12 Steps to HIPAA Omnibus Compliance
At last week’s annual conference of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) in San Diego, strategies for achieving and maintaining compliance with the Omnibus Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) were a hot topic. With implementation of new federal privacy and security requirements on September 23, HIPAA compliance issues dominated many discussions. […]
Why the Message Sounds Muddled
When a patient leaves a message whether via a live medical answering service team member or through a voicemail system the caller’s circumstances or emotional state may lead to confusion. A patient may be frightened by some sudden ailment; distracted by other conversations going on; frustrated by a perceived lack of progress in treatment; confused about a […]
MGMA Conference Showcases Healthcare Technology
We’re in San Diego this week for the MGMA 2013 Annual Conference October 6-9. If you’re attending the conference, stop by our booth #1532 to say hello and test drive our new HIPAA-compliant Secure Message App. Compatible with Android, iPhone or Blackberry software, our HIPAA Hitech Secure Messaging app employs SSL/TLS encryption to safeguard your […]
The Importance of Language in Medical Call Center Communications
An extraordinarily efficient and cost-effective method of managing incoming calls, call centers have become a part of everyday life. Call centers have become such a normal aspect of doing business in the U.S. that you are likely to be talking to a call center whenever you phone your utility company about your bill or the […]
Tips for Handling Difficult Patient Calls
Training your medical office staff to handle difficult patient telephone calls effectively is good business. The receipt of an angry phone call can disturb the flow of office routine and seriously erode your staff’s morale. As noted in our previous post, countering angry or aggressive patients with courtesy, comfort and an effort to resolve their […]
Don’t Risk HIPAA’s Wrath with Your Medical Answering Service
Do you consider your medical answering service a business associate? The Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) does, which is why answering services (along with billing services, vendors of medical records and even physicians’ attorneys) are classified as business associates as of the January 2013 HIPAA omnibus rule, which has been described by Director […]
Tips for Handling Irate or Aggressive Patient Phone Calls
Answering phone calls from angry or aggressive patients is part of the job at most doctors’ offices. Some people simply have forceful or demanding personalities, but the reason for a patient’s seemingly rude or combative behavior may be rooted in pain, fear or panic. Of course, there are also patients who are calling to complain […]
Our New Secure Message App Is 100% HIPAA Compliant
Bringing your physician practice, hospital department or medical office into compliance with HIPAA’s new regulations just got a whole lot easier. MedConnectUSA now offers HIPAA Hitech Secure Messaging that is 100% compliant with HIPAA regulations. Our new secure messaging app is formulated to run on smart phones that use iPhone, android or Blackberry software. Designed to […]
Katrina Offers Poignant Lessons for Medical Professionals Coping with Natural Disasters
The launch in flood-ravaged Colorado of what emergency responders are calling the biggest mass evacuation since hurricane Katrina is a reminder of just how massive and devastating the forces of nature can be. Whole towns and regions of Colorado have been suddenly and unexpectedly isolated from the rest of the world. Given the number of […]
Bridging the Gap Between Financial and Medical Productivity
Medical office managers fight a constant battle between what can feel like two opposing forces: Medical productivity: the need to successfully address the needs of each patient. Financial productivity: the need to process the maximum number of patients per hour. As the government tightens down on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements and insurance companies follow suit […]
