Month: February 2021

There’s an app, or seemingly 100, for just about everything. That includes the world of health care. Many of the apps available for doctors and other medical professionals save time, improve doctor/patient communication, and even evaluate risk factors. One app can be a lifesaver on those extra busy days. But as previously mentioned, there are many apps available. Which ones are worth trying? We’re going to offer a helping hand. The following six apps are a good starting point.

Epocrates

Free to download, Epocrates has more than one million healthcare providers onboard. This handy app allows physicians to review drug information. The powerful interactions checker allows you to search and compare up to 30 medications at once. Additionally, if you need to identify medication in a pinch, Epocrates has you covered. The pill id feature enables doctors to identify medication by shape, color, and even scoring.

Pricing: Free with a 14-day trial of premium features. Premium plans start at 16.99 per month.

Doximity

Communication with your patients is vital. And that’s where Doximity shines. This cool communication app enables doctors to contact their patients without using their private cell number. How? Your patient receives a text message, sans your cell number–you designate the callback number. Your patient doesn’t even have to download the app.

Pricing: Free with an option to upgrade to pro. Pro plans start at 19.99 per user per month.

Medscape

Medscape is one of the most downloaded apps in the space, and for good reason. This powerful app provides access to over 6200 reference articles, information on 8500 drugs and supplements, and even a platform to share difficult patient cases with colleagues. And even better, it’s free.

Price: Free

DynaMed

Does thoroughly vetted medical reference at your fingertips sound helpful? Then you should check out DynaMed. This highly-rated app is designed to assist physicians at point of care thereby helping patient health outcomes. And isn’t that what every doctor wants?

Pricing: For physicians $399 per year.

VisualDx

Used by more than 2300 medical organizations, VisualDx aims to help physicians receive timely information when they need it most. Touted as “your trusted second opinion,” VisualDx helps doctors take on tough cases through visual variations of diseases. Bonus, you earn CME credit with every search.

Price: Starting at 39.99 per month.

There are more incredible medical apps on the market, but these five great examples represent the power of this cutting-edge medium.

It’s no secret that securing your health center should be a priority. But are you truly protecting your sensitive data? Consider this: One medical record can fetch as much as $1000 on the black market. No wonder healthcare is target number one for hackers. Good news. You don’t have to be a digital security expert to start making a difference right now. We’ll take a look at six ways you can down your health center’s digital assets today.

Create strong passwords

According to NordVPN, the most used password on the internet is “123456.”  If you are using this password, it’s time to make a change. But how do you create a strong password? First, stay away from personal information that others may know. A few examples: your birthday, your dog’s name, or your favorite band. Instead, try a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Second, make them long. Experts may disagree on the exact length but aim for at least 12 characters. Finally, don’t fall in love with your passwords because you need to change them frequently. How often? Try to change them every few months.

Use multifactor authentication

Multifactor authentication, or MFA, is a security enhancement that can make hacking into your health center difficult. So, what does MFA do, and why is it more secure? Well, MFA requires more than one authentication method. In addition to something you know, like a password, logging into a system or account requires a step or two more. For example: Using MFA, you sign into an account using your password initially. But you are not done successfully signing in. Next, MFA requires you to use another device, like your phone, to verify your login. MFA is powerful because it requires the person signing in to know more than just a password.

Keep antivirus and malware software updated

It’s a given you should be using antivirus software. However, failing to keep it up to date almost makes it useless. Luckily, your antivirus provider usually provides handy update reminders and even offers automatic updates. Don’t skip them. Hackers are inventing new ideas to get around your security daily.

Secure mobile technology

Anything that can leave your physical building can become a security risk. Know that phones, tablets, and laptops in the wild offer ideal opportunities for those who seek access to your sensitive information. However, the biggest culprits are phones. For convenience, many smartphone users opt to turn off their lock screen. Avoid this error. Set up your lock screen with a strong password, PIN, or use biometrics.

Limit physical access

Beyond the digital world, try to limit access to your physical files and your equipment. The most complex passwords, authentication methods, and antivirus are useless if a logged-in computer is left unattended. Don’t be afraid to be selective. Only allow authorized employees to enter areas that may contain, or have easy access to, sensitive data. 

Security requires teamwork

A safe and secure health center involves a team of people all pulling in the same direction. All it takes is one team member to become lax in keeping up with his security protocols to allow a breach. Vet each team member thoroughly and train them in all your security protocols. Also, don’t stop with the initial training. Consider hiring a security expert to keep your team up to date with the latest in digital security.

Even when you do everything right, breaches can occur. But like a thief who looks for a building without an alarm, a hacker would rather take an easy path to your digital records. Make it as difficult as possible by following the proper digital security protocols.

We at Practice Management take digital security seriously. To learn more about our security measures click here.

Distractions are a part of everyday life. They are hard to avoid whether you are trying to read a book or a more pressing task like completing your taxes. Unfortunately, these diversions also bleed into your professional life, where focus is even more crucial. And there isn’t a profession that requires laser focus, quite like the medical field. Regardless of if you work for a health center or a regular practice, finding ways to kick distractions to the curb and give attention to your core activities is vital. We’ll investigate the biggest distraction troublemakers and ways you can reduce their workday effect.

Smartphones

Smartphones seem to always top any list of the worst office distractions. However, there is one issue. In many cases, they are required tools. So, how can you use a smartphone for productivity and not get distracted by a quick game of Among Us? For one, try to remove the main distraction offenders off your home screen. Next, turn off pesky push notifications. You don’t have to turn them all off, but if they don’t serve a workday or emergency purpose, mute them. If all else fails, uninstall the apps that tend to lead you away from your work like the Pied Piper. You can always reinstall them when you get home.

Workspace clutter

Does your work area look like a small tornado just ripped through your office? It may be time to clean up and organize. Your workspace doesn’t have to be pristine, a study found that a little clutter can inspire creativity, but if it’s a complete mess putting things in their proper place can reduce unnecessary distractions. Such as taking 5 minutes to locate a pen. Before arranging your workspace, come up with an organizational plan. And once implemented, try to keep it clean by scheduling a time daily to tidy up.   

Multitasking

You may think you’re multitasking, but you aren’t. All you are doing is switching your focus from one task to the next without ever truly concentrating on one. It feels like you are doing more than one thing at a time, but unfortunately, it’s just not possible. Multitasking is the sneakiest form of distraction. Your brain is fooling you into believing that you are a task tackling dynamo. What should you do? Forget about completing more than one task at a time and instead focus on one until it is complete. In conclusion, if it kills efficiency, then it’s a distraction.

Too many meetings

Meetings aren’t as evil as some want to portray, but too many waste precious time. How can you discern from a time-waster versus a needed meeting?  If you can send a concise email that accurately conveys your message, then choose that option. If not, make sure your meeting is well-planned and has a clear goal. Don’t allow meetings to become a distraction, instead harness their power to promote teamwork and efficiency.

Cutting down on distractions, and learning how to focus, can make your day go much smoother, and improve productivity. If you are finding tasks, such as billing and credentialing, are distracting you from your core tasks maybe we can help. Contact us today to learn more.