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The approaching switch to ICD-10 codes in 2011 has been making physicians and billers nervous for some time now, so the recent news that the compliance deadline has been postponed for two years will come as a relief to many. This change, released as part of a Medicare regulation in the final days of the Bush administration, gives consideration to the high cost of the switch to practices in this current economic downturn. MGMA has estimated the price tag for upgrading to the more extensive, detailed codes to be about $84,000 for a three-physician practice.  MGMA’s cost estimate includes $7,500 in practice management and medical billing software upgrades – although this estimate assumes that physicians are using client-server technology. If you get free upgrades with your Internet-based practice management software, you’ll save that $7,500 instantly. 

A recent article in the Washington Post suggests that practices may be more willing to automate their offices if they can find a truly integrated practice management and EHR system. So far, the EHR adoption rate has been only 21 percent, but Nuesoft Technologies CEO Massoud Alibakhsh believes the answer lies in interfaces between what are known as “rich Internet applications”, which allow smaller offices to go paperless without having to invest in hardware for both EHR and practice management systems, or rely on potentially less secure remote applications that use Citrix-based “terminal server” technology.

Read more about the evolution of technology and what makes rich Internet applications different from terminal server-based applications in this fact sheet.

Both Microsoft and Google have, on occasions, promised users the moon; according to September’s issue of Fast Company, both companies have finally delivered it. Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope and Google Sky are both free virtual telescopes, but while Microsoft’s version requires users to download and install it to their desktop, Google’s version is available anywhere there is Internet access, and even works on mobile phones.

 These differing models are also represented in the galaxy of practice management software. NueMD, like Google Sky, is accessible from anywhere, offering rich functionality that makes lesser applications look clunky. On the other hand, many of its competitors are like Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope – possessing good features if you don’t mind being tethered to the office, but isolated and incapable of fully interacting with the rest of the health care universe.
 
Just like Google, NueMD has a business model for the 21st century. Medical practice management software may not have the same cache as a virtual telescope, but when it comes to the future of technology, NueMD is reaching for the stars too.

In today’s economy, providers face a tough challenge in balancing appropriate reimbursement for their health care services while maximizing their one-on-one time with their patients. Streamlining patients’ visits and enabling them to have the most time with their provider (rather than waiting around, filling in paperwork or lining up to settle their co-pay) solves one of those challenges. This can be facilitated by using the reporting tools available within your practice management software system, and tracking patient flow to eliminate bottlenecks, as we’ve mentioned before in this blog. The reporting and analysis function within a PM system can also help with the other side of the conundrum – declining reimbursements. Rather than accepting lower reimbursements for your most common procedures, a recent article in Medical Economics suggests being a little more assertive with insurance carriers and presenting them with a report comparing dollar amounts offered by each payer for a procedure to start the renegotiating process. Harnessing the power of reporting to assess your operational and financial challenges makes good business sense any time, but with a shaky economy, it may be even more vital for your practice.

An article in today’s Medical Economics provides some useful tips to help improve the flow of patients through your office, and in the process increase their satisfaction and your productivity. Among them is the advice to use the time-stamp feature in your EMR or practice management software to chart patient flow and see exactly where the bottlenecks are occurring. Using NueMD’s medical scheduler, for example, each patient can be tracked and time-stamped with arrival, check-in, visit and departure times. Once this data is analyzed (more detailed suggestions for doing this are contained within the Medical Economics article), it can provide invaluable fodder for benchmarking and setting goals for your practice. Other productivity-enhancing tips in the article include how to deal with phone calls effectively and how to end visits from that patient who would like to chat all day!