Technology & AI

Baffled by servers, networks, and other hardware? Turns out you don’t have to be a techie to make good decisions about your practice’s technology needs. Here’s how to gear up smart.

It’s tough to get away from the office without worrying you’ll come back to a mountain of work. But taking time for yourself is crucial. Here’s advice on doing it right.

Advances in care delivery and technology are taking root now that could significantly change the way care is delivered in the future. Healthcare’s innovative thinkers and practitioners give us their predictions for the future.

Wondering if you are overstaffed? Make sure to evaluate your work flow and practice operations first before cutting staff.

Should you keep your Rx data away from drug companies? Is that even possible? Here’s what you can and can’t do to protect your prescribing privacy.

Here’s how practice administrators can help prepare your practice’s defense against a liability claim.

Insidious software and hidden viruses living in your computers could be threatening confidential records and practice productivity. Here’s how to protect yourself.

In the midst of Medicare cuts, consult-code farewells, healthcare reform bills, and all our other challenges, we need to prepare for new HIPAA Privacy and Security mandates.

Most practices waste scads of money - then wonder why they need a microscope to see their bottom line. To keep you on the right road, we’ve posted the signs to a more efficient and productive practice.

Confused about meaningful use and EHR certification? We’ve got the information you need to go confidently into the EHR marketplace. Here’s your guide.

Economic woes continue to pinch practices, and that sometimes leads to hard staffing decisions. Here’s how to handle your staff with care when payroll goes under the knife.

The results of our annual Technology Survey are available this month, and since so many of you have been kind enough to tell us how you’re using technology to do your job, it seems only fair to tell you how we’re using it to do ours.

Does your medical practice have a Web site? If so, you are on your way to building a patient portal.

Pay-for-performance programs, or P4P as they are more commonly known, are designed to improve the quality, effectiveness, and safety of patient care.

Here’s our primer on the tools that can help you manage the complex reporting requirements of pay-for-performance programs.

In this podcast, Robert Tennant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association, explains the EHR meaningful use draft criteria.

Physicians Practice is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. We have reported many changes in the healthcare system. And, many not-so-new problems. But our objective has always been to empower American physicians to deal constructively with their world.

Social networking is all the rage, but be wary if your staff are posting updates to Facebook. Setting a few ground rules can help avoid damage to your practice.

How far away are we from having electronic medical records that can truly talk to each other, across health systems and across regions? We decided to find out.

New technology is supposed to reduce your staffing needs. But how do you get staff on board with a change that may end up costing some of them their jobs?

Have you heard about that “free” electronic medical records system that your local hospital, vendor, or the government is offering? Sounds good, right? But be careful. While there are ways to get EMR software for little or no cost, there are still expenses (and sometimes other strings) attached.

Want to know how to boost your scores on those seemingly arbitrary online physician-rating sites? The sites aren’t going away, so you’ll need to know how to make the best of them.

An EMR purchase is a business decision like any other. It’s an expensive decision, true, and it requires change. But it’s still just a business decision. What questions should you really be asking yourself?

Some people find auto-dialing machines annoying, but they’re more efficient than having your staff call each of your next-day’s appointments to deliver a simple reminder. And they work just as well.

What are physicians like you doing when it comes to purchasing new office technologies? Our Fifth Annual Technology Survey cuts through the hype and gives it to you straight.

If you don’t have a policy on staff e-mail usage, you need one. Here’s why.

With more emphasis being placed on patients to self-manage their care, now may be a good time to introduce a PHR.

Now that you’ve decided which vendor will supply your new EMR (or practice management system, or other large IT purchase), it’s time to hammer out a deal. How do you negotiate the best terms for one of the biggest purchases your practice will ever make?

President Obama has promised as much as $44,000 to physicians using EHRs as part of the stimulus package he signed this year. Payments start in 2011. But there’s a catch.

Laptop and PDAs have become the office-away-from-the-office for many. But physicians, especially, need to be aware of the potential security risk posed by a lost gadget. Protect sensitive data with encryption software - before it goes missing.