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Triaging Emergency Eye Patients Remotely and With Success

Jordan Deaner, MD, Duke University Eye Center and Cecilia Koetting, OD, FAAO, of Virginia Eye Consultants, offer advice on remote triaging and how to spot an ocular emergency.

Digital Health Information Divide Puts Many Older Adults at a Disadvantage

Computer access to digital health information varies by race and ethnicity, a study found.

America’s Access to Care Crisis: Telemedicine Provides the Solution

For telemedicine to thrive in a postpandemic era, temporary rules regarding reimbursement and providers’ ability to fully care for the patient in any setting must be made permanent.

Calls for More Support as Physicians Face Online Harassment

The researchers conducted 1103 surveys, encompassing 464 US physicians.

Inappropriate Antibiotics Found in More Than Half of Pneumonia, UTI Cases

Inappropriate antibiotic treatment selection or duration as well as lack of microbial evidence of infection were commonly found in patients hospitalized for select event.

Long-Term Repercussions of Postponing Care Due to COVID-19

Fear of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused patients to cancel or delay necessary cancer screenings, diagnostic tests, wellness exams, elective surgeries, and immunizations; the repercussions of this may be immediate, or not seen for months to years.

Disparities in the Diagnosis and Management of IBD Among Different Racial and Ethnic Groups

Researchers sought to identify disparities in the care and outcomes of patients with IBD of differing races and ethnicities, in order to improve health care equity.

Vivek Murthy Confirmed as New US Surgeon General

Murthy plans to focus on COVID-19, mental health, and substance use disorders.

Provider Confusion Often the Cause of Patient Access Rights Violations

Many healthcare providers are unclear as to when a request is made by an individual pursuant to a HIPAA authorization versus a HIPAA access request, particularly when a patient wants records to be sent to a third party, a HIPAA compliance officer at a law firm explained.

FDA Identifies Most Needed Meds to Address Urgent Medical Conditions

This action was in response to an executive order issued on August 6, 2020 aimed at protecting the public against outbreaks of emerging diseases and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

IT Asset Inventories Are a First Step in Securing Health Information

Practices need to know all of the components of their health information systems to determine potential vulnerabilities.

The Rising Incidence of Burnout Among Mental Health Professionals

Burnout is on the rise among psychiatrists. Explore the driving factors behind this trend and learn key interventions to avoid its negative effects.

Ethical Considerations in Prescribing Unproven Therapies for COVID-19

Meeting public demand for an urgently needed effective medication quickly and safely during a pandemic involves difficult tradeoffs.

The Psychology of Collecting Debt: How to Get Patients to Pay Their Bills

By connecting on a personal level, medical practices may have better results in getting patients to settle their accounts.

Protecting Practices From Ransomware

Hackers have penetrated healthcare providers’ computer systems to encrypt information and demand money for its release.

The Twitter Effect on How Oncologists Conduct and Share Research

The social media platform can be useful as an education tool for oncologists to stay up to date on new research in oncology — but physicians still need to be mindful of the information sources.

Reinventing Primary Care: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic

The CDC’s framework created to address the influenza pandemic of 2014 is an efficient structure for primary care practices to implement for future pandemics following COVID-19.

DEA Warns of Extortion Scam Targeting Healthcare Providers

The DEA has issued a warning concerning an extortion scam involving calls from someone purporting to be a DEA agent attempting to extort money.

Sex Differences in Income Vary With Proportion of Male Doctors

For surgical and nonsurgical specialists, sex differences in income vary with the proportion of male physicians in a practice.

Prepare to E-Prescribe Controlled Substances

Beginning January 1, 2021, a federal law called the Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act takes effect requiring that prescriptions for controlled substances covered under Medicare be prescribed electronically.