The traditional university health center model may not include third party billing as a source of revenue, but times are changing and some institutions are now embracing commercial insurance options as a way of making ends meet and giving more choices to students.

The topic is still hotly debated, but according to testimony provided by a third party billing service vendor to the Department of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, third party billing could be one way to avoid capitated health fee increases. Some are not convinced by this - ACHA recently commented that the analysis this testimony relied on was flawed - but third party billing, or indeed a combination of third party and a university plan, may warrant further investigation for some schools. If you’re considering addressing rising costs and falling funding in your college health center, this article explores the issue in more depth.

If you’re an ophthalmologist, you’ve probably recently received some information in the mail about this year’s American Academy of Ophthalmology conference. NueMD is gearing up to exhibit at this show, which this year will be hosted in our hometown – Atlanta, GA. At this year’s conference we will be celebrating our 15-year anniversary as one of the leading Internet-based practice management software companies with a reception for all to come.  So, remember to look be on the look for NueMD at AAO 08 to learn more about NueMD.

Government and health care industry leaders are putting the wheels in motion to develop a nationwide, integrated biosurveillance system to better detect widespread disease outbreaks; chemical, radiological or bioterrorism incidents; or any other events with a public health implication. Recent discussion in the industry has focused on the need to incorporate electronic health records (EHRs), practice management systems and other applications into the mix. See related column from March issue of Health Management Technology.

Integral to the success of a Nationwide Health Information Network, or any other biosurveillance program, is the access to current data, short response times, and the ability to communicate quickly with an impacted population. That is why practice management systems or EHRs that are application service provider (ASP) models are most beneficial to biosurveillance efforts. ASPs, like Nuesoft’s NueMD® medical practice management software system, contain the patient data for all of the medical practices using their application in one concentrated server farm. Data is shared and exchanged securely over the Internet. This means that all patient data is interconnected and available in real-time at any time of day.

Moreover, when it comes to communicating information to practitioners about public health threats, many ASP models offer the ability to notify all users directly (and simultaneously) through the application. This could also come in handy if a public health threat rendered it necessary to target at-risk populations by demographic group or geographic region.

As the dialogue continues about the role of health information technology in biosurveillance, look for ASPs to play a major role. Nuesoft invites your comments.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Methycillin Resistant Staph Aureus, or MRSA, was an infection found only in hospitals and nursing homes. These days, however, as every college health professional knows, it is a great deal more ubiquitous and it’s not just those with a weakened immune system at risk.

The biggest question is this: how do you stop an isolated infection from becoming a rapidly-spreading outbreak? The press would have us believe that cleaning every surface of gyms and locker rooms is what it takes to keep MRSA at bay, but in reality, although cleaning certain items (particularly gym equipment and mats) is helpful, educating those who have the infection and those who are at risk of getting it is far more effective. Attendees of Nuesoft Xpress’ online roundtable on MRSA on March 5 discussed how to achieve this, how to deal with the public relations side of an outbreak, and best practice when students present with skin lesions. If you missed it, you can find the notes and slides here. Nuesoft Xpress holds these roundtables monthly on a variety of topics relevant to college health; to keep an eye on what’s coming up, bookmark this page.

Medical practice management is about more than caring for patients - it is also about running a successful business. Read this new Nuesoft white paper to learn how benchmarking your medical practice against other practices can help you achieve your operational goals.

 Check out the new Nuesoft white paper section and read the new report on smoothing medical software vendor integration.

Have you ever wondered about the difference between Web-based and Internet-based practice management systems? The two terms are used interchangeably to describe what really are two very distinct operating environments. Read this Nuesoft Xpress article to learn more about the differences.