Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2008

An Acute Need for Malpractice Medical Crisis Insurance Reform

Physicians from across the United States are finding that it is more and more difficult to obtain inexpensive malpractice medical crisis insurance. The premiums have increased by leaps and bounds in the past few years, making it almost impossible to stay covered under a decent malpractice medical crisis insurance policy. The doctors who come under the high-risk category are the emergency medical doctors, obstetricians, surgeons and heart specialists. The plight is sometimes so bad that hospitals have even considered closing down their emergency rooms, obstetrics and other high-risk services. Malpractice Medical Crisis Insurance Problem Not Recent Development The malpractice medical crisis insurance issue has been escalating gradually for the last half-decade or so, and now today has reached a point where both availability and affordability have become factors for deep concern. The crisis has been further accentuated by the closure of many insurance carriers in the recent past

Radiology Medical Technologists

Radiology medical technologists or radiographers; administer non-radioactive materials from patient's bloodstream for diagnosis. In the testing, technologists use ionizing radiations to create image of the body parts. According to the images of injury, doctors diagnose patient and treat them. Radiology medical technologists carry out tests in laboratories at hospitals, medical laboratories and clinics. To create images radiology medical technologists use their experience to utilize most favorable radiographic techniques in examination of patient. Examination is done according to patient's physical ability, and nature of injuries. For assessment of patient, technologists have to incorporate various machines and techniques like X-rays, sonography, CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, and nuclear medicines. Besides test, technologists treat cancer patient as well by giving does of the radioactive elements to the patient. From the radiations, images are captured. Further treatment is de

A Medical Malpractice Lawyer Told Me I Don't Have a Case

Have Your Medical Records with You If you have not already done so, request copies of all your pertinent medical records. If you saw a lawyer without them, wait until they arrive in the mail. Once they arrive, review them, place tags on pertinent pages, highlight where needed, organize into a presentation-type packet, and make several copies. While it may be easier to find a lawyer in your city, don't be afraid to look elsewhere in the state or, for that matter, the country. Schedule Free Consultation Appointments You've had a few appointments that didn't grab the interest of the medical malpractice lawyers. Make some additional free consultation appointments with a few more, and go in armed with your medical records. Make sure you can state your case clearly and precisely, and that you can reference documentation to substantiate your claims. To a lawyer, time is money. If you can't make the free half-hour generate income for him, he won't be interested. D

Medical Billing Programs

Insurance paperwork these days are overwhelming, especially to physicians who would much rather treat patients than deal with claims processing. As a result, third-party medical billing programs have come to occupy a wide niche in the medical industry. Medical billing programs are considered as one of the fastest growing occupations in the medical field industry. No wonder, the demand for medical billing programs have continually increased through the years and don't look like it's going to wane for a long time after. Medical billing programs are a process where steps are followed in order to ensure optimal reimbursements for a medical office or clinic. They are distinct from programs involving medical coding because where coders concern themselves with choosing the correct diagnostic and procedure codes, the medical biller is the one who makes decisions based on those codes. Medical billing programs are often described as income management for a medical practice, off

Handling requests for the proposal of electronic health record systems

It used to be that when you needed a patient's record, you would have to seek approval from the attending physician and go to the records section of the hospital, get a clearance for the record keeper and the search for the file folder hidden in cabinets or boxes. As tiring as it sounds, it gets even worse. After finding the file, you now have to make copies of it, either by photocopying or by hand and then return all of the records back to the library and be signed out by the record keeper. With the computerization of the healthcare organization, requesting for such documents is easier and faster. Because everything is in a computer network, you can access the patient's records through any computer terminal in the premises and get it hassle free. Electronic health record and its beginnings The need for a better way to record, store and retrieve patient's information has lead to the request for proposal of electronic health record from different computer software

Dental Medical Technologists

The professionals who perform the diagnostic tests for the dental region are called the dental medical technologists. They make use of the radiations in the imaging of the tissues in the dental region and the problems associated with them. This too, is a special field and special courses are to be done for it. Even though, this is not as common as the other fields of the medical technology, they are in great demand and they receive handsome salaries. The job of the dental medical technologists is, to use the special methods available for the analysis of the problems with the dental region. They may use the laser technology or the other radiations as the X-rays, etc, for imaging of the dental region. The main advantage of these methods and therefore, of the dental medical technologists as well, is that they can detect the problems in very early stages, than their effects start surfacing. The dental medical technologists use the help of the laser or the X-rays. The images are o

Covering Hospital Responsibilities Electronically: Electronic Medical Records Software

Electronic medical records are primarily used to enable doctors or other healthcare providers to have direct access on a patient's medical records, such as medication lists, lab results, imaging reports, refill histories, chart notes and correspondence from consultants. One of the key factors in developing an effective system is the use of proper electronic media records software. To develop an office with minimal reliance on paper, standards must determine a process to answer tasks that creates data for the patient's health ensure. This is where electronic media records come play a crucial role, as they need to address the ineffectiveness of a paper-based, manual and labor-intensive process. Health workers and doctors will resort to placing "sticky notes" if an electronic tools are not readily available. It is unlikely that a single software can offer all of the necessary features, so instead, a collection of programs should ably address all of the regular

Medical Technologists And Urine Analysis

Medical technologist works in five different areas of laboratory in blood bank, chemical analysis of body fluids, hematology, immunology and microbiology. There are many different types analysis is done in medical laboratories; urine analysis is one of the very important analysis. Urine analysis is used for detection of many disorders. Medical technologists and urine analysis are related activities since a test of urine talks about the health of a patient. Urine analysis includes checking the color and degree of cloudiness of the urine. They also detect and measure a variety of cells and different substances in the urine. For example proteins, sugars, blood cells. Along with blood sugar estimation, urine sugar estimation is very important in case of diabetes. Urine analysis is useful in diagnosis of kidney and urinary tract disorders. For reliable results urine sample must be fresh and to be collected in clean and bottle. Medical technologists first analyze color and appearan

Why Do Doctors Need Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Insurance of any kind is a fund that is paid regularly to offset any damage (claimed or proven) that others claim against you. For instance, you have car insurance in case someone is injured or if you recklessly hit another car. Medical malpractice insurance is insurance doctors pay in case someone is injured or sues them for something that happens during the operation of their business. The Cost of Medical Malpractice Insurance Like everything else, insurance costs rise based on the several factors, including inflation. However, due to the increased number of claims over the past several decades, healthcare professionals have found the prices of medical malpractice insurance to be prohibitive, and in many instances, the increase in insurance rates is passed on to patients. In some cases, the prices are so high that doctors have left their practices; other, more optimistic healers are limiting their practices to the safest and lowest-rated insurance risks. The Need for Medica

Medical Billing Training Schools in San Leandro

There's no doubt that medical billing is one of the fastest growing careers in the field of medical science. However, making a career out of it and making it successful nonetheless is not as easy as it sounds. Medical billing is a job that requires practiced skills and in-depth training. It is more accurately defined as practice management so a medical billing specialist therefore is faced with a thousand menial tasks, other than those already afforded as their responsibilities. Skills such as medical terminology, insurance claims processing, electronic medical record operation, billing and accounts payable, understanding diagnosis and evaluating their corresponding codes - these are the things that you can't learn on the job. At any rate, you will have a hard time dealing with the responsibilities which medical billing entails if you don't at least have working knowledge of all this. And the only way for you to get knowledge is to attend medical billing training

Outweighing the benefits of electronic medical record filing

What the electronic medical record filing system is doing for the hospitals is the same as what the CD industry did for the encyclopedia. It is taking something fragile as paper and storing it in a more durable and accessible format. There are a lot of people against electronic medical record filing because of the risks involved with something corruptible as computer data. Others argue that a hard copy is still better than a soft copy that can fail on your for some reason like a computer virus. But electronic medical record filing has had its supporters. The benefits of electronic medical record filing system in your hospital are many. One is the ease of retrieval. A doctor can easily access the hospital's server from the intranet and get the patient's record in minutes. Another one of the benefits of electronic medical record filing is the security of the record. No more lost or switched charts. Doctors can now give the right diagnosis and treatment for the right pat

Cover Your Practice and Your Behind: Get Medical Malpractice Insurance Coverage

In today's world, everyone is becoming more and more "sue happy", meaning they would rather take you to court for money then settle things in a mature, reasonable manner. As a medical practitioner, the threat of malpractice looms over you and your office every day. The best and necessary way to protect yourself if to get proper medical malpractice insurance coverage; this is needed to guarantee you stay in business for a long time. Here is some information regarding medical malpractice insurance coverage that may be beneficial for you as a practitioner. Starting Off If you are just beginning a medical practice, you will need to have medical malpractice insurance coverage. That way, in the unfortunate event that a mishap does occur, your practice will be safe, and you won't lose your license. The best thing to do is to look for full malpractice coverage. This may mean paying higher in premiums, but in the end it will avoid any problems. The insurance company

Ultrasound Medical Technologists

Ultrasound medical technologists use sound waves to capture images of internal organs and tissues for diagnosis and treatment of many different medical problems. This field of imaging is called Sonography. In the sonography many different specialized ultrasound equipments are used to take readings of appropriate areas, these images are taken in specific angles requested by physicians. Ultrasound is used for diagnose and monitor different conditions such as heart disease, pregnancy and cancer. Unlike other imaging systems, ultrasound is completely safe for both patients and technicians. Ultrasound does not involve any kind of radiations so harmful side effect and complications are rare; so ultrasound is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to radiological procedures. Just like other fields in medical technology, ultrasound medical technologists can specialize too. Specialty areas can be cardiovascular sonography, abdominal sonography, obstetric gynological sonography,

Home Medical Billing

People aren't getting any younger. This fact should lead you the inevitable conclusion that healthcare is no more needed than it is today. The Labor Statistics states in their recent report that third-party and home medical billing is one of the twenty most popular occupations in the healthcare industry. This is perhaps brought on by the emergence of HMOs, PPOs, POs, and health insurance plans. The average medical practice today spends about $500,000 on liability costs per annum, which may include law suits. Home medical billing is classed as "defensive medicine" in that it helps reduce these costs and prevent you from adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to your balance sheets at the end of every year. What is Home Medical Billing? There are two types of home medical billing. These are the Electronic Billing (which handles claims processing electronically) and Full Service Billing. In electronic home medical billing, every time a doctor sees a patient, a she

Studying Individual Effects of Malpractice: Medical Malpractice Case Study

Even though we put our health, and at times our lives, in the hands of physicians and surgeons, we do have to realize that they are human and can make mistakes while practicing medicine. A case study is an uncontrolled study of an independent situation with an outcome that is also uncontrolled; a medical malpractice case study is an independent, uncontrolled observation of an injury due to medical error in which the outcome is uncontrolled. Here is some background on a medical malpractice case study -- what it involves, and how it's documented. The Outline A typical medical malpractice case study will have to include the following: A summary of events, the case (what happened), why file a suit, the perspectives of both parties, and the trends involved with that particular medical malpractice area. Also someone will need to compile an appendix, references and sources. As with any other study, the author needs to make sure that they start from the outside, and work further

Medical Technologists And Medical Laboratory Techinician

Medical technologists and medical laboratory technicians are the skilled and trained medical professionals. Their work is important to make the treatments and tests successful. However, there are many other people who give a strong support to these technologists. Allied medical fields need professions like medical health care workers, medical social worker or medical laboratory technicians. A medical technologist is a healthcare professional who perform different diagnostic tests and treatments on human body fluids like blood and urine. They do work in clinical laboratories at hospitals, doctor's offices and in reference labs. Medical laboratory technician assists medical technologist. Medical laboratory technician perform the less complex work as they do routine laboratory procedures. They prepare specimens and operate automated analyzers. Medical technologists and medical laboratory technician help each other for medical tests through their work. Medical laboratory tech

Making It Work - Electronic Medical Record for Long Term Care Organizations

The growing use of electronic medical records is critical to the long term perservation of patient data in health organizations across the world. There is no sole group that that can hold an entire record of a patient. It is ideal that every detail of a patient's medical record can be accessed within the organization. However, there are two main issues that face the long term viability of electronic medical record systems. First, health care organizations do not normally give patients direct access to their medical records and engage in file sharing with their rivals. Second, patients want to ensure that their health records are adequately secured from unwanted intruders such as insurance companies, local pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers. Health organizations need to constantly work on the accuracy of a patient's medical record. Constant updates on the health condition should be made in order for doctors to have a clear idea on a patient's health pattern a

Medical Billing Course

Various statistical reports show that medical billing is among those touted as the fastest growing occupations in the field of medical practice. For these reason, many enterprising individuals want to get into the bandwagon and start up medical billing companies of their own or start looking for jobs that involves medical billing. Now, here in lies the problem. Most people's perception of medical billing is "easy money." This is probably brought on by the proliferation of classified and Internet ads that scream "Medical billing! Earn Hundreds of Dollars overnight!" While we all want to believe these ads to be true, the fact of the matter is they're not. Medical billing won't make you rich overnight. Neither will other kinds of career, unless you're extremely lucky and you win the lottery all the time. However, that's not saying that medical billing is not a lucrative career to get into. The truth is it is but it requires hard work, dedi

What is Medical Malpractice?

In general, a definition of medical malpractice is, "Improper care or treatment by a physician, hospital, or other provider of health care." It is important to note that there is a difference between complications resulting from a medical procedure, and a legitimate case of medical malpractice. Possible Problems Prior to surgery or a medical procedure, a patient is asked to sign at least one, if not several, forms indicating that they understand the risks and complications associated with the procedure. Death is usually one of the least likely problems, but it is common for a doctor or anesthesiologist to specifically mention it before you sign your documents. This is a necessity required to protect the doctor, hospital, or healthcare facility against claims of medical malpractice. Complications After the procedure is over, recuperation takes from a few hours to several weeks, and problems or complications that arise during the healing process are generally not medi

Medical Billing Software Company

There is no doubt that the medical biller is indispensable to the medical office in that he is the one person who can make sense out of the complexities that come with insurance billing. But have you ever wondered what secrets, what tools the medical biller has to do such a good job? The answer you're looking for is medical billing software company. Medical billing software has been around for decades. Ever since the first modern medical practice came into being, medical billing software was already there, providing help anyway it can. The first program developed by a medical billing software company was primitive to say the least with very few features and basic functions. Today, however, the medical billing software company has come a long way. From basic computer programs to sophisticated medical practice management systems, one can indeed say that the medical billing software company has come out of its way to provide the healthcare industry the best in management sof

Medical MRI technologists

Medical MRI technologists are also known as MRI technicians. Their primary job is to capture the exact images ordered by the physician by utilizing magnetic resonance imaging scanners to aid in patient's diagnosis. Medical MRI technologists are trained to follow the doctor's instructions and operate the MRI equipments. Scanning of problem areas is one task of the MRI technologists. After getting the scanned image effectively, the requested diagnostic image is recorded. Medical MRI technologists are employed in hospitals as well as diagnostic imaging centers that may require a considerable amount of physical activity while working with the equipment and manipulation patients. A Medical MRI technologist must have completed either an associate or a bachelor's degree program relevant to the radiology department and enrolled with the ARRT in order to be a qualified professional. Many MRI technologists start their careers as radiology technicians. Some may wish to under

The fate of electronic health records

You can't teach an old dog new tricks, which is why a lot of doctors are still hesitant about switching from their paper record keeping to the modern way of electronic health records. Most doctors would like to stick to their old and familiar charts, file folders and stacks of paper. However, the effectiveness of electronic health records is being recognized. As more and more healthcare institutions, hospitals and clinics make the move to being digitized, some are still reluctant to try the benefits of electronic health records. One major concern of doctors in switching to this digital system is the privacy of electronic health records. The industry of electronic health records has addressed this by installing security measures such as personal identifiers to restrict access to the patient's records. Apart from that, the debate of electronic health records and their expensive cost to implement remains a hot topic. The accuracy of electronic health records is also bein

A Soft Spot to the Right Software: Patient Medical Record Software

One of the most critical parts of an effective electronic system is the software that operates the programs. In a hospital setting, the responsibilities of a patient medical record software include creating, searching, updating and displaying the complete information of a patient's medical charts. Different types patient medical record software also have different features, but they should address the following tasks: - recognize diagnosis and procedures codes used by the medical practice - manage multiple doctors and several doctors - support the practice's style of charting information - the software should present several options to view and organize patient information - seamlessly manage information such as laboratory, x-ray results and other important medical information A critical factor in deciding the right patient medical record software is how the user will input patient information. Common methods for data entry are the following: * Touch screen - these ar

Win Your Malpractice Medical Court Case

There have been several examples of a malpractice medical court case gone wrong as the focus on these cases tend to be about the negative impact improper malpractice cases have on the medical industry. Doctors find that they need to virtually "walk on eggshells" around patients for fear of being sued for saying or doing the wrong thing and other medical professionals fear malpractice suits for acting improperly even in the most routine circumstances. Conversely, there is a very real aspect to a malpractice medical court case in which some patients are legitimately harmed and injured through medical malpractice. We need to find, as society in tune with all formal legality, a middle ground with which to approach the malpractice issue in a way that treats doctors and medical professionals fairly while hearing the rational and reasonable complaints and grievances of those hurt or injured due to medical incompetence. Without accountability, any industry is subject to suf

Medical Billing Online

Medical billing online is the process of using a standardized system of numerical codes for patient services and submitting them to clearinghouses or directly to the insurance companies. The service has been touted as the doctor's key to getting paid and no wonder, with the emergence of insurance policies, HMOs, PPOs, and government health insurance plans, medical billing online has virtually become the bread and butter of medical offices. There are various reasons why you could be attracted to a career in medical billing online. You might be the type who enjoy the healthcare field, medical terminology, and anatomy, and understand numbers and codes. You might like helping people but prefer to work independently, away from the public's eye. You might be detail-oriented and meticulous when it comes to your work. Or you might know the principles of the computer and how to find answers to problems. You might prefer intensive accelerated training courses that allow you to

Medical Technologists And Nuclear Medicine

Medical technologists and nuclear medicine are related owing to the fact that nuclear medicine is the upcoming branch of medical industry. This is a branch of medicine and medical imaging that uses the nuclear properties of matter in the process of diagnosis and therapy. To perform these diagnostic tests and therapies, medical technologists are needed. These technologists are generally called as nuclear medicine technologist. Practical development of medical technologists and nuclear medicines helps a lot to the medical industry. Research in the practical application of nuclear medicine is at its peak. Nuclear medicine consists ample of subdivisions within it. Specializations are there according to the form of work so that prefect results will be obtained. Medical technologists are the trained people that can do the tests and treatments of nuclear medicines perfectly. Medical technologists and nuclear medicine can be correlated because it is essential to operate cameras to de

Should There Be a Separate Law for A Specific Malpractice Medical Case?

There has been great controversy on the law and its application with regard to any specific malpractice medical case. The general laws are sometimes too general to do justice to the particularity of specific medical cases. Due to this failure, the doctors who actually commit malpractice escape through the loopholes that the general law permits them. It has long been debated that a specific malpractice medical case should be tried by a special type of court where the judge and jury should be sufficiently knowledgeable on the technical and non-technical factors of that type of medical case. For example, a cancer medical malpractice case should be treated as a specific malpractice medical case in the court of law so it can be easier for the law to take its course. Can a specific malpractice medical case help the claimant win faster? Theoretically speaking, a specific malpractice medical case filed as such can indeed focus the law on the specific factors better than general law.

Medical Insurance Billing and Coding

Medical insurance billing and coding is the subject of much discourse lately. Just what exactly is it? And why is everyone talking about it? Well, before we go right ahead and answer these questions for you, let us first consider a few things about medical insurance billing and coding: 1. That medical insurance billing and coding is in great demand It is true that the need for trained professionals who specialize in medical insurance billing and coding has steadily grown for the past few decades. The cause may be the emergence of more medical coverage plans, such as Fee for Service Plans, Health Maintenance Organizations or HMOs, Point of Service Plans or POS, and Preferred Provider Plans or PPOs. Aside from that, federal regulations and health insurance policies have also contributed to this strong demand for experienced medical insurance billing and coding professionals. 2. That medical insurance billing and coding is one of the top twenty healthcare occupations According to the US B

The Future of Electronic Medical Record Vendors

In the recent years, technology has brought us a lot of possibilities, especially in the medical industry. What used to be the tedious job of collecting medical files and storing them in folders are almost gone especially when the President already announced the move for the standardization of electronic medical records to all hospitals in the country. With this news, electronic medical record vendors have popped up like mushrooms after the rain. Many of these electronic medical record vendors offer their software not just to physicians but also to the patients. This is a cause of concern since patients have no understanding of the medical practice and yet they can view their medical profile. These patients may make assumptions about their condition even without consulting with the doctor. However, electronic medical record vendors are a business and concerns such as those are mostly left to the doctors. The software these electronic medical record vendors use has a feature that can li

Responsibilities Of Medical Technologists In Blood Bank

Medical technologist is one part of medical and health profession. They carry tests on body fluids to diagnose the diseases in laboratories at hospitals. Some laboratories are particularly developed for blood banks. These laboratories play important role in blood testing and diseases diagnosis. Therefore, there are many responsibilities of medical technologists in blood bank. First responsibility among the responsibilities of medical technologists in Blood bank is to perform routine as well as specialized tests in blood centers and transfusion service. For these tests technologist has to follow some standards of the blood centers and transfusion services. To give appropriate results of the tests, responsibilities of medical technologists in blood bank is to show the superior stage of technical skill and problem solving ability. Primary responsibilities of medical technologists in blood bank are to test blood group agents, supporting physician in transfusion therapy, particularly for th

San Leandro Medical Billing Classes

If you're looking for the formula to success, then you have come to the right page. Did you know that one of the twenty fastest growing occupations in the United States is medical billing? The United States Labor Statistics so reported in their recent study on what occupations in the healthcare industry are considered the most in-demand. To be sure, medical billing is a popular mode of occupation, especially now with the steady growth of healthcare technology. But did you also know that medical billing is actually not a new concept? In fact, medical billing came into being as a result of the technological boom experienced by the medical industry after World War II. So you can therefore say that it's even older than most people perceive it to be. In today's world, medical billing specialists are the most sought-after professionals in the healthcare industry. The reasons are varied. It's not just because they're trained and skilled in the art of claims proce

What Do You Do About Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Cases?

The medical malpractice lawsuit cases happen when there is damage and harm done to a patient due to negligence on behalf of the medical personnel. The harm or damage can come from the treatment, diagnosis, or the care for the disease. You will find that medical malpractice lawsuit cases are often reflected in the media as connected with the rich and famous. However, the common man falls prey to negligence and they file medical malpractice lawsuit cases too, though not with the same fanfare. Can Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Cases Bring You Justice? There is great pain involved when complications arise due to negligence of the doctors, nurses, or the hospital where your treatment is taking place. The patient suffers doubly, (I) from the disease and (ii) from the wrong treatment/diagnosis/care. There is a great deal of frustration involved in this process, because the patient really does not know what is going on and unless he or she has total access at the pertinent information, the actua

Electronic Medical Records: Technology's Answer to Seamless Care

Electronic medical records have resulted from the increasing penetration of new technology in the healthcare industry, and they lie at the heart of any computer-based system of any health-oriented group. However, the development of electronic medical records has been slow due to the gradual adoption of healthcare with computerized systems compared with other sectors such as retail, manufacturing, transport and finance. National penetration of electronic medical records varies from country to country. At least 90% of the primary care practice in Denmark, Sweden and Norway make use of electronic medical records. However, use of electronic medical records in the doctor's office in the US only registered at 17% as of 2001-2003 and they are primarily used in administrative purposes rather than clinical. According to American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) chief executive and executive vice president Linda Kloss, electronic medical records are mainly used to