Business

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.

Financial Health of Hospitals ‘Dire’ Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to cause financial peril for US hospitals.

Keeping Health Information Secure in the Cloud

Putting information in the cloud can be a good move for a physician’s practice — but only if done well.

Family Medicine Resident Graduates Remain in the Field

Family medicine residency graduates continue to practice in the field after residency.

Seven Tips for Managing Healthcare Teamwork During a Pandemic

COVID-19 has brought unprecedented stress to society at large and perhaps most of all to frontline healthcare teams in a variety of settings. We spoke to an expert about teamwork during such trying times.

Can Advocacy Groups Provide Useful Patient-Centered Data?

A survey presented during ASCO20 found that patients who considered themselves adequately informed felt “in control” most days.

Large Losses Anticipated for Primary Care Practices in 2020

Primary care practices are estimated to lose more than $67,000 in gross revenue per full-time physician over the course of 2020 due to COVID-19.

Boosting Income During the COVID-19 Crisis

Finding ways to increase patient volume and cut costs can improve practices’ bottom lines.

Back to Basics: Focus on Risk Assessments for HIPAA Compliance

Regardless of the challenges a smaller group might have, a risk assessment is a baseline for any HIPAA program. The cost of this assessment is considerably less than a HIPAA fine.

FDA: Emergency Use Authorization Revoked for Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine

The FDA has revoked the emergency use authorization for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate based on emerging data suggesting that these agents are unlikely to be effective against COVID-19.

Practicing Medicine in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Doctors Adapt, Improvise

Experiences during the COVID-19 crisis could speed changes in healthcare delivery.

What To Do When Vendors Fail

NRC Health, a software and patient satisfaction survey provider holding data from more than 25 million patients, was locked out of its computer system in February because of a ransomware attack.

Workplace Wellness Programs Do Not Impact Clinical Outcomes

A comprehensive workplace wellness program may change employee health beliefs and increase self-reporting of having a primary care physician but does not significantly affect clinical outcomes.

Tips for Getting Practices Back to Full Service

As providers begin to reopen their practices or resume the full range of services they provided before the COVID-19 pandemic, they will have to consider not only normal clinical care and regulations, but extra precautions needed for staff and patient safety, financial challenges like stimulus loan requirements, employee furloughs, and compliance with local and state regulations.

Convalescent Plasma Appears Promising for Severe COVID-19

Administration of convalescent plasma seems safe and results in improvement in clinical status for patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19.

UK Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Are More Often Male

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are more often male and frequently have comorbidities.

Primary Care Providers Report More Workplace Burnout, Anxiety

Primary care providers report more workplace burnout and higher scores for anxiety than other health care professionals.

US Government Seeks Deal With Private Industry to Boost Supply of Medical Equipment

In an effort to prevent the United States from again struggling to have enough medical supplies in a pandemic, the federal government is seeking to make a five-year deal with U.S. manufacturers.