Medical Malpractice

With the increase in the use of technology and the extended reach of the internet and computers, the medical insurance sector also had to advance. While the information technology makes it easy for the insurance houses and the healthcare providers to do their jobs, risks like data theft, identity theft and misuse of information have also increased. This prompted the United States government to frame the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996, to give the patient greater control over his insurance cover and medical information. Additionally it also regulates the working of the insurance houses and the healthcare centers, making them more accountable.

As the patients get more control now, the organizations providing the insurance covers and the organizations providing HIPAA training or the "covered entities" have to do a balancing act. The insurance cover can be pulled up for various listed violations under HIPAA and can face serious charges. The covered entities should take the right measures and respect the law. Listed below are a few things you can do as representative of the covered entity to stay clear of trouble and keep your organization out of trouble.

• Review policies and procedures related to patient privacy

As per HIPAA, the privacy rule clearly states that the patient can control who accesses his or her records. The covered entity should appoint a privacy officer who can scrutinize the policies and procedures related to the patient privacy and policies. The organization should time and again communicate with the patient and explain the privacy policy of the organization.

• Review policies and procedures related to patient health insurance security

The insurance cover is required to review all the policies listed by HIPAA that deal with all the aspects of the patient health insurance security (PHI). A security officer is appointed by the covered-entity who heads the security systems of the organization, making sure there are no glitches in the system that can lead to leakage of PHI. An occasional report compiled by the Security Officer should be sent to all the patients. The PHI should be password protected and the system should be foolproof.

• Educate the staff about HPAA in detail

The staff of the covered entity should undergo a training process periodically. The latest HIPAA policies should be studied in detail and the law should be understood in detail. Once it is understood by the trainers, it can be passed on effectively. If the covered insurance skips this step, the patient can take them to the court for non clarity of policies.

• Agreements with business associates

All professional organizations and individuals in business relations with the covered insurance must enter into a business agreement to reduce the risk of any malpractices.

• Respond to patient requests and queries

Patients will have queries, doubts and questions. Always address their concerns timely, the time frame being within 30 days of receiving the request.

HIPAA is a very beneficial act which can benefit the patients. However, the covered entity should not get into trouble for policy and procedural issues. Constantly reviewing, analysis, in house training, up to date security measures and communicating with the patients can reduce the risk of violations.

Although background checks are usually performed in relation to business, this could also be possible in the medical field. If someone wants to see a doctor or somebody heard that he is a doctor, most of the time a great trust is placed because of the reason that they are doctors. And this holds true to others who put their full trusts to people because they are doctors. Most often than not, people never have to think twice of trusting their doctors with MD attached to their name. It gave the impression that this certain person is qualified to do the job. But unfortunately others had the unfortunate experience of putting their whole trust in a doctor that was not actually a doctor or simply not qualified to do the things that they were supposed to accomplished.

A doctor background check may include various information, such as any legal action taken against the doctor for Medicare or Medicaid fraud; any disciplinary board actions taken; a review of any sanctions, board suspensions, or malpractice judgments; a verification of your doctor's board certification and current certification status; a review of the doctor's internships, residency, and fellowship training; information on the medical school that the doctor graduated from; licensure status; information on specialties of the physician; complete contact information; publications written by the doctor and/or any membership affiliations.

Do not be hesitant in doing Background Checks, as you can see, you can get a lot of information through doctor background checks. There are doctors for just about every specialty out there today, many of the doctors that profess to specialize in one area haven't actually had any specialized training, and you would want to know this since you are putting your body at risk! Don't hesitate doing a doctor background check on your current or prospective doctors, it will give you an increased level of comfort with them as you work to achieve great health together.

Should your young child be medically diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disease, what would be your reaction?

The first thought, other than that your child may have a complaint that is becoming more numerous in our society, is that an infant who has not yet reached full development or even puberty, cannot surely be considered to be suffering a personality disorder appropriate for adults. Their personality has not yet had the chance to reach maturity. So why are psychiatrists diagnosing many infants to have a mental disease that requires drug medication?

There is controversy amongst those in the profession who believe that this practice is actually malpractice. Those with higher standards are working to uphold ethical values.

If common sense is applied in seeking the reasons why a child may seem hyperactive or restless there are many to consider. Most of them are part of modern family life and the unsatisfactory materialistic pressures that we allow to cause us psychic stress.

We all know that peaceful home life is conducive to a peaceful, well behaved response in our children. We know that discipline is our responsibility to enforce in order to train our children. Somehow we seem to more easily acknowledge this with animals. We have lost our role and feel uneasy and possibly a little timid about enforcing discipline where our children are concerned. Perhaps we fear we will lose their affection. But we certainly lose any regard they could have for us if we don't assert ourselves as leaders.

Young people are beginning to alter the social order to dictate to their elders - to tell us what to do - and they can bully us mercilessly unless we are firm. It is being firm that eliminates the frustration and indecision that most parents feel at difficult times.

So why should our children be diagnosed as having bipolar when they are healthy and full of energy?

Perhaps they have no specific constructive areas to apply their time and efforts beyond their schoolwork. We have to take time to find out what interests them as a hobby, otherwise they sit down, stop doing any chores, use finger control only with their electronic toys, become more and more lazy and put on weight. Their inner boredom is expressed in restless behaviour and in habits that destroy rather than cultivate the qualities they will need to cope with life in a way that will guarantee positive outcomes in health, happiness and admirable character.

If your child does happen to be diagnosed with bipolar or any other mental disturbance or disease, first discuss between yourselves the best idea to remedy any problem at home or at the school. See if you can improve the situation. No doubt there will be reasons why any dissatisfaction or frustration is passed on from the child into home life. But if together you cannot work out causes, get a second opinion.

Remember, old fashioned tonics for this problem still hold.

Take a short time regularly with each child, one to one, to hear from them and also to tell them thoughts that reinforce their confidence and their feeling of total security - reading a 'good' story (without horror or violence), help them breathe evenly and rhythmically and focus their minds positively through a simple prayer before sleep. Simple things can work wonders. But no drugs!

I saw a study recently that said 97% of hospital bills are incorrect. And those errors are almost never in the patient's favor. The average error, at least in this study, was nearly $1,500. Think about that for a minute... almost every bill is off by $1,500! That is incredible!

I'm not the kind of person that listens to studies or statistical data because I think you can find a study to prove just about anything and statistics to prove just about anything. But in this case, even if you don't agree with the exact numbers in the study, anybody that's been to the hospital knows that billing errors are quite frequent and can be quite large.

So what do you do if you find that you've been overcharged? The first thing you want to do is make an appointment to talk face-to-face with the actual doctor that worked on you. Your first instinct is going to be to contact the hospital administrative staff, or the billing department. But that's the last thing you want to do because normally they don't have any idea what services you received, only the doctor can speak to those issues.

You may be mad, but don't go into the meeting angry. Be calm, be courteous, and be open-minded. Try to act with a little cooperation and try to keep the angry accusations down to nil, if at all possible. Doctors get sued all the time, and this makes them very wary. Don't go into the meeting guns blazing and tossing out words like lawsuit or malpractice because this will shut the doctors communication lines down. They won't even discuss it with you, they'll just refer the whole thing to their attorney if you take this approach.

Instead, go into the meeting as if a good-natured mistake has been made. Review the charges on your bill with your doctor ask them to go through it line by line and explain it. Your doctor should be willing to do this, but if they just won't budge and they aren't open to discussion or negotiation then you must take the next step...

The next thing you want to do is contact your local or regional medical or dental Society in writing. Sometimes these organizations can set up arbitration between you and the doctor which can save you the cost of expensive legal fees if you were to sue them. Keep in mind one important thing, medical and dental Society's work for the doctors - not you. They may be interested in "helping" if it will keep the doctors out of court, but they are more focused on that than actually helping you.

If nothing else works you may have to sue. Small claims court is a good venue for these sort of charges. You can file a small claims lawsuit without an attorney. Basically you and the doctor simply go before a judge and state your cases in ordinary language. If the doctor cannot quantify the charges on your bill, a judge may throw them right out.

No matter what, stand up for your rights. Just because they are a doctor doesn't give them the right to take advantage of you. Be courteous but be firm and you'll do just fine.

The purchase of professional liability insurance is not necessarily as easy as simply realizing you need it and then calling your agent. The first step you must take is to determine what kind of coverage is right for your potential liability, your concerns and your type of business. With all the different choices out there it can be difficult to figure out what type of policy you should buy, so let's look over some of the most common options.

Industry Specific Professional Liability Insurance

The industry that you conduct business in could have its own industry-specific liability insurance requirements. For instance, those in the financial industry (in the insurance, real estate and the investing end) must have errors and omissions insurance. This insurance protects them against liabilities created if they accidentally cause financial harm to a client through an error or an omission.

Those who work in the medical industry will find that malpractice insurance is a required coverage. It protects them against claims that result from medical harm they accidentally inflict on a patient through omission of treatment or negligence.

In industries with no professional requirement for liability coverage, business owners can consider the purchase of professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance-like the other coverages we discussed-protects professionals from liability claims stemming from neglect that causes harm to clients. It can be purchased by information technology professionals, gym owners, life coaches and others.

Non-Specific Professional Liability Insurance

There are also non-specific professional liability policies for business owners, like general liability insurance. General liability insurance primarily focuses on property damage or bodily injury sustained resulting from the operations or premises of the business. This differs from the industry specific coverage discussed above because it does not concentrate on the unique needs that arise due to professional services provided.

Professional indemnity insurance is another outstanding choice for the savvy business owner. If your business is sued for slander or libel or for breach of contract and damages, then professional indemnity insurance would help you protect your assets and keep your business running while paying the claim.

Personal versus Professional

Another confusing aspect to professional liability insurance is the overlap people feel they have through their personal insurance coverage. If you operate your business out of your home or garage and use your personal vehicle for your business, then you might think that your personal homeowners and auto coverage will cover any damage to your property or claims of injured parties as the result of accidents. Unfortunately, these claims are likely to be denied by your personal insurer and you could even risk having your policy dropped if the insurance company finds out you did not disclose your business activities on personal property. Personal risks are much different than business or professional risks and when your insurance company underwrites your policy, they must receive full disclosure about the risks involved.

Professional Liability Deductibles and Limits

No matter what types of professional liability insurance you decide are right for your business, make sure that you set realistic limits and deductibles on the policies. If you choose deductibles that are too high in order to save money on your premiums, you run the risk of losing business assets as you liquidate them to fulfill the deductible on your claims. Likewise, limits that are too low could force you out of business if an extremely large claim is awarded to someone who sues you.

Remember, your business is your present and future livelihood. It is an investment of your time, money and heart and should be protected as you would protect any other investment. Proper liability insurance coverage allows you to protect your investment and your future just by simply paying a premium.

Most already instinctively begin doctor research by asking friends what doctors they use when we are looking for someone with a certain specialty. It is important to go beyond just taking the name, however. Hopefully your friend will not refer you to someone with whom she has had a poor experience, but that does not mean that the suggested professional will be a good fit for you. Ask questions about issues that are important to you. Do you need someone who is close to you so that you can make a lunchtime appointment, or do you need an office that is kid friendly because you are likely to have kids in tow? Is an organized and timely office staff important to you? Is the blood lab on site, or will you be driving across town for blood work? Anything that slightly annoys you about the business side of the doctor's office is going to affect the doctor/client relationship. Prodding a friend for this type of information is perfectly ethical.

It is usually not within ethical codes for another medical professional to give the low down on a colleague, but it is suggested that you ask your referring physician if he thinks a certain doctor is a good fit for you. This is a great way to do doctor research. Tell him what qualities are important to you when you are receiving medical care, and he will be able to politely steer you toward someone that will fit your personality. If for some reason the doctor that you choose does not work out, it is perfectly acceptable to tell your referring physician what happened and to ask for another referral.

Lately the most utilized tools for doctor research are ratings tools that do all the research for you. You can find all pertinent information to any doctor on websites that specialize in physician ratings. You can not only find information about the undergraduate and medical schools someone attended, but you can also find licensing and certification information including if there have been any lapses or disciplinary actions taken against the person you are researching. Malpractice suits are also publicized and can be found on these sites.

Using friends and family, doctors with whom you have an established relationship, and physician research and rating tools together is likely to find you the best doctor possible for your specific needs. The ultimate test certainly is to undergo a few medical appointments with the chosen physician, and though it is possible that even massive research and a positive referral can dead end, it is likely that your time and effort will be well spent.

Every business has its own special terminology, but many financial terms are the same across all businesses. Here are some basic words and their definitions as they relate to healthcare financial management.

1. Cash Basis Accounting. This was a question on a management test I took a long time ago! In this method when you pay a bill it is accounted for and when you receive payment, it is accounted for. Your receivables are recorded when you make deposits and your payables are recorded when you generate your payments online or by checks. Most physician-owned practices use the cash method of accounting, give the doctors a draw against their earnings, then distribute any additional earnings on a quarterly basis. To smooth out expenses, any bills that are quarterly (malpractice sometimes is) or annual (profit-sharing usually is), are accounted for to make sure money is not distributed prematurely.

2. Accrual Accounting. In the accrual method, when you receive a bill, it is accounted for, and when you bill someone, it is accounted for at that time instead of when you are paid. Your receivables are recorded when you charge the patient and your payables are recorded when you receive a bill. (I've never worked in a practice that used this method of accounting.)

3. Allocation. The process of deciding how each expense should be attributed, whether to the practice at large or to an individual physician. For example, individual physicians may be allocated expenses for specific staff, or allocated overhead for resources that only they use.

4. Amortized expenses. The costs for assets such as medical equipment and computers, which are depreciated (expensed) over time to reflect their usable life.

5. Cost/benefit analysis. A form of analysis that evaluates whether, over a given time frame, the benefits of the new investment, or the new business opportunity, outweigh the associated costs. This could be an analysis for a new lab machine, or a new satellite office.

6. Gross Collection Ratio. The total collections divided by the total charges gives a gross collection ratio, but this number usually is not meaningful as most practices make significant adjustments for contractual rates with payers.

7. Net Collections Ratio. The total collections divided by the charges less contractual write-offs gives a net collection ratio. The number should be meaningful, and ideally is not decreasing in this high-deductible, medical bankruptcy, high-unemployment economy. Collections ratios are the least useful when used for a monthly analysis, and most useful when used to evaluate charges and collections over a year or more.

8. Revenue Cycle. The process of collecting insurance and billing information from the patient, collecting any monies due at the time of service, documenting the medical service provided, translating the service into ICD9 and CPT codes, filing the claim and collecting the contracted amount from the payer.

9. Equipment lease. A contract to purchase or rent equipment and/or purchase service over a period of time. The monthly cost includes the purchase price and interest and although the cost over the life of the lease is significantly more, it allows the practice to avoid a significant cash investment all at one time.

10. Capital expenses. The purchase of a piece of equipment, furniture or sometimes software (usually $500 or more) that will be expensed through depreciation. A capital budget is one that includes all large expenditures the practice anticipates making during the year.

11. Operating expenses. Expenses that occur in operating a business, for example employee salaries, benefits, rents, utilities and marketing costs. An operating budget is one that includes all expenses incurred in the daily running of the business.

12. Revenue Budget. A budget that estimates the revenue the practice expects to collect based on physician and ancillary productivity and applying the previous year's average collection percentage to the anticipated charges.

13. Benchmarks or Key Indicators. Indicators such as cost per RVU (relative value unit), cost per case in surgery, or days in A/R (accounts receivable) allow practices to compare their performance to the performance of successful practices.

14. Return on investment (ROI). A financial ratio measuring the cash return from an investment relative to its cost. You may calculate the ROI on an automated appointment reminder system and calculate the cost of the system versus the reduction in no-show appointments over several years.

15. Time value of money. The principle that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received at a given point in the future. Even without the effects of inflation, the dollar received today would be worth more because it could be invested immediately, thereby earning additional revenue. This is important in collections, as getting a partial payment from a patient today may have more value than getting a full payment from a patient in 2 years.

16. Variable Costs. Costs/expenses that are incurred in relation to providing services to patients. Examples include the cost of medical consumables, patient education materials and merchant services fees for taking credit cards. As the volume of patients increases, the expenses increase.

17. Fixed Costs. Costs/expenses that are incurred regularly regardless of patient volumes. Examples include rent, utilities, and liability insurance.

If you are like most people who consider LASIK eye surgery, choosing a surgeon is often the most difficult part of the process. A skilled and experienced doctor who uses the best technology and procedures is the best choice. Most importantly, you need to be sure that your LASIK surgeon uses a laser that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How do you know if your doctor meets these all-important criteria? In order to assess the quality of your doctor as well the procedures used, it is important to rely on a number of different elements. Asking for referrals, checking credentials and asking questions are important techniques to use when investigating your eye surgeon.

Which Lasers Are FDA Approved?

In order to achieve the best results, it is important to select a surgeon who uses only FDA-approved lasers for vision correction. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the sale and use of all medical devices in the United States. Undergoing this approval process helps ensure the safety and quality of these medical technologies. The first lasers were formally approved by the FDA on October 21, 1995. Since that time, a number of other lasers have also been approved to treat a range of different vision problems. The following are some of the currently approved lasers, so be sure to compare the information your surgeon provides against this list.

o MEL 80 Excimer Laser System

o LASIK Eye Drape

o Technolas 217A Eximer Laser System

o Bausch & Lomb Keracor 116 Eximer Laser System

o Ladarvision Eximer Laser System

o Kremer Laser System

o Wavelight Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser System

Questions You Should Ask Your Surgeon

o When did you start performing LASIK surgery?

o How many surgeries have you performed in the last 12 months?

o What percentage of the candidates you screen are deemed unsuitable for surgery?

o How many of your patients can pass a driver's test without corrective eyewear one month following surgery?

o What percentage of your patients complain of negative aftereffects such as dry eyes, halos, overtreatment or undertreatment?

o Have any of your LASIK patients ever filed a malpractice lawsuit after surgery?

o What type of corrective laser do you use? Is it FDA approved?

For many of these questions, there is no absolute correct answer. The goal of these questions is to get a general idea of the skill and experience of your surgeon. However, you should always check the name of the corrective laser the doctor uses against the list of FDA-approved lasers. You should also inquire about how much training and experience the doctor has working with a specific laser device.

The position of a Certified Nursing Assistant or Home Health Aide is a critical element to a variety of medical and health care-related organizations. CNA's provide direct care to patients in various area of need and are also sometimes referred to as called patient care technicians.

With the current trend of health care professions on the incline, CNA jobs are in demand more now then ever. If you like working with people and are interested in the health care field, consider looking into, becoming a certified nursing assistant. Certification classes can be 4-6-8-12-weeks with the course being provided by organizations like the American Red Cross, vocational schools or community colleges. If you are looking for online CNA training, it will be a challenge to find an online CNA class.

Generally CNA programs and classes have some online training but the bigger part of the course is in class. Free CNA courses are a bit of a stretch, but nothing is impossible. Good luck on that one. Certified Nursing assistants can earn salaries of between $23,000 and $30,000 per year.* The main factors affecting CNA salaries are years of experience and the facility in which they are employed. CNA's work in nursing homes, hospitals, mental health facilities, assisted living facilities, and private homes.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING A CNA or HHA!

Home health aides help seniors, convalescent, or disabled people who live in their own homes rather then a health care facility. Under the supervision of medical staff, they provide health related services, such as administering medications, checking vital signs, assist with hygiene, give massages and provide skin care, or assist with braces and artificial limbs. Home health aides can provide housekeeping and routine personal care services and like nursing aides, may help with simple exercises that have been prescribed by a physician. Experienced home health aides, with training, also may assist with medical equipment such as ventilators, which help patients breathe.

CPR/First Aid Certification for CNA's and HHA's

Most schools providing CNA and HHA training will have first and CPR training within the course. However, programs are different across the country and all programs do not necessarily certified student in first and CPR. It is important to check and find out whether the program you are considering provides you will the needed certification in addition to the training. Employers will almost certainly require one or both certifications, so it is best to simply get obtain both certifications. If you are considering online CPR and First Aid certification it is advisable that you take a course which has a physical class attendance requirement in addition to the online training.

Some organizations (especially hospitals) will not accept CPR First Aid certification that is done entirely online. Although it is certainly less expensive and convenient, there is a chance that it will not meet an employer's requirement. It is necessary that CNA's and HHA's are competent in basic life support considering the fact they are direct patient care technicians and likely to experience a patient having a heart attack or suffering sudden cardiac arrest at some point in their career, if not multiple times. Proper training ensures that care providers are responding appropriately and effectively.

Professional liability insurance protects CNA's, HHA and other health care professions against allegations of malpractice. Your employer may provide coverage for you, but it may not cover you in all cases. Your employer's policy may cover you, but usually only up to a certain point. An employer's policy is designed protect their needs and interests first. If you have your own protection, you will have the benefit of your own representation that is concerned specifically with your interests and needs.

Is insurance really that important? Facilities are being bought and sold all the time, sometimes they are closed. What might happen if you are named in a lawsuit for an incident that occurred three years ago and you no longer work at that facility, or, it is now closed? This is when having your own policy really pays off. Your employer's policy probably only covers you while you are at work. It is unlikely that your employer's policy will protect you if you give medical advice after hours or perform any volunteer work.

Insurance is a personal decision that you need to make. The question you may want to ask yourself is "What if I don't have coverage or have enough coverage and I'm sued?" When something happens and a patient is injured, attorneys will name everyone in the lawsuit who was involved in the patients' care. That will happen whether you have your own coverage or not. But if you do have your own coverage, and are named in a lawsuit, having a policy can protect you by preparing you for a deposition and paying for your defense and in addition any settlement or judgment against you.

The human body may be a beautiful piece of machinery, but it does have its imperfections. For some, those imperfections are as slight as a mole on the back, but for others it can be a detriment to their everyday life.

Whether we like to believe it or not, we live in a society that puts a great deal of emphasis on beauty, and for some, getting a job can depend as much on their talent as their looks.

Cosmetic surgery is an incredibly popular practice, with 11 million procedures being done in the United States in 2006 alone. In other words, three percent of the American population had cosmetic surgery that year.

With such an influx of individuals going for cosmetic surgery, doctors are often swamped with patients who are looking to improve on their bodies. As well, the costs of cosmetic surgery can run into the several thousands of dollars. Since cosmetic surgery is considered to be an elective procedure, as in it is the patient's choice, it is not covered by insurance, which can be a strain on the finances of many people.

Thankfully, other options do exist and all it takes is quick trip over the border or across the ocean.

An increasingly-popular industry, medical tourism, is offering solutions to individuals who want to eliminate the wait times and high costs often associated with cosmetic surgeries. Nowadays, many cosmetic-surgery hopefuls are traveling to India, Thailand, Costa Rica, Hungary, South Africa and Mexico in the hopes of improving on themselves at a fraction of the cost they would pay in America. For example, a full face lift in the United States costs $20,000, while in South Africa the cost will run you only $1,250. Many individuals are able to pay half the cost, which includes staying in a hospital, hotel and airfare to the country of their choice. The low cost is due to favorable exchange rates, lower salaries of the doctors and fewer medical lawsuits, which has a huge effect by giving lower malpractice-insurance costs.

There is a stigma that getting this type of surgery overseas means you will be in less-than-First-World conditions, however this could not be further from the case and most cosmetic surgery hospitals have state of the art equipment and internationally certified doctors and nurses.

While there are tragic stories of people who do not do their research and have surgery performed on them by non-professionals. The vast majority of those who take part in medical tourism find the experience to be everything they thought it would be and more. To prevent your story from becoming tragic, it is important you do your research and ensure you are going to a professional who knows what they are doing. There have been many stories of patients who went to other countries for surgeries, only to be disfigured by shoddy work. Of course, it is important to remember that the same can happen in the United States by going to an unlicensed professional. Always, always do your homework.

Here is a quick list of the dos and don'ts for cosmetic surgery abroad:

• Do go where you know you will get excellent treatment - research the medical standards of the facility, as well as the doctor's background and talk to their previous patients.
• Do Plan Ahead - get your passport quickly so you do not have to fight the tourist season.
• Do not only rely on the internet - it is important you call the places you plan on visiting to find out about their surgery and past patients views of the hospital.
• Do ask a surgeon about his training - find out if they are trained or practiced in North America and how many years they have doing cosmetic surgery.
• Do not cut costs - ever, ever go with the lowest bidder. It is more important you pay a bit extra to ensure you get the results you are looking for.
• Do get everything in writing - you need to have all the information about the costs, procedures, consultations and number of nights in the hospital with you. You should also give the contact numbers to family so they can reach you.
• Do not take chances - do things right and always put your own safety first.

Though accidents occur often, some are caused by negligence or carelessness of other people. Most major accidents result in huge medical bills or even disability. If this happens due to someone else's fault, you will end up very bitter. It is therefore good to seek compensation. The best way to do this is by hiring a personal injury lawyer. Although this will not revert you to your earlier state, it will help you deal with the medical bills or any loss of income.

Although hiring the lawyer is a noble idea, hiring a bad one will only add to your miseries. This is why you must consider some issues before settling for one. For instance, you must get someone who is ready to work hard to ensure you get fair compensation. You must also get someone who listens to your needs hence he or she can work with your best interests at heart.

Some of the best pointers to a good attorney include free consultation. This allows the attorney to review the case in detail hence establishing whether there is a good chance of compensation. The attorney should also be willing to handle the case at no cost until you win. This is a good indicator whether you have a chance of being compensated or not. Remember, pursuing a case with limited chances of winning will only add more stress to your life.

The attorney should also give a rough estimate for the case timeline and the expected compensation amount. This will help you decide whether to pursue it or not. Sometimes, a case that drags on for a long time and offers limited compensation is not worth the effort.

Sometimes the insurance company of the defendant might not be willing to engage in a lengthy court case. Such companies will opt for an out of court settlement. However, you should avoid attorneys who jump at the first opportunity to settle out of court. If the attorney is ready to take matters to court, you are more likely to get better settlement from the insurer.

Apart from personality, it is also important to consider his or her experience. There are different ways to gauge experience. For instance, you can check the types of cases the attorney has handled during his practice. A reputable and experienced lawyer will have handled many cases stretching over a long period. You can also gauge whether the attorney is experienced depending on whether he gives you an estimate of the time the case will take and the expected compensation.

Even with the best presentation from any attorney, you must verify whether he is qualified to work on your case. This means checking certification by local or nationally recognized organizations. You should also verify that he has not been censured or disciplined by the local bar in the past.

Other issues to consider when hiring a personal injury lawyer include checking whether the attorney has handled any cases similar to your in the past and whether he has malpractice insurance. You must also ask any other question, which you think, is related to your case before making a choice.

The Democrats' health care legislation, as is or in very similar form, cannot be passed.  Every choice point they encounter from this stage on leads to an internal contradiction or a dead end.  To use a mathematical metaphor, their situation is overdetermined: there are too many conflicting restrictions; there is no solution to their dilemma.  (To use a liberal metaphor: It's a slam dunk!)

Democratic proponents of health care reform have the following major goals:

(1)    Create a federal public health insurance option to "compete with" private insurers, or

(2)    Set up state cooperatives to "compete with" private insurers on a state-by-state basis;

(3)    Prevent discrimination by insurance companies based on preexisting condition-i.e., forbid insurance companies from "providing insurance";

(4)    Limit the ratio of high-to-low insurance premiums by age group.

Whether pursuing any of these goals is the government's business-and it isn't-Democrats need to enact some combination of these proposals in order to fulfill their aim of turning us into Canada; the Congressional Budget Office estimates that this will cost about $1 trillion.

Democrats have proposed numerous bad ideas for paying for their legislation, all of which lead to intractable circumstances that they cannot tolerate politically with the general electorate, even if they were able to figure out a way to cobble together, rush through, or force the votes in Congress to pass them, including:

(1)    Increase the deficit: This would violate Obama's promise that health care reform will be "dime"-neutral.

(2)    Make taxpayers subsidize the public option: This would keep the government plan from having to cut costs or be efficient to attract and retain customers, as any private insurance company must.  It would therefore eventually force those who are satisfied with their current plans to pay higher premiums or get less for their money.

(3)    Cut $500 billion in Medicare: This would upset seniors, and anyone who plans to be a senior at some point in his life, who fear rationing of care.

(4)    Tax high-cost plans at a 40% rate: This would anger emergency workers and union members, and huge numbers of people who will hit the non-insurance-adjusted premium threshold for this level of taxation in the next 10 years.

(5)    Impose fees on insurance and pharmaceutical companies: These costs would simply be passed on to doctors, who would in turn dump them on to patients.

(6)    Cap deductions for health savings accounts: This would increase out-of-pocket medical expenses.

(7)    Force everyone to buy government-approved health insurance by charging a penalty for not having coverage: If the penalty were low, in order to avoid making it burdensome, then people would wait to get coverage until they became sick, then drop coverage after they recovered, which means the penalty would be useless.  If the penalty were high, in order to make it effective, then the public would be infuriated over the imposition of a costly penalty for not buying something that should be optional.

(8)    Cover fewer uninsured people: This would involve turning the nation's health care system upside down while failing to fulfill the basic aim of the plan.

In case Democrats are interested, there are provisions to which they could agree, all previously proposed in legislation by House Republicans, which would actually pay for the proposed plan.  These steps should be taken anyway, and should be pursued instead of the Democrats' aims, but just for the record, they include:

(1)    Medical liability tort reform: This would reduce settlement amounts and lower doctors' malpractice insurance premiums.

(2)    Tax deductions for health insurance premiums, medical expenses, and prescriptions: This would allow people to decide how to allocate their earnings toward medical expenses, which they can do more efficiently than Kathleen "Jolly Roger" Sebelius.

(3)    Vouchers for opting out of Medicare: This would allow people to decide how to spend their money on medical care in old age.

(4)    Interstate provision of private insurance: This would allow for greater competition and cost-cutting.

Despite conservatives' nail-biting uncertainty over their ability to defeat HR 3200, they have one advantage: the truth.  All the arguments conservatives have advanced against liberals' bad ideas are informed by it, whereas liberals must disguise it, distort it, downplay it, or lie about it to persuade anyone that their impossible legislative feat and fevered social engineering fantasy can be achieved.  There are plenty of voters and legislators who are content to ignore the truth and stumble down dead ends, but enough may turn out to be smart and honest enough to see through these efforts and find their way out of the labyrinth.

In spite of public awareness campaigns around breastfeeding, many myths and malpractices still abound - some women may even decide not to breastfeed or would stop prematurely because of it.

To help you tell fact from fiction, here are seven of the most common breastfeeding myths:

MYTH 1: Your baby can be allergic to your milk.

FACT:

Human infants are never allergic to their own mother's milk. We have found no documented cases in the medical literature. Occasionally babies can have problems with foods mom eats.

MYTH 2: If you nurse your baby every time he fusses, he will learn to "use you as a pacifier".

FACT:

Your baby is designed by nature to suckle frequently at the breast. It is a human survival strategy. Your baby doesn't "use your breast" as a pacifier any more than he "used your womb" as an incubator.

Myth 3: Many women do not produce enough milk.

FACT

Not true! The vast majority of women produce more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance of milk is common. Most babies that gain too slowly, or lose weight, do so not because the mother does not have enough milk, but because the baby does not get the milk that the mother has.

The usual reason that the baby does not get the milk that is available is that he is poorly latched onto the breast. This is why it is so important that the mother be shown, on the first day, how to latch a baby on properly, by someone who knows what they are doing.

MYTH 4: Your baby eats "too often", so you must not have enough milk.

FACT:

Most babies need to eat 8 - 14 times a day in the early weeks. If your baby has soft stools and clear or pale urine, he is getting enough milk.

Myth 5: Giving the breast a nursing "rest" can help ensure more milk.

Fact

The more you nurse, the more milk you make. Breaking your regular nursing schedule to "rest" the breast actually may decrease your milk supply.

This myth got started, because skipping a feeding or pumping during the day results in greater supply of milk at night. But by the next day you will have less milk if you skip a feeding. "The only way to ensure a steady supply is to keep expressing milk as regularly as you can." You should nurse at least nine to 10 times a day to ensure milk production.

Myth 6: "Small breasts will not produce enough"

FACT

Being able to breastfeed successfully does not depend on the size of your breast. The size of the breast depends upon the amount of the fatty tissue layer under the skin. Breastmilk is produced by special glands in the breast that are present in all women.

Myth 7: Breastfeeding ruins the shape of your breasts

FACT

This is simply not true. As soon as a woman becomes pregnant permanent changes occur in her breasts. Even if she doesn't carry to term, or chooses to abort, her breasts will never be the same as they were before she became pregnant. Whether or not she then goes on to breastfeed will not effect her future breast shape one way or another.

Heredity plays a large role in this matter, as does excessive weight gain or loss. It is helpful to maintain the tone of the muscles that support your breasts, and avoid large and sudden weight gains or losses, pregnancy-related or otherwise.

It is not necessary to believe something or use it as a basis for a major decision in life, regardless of the source from which it came. Get the facts, gather all the information and make an informed decision -- an informed decision that is best for you and your baby.

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Surgery is often unnecessary.

Several years ago a committee of the American Congress investigating procedures of surgery in the United States came to the conclusion that 2.4 million operations are performed unnecessarily each year, costing 12,000 lives and 4 billion US dollars. The latest figures show that some 6 million unnecessary operations are performed each year.

Another study found that most people who were accepted for an operation did not actually need one and half of them did not even require medical treatment.

Tonsilitis

Many of them were children suffering tonsil infection. Parents rarely object to the removal of their children's tonsils, especially since not many side effects are recorded for this type of surgery. The death rate from tonsil operations amounts to only 1 in 3,000 or even less.

Only few parents know that tonsils are an important part of the immune system and are needed to keep the head area free from toxins, bacteria, and viruses. It has been shown that many children become depressed, pessimistic, fearful, insecure, and shy after surgery, 'character traits' that may stay with them for the rest of their lives. There are natural methods that can support the body in overcoming an infection of the tonsils without the need for surgery. What applies to small operations, also applies to big operations. The need for surgical intervention is indicated only in certain extreme situations.

Appendicitis

Most people believe removing an inflamed appendix is a necessity and diagnosing appendicitis is a reliable thing. But surgeons get it wrong up to 45 per cent of the time even when they perform a diagnostic laparotomy. False-negatives - claiming there isn't a problem when there is one - also run high, at around 33 percent. One in five patients with appendicitis leaves the hospital without a correct diagnosis ever being made, and one in five appendixes removed by surgery is found to be normal. In the US this amounts to 20,000 healthy appendixes mistakenly removed every year.

Coronary bypass surgery

One of the most common operations today is coronary bypass surgery. A seven-year controlled study has demonstrated that except for very rare cases where the left aorta is affected, coronary by-pass surgery does nothing to improve heart condition. In addition, the mortality rate among patients with low risk heart disease undergoing a by-pass operation is higher than it is among those with a high risk. A 1998 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who suffer a mild heart attack and are given a bypass or balloon angioplasty are more likely to die as a result of the surgery. Another study that involved researchers from 14 major heart hospitals around the world found that up to one-third of all bypass operations were not only unnecessary but actually hastened the death of the patient.

Angioplasty

Angioplasty, a relatively new procedure used to open arteries, offers an even lower survival rate than bypass surgery. Several research studies confirm that patients, who have undergone these types of surgery, are as likely to suffer a heart attack as the ones who haven't. The relief of chest pain (angina) that patients may experience after a bypass operation cannot be attributed to an actual improvement of the condition but rather to the cutting of nerve strands during the procedure, to the secretion of endorphins which are the body's natural painkillers, and/or to the placebo response.

In the case of a bypass operation, the newly inserted pieces of coronary arteries can block up easily again if the cause of arteriosclerosis is not removed. The US National Institutes of Health has estimated that 90 per cent of America's bypass surgery patients receive no benefits. Major lasting improvements are attributed to an improved diet and lifestyle, stress reduction, quitting smoking and regular exercise.

Hysterectomy

In the States alone over one million women a year sacrifice their uterus to the scalpel. This means that more than half of all American women will have had a hysterectomy by the time they reach age 65. Many of these women will suffer from post-operative syndromes such as depression, anxiety, and increased susceptibility to stress. I have seen in my own practice that most women who had a hysterectomy developed ovary problems, breast lumps, digestive disorders, or breast cancer within 1-5 years after the operation.

An investigation carried out in six New York hospitals found that 43 percent of all uterus operations were unjustified. Other research shows that only 10% of hysterectomies are properly justified. There are thousands of women every year who have a full hysterectomy (including the removal of the ovaries) but have not given their consent prior to the surgery. Only few of them make use of the law to seek compensation, but money cannot return the status symbol of a woman, which is her womb.

Having a hysterectomy is not without a risk. The mortality rate is 1 in 1,000 procedures and serious complications occur 15 times more frequently than that. Side effects can occur in more than 40 per cent of operations; they include urinary retention or incontinence, significant reduction in sexual response, early ovarian failure, risk of a fatal blood clot, and bowel problems.

Fewer Surgeons and Medical Interventions Means Fewer Deaths

The American College of Surgeons conceded that the US population would require only about 50 percent of the current number of surgeons to secure America's needs for surgery in the next fifty years. In 1976, the Los Angeles County registered a sudden reduction of its death rate by 18 percent when the medical doctors went on strike against the increase of health insurance premiums for malpractice. In a study by Dr. Milton Roemer from the University of California Los Angeles, 17 of the largest hospitals in the County showed a total of 60 percent fewer operations during the period of the strike. When the doctors resumed work and medical activities were back to normal, death rates also returned to pre-strike levels.

A similar event took place in Israel in 1973, when for one month the doctors reduced their daily number of patients from 65,000 to 7,000. For the entire month, death rates in Israel were down 50 percent. This seems to happen whenever doctors go on strike. In Bogota, Columbia, the death rate decreased by 35 percent when no doctors were available for 52 days, except for emergencies.

Administration of cold substances directly into the body at a fast rate can have adverse effects on the health of a patient. An individual has a higher risk of complication when warming equipment is not used in conjunction with intravenous fluid delivery. Hypothermia prevention is one of the benefits supplied by a fluid warming system. Additional treatment advantages include:

• Counteraction of Anesthesia Cooling During Surgery
• Reduced Risk of Infection
• Reduced Length of Stay
• Prevention of Cardiac Problems
• Ability to Focus on Immediate Treatment Needs

Patients are subjected to several atmosphere and treatment factors that intensify the risk of core temperature drops. Anesthesia, room temperature, and loss of blood not only decrease body warmth, but also escalate the chance of infection. Time constraints lessen the appeal of applying these devices. Standard warming equipment used previously by facilities was large, expensive, not portable, and hard to maintain. Portability additions like the Ultra Battery 1 have delivered enhanced application value to medical professionals.

Understanding the Benefits of a Good Fluid Warming System Design

Numerous factors determine the usability and benefit of applying a fluid warming system in field or hospital environments. A compact, disposable model solves the problems associated with standard designs without debilitating the technology necessary to gain the right results. Victims can receive this beneficial process while in transport, in any field environment, or as part of facility treatment. Disposable models diminish the risk of infection by eliminating the sterilization aspects of standard warmers. Convenience was limited due to extensive warming and setup times; however, newer models reduce usage preparation to only a couple of minutes. Portable designs allow for easy storage, quick use, and countless application possibilities. The reduction in weight offered by the Ultra Battery 1 makes it easier for a technician to carry the device to the patient.

Professionals are able to increase the quality of care by applying a fluid warming system. Better treatment leads to an improved reputation along with a decreased risk of malpractice claims. Patients not receiving this treatment have a higher fatality rate since any additionally developed condition like hypothermia must be treated before the initial injury. Designs continue to advance in an effort to provide increased reliability and improved heating during application. The Ultra Battery 1, for example, has been designed to meet specific field needs such as weight and space restrictions. The battery can withstand the extensive environmental factors of military combat scenarios. Here are a few of the features provided by this latest warming advancement:

• Weight of 1.25 pounds
• Compact Size
• Sealed Enclosure
• Rugged Grip Casing
• BatteryCharge Status Displayed in Real-Time
• Rapid Recharge of One Hour
• Increased Charge Cycle Capacity
• Multiple Voltage Charging Abilities
• Normothermic Delivery of Various Fluids
• High Flow Rate Delivery Capabilities

Disposable systems continue to be improved as the need for these devices becomes more recognizable. A dependable battery design makes it possible for heating to occur under any scenario. Faster heating times enhance the handiness of these devices in emergency medical situations. Single-use equipment has been made more affordable and countless professionals are beginning to include warming equipment as part of their common treatment items.

Today, computers have become an integral part of our lives. They help in simplifying our lives and make the most difficult tasks easier and accurate in every way. When computers have gained control in our daily lives, medical industry definitely refuses to stay behind. Most professionals in the medical industry have decided to do away with the usual pen and paper method and have welcomed computers with open arms to maintain and keep patient medical records with the help of electronic health record.

When you go to your doctor with a health issue, the doctor will seek information from you and will try to build a case history starting from the origin of the problem to the ongoing causes and progress of the same. The information obtained from the patient, the tests results, laboratory test results, the medication suggested and other information is then keyed into the electronic health record system. This information is now in a digital format which is also called as individual's health record.

So the next time you visit the doctor, he/she doesn't have to flip pages anymore to know your history. All he/she needs to do is enter your name and the system will throw up all the information stored pertaining to you. Convenient isn't it?

This technology not only helps in centralizing and storing the patients' information in a digital format but also helps in saving lot of time, money and energy.

The electronic health record helps in better documentation of the information as doctors are known for their handwriting which may lead to whole lot of confusions.

This system helps in reducing your healthcare cost and helps in providing evidence based approach. As the information is readily available, the doctor can quickly refer to the information and start with the treatment without wasting lot of time.

Storing large pieces of information is a cake-walk as it is stored on minimal space. Hence you need not worry about storing many files and also think of ways to preserve them safely.

Retrieving information from electronic health record system is easy and hence lot of time is saved. The information is just a click away and you need not spend time flipping through different pages of files.

Lastly, with this method you can reduce the malpractice involved when it comes to insurance premiums. Information is accurate and any kind of forging can be easily avoided.
Even any kind of alterations made to a record, the date of alteration and the person who made it is recorded in the system.

In short the electronic health record is only a boon to your profession and investing in it is a wise thing to do.

Lawsuit funding or legal finance is a non- recourse lawsuit loan or lawsuit cash advance. It carries no risk because plaintiffs owe nothing if they lose the case. Lawsuit pre-settlement funding programs provide them with immediate cash to give them and their attorney time to negotiate a larger cash settlement!

Most of the plaintiffs involved in lawsuits do not realize they can get cash advance before their case settles. It is called as lawsuit funding and often referred as lawsuit loan, legal finance, legal financing, legal funding, legal funds, lawsuit cash advance, litigation financing, pre-settlement loan and plaintiff cash advance. The following 18 guidelines, every plaintiff must know about lawsuit loans and lawsuit cash advance. I hope these will help and guide them to take a knowledgeable and judicious decision while seeking a lawsuit funding or lawsuit loan.

1. Who is eligible for Lawsuit funding?

If you are a plaintiff, involved in any of following lawsuits (but not limited to), i.e.: personal injury, auto accident, malpractice (medical, legal, construction), employment discrimination, fraud, product liability, breach of contract, Mesothelioma, negligence, workers compensation, civil rights, class action, patent infringement, whistle blower (qui tam), workers compensation (not in all states), wrongful death, commercial litigation etc.; and if you are represented by an attorney, you may be eligible for a cash advance or legal financing on your pending settlement.

2. (A) How can I benefit from lawsuit funding?

Many plaintiffs are forced to accept a low offer due to the financial hardship they experience soon after their personal injury. A cash advance on your settlement will allow your attorney the time needed to get the full value for your case.

(B) How the lawsuit funding would help me get more money for my lawsuit case? The defendant, in order to save time and money and settle the case early, will offer you far less than what the case is really worth. If you need immediate financial help you may feel pressured to take an earlier (and often smaller) settlement. Lawsuit funding or so called lawsuit loan can ease your immediate financial needs and allow your attorney to continue to fight for a fair larger award.

3. What types of cases are funded by lawsuit pre-settlement funding companies?

A good lawsuit funding company would provide cash advances on mostly all types of cases. The most common types are listed in fact number 1.

4. Is good credit & employment necessary to obtain a Lawsuit loan?

No, the lawsuit funding or legal financing is not based on credit history, unless there is a pending bankruptcy. Applicant may have bad credit score and no employment.

5. Why don't I just get a bank loan?

Traditional financial institutions, including banks, do not generally lend solely on the merits of a lawsuit. They deem the practice of lawsuit finance or lawsuit funding as too risky.

6. (A) Is this a lawsuit loan?

No, this is not a loan. It is actually non-recourse lawsuit cash advance on the future value of your case. Unlike a loan, if you lose your case you owe nothing in return.

(B) Why is this not a loan?

Loans are repayable absolutely. A loan is type of financial aid which must be repaid, with interest. But lawsuit cash advance, legal finance or lawsuit funding is actually purchasing an interest in your settlement. So, if you lose your case, you do not owe the funding company anything.

7. Do I owe any up front out-of-pocket fees or costs? Are there any additional fees, such as monthly fees, involved?

Absolutely NO! A good lawsuit financing company should not charge any upfront fee or any application fee, processing fee or any monthly fee. There should be only a single fee for the lawsuit funding or lawsuit cash advance, based upon the length of time to settlement of your case. There will be a specific repayment amount, due and payable only after the case resolves itself successfully. And if the case is unsuccessful, there is no repayment required.

8. Will I have to sign any documents? Will my attorney be required to sign any documents?

Yes. You will need to sign an application and after you are approved for lawsuit loan, you and your attorney will sign the Funding Agreement.

9. How big an advance on my settlement can I get?

Lawsuit cash advances are generally limited to, from 10% to 15% of the projected case value. The minimum advance is $250 and the maximum amount available on a single case is one million dollars.

10. Is the defendant insurance company notified?

No, the only parties who know about the lawsuit funding transaction, are you (the plaintiff), your attorney handling your case, and lawsuit funding company.

11. How long does it take for me to get the funds?

If you are eligible you can have your approval decision within 72 hours after reviewing your case documents. Funding company will wire your approved lawsuit funds into your bank account or can Fed Ex your funds within 24 hours of receiving your signed Funding Agreement via fax from your attorney.

12. How is the lawsuit cash advance paid back?

The lawsuit loan is repaid out of the financial settlement award from the case. It is paid at the same time that the proceeds of the claim are paid out to you.

13. What happens if I lose my case?

You owe absolutely nothing in return! The lawsuit loan advanced to you is yours to keep.

14. (A) What can I use the money for?

Anything you like. It is your money. You pay your bills, mortgage and car payments. You can take care of education expenses of your children and pay your medical bills.

(B) What if I need more money later?

If you have not received all the money, lawsuit funding company may be able to provide you more cash advance on your case. You can make another request for additional settlement funding or pre-settlement funding at a later date.

15. Does the legal finance company get involved in my lawsuit case?

NO. They have no input or control in your case. They do not get involved in the attorney-client relationship. All management and decisions pertaining to your case are made by you and your attorney. They have no role in the pursuit of your case. They only involvement is to initially review your case papers, so they can evaluate the claim.

16. How will my attorney feel about me doing this?

Attorneys are sympathetic to the financial strain their clients can experience. In some states, attorneys are not permitted to assist clients financially, but they are allowed to assist in seeking third-party financing, such as plaintiff lawsuit finance or lawsuit funding.

You can apply for lawsuit funding without consulting your attorney first. However your attorney plays an important role in getting your lawsuit funding. Attorneys are typically eager to help a client obtain plaintiff funding because it may mean that a long legal proceeding won't end with the client having no choice other than to accept a low settlement offer. Applying for plaintiff funding does not interfere with the agreement between you and your attorney in any way.

17. Why my attorney can not lend me money?

The American Bar Association prohibits attorneys from lending money to clients for anything but case expenses. This prohibition exists to prevent a conflict of interest from arising between attorney and his client. If you owed your attorney money you might feel pressured to accept your attorney's advise to settle your case when you really did not want to accept the amount offered.

This would cause a conflict of interest because your attorney would now be your creditor. In fact, the American Bar Association expressly prohibits attorneys from loaning money to their clients for anything other then case-related expenses.

18. (A) Is this legal?

Yes. The claim or lawsuit is yours and you own it, just like you own a piece of property. After paying your attorney and medical liens (if applicable), the potential remaining money is yours. You may sell or assign it.

(B) Is the process to obtain lawsuit funding or lawsuit loan is confidential?

Yes the total process is confidential, private and quick. Underwriters take a look at your case documents and determine if they think you have a good chance of collecting on your claim. These are the same documents that your attorney prepared to fight your case. If they think your chances to win are good, they will offer you a cash advance.

With all the advancements in medicine, the healthcare environment of today has devolved when it comes to communication. Physicians are feeling the pressure now more than ever, to see a greater number of patients each day due to the increase in practice and malpractice insurance costs. Many providers have voiced their concerns about diminished time with patients for more than a decade.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 61 percent of American adults went online for health information in 2009. This is up from 46 percent in 2000. Being an active participant in healthcare planning is essential in the shared medical decision making process. Since patients are now researching their health online, they are bringing more questions to the doctor. This may be discouraged by some practices because of the need for providers to get in and out of the exam room quickly. Half of patients leave their appointment without a full understanding of what their doctor communicated to them. That said, the majority of doctors want their patients to be engaged in decisions concerning their medical care and treatment planning. So how does one take the extra time needed for these patients and not decrease the amount of patients seen daily?

One suggestion is to allow patients to email questions to the physician or other medical staff. With the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR), many practices are adding patient portals that allow their patients to interact and communicate with their healthcare providers online. Another suggestion is to communicate with patients on a general level on social media networks such as Facebook. Answering questions online allows patients to feel a stronger connection with their provider. It also addresses the needs of others seeking similar information and can open your practice to more patients.

All of this takes time; however, it is more important than ever to make a connection with patients. The connections made today will help the practice grow tomorrow!