In addition to the doctor, other healthcare professionals contribute to the Patient Story in EMR, and everyone involved must take into consideration the unique nature of each individual patient profile as well as confidentiality requirements. As much as EMR programs provide access to data and add an element of speed, they add a layer of complexity in that there needs to be a human responsible for verifying accuracy, continuity and confidentiality in the EMR. Additionally, as in other industries, the sheer amount of data being made available can be daunting. Medical Scribe, Medical Transcriptionist, Medical Assistant, Medical Biller and Medical Coder are key roles in the evolving adoption of EMR, and the evolution of the healthcare industry as a whole. See our Patient Care Team infographic to see how the different roles interact with the Patient Story in EMR.
As technology continues to evolve and the speed at which information can be processed with technology continues to increase, it’s important to remember that the ability to process information at the human level remains virtually unchanged. The speed of technology far outpaces the speed of evolution. Despite this, technological advancements continue, and continue to change the way we live and do business.
A big point of differentiation between healthcare and many other industries is, healthcare is about people. It’s not about moving product, or hitting your number, or qualifying leads. The interpersonal relationship between doctor and patient is the nerve center for healthcare, and no amount of technology can change that. Like many other industries, technology can enhance the operational processes on the business side of that interaction, but technology will never be able to replace the doctor or the patient, or speed up human interaction.
Improving efficiency on the business side of the doctor–patient relationship means offloading responsibilities from the doctor, at a discounted expense, which is good for everyone involved: doctor is free to spend more time with his or her patients, healthcare costs [should] go down, saving patient and insurers money. Hiring trained professionals to take some of the administrative burden from the doctor is good business. But the emphasis has to be on “trained professionals.”
Dr. Alan Bank, Director of Research at the United Heart & Vascular Clinic of Allina Health in St. Paul and Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Minnesota says in his Wall Street Journal article In Praise of Medical Scribes, “While almost every physician I know works hard, many don’t work very smart. Physicians are highly trained and well-compensated. But as a result of the shift to electronic medical record-keeping and ever-increasing regulation and bureaucracy, we doctors now seem to spend up to half our time searching for data, typing, dictating, filling out forms and scheduling future patient visits.”
As an industry, we’re not “working smart.” The cost to have doctors perform administrative duties can be anywhere from 10-20 times the cost of a scribe or transcriptionist, and that expense contributes directly to the alarming increases in the cost of healthcare. Medical Scribe, Medical Transcriptionist and Medical Assistant are key roles in the evolving adoption of EMR, and the evolution of the healthcare industry as a whole. They are trained in the technology, and in the responsibility of the position. While they are not trained clinicians, they are trained Health Information Management specialists, which means they can do this part of the process better than a doctor. And, at 20 times less the expense, this sounds like “working smart.”
Some of the reluctance may come from doctors themselves. Physicians may need to realize that, as Dr. Banks says, while they are definitely working hard, they aren’t the best at everything. One way that doctors can work smarter is to relinquish control and embrace the transcriptionist, scribe and assistant roles, so that we can get back to the nerve center of healthcare, and have doctors focus on treating patients.
Some of the best long term careers are in the medical field. If you are looking for something that does not take years of medical school, how about starting off your new career as a Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA)? Clinical Medical Assistants are an important part of the healthcare industry and are an in demand profession. Medical Assistants perform different tasks such as taking vital signs, assisting doctors with patients, administering shots and phlebotomy. Medical Assistants also help perform other tasks such as working with the EMR (electronic medical record), as well as other administrative duties. Doctors rely on Medical Assistants to gain as much information on a patient so that they can deliver the best care to their patients.
What does it take to be a good CMA?
Multitasking skills a MUST! A good Medical Assistant must be able to do several things at once. You should feel confident that this is something you’re good at.
Caring about the welfare of people is essential. You will be dealing people on a daily basis and usually people who are not feeling well. A sympathetic ear and just knowing someone cares about their concerns is one quality that makes a great medical assistant!
Must be comfortable with medical situations. If you are person that cannot handle the site of blood, needles bother you or are sensitive to certain smells, becoming a medical assistant maybe the wrong career path for you.
Doctors offices, clinics, hospitals are just a few places a medical assistant can work. The job outlook for medical assistants is expected to grow 29 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations*.
Clinical Medical Assistants are an important part of the growing healthcare industry. Maybe now is best time to get the training necessary to start a career in this exciting field, what are your thoughts on Clinical Medical Assistants? Do you have what it takes?
Crain’s Detroit Business
By Darius Tahir, Modern Healthcare
The old saw about technology says it destroys jobs in some sectors and creates new ones in others.
But the adage probably couldn’t have predicted the case of electronic health records and the growing number of medical scribes who work with them. Even as EHR use increases, so do the number of scribes manually recording their information. Read the full article >>>
Check out the medical scribe training program at AHDPGTM! Get prepared for this growth!
The 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule, published in the July 11 Federal Register, includes a proposal (section II.B.4) to transition all CPT codes currently assigned a 10-day global period to a 0-day global period in 2017. Codes assigned a 90-day global period would transition to a 0-day global period in 2018.
The impact of this significant change could be broad and substantial in many ways. The reimbursement structure for surgical procedures will of course change altogether, with the surgeon foreseeably receiving less per procedure on the front end and creating more required billing processes during the post-op period. It could potentially change utilization by shifting post-op visits from the surgeon to other providers such as primary care providers.
This will certainly have an impact on RVU’s as the post-op follow up code of 99024 that currently has no RVU value associated with it will become obsolete. This should positively impact providers in regard to the RBRVU methodology.
Under Medicare Part B, patients may have out-of-pocket costs (20% co-insurance plus potential deductible) that they would not have incurred under the existing global package.
AHDPGTM will continue to monitor this proposed rule and offer insight as this change develops.
Medical Scribes have proven to be a vital part in the clinical documentation role. Scribes have become increasingly popular in the fast paced emergency rooms where it is critical to move patients through quickly. Check out this article on indystar.com – “Scribes Help Doctors Focus on Patients, Not Computers”
Medical Scribes are being given credit for “freeing busy doctors from screen time and giving them more face time with patients” across the country. There is an expected need of 20,000 medical scribes by end of 2014! Read more about this need in an article from the StarTribune. “Harried doctors hail the rise of the medical scribe“
Check out our short video about our Medical Scribe Program on YouTube and see if you are as excited as we are. Give us a call today to find out more. Ask for Lynn, our Admission Coordinator.
What does your workstation say about you?
Mine says I spend a lot of time in my chair; I like to pile (ahem, file) papers on one side of my desk; and according to the crumbs in my keyboard, I like bagels. Fortunately, it also indicates that I have taken time to set up a space where I am comfortable, have good body positioning, and have easy access to all that I need to perform my work tasks.
As healthcare documentation specialists and healthcare documentation students, much of our time is spent trying to be the most productive and efficient we can be. We focus on learning and understanding terminology, developing our expanders and shortcuts, proofreading our work to ensure document accuracy, and keeping up with industry trends.
Sadly, we neglect to pay attention to one thing that is very important to our overall productivity and health – our work spaces.
Ergonomics refers to the science of how we set up our workspaces for maximum efficiency and reduction of injury. Proper body positioning and ideal placement of furniture and equipment are important in determining if your workstation set up is properly for you. Have you considered your workstation ergonomics?
Your desk and chair. You should have a desk with a comfortable, adjustable office chair. If you are sprawled out at the kitchen table or sitting in a recliner with your laptop on your lap, you are not positioning your body in a way that will promote efficiency, and you will likely feel the strain on your muscles and joints over time. Having an adjustable office chair allows you to set the chair’s height so that your feet rest on the floor, your knees are bent at about 90 degrees, and your elbows are also at about 90 degrees when working at your keyboard. You will also feel more professional and have a better mindset for work, which will lead to greater productivity.
Your computer and keyboard. Are you transcribing on a laptop? Not recommended! A laptop does not allow you to adjust the position of the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Your workstation is not a one-size-fits-all arrangement, and neither is your computer. You may need to raise your monitor up an inch or two so that you are not looking down at your screen; likewise, you may need to make adjustments so that you are not looking upward at it. You may need to change the position of the keyboard (or invest in an ergonomic keyboard) to fit your hands best. If you must use a laptop, purchase a peripheral keyboard and mouse so that you can position these to fit your needs, and just think of your laptop as the CPU tower of a desktop computer.
Work tools. Have the items you use most often within arm’s reach at your desk. If you have to twist, bend, or stretch to use the item, it is not placed in a location that would minimize strain and stress on your body.
Lighting. Make sure that you have positioned your computer monitor so that you minimize any glare from room lighting or sunlight. This will reduce eyestrain and headache associated with long hours at the computer screen.
Your work habits. Do you sit at your computer 8 hours straight so that you don’t lose productive time at work? If so, you are likely indeed hurting your productivity. Getting up for short breaks throughout the day will help you feel more refreshed and able to focus more clearly. Taking time to stand up and move and stretch will reduce the strain on your body from sitting for long periods, get your blood circulating, and invigorate you so that you will be at your most productive and efficient.
Take some time today to evaluate your work space and make any immediate changes you can to improve your body positioning. Make changes as you are able to ensure a comfortable work space and avoid stress on your joints. It may take some time for your new arrangement to feel comfortable, but over time you will feel the benefit. Be sure to review your workstation regularly and make any changes necessary to ensure that you have the setup that is right for you.
Welcome to Our Military Personnel and Their Spouses!
AHDPGTM is proud to once again be named a Military Friendly School for 2015. This is our 6th consecutive year winning this distinction and something the entire team at AHDPGTM is extremely proud of. Now in its sixth year, the 2015 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. The survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings that comprise the 2015 list were independently verified by Ernst and Young LLP. Each year schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country.
AHDPGTM is an active participant in the activities of the U.S. Department of Defense to promote medical transcription as a viable occupation for military spouses.
Military Spouses Jobs and Training
Those who dedicate their lives to service for our country and risk their lives while separated from their families are often acknowledged. We see the stories of our military all over the media, and at AHDPGTM, we are proud of those who choose this life of service for our country.
There is another important segment of this group, however, and that is the often-forgotten military spouse. In the same way that the military personnel give of themselves, so too does the military spouse. Benefits of a healthcare documentation position for a Military spouse:
• Portable profession (take the job anywhere your spouse is stationed)
• Work at home opportunities
• No more feelings of being uprooted from a job
We have a heart for the military and the military spouses. Simply put, we know the challenges you face as a military spouse and we welcome you to AHDPGTM!
*MyCAA funding program administered by the
U.S. Department of Defense and Military Onesource*
Military Spouse Training https://ahdpg.com/military.shtml
Call today for more information. Ask for Lynn.