear automated intelligence and its role in securing and organizing patient information. However, it’s people that pose the greatest security risk. Simple human error, negligence, and misconduct can result in dangerous and expensive consequences like data breaches and erasures. Ongoing security awareness and anti-phishing training are essential to minimize these incidents and protect sensitive information.  

Restrict Access 

Health care providers must also implement a range of protective mechanisms to make data access more difficult for hackers and workers. Install a firewall to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing your network and retrieving information. Privacy controls that require multiple types of user authentication can also ensure only authorized professionals can view patient information. Use passwords, physical keys, or even biometrics to screen users, verify identification and heighten security. 

Implement Usage Controls

Additionally, providers should monitor who accesses data and keep a detailed record of when and where they use the network. Implementing usage controls will discourage and anticipate risky or malicious activity that could compromise patients’ personal security. You can also use these controls to block web uploads, unauthorized email sends, or print sensitive information. This way, the information stays within your network and doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. 

Encrypt Data

There were more than 3,705 healthcare data breaches between 2009 and 2020, which means more than 81% of the U.S. population has been affected. Unfortunately, more incidents occur every year, resulting in the loss, theft, exposure, and impermissible disclosure of millions of health records. That’s why it’s so important to encrypt data. Make it more difficult – or impossible – for attackers to decipher patient information with this one simple precaution. They won’t be able to read details, even if they gain access. 

Secure Mobile Devices

Many patients enjoy the benefits of talking to their doctors through mobile devices like phones and tablets instead of driving to a doctor’s office. However, sharing information virtually always increases the risk of an attack or data breach, so health care providers must take precautions. Secure mobile devices by enforcing the use of strong passwords and encrypting application data. It’s also vital to have users install mobile security software before accessing personal information or attending virtual appointments. 

Conduct Backups

Cyberattacks, natural disasters, and other calamities can compromise data availability, making it impossible for you and your patients to access. Sometimes, these incidents can even encrypt or completely erase information, which doesn’t bode well for anyone. That’s why frequent backups are so critical. Store data off-site so if someone or something compromises your network, you still have accessible information elsewhere. You can also enable remote deletion of data stored on mobile devices in case of theft or a similar emergency.

Scan for Vulnerabilities

Security loopholes and vulnerabilities in wireless networks offer an easy entry point for hackers. Therefore, it’s essential to conduct regular risk assessments to predict and identify potential threats. The 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act made it mandatory for healthcare entities to routinely analyze their risks as part of their regular processes. This stipulation ensures that health care providers take proactive and preventive measures to maintain continuous, reasonable, and appropriate security protections for patients.

Take a Multifaceted Approach

The best practices for cybersecurity involve a multifaceted, sophisticated approach. Monitor, log, authenticate and back up data regularly. Educate staff and patients to maximize security measures and reassure users. If you do all the above and take preventive action, you can mitigate breaches and keep more clients’ information safe.

On the other hand, hospitals and health systems are also protecting patient information using various methods. Many forward-thinking healthcare providers are utilizing RightPatient, a touchless biometric patient identification platform that locks medical records with patient photos. Patients only need to look at the camera for registration and, during subsequent visits, verification – RightPatient does the rest. When fraudsters attempt to pass off as the patients, RightPatient red-flags them during the verification process, preventing medical identity theft and protecting patient information even if there is a data breach. 

8 Ways to Better Secure Patient Medical Records

8 Ways to Better Secure Patient Medical Records

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8 Ways to Better Secure Patient Medical Records

As a medical or medical administration professional, you’re likely familiar with the ways that the digital world has impacted the healthcare industry. On the whole, the technological developments involved in the medical field have caused a variety of positive changes for patients and providers alike. However, there is still the risk that the tech used in medical settings can be put at risk if not treated carefully. Patients’ medical records are private and often sensitive, and it’s important to protect them as much as possible. Here are a few ways to better protect and secure patient medical records. 

8 Ways to Better Secure Patient Medical Records

Regularly Perform Risk Assessment

Although this one might seem self-explanatory, you’d be surprised at how long some people go without assessing risk within their systems. Especially if you make any big changes to things like tech systems or location, those can come with breaches in security that can go easily undetected while you adjust. Additionally, many states require regular risk assessments by HIPAA law anyway.

Encrypt Your Data

This is a tip that anybody can use for data security, and healthcare providers are no different. From emails to patient portals and backend systems, utilizing encryption can keep cybercriminals out of your systems and protect any data from breaches. Especially nowadays, it’s important to protect your data as much as possible.

Keep Organized

Although this has more to do with your end of things than the tech end, it certainly helps with storing the correct information in the proper places. You want to be able to provide people with their medical information and access patient files without going through too much other sensitive information to get to it. Under HIPAA, medical professionals are required to provide a patient with a copy of their health information within 30 days of their request, so you want to be able to get to it as quickly as possible without risking security every time.

Monitor System Access

This is something that you can put into practice right away, without meddling with the actual software or hardware – specifically, you can put this into place by implementing policies within your department. When everyone has the same level of access to your systems, it can risk breaches in security. However, when you monitor who has access to your systems, you can mitigate risk by creating levels of security within the back end. 

Use Two-Factor Authentication For Patient Portals

Many healthcare providers have followed the recent trend of providing patient portals for patients to access their healthcare information remotely. While this is a great idea for ease and accessibility – in addition to keeping track of a patient’s healthcare and insurance information – patient portals can also be a big security risk for outside threats. One way to mitigate this risk is by requiring two-factor authentication for all of the patient portal accounts, so you can better ensure that everyone using your system is actually allowed to be there. 

Be Careful About Remote Access

Speaking of remote access, it can be tempting to allow your employees – both healthcare providers and other industry professionals – to access patient information and other sensitive files remotely in order to better aid productivity. However, this can also lead to breaches in security, especially if it’s easier to access files on the professional side, it might lead to hacking and file breaches. Sometimes, it can be best to closely monitor remote access, or only allow people to utilize the online backend when they’re on the premises. 

Perform Updates Periodically

Updating the systems as necessary might sound like an obvious tip, but it’s always good to have a reminder. Just like regular risk assessments, performing regular updates can ensure that you have the best and most updated security capabilities available. Even if it might take a little while to fully update everything, it’s absolutely worth the time and effort for the updated security measures. 

Use a Robust Patient ID Platform

Ensuring accurate patient identification helps protect medical records in several ways. It prevents medical record mix-ups, duplicate medical records, overlays, and even medical identity theft. RightPatient, for instance, is a touchless biometric patient identification platform that uses patient photos to identify them accurately across the care continuum. After locking medical records with patients’ photos, they only need to look at the camera during subsequent visits, RightPatient does the rest – preventing mix-ups, identity theft, and protecting medical records in the process. 

Securing Your Medical Files

No matter where you work in the medical sphere, it’s always important to secure your patients’ files as much as possible. With technology moving at a faster rate than ever before to offer convenience and ease, it’s also important to keep an eye on security measures, especially when it comes to sensitive information like medical records.

5 Things you should know about AI, Machine Learning and its Use in Healthcare

5 Things you should know about AI, Machine Learning, and its Use in Healthcare

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5 Things you should know about AI, Machine Learning and its Use in Healthcare

Every day, the healthcare systems from all around the world have to suffer and lose many resources, especially now since COVID-19 is suppressing it even more. Doctors might sometimes give a wrong diagnosis, treatment plans are also delayed or patients are given a false positive test for different diseases. Many resources are allocated for the healthcare department in order to ensure that patients are given a diagnosis and also the right treatment plan. It might also happen that the patient’s body cannot handle a certain medicine that doctors are not aware of and that can be even worse for the patient.

5 Things you should know about AI, Machine Learning and its Use in Healthcare

AI and Machine Learning are offering opportunities for the healthcare industry

Computers and algorithms can search huge amounts of data, much faster than the human body can, in order to find the right diagnosis, make a treatment plan, and improve the overall healthcare system and safety for their data. Healthcare is now a key industry for the big companies, using their AI and machine learning for certain healthcare projects. Many organizations are already involved in creating tools that will help the healthcare industry, even two big companies, such as IBM and Microsoft. 

Besides the fact that diagnosis, treatment, and tests will be more accurate than ever, the overall costs for the medicine and pharmaceutical industries can be reduced by up to 100 billion dollars every year. Although AI and machine learning might not be capable to find the diagnosis of a patient by themselves, the doctors can use the data provided to ensure the right diagnosis was given to the patient. 

An algorithm will perform better when it has exposure to data. The healthcare system is like a paradise for an algorithm since it contains a tremendous number of databases and information. Right now, all this data is going to waste because the storage systems are so different one from another and there are many privacy concerns involved. 

AI is responsible for Diagnosis

A good amount of work for disease identification and diagnosis is done by the AI. What the AI mainly does is this: vital information, such as lung function, blood pressure, glucose level, etc. is being analyzed by the AI and the results are being compared to the normal levels. By comparing millions of data every second, the AI is capable of finding and identifying the right disease within seconds. 

Heart diseases are one of the main problems that algorithms are trying to diagnose and prevent. The AI is now able to determine the risk factor of a person to develop heart disease by looking at its age, blood pressure, and other aspects, but it can’t make the analysis for the medication that person might be on or the condition of the other biological systems. The main focus now is to realistically make the AI predict who is at risk of developing heart disease and when this might happen, as a study by Stephen Weng suggests. 

Machines are also trained to read CT scans and interpret information from other imaging diagnostic tests. This procedure is still in a trial phase, but it can also act as an assistant for the radiologist or it can indicate an abnormality that the radiologist was not able to detect.

How AI and Machine Learning helps Respiratory Medicine

Since AI is working with huge sets of complex data, it is very useful for respiratory medicine, especially for lung illnesses that develop as a result of toxic exposure, lung cancer, restrictive lung diseases, fibrotic lung disease, and other conditions. The diagnostic criteria might sometimes overlap, which is a reason why doctors should pay attention to the results of the AI and make adjustments accordingly, if necessary. 

The AI can also compare different results of a CT scan for the lungs of a patient or it can compare with the results of other patients. This way, the AI is more effective and can easily find the information about a patient that suffered from the same condition really quickly. Once they have the right diagnosis, they can find the treatment plan and monitor the overall results and improvements of the patient.

Monitoring Drug Response

AI and machine learning can gather information from different platforms, as there was an experiment where social media was put to work and connect people that suffer from cancer in order to ensure different treatment options. AI did a very good job and sorted the information from Twitter and Facebook comparing the different answers from the participants. The pharmaceutical industry is now trying to determine what treatment works better for a patient based on their genealogical tree and biology. 

Monitoring Health Epidemics

The algorithms are used to perform regular checks on news reports, social media, and government websites in order to find an outbreak. There was one case when a computer algorithm was able to detect an Ebola outbreak more than one week faster than the World Health Organisation did. 

This is just the beginning of AI and machine learning to perform at their best for the healthcare industry. It might be a long shot for the algorithms to be able to diagnose a patient by themselves, but as they are gathering more and more data, there is a possibility that in the near future they will be able to develop a full diagnosis and treatment plan without aid from a specialist.

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Mobile Hospitals: How They Improve Medical Services

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mobile-hospitals-how-they-improve-medical-services-rightpatient-guest-post

Mobile hospitals are not new. In fact, they’ve been used both for temporary and permanent functions in the past decades. For temporary functions, mobile hospitals are utilized during medical drives, campaigns, and other medical events. Meanwhile, for permanent functions, mobile hospitals are used in rural areas and military stations. Today, the presence and use of mobile hospitals are even more prevalent.

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Recently, the demand for hospital services has significantly increased. This results in the congestion of hospitals in cities and districts. In rural areas where hospitals aren’t available, mobile field hospitals have become a great addition. There are many ways medical services can drastically improve through the presence of mobile hospitals, forming the reason behind their high demand.

In this article, you’ll learn how the presence of mobile hospitals can improve medical services.

 

They Give Patients More Access To Medical Aid And Physicians

Mobile hospitals are the solution to the issues arising out of rural areas with no hospital services available and the need to travel far to receive medical services. Without mobile hospitals, it will be expensive and time-consuming for patients to travel far just to have medical care. If the patient has a physical disability that renders them immobile, the need to travel becomes an even greater inconvenience. 

With mobile hospitals, patients will now have more access to medical aid and physicians. This isn’t to say that the services offered by mobile hospitals are as extensive as those in the bigger, permanent hospitals. But at least patients can have immediate medical care before a possible recommended transfer to the bigger hospitals. This way, their condition won’t worsen due to the delay in medical attention.

It can make a big difference in the prognosis and recovery rate of patients when they can have prompt medical care. They no longer have to be burdened by the fact that medical aid and services are inaccessible right where they are.

 

They Take On A Patient-Centric Approach

A patient-centric approach is achieved when the healthcare system of a particular local area can meet the medical needs of its patients. They no longer have to be affected by the lack of medical services or the absence of a general physician whom they can consult for a health concern.

Mobile clinics can now switch the focus to making basic healthcare services available to those who need them. This results in more patients being cured, and the curbing of possible spread of diseases in a local area.

With mobile clinics, bigger hospitals could be decongested. This means better patient care can also be provided when the various medical concerns can easily be addressed by the mobile clinic. Mobile clinics are equipped with facilities that can help save lives, especially during medical emergencies.

 

They Improve Medication Adherence

Medication adherence refers to the follow-up and proper use of medication once the patient leaves the hospital. Without mobile hospitals, patients will need to travel to the nearest hospital for their medical care.

In a regular consultation, the doctor sees the patient and prescribes medication and home care. Once the patient leaves the hospital, there might be little to no follow-up as to whether the patient has successfully adhered to the doctor’s orders. This results in health issues staying unaddressed and the patient’s condition poorly managed.

With mobile hospitals, medication adherence may be improved. The reason for this is that patients now have the opportunity to access medical professionals easier for any follow-up and other concerns. They don’t have to be hindered by the lack of medical services or the need to travel far just for a follow-up.

 

They May Increase Treatment Accuracy

When more patients have access to healthcare provided by mobile hospitals, a higher rate of treatment accuracy can be achieved. This means that when an individual experiences any medical symptom, they don’t have to self-medicate and run the risk of possibly worsening their condition or affecting their chances of getting cured. 

Treatment accuracy is achieved when, even upon the first onset of mild symptoms, medical care is given to the affected patient. There’s less chance for wrong treatment or misuse of medication if the patient went to the hospital. Thus, possible negative effects could be avoided.

Conclusion

Time and technology have changed the way the healthcare system works. In the past, going to a hospital was enough. It’s even almost impossible to imagine a situation where hospitals will have to turn down patients as they’ve already reached full capacity. 

Today, times have changed and more medical solutions will have to be offered. One of these medical solutions is a mobile hospital. Its advantages, as discussed above, should be convincing enough that mobile hospitals are very much a necessity for many localities today. Especially during this pandemic, mobile hospitals are considered crucial as the numbers of patients increase every day.

5 Healthcare Tech Trends That Are Improving Mental Health Outcomes

5 Healthcare Tech Trends That Are Improving Mental Health Outcomes

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5 Healthcare Tech Trends That Are Improving Mental Health Outcomes

Today, psychotherapy and medication are the go-to interventions for a wide range of mental health issues, ranging from depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, to full-blown disorders such as substance use disorder (SUD) and personality disorders.

5 Healthcare Tech Trends That Are Improving Mental Health Outcomes

Even with massive advances in the current understanding of how the brain works and how clinicians can assist patients with recovery, mental health issues remain challenging to treat. This is mainly because of the social baggage associated with mental health and the difficulty of maintaining a proper therapeutic regime over the extremely long recovery times needed for most psychiatric issues.

However, better technology and a deeper understanding of neuroscience have significantly improved the odds of psychiatric patients undergoing recovery. Below are some tech-forward ways it is already being done that are likely to make their way into the mainstream soon enough. If you’re in North Texas, check out these resources for inpatient drug rehabs in Dallas.

Biometric Identity Protection

The American Opioid Crisis has been the cause of a lot of identity fraud in the healthcare system, as people with drug use problems and drug suppliers turn to identity theft as a way to illicitly obtain prescription medications, particularly opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants. Many of these drugs see widespread use in healthcare, particularly in mental health, which means fraud raises the cost and availability of critical drugs.

Biometric patient identification can prevent medical identity theft in such cases and eliminate this type of fraud. However, in the future, it will hopefully improve outcomes for more psychiatric patients who need lifesaving medication.

Telecounseling

Consulting with a counselor or psychiatrist regularly is an important part not just of the initial recovery period, but also for aftercare. However, having regular consultations is not easy for many patients for several reasons.

First, the stigma against mental illness remains strong, and this is especially true where personality disorders or substance use is involved. This stigma often makes it very difficult for psychiatric patients to seek the help they need, even if they know it’s necessary.  

Others simply cannot spare the extra mental effort needed to meet with a therapist due to the nature of their condition. Still, others do not have access to mental health services due to their location or some other reason.

Teleconsultations and telecounseling are, thankfully, far more accessible than ever before, with the availability of these services being greatly boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While there are practical limitations in what could be done through remote meetings with mental health experts, these sessions can help fill a vital need in aftercare that has been present for decades.

A.I. Therapists

Of course, even if you could get access to a therapist who does online consultations, there are probably times that you won’t be able to get immediate access to them. Thankfully, advanced AI and specialized apps can now offer constant support whenever human therapists or support groups couldn’t be present.

Though not a one-for-one substitute for a qualified human therapist, advanced artificial intelligence offer instant support for an individual that needs immediate attention, allowing it to plug one of the most persistent holes in mental health aftercare.

Real-time Vital Signs Monitoring

Stress and anxiety can influence negative behaviors like overeating or drug and alcohol use. However, the presence of these is not always obvious to the individual undergoing it. Thankfully, stress and anxiety exhibit physical symptoms that can be easily detected.

Some individuals with mental health issues related to stress are already using commercially available wearable devices like Fitbits or Apple Watches to monitor signs of stress. There are also specialized devices that could send data directly to one’s physician so that specific patterns and stressors can be more accurately identified. 

These devices allow people with stress issues to take a more active role in maintaining their mental health, which in turn can aid in building more sustainable, mentally healthier lifestyles over time.

Healthcare Gamification

Gamification, the process of turning otherwise mundane activities into games, has attracted a lot of interest in mental healthcare, particularly where substance use disorders are involved. 

Motivational Interviewing is a form of gamification that allows recovering individuals to maintain an interest in their healthcare. This can be done through apps that gamify the process or simply through parlor prizes awarded at therapy or consultation sessions. Some mental health centers are even experimenting with cash prizes or rebates as a reward for attending sessions.

Remarkably, the value of the prize is not as important for reinforcing behavior as the stimulation the brain gets when presented with a reward. This means that relatively simple gaming apps specifically designed to aid self-care may soon be a standard part of recovery treatments for many mental health patients, improving their long-term outcomes at a minimal cost.

Should You Go For Tech-based Treatments?

While it could be a huge help for specific cases, technology is only one part of the equation that helps improve patient outcomes. If you are interested in more tech-centric solutions for your mental health, be sure to talk to a clinician who is up-to-date on your preferred type of care. This will ensure the best possible results and should help you achieve your desired wellness goals.

Integration of Telehealth and EHR can Contribute a Lot to Healthcare

Integration of Telehealth and EHR can Contribute a Lot to Healthcare

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Integration of Telehealth and EHR can Contribute a Lot to Healthcare

Introduction

Electronic Health Records (EHR) is a well-known source for patient care, analyzing patient data, and reducing extremely high costs. Also, the EHR systems have benefited the healthcare industry to decrease mortality rates for acute and chronic diseases of patients.

Integration of Telehealth and EHR can Contribute a Lot to Healthcare

The system of remote patient monitoring and care has been introduced since the 1960s when astronauts started to explore space. However, it took a long time for us to integrate the software and healthcare platforms in but with the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the global lockdown has stimulated the telehealth adoption process in our daily lives. 

And it’s not surprising that the industry of healthcare software development has risen more than before as there are reputable companies providing several medical software solutions to patients and doctors, such as: 

  • Interacting in-real time
  • Appointment settings and tokens
  • Laboratory tests assignments & Results
  • Collecting and maintaining private health information (PHI)
  • Video calling with medical experts

By integrating the best technologies, these software solutions help doctors, patients, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, etc. For instance, a touchless patient identification platform like RightPatient can help ensure patient data integrity, prevent duplicate and overlaid medical records, and enhance patient safety. 

As we all know that throughout the pandemic, patients have shifted to telehealth services to receive medical care, thus, it became hard for providers to monitor patients’ data to the EHR system. 

At this point, the healthcare providers started to search for interoperability, hence, the next need becomes the integration of EHR with telehealth solutions.

Now the whole world is leaning towards digitalization, hence hybrid telehealth matches the innovative care model, care providers would require to integrate telehealth solutions within the EHR system to enhance clinical workflows. 

Moreover, modern telehealth providers are generating solutions in a way that would help them to integrate with common EHR solutions, through increasing interoperability. When these platforms are tangled they assist to streamline patients’ data in an exclusive window. 

This, eventually, benefits providers to deliver a more reliable care delivery system. In this post, we will find out why integrating telehealth is a great idea and what are the benefits that come with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and telehealth integration.

What is Telehealth integration?

Integrating telehealth into the EHR system can benefit providers to enhance clinical workflows. Most telehealth providers now generate solutions that mix with popular EHR systems, which improves patient care and grows interoperability.

Whenever the platforms combine, such as EHR systems and telehealth solutions, taking care of patients becomes an easy task.

A perfect telehealth experience will be the same as a virtual visit to the office instead of FaceTiming with your family.

With an integrated telehealth solution, it’s simple for the administrative department to check in the patient while the nurse interacts with the patient.

What is EHR integration?

An electronic health record (EHR) is the electronic storage of a patient’s health data or paper health chart. EHRs often cover medical history, analyses, diseases, immunization records, labs, radiology pictures, medication history, medical data, and other related financial records.

EHR integration is a critical start for any health software that aspires to take advantage of the wide range of data prepared in digital health systems. 

The mass of digital health records is collected in EHRs, including both data regarding specific patients and more extensive knowledge about healthcare systems and communities.

Integration of Telehealth and EHR

Nowadays, telehealth providers started to develop systems that can be integrated with EHR platforms that help patient data to transfer quickly. When utilized simultaneously, telehealth and EHR systems can excellently enhance the care delivery system. 

There are several different business cases for integrating with EHRs. So, after integrating with an EHR, the apps that serve specific customers can produce more satisfying expertise and conceivably even drive upgraded health outcomes by developing standard healthcare activities such as scheduling, telehealth, and billing. 

When there is a way to access organizational data saved in EHRs, digital products easily can help healthcare systems to enhance business and patient results organization-wide, with processes and simplifying business necessities like patient data interchange, profits cycle management, and acquisition.

Benefits of EHR and Telehealth integration

There are so many EHR integration solutions that render methods to progress healthcare data between EHR systems and applications and services. 

  • Automate Data Entry: Integrating these two systems reduces the requirement for double data entries. When providers take records throughout a telehealth visit, this data directly accords into the patient’s health record, easing the data entry process. 
  • Synchronize Patient Insurance Data: Telehealth and EHR systems can check patient fitness before appointing them for a virtual telehealth visit. This guarantees providers are compensated for their experience and services, decreasing confusion and expensive obstacles in the workplace. 
  • Streamline the Provider and Patient Virtual Care Experience: Installing telehealth technology within the system’s EHR system delivers providers easy access to the patient’s health records, using the same method they are now familiar with.
  • Advanced Clinical Workflow: As the pandemic falls, healthcare providers will regard the hybrid telehealth example, where patients will get benefits of both in-person and virtual meetings. In such a situation, managing clinical workflow like administrative duties such as appointment booking & notices, answering inquiries, etc. gets simple with EHR telehealth integration. 

Conclusion

Integrating these two systems facilitates the stream of information, decreases the possibility of mistakes while updating a patient’s records, enhances patient outcomes, and analyzes the billing process. Providers contemplating implementing a telehealth system requires a platform that perfectly integrates with their current EHR system. This way, they will be able to provide the best outcome to their customers.

How to Address the RCM Inefficiencies To Enhance Cash Flow

How to Address the RCM Inefficiencies To Enhance Cash Flow? 

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How to Address the RCM Inefficiencies To Enhance Cash Flow

Healthcare providers are adopting strategies to protect their patients from financial hardships and improve the bottom line. Moreover, the latest economical havoc is adding additional pressure to the US healthcare industry. Every financial outlook of a medical facility is affected by this storm. It is now more important than ever before to fortify cash flow and revenue cycles. 

How to Address the RCM Inefficiencies To Enhance Cash Flow

The major impact is the increasing financial responsibility of the patients from the insurer’s end. This is reshaping how the medical facilities struggle to keep going and collecting revenues after shifting towards healthcare consumerism. It is crucial to manage this shift and ensure the successful collection of patient financial responsibility. 

Meanwhile, according to the Federal Reserve’s report about the US households’ economic well-being, approximately forty percent of patients aren’t able to meet the 400$ emergency with credit, savings, or cash. For ensuring the strong financial health of a healthcare business it is necessary to have a well-managed or efficient revenue cycle management. 

Robust revenue cycles ensure accuracy from submitting and reviewing claims to conducting charge capturing or performing medical credentialing. So, medical professionals can enhance cash flow, improve financial performance, and reduce costly reimbursement delays. 

Address Revenue Cycle Inefficiencies

Insurance Eligibility Verification

Guiding patients from the first visit helps them to comprehend the charges module of their visits. Once you verify eligibility in advance it will help you to notify your clients about their financial responsibility and allow facilities to precisely charge for visits. Patients are likewise prepared to pay for the administrations they get when they are already informed about their estimates before their appointments. 

On the other hand, insurance regulations change swiftly and confuse patients. It is very crucial to check the eligibility first so that the consumers get the data they require and understand their benefits. At this point, this will protect the patients from seeing large surprise medical bills. Moreover, it also saves the facilities in the case when policies/laws do not cover specific processes and when the insurance of patients has lapsed(no longer valid). 

Many medical practices are still utilizing manual methods to verify eligibility. This procedure no doubt will lead to human errors and obviously, it is hectic or time-consuming too. Taking professional support from a trusted medical billing company will allow you to automate this step. 

Digital methods will save you money and time. In this way, you don’t have to give your entire attention to insurance verification and can focus better on your patients. 

Different Payment Options 

Client convenience becomes a significant thing when payment expectations begin to rise in health care. Consumers expect the same experience which they have already experienced in various industries. So, it becomes more important now to provide them with distinctive payment choices across multiple platforms. 

Patients can enhance their healthcare experience with capabilities such as flexible payment options, simplified medical bills, and self-service portals. This enables them to fully pay their financial responsibility which grows in time and improves their financial experience efficiently. 

A recent study shows that half of the consumers who were taking healthcare services they required stopped seeking care due to out-of-pocket costs. In addition, one in eight said that consequently, their medical situation has become even worse. 

DCHS analysis says that those practices will have higher profitability when having higher scores of patient-reported experience. Therefore, the key to enabling consumers to get quality care and a good experience is to utilize convenient payment methods or implement modern technology. 

Furthermore, automation eases your work and enables patients to utilize mobile pay functions, set up payment plans, etc. This way, medical practitioners can protect themselves from the bad debt as well. 

Underpayments & Rejections 

Claim rejections and underpayments oftentimes occur when practitioners follow inconsistent procedures. Healthcare providers must utilize advanced approaches to address issues like rejections related to medical necessity, insurance eligibility, untimely filing, authorizations, medical denials – ensuring positive patient identification can help with that. It is highly essential to adjust workflows, track success, and monitor improvements accordingly once all the procedures are in place.  

Moreover, chances of errors increase when manual methods are utilized. Based on the specific factors consider using smart solutions that can flag encounters. Integrating an efficient practice management system can help you focus on acquiring the maximum revenue by saving your administrative time. The Healthcare sector as a whole is spending 315$ B yearly on medical billing/coding, claims processing, bad debt, and payments. 

With the help of specialized technology, you become able to see operational insights, analytics, and actionable data that in the past was not designed to deliver via traditionally siloed systems.  

Skilled RCM experts of a top-notch medical billing company can work with a medical practitioner to pinpoint areas and concerns that hold the practice to boost its profitability. They help you adopt best practices and cutting-edge technologies to boost revenue or cash flow.

Upfront Payment Estimate 

It is an important step to prepare consumers about their financial responsibility and make them aware of fees associated with their visit by providing them estimates before seeking care. To be very honest, only 27% of the professionals use digital upfront payment estimates. It signifies that the rest of them may use manual methods or not do anything. 

Medical facilities should provide a precise estimation of the out-of-pocket costs for the particular procedures that factor in relevant data. Besides, the estimation must comprise the data about co-insurance, co-pays, and deductibles. 

Consumers wouldn’t be able to make better decisions about their payment choices without this critical information. Being aware signifies that clients will and can act as consumers. 

Utilizing a payment estimator will help you ensure that the consumer information is updated and accurate. At this point, your administrative staff would be able to save time and provide the data to the patients while decreasing the manual workflow. 

Spark the change. First for you, and then for others. Embrace tech advancement that provides realistic financial reporting to providers, workflow automation to the staff, and real-time accurate data access to consumers.

7 Need-To-Know Stretches To Relieve Knee Pain 

7 Need-To-Know Stretches To Relieve Knee Pain 

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7 Need-To-Know Stretches To Relieve Knee Pain 

Everybody wants to move around without any constraints. But when you feel an ache in your knees each time you walk or climb the stairs, your range of motion would naturally be limited.

Knee pain seems to be a common condition among individuals, particularly adults. According to a podiatrist Sunshine Coast residents trust, its causes could range from sprains or injuries to overexertion or an underlying health complication like arthritis. Once it becomes unbearable, you might need to visit a specialist.

7 Need-To-Know Stretches To Relieve Knee Pain 

Luckily, there are ways you can relieve that sensation and keep your knees healthy over time as well, and one of those is doing some stretches. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort in your knee, here are seven stretches that would help ease it:

Seated Knee Stretch

Extension exercises can help strengthen your knee muscles while ensuring that your joints are in good shape. Integrating your regular workout routine with knee extensions will help you avoid injury and enable you to be more flexible.

Here’s how you can perform knee stretches:

  • Sit up straight with your shoulders down and back.
  • Lift and extend one leg.
  • Hold the position for a few seconds, tightening the muscles in front of your thighs before moving your leg back down.
  • Make sure your movements are slow and precise.
  • Switch legs, being sure to maintain a full knee stretch (leg completely straight).
  • Perform five times per leg.

Kneeling Lunge

Curtsy lunges are thought to be fantastic for developing and conditioning your derrière, which is great for improving your posture. With powerful gluteal muscles, back and knee discomfort may be avoided or alleviated, decreasing your chance of getting injured.

To perform a kneeling lunge, bend your knees and hips to move into a lunge position. Pause for a moment, and then lift yourself back up. Maintain a vertical angle between your right shin and the ground to prevent your knee from pushing over your right foot. Do five rounds of left and right kneeling lunges in a row.

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring stretches are common exercises performed by dancers, joggers, and sprinters to increase the flexibility of their muscles during their warm-up routines. Aside from that, they can help one prepare for more strength-based knee therapy.

When doing a hamstring stretch, shift your weight onto your right foot with your left heel flexed upward. Lean forward from the hips, and then bend your body to the right. While doing this, straighten your right leg and flex your toes up. A 30- to 60-second stretch should be done around the back of the knee before you change sides. If you’re unsure how to correctly perform these steps, you can search the internet for videos.

Half Squat

A half squat is when you squat halfway down then hold it for five seconds. A stretch like this may be a good place to start for those with knee pain.

To begin, stand with your feet hip-distance to shoulder-distance apart. Lower your body to a tolerable depth while keeping your back flat and your core supported. Push your hips backward, and bend your knees as you lower your body. Push yourself back to its starting position after a five-second pause. Perform 10-15 repetitions. If it’s too easy for you, you can try holding five- to 10-pound dumbbells.

Single-Leg Raises

Exercises like leg raises are beneficial for building stronger quadriceps—the big muscles in the front of your thighs that connect to your knee joints. If you wish to do this movement, begin by performing one set of four repetitions on each leg.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed with your arms at your sides and your toes pointed upward. Then, gently raise your leg several inches while keeping it straight and straining your leg muscles. Finally, before you gently lower your limb, be sure to tighten your abdominal muscles and hold for a count of five. Repeat with the other leg.

Leg Stretch

Leg stretches are also an excellent method to strengthen your quadriceps. They’re done by sitting on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Do this with your back straight and while you’re supporting yourself with your hands on each side of your hips. Now bend one knee until it feels stretched but not uncomfortable. Hold that posture for five seconds, and then gently extend your leg out as far as you can, keeping that stance for another five seconds.

Wall Slide

Wall slides are a rehabilitative warm-up activity that improves shoulder mobility and flexibility. But other than that, it’s a challenging quad workout for strengthening the knee joints. However, be very careful not to strain your knees while performing this exercise.

To do this, stand erect against a wall, pushing your back and buttocks flush against the surface. Next, place your feet 12 inches apart from one another and six inches apart from the wall. To slide down the wall, push gently downward, and then hold a 45-degree bend in the knees for five seconds. Finally, return to the upright starting position by gently sliding up the wall.

Conclusion

The easy stretches and simple exercises discussed in this article may help you relieve minor knee issues without taking medication or going under the knife. Keep in mind that your knees are among the most crucial joints in your body’s fundamental structure. So regardless of your age or profession, take excellent care of them in order to live a healthy, pain-free life.

The Biggest Public Health Issues of 2021

The Biggest Public Health Issues of 2021

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The Biggest Public Health Issues of 2021

The world is currently facing the most significant healthcare challenge, which is the pandemic of COVID-19. It has caused millions of deaths worldwide and created chaos in the healthcare sector. The biggest challenge for the healthcare industry was to make people aware of how to maintain social distancing to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from this deadly coronavirus. Apart from the pandemic of COVID-19, there are other healthcare challenges that the healthcare industry needs to consider. 

The Biggest Public Health Issues of 2021

Only healthcare organizations are not responsible for helping people in crises. People are also responsible for having the proper knowledge and awareness to take good care of themselves. You should adopt a healthy lifestyle to stay away from health issues. It will also ease off the burden from the healthcare institutes. Every day different health epidemics are affecting people all around the globe. From mental health issues to obesity, there are other root causes of public health issues. Let’s explore the most significant public health issues of 2021. 

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to go nowhere because the virus starts spreading again whenever the situation becomes stable. Just like in 2020, in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the most significant public health issues. This deadly and infamous virus has put the entire world in an emergency state – changing reality for all of us.

In such crises, healthcare experts with good knowledge and qualifications can deal with such situations efficiently.

Moreover, there are several innovative solutions that can help healthcare providers deal with such emergencies. One such solution is RightPatient – a touchless biometric patient identification platform that ensures patient safety, reduces infection control issues, and even prevents medical identity theft. Patients are identified easily without any physical contact – helping ensure both hygiene and accurate patient information usage.

If you are currently working in the healthcare sector, you should also seek high-level education to strengthen your academic profile. 

If it is difficult for you to pursue further education with a full-time job, you may opt for distance learning opportunities on the internet. In this case, you can go for a virtual program like a master’s in public health online to help you harness the required knowledge and skills. It will prepare you to deal with global health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare organizations guide wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, using sanitizers, and other measures. Many medical experts and nurses have come out of retirement to serve people in this pandemic.

Drugs Abuse

Substance abuse has always been one of the significant health concerns for the relevant authorities and organizations. Before the pandemic, drug abuse was one of the top public health issues. It has been reported that due to the pandemic, drugs usage has increased in homes by 18%. Drugs addicts mostly have poor immune systems, which make them vulnerable to getting infected by a coronavirus. So, you can see how public health issues are connected. 

Fortunately, there’s a ray of hope, as rehabilitation centers currently offer the best treatments for the addicted. Those dealing with substance abuse are admitted to rehabilitation centers for treatment, where they are kept in isolation and cannot access any substance. 

Mental Health Issues 

Mental health issues were already a significant concern worldwide for healthcare organizations. But COVID-19 has further increased mental health issues among people. The anxiety and stress of quarantine and remote work have affected people’s mental health from all age groups. Restrictions on family gatherings have also caused stress among people. The rate of depression increases continuously among people, which is an alarming sign for the healthcare industry. 

According to a statistical study, around 70% of teenagers are dealing with mental health issues worldwide. Another research revealed that 60% of youth are not getting the necessary health treatment they need. With the rise in mental health issues, the demand for mental health workers and public health will increase too.

Heart Diseases 

Health issues related to the heart are one of the leading causes of death all around the world. Cardiovascular diseases are growing exponentially, and the influence of COVID-19 will increase it more. It means that heart health is going to be the top concern of public health workers and physicians. There are different causes of heart diseases like stress, improper food, smoking, or it could be due to your genetics. 

HIV

Unfortunately, even now, HIV/AIDS causes millions of deaths each year. There is still no vaccine or medication that can help patients to recover from HIV. It remains a challenge for the healthcare sector and the most significant public health issue. People also lack basic knowledge of HIV that what they have to do to prevent this deadly disease. According to a study, over 70 million have HIV infection, and 33 million have died due to it. Another study showed that there are around 38 million currently living with HIV. These are alarming figures and still create a big challenge for the healthcare industry.

Healthcare organizations have to take sound measures to deal with the most significant public health issues this year. They have to harness the latest technology and guide people to protect themselves from diseases and viruses. Once people have the proper knowledge, they will take correct preventive measures to attain good health. With the advancement in healthcare, hopefully, these challenges will be resolved soon.