Seven Things that Today’s Patients Expect from Medical Practices

11-May-2020 MTS TEAM Medical Transcription

Things that Today’s Patients Expect from Medical Practices

All physicians are focused on providing the best care and ensuring that each patient experience is a positive one. Good documentation promotes safety and quality of care and medical transcription outsourcing companies play a vital role in helping physicians maintain complete and accurate patient records. At the end of the day, while quality of care is what really matters, there are many things that patients expect from medical practices. In fact, taking steps to improve the patient experience can attract new patients and increase patient retention.

Here are seven things that today’s patients expect from medical practices:

A supportive online presence: Having a helpful online presence is the best way to create a good impression on prospective patients and provide the support existing patients need. Patients expect a medical website to be easy to navigate and help them easily find the information they are looking for. While an attractive look is important, it’s important to ensure that the site provides clear, consistent information on services provided, location information, and hours as well as About Us, Service, and Contact pages. High quality photos of the practice and patient testimonials can boost brand and generate trust. Finally and importantly, having a strong online presence also means having a mobile-responsive website. A Google study estimated that nearly 65 percent of searches began on a mobile device. Patients expect medical websites to load quickly and display well on their smartphones.
A welcoming ambience: Practice Builders rightly notes that “Getting a warm welcome when checking into a hotel shows friendliness, but in the doctor’s office, it can be a game changer”. A clean, appealing and comfortable office is an essential feature of a welcoming practice. In addition to amenities in the reception area and exam room, a physician’s practice needs to have customer service staff that are pleasant, polite, empathetic and good listeners who will see that customers are well cared for.
Easy appointment scheduling, including virtual visits: Today’s patients expect an easy and convenient appointment scheduling experience. Practices should streamline the process of helping patients get an appointment with their preferred physician quickly and easily. In the current context of social distancing, this includes helping patients use their home computers or mobile devices to set up virtual visits with their healthcare providers. Even in normal circumstances, telemedicine would be much more convenient option for an elderly person than having to leave their home. A virtual visit can be a very safe and effective substitute first step to an in-person visit.
Quick check-in and check-out: Patients want to feel cared for and comfortable from the time they make an appointment to the time they leave the practice. Improving check-in and check-out processes can play a major role in helping practices optimize the patient experience. Patient registration is a complex process that requires collecting a lot of preliminary patient information such as: patient demographic information, patient referral or appointment scheduling, patient health history, verifying insurance coverage and patient orientation. Automating pre-registration can eliminate complex, lengthy on boarding and ensure an easy visit. Forms can be filled out electronically in advance of the visit, including virtual visits. Streamlining paperwork saves time for staff as well as for the patient. Check-out should also be easy and quick.
Reduced wait times: With a busy and sometimes overworked lifestyle, most people have little tolerance for physicians who are not on time or overbook. A 2017 Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) survey found that the average wait time in clinician practices was 20 minutes, while wait times in hospital-owned physician practices were 17 minutes. According to a recent Medical Economics report, patients expect their physician to see them within 15 minutes of their appointment. So practices seeking to optimize the patient experience need to think of strategies to cut patient wait time. These could include reorganizing appointment access, texting patients updates on wait time and availability, and revamping office management. One of main advantages of telemedicine is that it literally eliminates wait time, with staff contacting the patient and gathering patient information in advance to prepare them for their consultation.
Price transparency: Transparent pricing enhances the patient’s health care experience. It’s important that patients are informed as soon as possible how much the service will cost them, how much their insurance will cover, their out-of-pocket costs if any, and the options available to pay the amount due. This will help them make informed decisions about their care. If a referral is made, they should be informed whether the provider is in-network or out-of-network. Patients also want bills that are easy to understand.
Flexible payment options: A new study showed that 37% of patients would opt to forgo treatment without a patient financing program. (healthleadersmedia.com). Offering patient multiple and flexible payment options helps both patients and providers. Many patients are now used to an “Amazon-like consumer experience”, where they can click on a link and pay in an instant, ideally from their mobile phones, according to Deirdre Ruttle, vice president of strategy, for InstaMed, a healthcare payments network in Philadelphia, Pa (www.medicaleconomics.com). An InstaMed study found that 68 percent of consumers would prefer to pay their medical bills electronically and 92 percent want to know what their patient responsibility is in advance of service. Depending on their ability, physicians can offer patients installment plans, recurring use plans, and save on file plans. Other options to consider include physician charge accounts and self-pay options for patients who have very high deductibles or no insurance coverage.

The best way for practices to meet patient expectations is to map the patient’s journey and think about how to improve their experience every step of the way. As physicians and their staff focus on meeting patient needs, they can rely on outsourced medical transcription services to ensure proper documentation and continuity of care.

Teletherapy: A Game Changer for Mental Health Care during the Pandemic

07-May-2020 Julie Clements Psychiatry Transcription

Teletherapy

Telemedicine or remote video consultation is helping people get the care they need as they stay at home during the COVD-19 driven lockdown. Telehealth interventions are found to produce positive patient outcomes when used for monitoring chronic conditions, communication, counseling, and psychotherapy. Outsourcing medical transcription enables healthcare providers to ensure accurate documentation of these virtual visits. According to recent reports, teletherapy is experiencing a surge since the pandemic lockdown (www.physicianspractice.com). A subset of telemedicine, teletherapy or telepsychiatry involves the delivery of mental health therapy services via live video conferencing.

Teletherapy includes psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy), patient education and medication management. It can involve direct interaction between a psychiatrist and the patient or psychiatrists assisting primary care physicians by providing mental health care consultation and expertise.

Natural and man-made disasters and epidemics impact nearly every aspect of our lives, but the toll they take on mental health is extremely powerful and can last for a long time after the events. The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements can induce a range of mental health issues, from worry and stress among people in general to the worsening of psychological problems among those who already have mental illness. In fact, according to recent research published in The Lancet, quarantine is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, confusion and anger, and some studies suggest these effects are long-lasting.

Though telemental health had witnessed a significant expansion from 2017 to 2019, providers were reluctant to adopt online audio/video consultations due to uncertainty regarding state-to-state disparities and differences in reimbursement (www.psychiatrictimes.com). During the current pandemic, changes to federal and state legislation and regulations have greatly increased the availability of and access to telemental health services. A Psychiatric Times article outlined the recent measures to support expansion of telemental health services while the nationwide public health emergency remains in effect:

Waiving of penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients via common communications technologies such as FaceTime or Skype.
Prescribers practicing via telehealth can prescribe controlled substances to patients without a prior face-to-face exam.
Greater flexibility in providing pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder, which allows patients up to a month’s supply of doses of take-home medication, and waiving requirements for written patient consent forms.
Approval of Section 1135 waivers for states, which allow out-of-state providers to temporarily provide care for their Medicaid patients.
Waiving copayments (copays) for telehealth by private payers in some states.
Medicare reimbursement for office, hospital, and other visits furnished via telehealth across the country and including in patient’s places of residence.
Reimbursement for telehelth services at the same rates as face-to-face encounters.

Telepsychiatry has the potential capacity and flexibility to reach people, who, in normal circumstances, don’t receive the mental health care they require. Per Mental Health America, millions of Americans are deprived of access to care. There are various barriers to adequate care access – from long working hours, child-care issues and lack of access to reliable transportation, to clinician shortages, fragmented care, and societal stigma.

Video-based telepsychiatry allows providers to meet more people in their own time and deliver convenient, affordable and readily-accessible mental health care. The key benefits of audio and video-based consultations are:

Improves access to mental health specialty in rural areas, which may otherwise be left out
Brings care to wherever the patient is located
Improves care outcomes by helping to integrate behavioral health care and primary care
Reduces emergency room visits
Supports timely interventions
Improves continuity of care and follow-up
Reduce the need for taking time off work, child care, etc., to keep appointments
Addresses issues such as lack of transportation or the need for long drives to access appointments
Reduces stigma

Patients also comfortable with telemental health consults and more found to be more willing to open up the comfort of their home or a convenient local facility, notes the American Psychiatry Association. According to a Washington Post article, therapists find that they can be more direct in their manner when providing virtual care than they would in an office setting.

It remains to be seen whether the temporary changes to teletherapy driven by the current pandemic will become a permanent part of the mental health treatment landscape. Moreover, successful delivery of teletherapy depends on providers using efficient HIPAA compliant platforms to deliver services as well how well patients manage online consults. However, it is expected that the convenience and safety offered by telemedicine services may actually drive long-lasting regulatory developments that promote virtual health consultations.

Ensuring accurate and timely documentation of teletherapy services can be a challenge as therapists focus on treating their patients. This is where medical transcription outsourcing can prove useful. US based psychiatry transcription service providers can ensure that teletherapy sessions are documented swiftly and accurately. Proper EHR charting is a critical requirement for continuity of care as well as for appropriate reimbursement.

What Makes Telemedicine a Good Strategy for Diabetes Management

04-May-2020 Rajeev Rajagopal Medical Transcription

Telemedicine a Top Strategy for Diabetes Management

Our medical transcription company reported on how telemedicine is enabling patients to get the care they need at a time when social distancing has significantly reduced physical office visits. According to recent reports, telemedicine is taking diabetes management to a new level.

Continuous monitoring and care: The American Diabetes Association estimates that about 9.4% of Americans have diabetes and that many Americans have prediabetes, but not aware of it. In these circumstances, continuous monitoring and care are important to keep glucose levels in check and reduce risks of other chronic conditions such as blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney failure. Telemedicine provides the answer. In addition to being a great option for established patients, virtual visits are also proving a viable strategy for newly diagnosed patients who need continuous glucose monitoring.
Keeps patients away from high-risk environments: A recent Endocrinology Advisor article points out that telemedicine is useful for diabetes management during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. With Medicare and commercials payers easing certain restrictions on the use of telemedicine and improving coverage, virtual care is available not only for rural patients, but patients in all areas. This is highly beneficial for care of patients with diabetes, especially because the virus poses a double challenge for them (www.touchendocrinology.com). Studies found that diabetes is a risk factor for hospitalization and mortality of the current virus infection. Telemedicine shields them from environments where risks of communicable virus infections are high and allows physicians to monitor them consistently as they stay safe at home.
Care for patients in remote locations: The 1135 waiver announced on March 3, 2020 has removed restrictions on the location where the patient lives to be eligible to receive the care from home. This facilitates endocrinologist visits and primary care visits as well as remote services for diabetes self-management education and support. Researchers have also highlighted the benefits of telemedicine for gestational diabetes and monitoring of retinopathy.
Encourages patients’ participation in their own care: With virtual health technologies, patients can be more active participants in their own care. Many already self-inject and monitor sugar levels, blood pressure and weight at home. Telemedicine allows them to share the results and record trends on a website. This makes it easy for physicians to monitor data digitally and manage patients efficiently with a better understanding of their condition.
Promotes a healthy lifestyle: Telemedicine also improves patient engagement and encourages patients to initiate and maintain a healthy lifestyle. A study from the American Diabetes Association found that digital tools can support patients in their weight management goals, lower blood pressure and drive them to adopt a healthy lifestyle to control diabetes.
Helps patients with mobility issues: Telemedicine is also a boon for patients with diabetes who have mobility challenges. Such patients can schedule a visit at home or at work and save commutation hassles, time and cost. This is important for those who usually have to travel long distances to get diabetes care.
Mental health care: When it comes to mental health interventions also, telehealth is a useful option for diabetes patients. People with diabetes are prone to depression, changes in moods, and symptoms such as fatigue and stress. These conditions can be effectively treated via virtual visits. Patients have more options to ensure their privacy is protected with virtual therapy appointments from the comfort of their home.
Preventative health: Preventative programs can be conducted via telemedicine for people in remote/rural areas (www.hitconsultant.com). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is utilizing telehealth platforms to provide educational materials on preventative measures for people at risk in rural areas.
Helps controls costs due to lost productivity at work: The burden of diabetes on the ability to work has been widely studied. Lost productivity at work can include having to miss work or being unable to work full-time. Low blood sugar levels can make work physically and emotionally draining. Stress and pain from the chromic condition adds to the burden. Unplanned absences can cost the nation thousands of dollars in lost productivity. According to the American Diabetes Association, the cost of diagnosed diabetes in the US was $327 billion in 2017, with reduced productivity adding an additional cost of $90 billion. With its ability to reach people wherever they are, telemedicine can help control these costs.

Experts say that, when it comes to diabetes management, telemedicine is more effective for established patients. However, those with comorbid conditions require care from specialists and would need physical visits. In fact, patients would need to be seen in person at least once a year, says Mark H Scutta MD, medical director of the Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center (in Endocrinology Advisor).

As telemedicine continues to grow in use and acceptance, medical transcription outsourcing is a practical strategy for physicians to maintain accurate patient records.

E-Prescribing improves Patient Safety and Workflow

30-April-2020 MTS TEAM Medical Transcription

E-Prescribing

Medical prescriptions are legal documents that physicians should prepare with care. Medical transcription service providers exercise utmost caution when transcribing prescriptions and making medication log entries. When paper-based records gave way to electronic health records (EHRs), electronic prescribing or e-prescribing got a significant boost. Meaningful Use Stage 2 required physicians to use ePrescribe for 50 percent of their orders. The case for more e-prescribing is that it provides a confidential, secure, accurate and error-free method of communicating physicians’ orders and improves patient safety and workflow. With the coronavirus pandemic, companies are supplying telehealth platforms with a wide range of tools, including e-prescribing capabilities, to help practices reach their patients at home.

Rapid Growth of E-prescribing

The approval of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) in 2003 put the spotlight on e-prescribing, and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 also included incentives for e-prescribing. As a result, e-prescribing has grown rapidly over the years. EHR Intelligence reports that the total number of ePrescriptions increased from 1.49 billion in 2017, to 1.64 billion in 2018, to 1.79 billion in 2019. The rate of e-prescribing rose from 32 percent to 49 percent during 2018-2019.

Advantages of Electronic Prescriptions

A Surescripts 2019 National Progress Report has noted that interoperability, patient data exchange, and e-prescribing have improved across the healthcare industry (www.ehrintelligence.com). In 2019, healthcare providers benefited from better access to health information, which resulted in a higher e-prescribing rate with enhanced automation, improved workflows, and greater drug price transparency.

An article in the US Pharmacist listed several benefits of electronic prescriptions:

Prevents errors associated with written prescriptions: Conventional prescription can cause errors such as selection of an incorrect or unavailable drug, dosage form, or dosage; duplication of therapy; omission of information; and order misinterpretation caused by illegible handwriting, all of which can lead to adverse drug events (ADE).
Saves money for patients: A study found that prescriptions written using software cost less than those that were manually written. Alerts in the software informed physicians of more cost-effective options, allowing them to discontinue unnecessary expensive medications and optimizing prescriptions before they were sent out.
Ensures patient prescriptions are readily available in an emergency: When patient safety is threatened in situations such as natural disasters, electronic prescriptions are readily available to support patient care.
Improves workflow and saves time: Quality issues in written prescriptions necessitate callbacks to prescribers for clarification. E-prescribing reduces such ambiguity and comes with enhanced safety, shorter wait times, improved pharmacy consultation services, and reduced medication costs, which can increase patient satisfaction.

A study published in AHIMA’s Perspectives in Health Information Management in 2015 touted e-prescribing as an expected and preferred option for older patients, many of whom manage multiple medications on a daily basis (ehrintelligence.com). Over 80 percent of the patients in the study preferred electronic prescriptions to paper based ones, citing reasons such as convenience, speed of obtaining medications, and elimination of hassles related to losing paper prescriptions or misreading written instructions.

The researchers said that their study shows that “nearly all patients are satisfied with their prescriber and pharmacy in sending and dealing with e-prescriptions, and e-prescribing is now preferred by a majority of older adults over paper prescribing because of the added convenience to the patient.”

In addition to patients and community pharmacies, e-prescribing benefits physicians, insurance companies, malpractice insurers, and employers. E-prescribing saves time spent verifying handwritten orders and provides easier access to a patient’s insurance coverage information.

Medicare and E-prescribing

E-prescribing is a prescriber’s ability to electronically send an accurate, error-free and understandable prescription directly to a pharmacy from the point-of-care – and is an important element in improving the quality of patient care, notes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in its website. Implementing measures to facilitate e-prescribing is one of the key action items in the government’s plan to expedite EMR adoption and build a national electronic health information infrastructure in the U.S.

In June 2019, CMS released a proposed rule that would update e-prescribing standards and implement new prior authorization transaction standards for the Part D e-prescribing program beginning in January 2021. Under the proposed change, clinicians would be able to complete prior authorizations online, reducing burden for providers through a more streamlined process for performing prior authorization for Part D prescriptions. CMS says that this change will help ensure that patients do not come to the pharmacy only to find that their prescription cannot be filled.

HME news reported on Medicare’s recent move to accept e-prescribed orders for inexpensive or otherwise routinely purchased DME. This is a departure from Medicare’s traditional practice of requiring fax, pen and ink, or electronically maintained images of signed orders. Using e-prescriptions is expected to benefit to suppliers of inexpensive or otherwise routinely purchased DME quite significantly. It is improve efficiency in order processing as well as in the storage, retrieval, documentation, verification, and audit of orders.

Recent events highlight the crucial role of telehealth and electronic modalities like e-prescribing in the delivery of healthcare. Outsourcing medical transcription is a feasible option to ensure accurate patient records in the digital environment.

How to Reduce Patient No-Shows in Medical Practices [INFOGRAPHIC]

27-April-2020 MTS TEAM Infographics

While medical transcription outsourcing allows physicians to focus on care and ensure precise patient scheduling, missed appointments waste the provider’s valuable time. No-shows also create administrative and financial problems for practices. Common reasons why patients don’t show up include long wait times, transportation issues, language barriers or being called to work unexpectedly.

Check out the infographic below

Reduce Patient No-Shows in Medical Practices

Five Medical Specialties that Benefit the Most from Telemedicine

23-April-2020 Julie Clements Medical Transcription

Medical Specialties that Benefit the Most from Telemedicine

As social distancing becomes a priority, telemedicine is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for physicians to care for patients while protecting themselves and their staff. The federal government’s recent policy changes such as lifting restrictions on the use of telehealth for Medicare, waiving copayments, and relaxing HIPAA privacy requirements on teleconferencing technologies provided the boost that virtual care needed to take off. Our medical transcription company expects the wave of telemedicine to continue even after the outbreak ends. In fact, we expect that with the convenience that video visits offer for patients and physicians, telemedicine will become even more valuable for specialties. Let’s take a look at which specialties in the U.S. use and benefit from telemedicine the most.

Radiology: An AMA survey showed that radiologists use telemedicine more than any other specialty (5 percent). Referred to as teleradiology, telemedicine technology in radiology involves the use of computer-based digital technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed axial tomography for the fast capture, storage, and transmission of big data images on secure cloud and on-premise networks. This supports better collaboration and communication between physicians and their patients. Teleradiology applications include abdominal imaging, mammography, cross-sectional imaging, abdominal imaging, thoracic imaging, and more. It is also a useful option for second opinions and urgent care settings which commonly see patients with joint, bone, or mobility injuries.
Dermatology: A case study published in the January 2019 issue of NEJM Catalyst reported that teledermatology saves money for the health care system and allows providers to better coordinate and manage care for patients with skin concerns. According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) teledermatology is one of the most active applications of telemedicine rendered in the United States. It can be used to assess and treat a wide variety of conditions, from acne, eczema, contact dermatitis and seborrheic keratosis to basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and atypical moles. Virtual consultations can be enhanced using video conferencing hardware attachments such as episcopes, power zoom, freeze frame, and polarizing devices, oblique angle viewing devices, and contact plates.
Psychiatry: Telemental healthcare is widely considered an effective and practical solution for mental illnesses. Mental and behavioral disorders are amongst the costliest group of diseases in the U.S. In distant areas, the lack of a sufficient number of healthcare providers restricts patients’ access to even basic mental health services. Telemedicine provides patients with easy access to modern and efficient healthcare services and reliable diagnosis utilizing HIPAA-compliant video conferencing or text messaging while reducing costs of care. In addition to enhancing provider efficiency, the virtual delivery of behavioral therapy also reduces stigmatization for patients. The AMA survey found that 27.8 percent of psychiatrists used telemedicine to interact with patients (second to radiologists).
Pediatrics: Pediatricians can use telemedicine for exams for routine conditions like colds and other viruses, medication management, mental health treatment, and obesity treatment and prevention. Virtual consults offer benefits for both children and parents, including minimizing time away from work and school, and eliminating the costs of travel to and from the medical facility. Physicians can also utilize teleconsultations to communicate with experts located in distant centers on patients under their care. Telemedicine increases access to care for children in underserved and rural areas. Tele-education can be used to provide credible, reliable information via websites, online books, and other applications to patients and families.
Cardiology: Telemedicine is a good option for the management of patients with cardiac problems. Cardiologists are leveraging virtual technology to provide remote care through virtual visits, exams, and consultations. They are also continuously monitoring their patients using a growing array of implantable or wearable devices. These tools are allowing cardiologists to extend their geographic reach and helping them to identify cardiac problems before they become catastrophic, allowing smooth care transitions. Telecardiology offers benefits such as better follow-up, prevention of clinical changes, reduction of rehospitalisation costs and quicker treatment in cardiac emergencies. In an article published by the American College of cardiology, Tony S. Das, MD, FACC discusses his concept to care that blends traditional cardiology practice with digitally integrated remote vascular and phsyiologic monitoring for patients with chronic cardiovascular conditions such as congestive heart failure, AFib, coronary artery disease and vascular disease. By continuously feeding data into the electronic health record and assessing it, Das says they can monitor patients between visits and hospitalizations, and act upon any abnormalities immediately.

Allergists/immunologists, gastroenterologists, ob-gyns, emergency room physicians, and pathologists are among the other specialists that utilize telemedicine, according to the AMA survey. While videoconferencing was utilized by 31.6 percent of emergency physician practices and about 25 percent of psychiatrists’ and pathologists’ practices, cardiologists and nephrologists were the biggest remote patient management (RPM) users. Telemedicine’s data storing-and-forwarding functions were employed the most by radiologists and pathologists.

The current explosion in telehealth is a positive development and providers can rely on US based medical transcription services for all their EHR-related documentation requirements. However, a recent TedCrunch article notes that there are barriers that prevent the widespread dissemination of telehealth in the U.S. during the coronavirus crisis. These problems include coverage and reimbursement, legal concerns, clinical care and social challenges. With the promise that telemedicine offers to improve care in the current situation and in the future, it can be expected that the federal government will take more steps forward to support telehealth.

Medical Transcription Improves Medical Documentation in Hospitals

20-April-2020 Rajeev Rajagopal Medical Transcription

Medical Documentation in Hospitals

From emergency rooms to specialty departments, hospitals rely heavily on accurate clinical records to ensure patient safety and streamline workflows. At such critical times, having access to accurate medical records is essential to quicken the process of treatment. Medical transcription for hospitals ensures error-free records of patient history, medications, allergies, past lab reports, and more, all of which help physicians make the right treatment decisions for patients. During such complex situation like the, it is important for hospitals to partner with an experienced medical transcription service provider to manage their medical documentation tasks efficiently.

Optimize EHR with Medical Transcription

For the treatment of cancer, the American Medical Association and other standards-developing organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Joint Committee have emphasized the advantages of maintaining relevant medical documentation standards with regard to units of measure, pharmaceutical regimens, cancer protocols, laboratory studies, genetics, disease classifications, and the use of abbreviations and medical slang.

According to Laura Bryan, Chair of the Book of Style for Medical Transcription’s 4th Edition Working Group and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, there is a lack of awareness about the existence of standards of medical documentation. Using the standards of style for EHR templates like the drop-down text and data dictionaries minimizes the need for data correction or normalization. This improves results from Natural Language Processing and emerging technologies like AI. It allows primary users to be more consistent, prevents ambiguity in the communication of technical and laboratory information, and promotes clinical documentation improvement and patient safety.

Amazon’s Medical Transcription Service

In December 2019, Amazon introduced Transcribe Medical, a service to support hospital transcription services and good clinical documentation. Cerner Corp., which partnered with Amazon for cloud collaboration, stated that a few customers had already signed on. Cerner uses Transcribe Medical to develop a digital voice scribe that “listens” in the background during a patient’s visit and transcribes physician-patient conversations into text. The goal was to create a tool that can transcribe documents into EHR automatically while ensuring medical report accuracy.

Several healthcare technology vendors are also working on virtual assistance to help doctors with EHR documentation. Amazon’s service is designed to transcribe spoken medical dictation for primary care into text, including protected health information (PHI) covered by HIPAA. However, while these tools support using transcription to streamline hospital documentation workflow, they have some limitations.

AI Transcription: The Need for Human Oversight

AI-powered tools such as speech recognition engines and digital scribes have revolutionized how medical notes are created. They reduce manual effort and expedite EHR data entry. These innovations are particularly helpful during patient surges, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, while AI can recognize spoken words, it often struggles with context, accents, medical abbreviations, and multiple speakers. This can lead to misinterpretation and documentation errors, a serious concern in healthcare. That’s why improving compliance with accurate medical transcription still demands human oversight.

Medical transcriptionists ensure that the final documentation is precise, formatted according to regulatory guidelines, and contextually correct. They review AI-generated notes, clarify ambiguous terms, and make sure all critical patient data is captured clearly. The collaboration between AI and transcription professionals offers the best of both worlds, speed and accuracy.

Providing quality patient care and ensuring proper documentation is critical during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Medical records must be easy to understand and contain all necessary information to provide efficient care. However, as they focus on patient care, updating medical records can be a tedious and time-consuming task for physicians and other healthcare professionals.

It is the responsibility of hospital administrators and clinicians to maintain a well-structured medical record that clearly shows the patient’s assessment and treatment, both for effective care and reimbursement. Leveraging EHR-integrated medical transcription services is a practical option to achieve these goals. Choosing a HIPAA-compliant medical transcription service ensures that patient data is handled securely, maintaining confidentiality and meeting regulatory standards

Enhance your hospital’s documentation accuracy with expert medical transcription services for seamless records.

Best Practices for Conducting Telemedicine Visits

16-April-2020 MTS TEAM Medical Transcription

Telemedicine is a wonderful advancement in healthcare and an ideal option for reducing disparities in access to care, allowing persons who are too ill to travel to get care at home, and saving costs. As a medical transcription company in the US, we help physicians document these virtual encounters.

The COVID-19 outbreak has put the spotlight on telemedicine. It is proving an effective option to meet the care challenges created by the pandemic. Telehealth supports social distancing, allows physicians to engage with patients without in-person consults, prevents physical contact with symptomatic individuals, reduces chances of spread by preventing exposure in waiting rooms, and keeps high-risk people at home. As the use of the technology becomes widespread, providers and patients need to understand how it works to ensure a positive patient experience. Following certain guidelines can help physicians and patients make the most of virtual consultations.

Know state and federal guidelines: New state and federal guidelines on telehealth implementation and mHealth services have been issued since the COVID-19 outbreak. Providers also need to comply with the appropriate licensing board in the patient’s state. Understand the rules and develop a compliance and payer-specific billing plan to cover coronavirus cases as well as other cases.
Check malpractice insurance: Providers also need to check whether their malpractice insurer permits virtual video visits. They need to protect themselves against liabilities. The guidance on care provision during a pandemic is not clear, notes the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
Appropriate patient: Based on their professional judgment and local, state or hospital guidelines, physicians should determine if telemedicine is appropriate for the patient. For instance, a patient who is too ill to speak or difficult to assess via a virtual consultation should be directed to a face-to-face or urgent visit. On the other hand, many chronic patients can also have scheduled teleconsultations from home to avoid face-to-face clinic visits and thereby minimize their risks of exposure to COVID-19.
Be prepared: For telemedicine to succeed, both the provider and patient should be comfortable with the virtual visit and the technology. Physicians should be familiar with the patient’s health history and record, especially in the case of first-time virtual consults. Clinicians delivering care via telehealth should also ensure good placement of camera, microphone and speakers, ensure proper lighting in the exam room setting and dress in professional attire.
Patient preparation: Patients should be prepared to handle their telemedicine visit. A smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop with a camera and be savvy about the health device or app they are utilizing. They should also have the names and doses of their medications handy, as well as any other important information about their health such as their current symptoms, changes in conditions, drug allergies. Patients can also keep equipment like a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff or a flashlight at hand and use these if needed to help the clinician get a clearer idea about their health.
Establish rapport: Providers should introduce themselves and make a non-medical connection with the patient. Establishing a rapport with the patient quickly is important as the duration of a telemedicine may be just 10-15 minutes. The key to doing this is to look into the camera and not down at the screen during a video call, explains Jonathan Mack, PhD, RN, NP, and the director of a telehealth training program at the University of California, San Diego (www.patientengagementhit.com). Also, experts say that webside manner is a key skill for clinicians providing telemedicine. Conveying empathy and compassion is necessary to calm fears and provide hope for patients.
Inform patients of actions: Clinicians can also tell patients when they are taking notes during the telehealth encounter. They should take a history, answer questions, review medications, and provide guidance and reassurance. They can even share their screen to review imaging or provide education. and solicit questions from the patient if needed. They should inform patients of next steps such as treatment instructions, follow-up, prescription ordering, etc.
Remote patient surveillance: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices such as fitness trackers and smartwatches can play an important role in telemedicine. In addition to measuring heart rates, the latest options can capture heart rates, coughs, breathing rate, and body temperature and even generate an ECG. By delivering patient data to physicians, RPM devices allow them to evaluate patients and prescribe treatment.

Documentation requirements for a telehealth service are generally the same as for a face-to-face encounter. However, the documentation requirements regarding documentation of history and/or physical exam in the medical record for such visits have been eased by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). Nevertheless, experts say that remote health will continue to be in vogue even after the current public health emergency for chronic care management, health and wellness, and other ancillary services that were “pushed aside to tackle the virus” (www,mhealthintelligence.com). Providers who outsource medical transcription to an experienced company can benefit from accurate and timely telemedicine documentation.

Key Tips to Keep Your Medical Practice Running during COVID-19 [INFOGRAPHIC]

13-April-2020 Julie Clements Infographics

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many challenges to the workflow of medical practices worldwide. The need for stringent infection control measures, social distancing, and the sudden surge in telehealth appointments significantly altered the traditional patient care landscape. Medical practices face the complex task of balancing in-person visits with virtual consultations while implementing robust safety protocols. The increased demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and the strain on the supply chain add logistical challenges. Moreover, adapting to evolving public health guidelines, managing patient expectations, and ensuring a seamless transition to digital platforms for medical records and telehealth contribute to the intricate web of challenges. Financial uncertainties, including reimbursement fluctuations and changes in insurance procedures, further intensify the difficulties faced by medical practices in maintaining a cohesive and efficient workflow during these extraordinary times.

To face the situation and provide appropriate patient care, many practices have integrated telehealth with their EHRs and partnered with U.S based medical transcription services to document virtual visits.

Check out the infographic below

Tips to Keep Your Medical Practice Running during COVID-19

Eight Tips to Keep Your Medical Practice Running during COVID-19

09-April-2020 Rajeev Rajagopal Medical Transcription

Medical practices across the country are facing unique business and workflow challenges due to COVID-19. Many practices have integrated telehealth with their EHRs and are partnering with medical transcription service providers to document virtual visits. However, sustaining operations has become difficult with cancellation of elective tests and procedures, steep drop in patients due to social distancing, and added financial stress. This is especially true for primary care offices. To keep their medical practice running, physicians need to be flexible to the changing scenario due to COVID-19. Here is the advice we rounded from credible sources.

Set up a team for swift decision making and planning: This is a crisis situation like no other and practices need to have a task force to manage the changes it has brought about. Practice leaders should be involved in the decision making process and supported by department managers and other personnel. Medscape recommends that the team should assess everything from guidance and mandates from the governments, specialty and state medical societies to patient triage techniques and testing options, infection control practices. The team also needs to look into reimbursement policies for suspected COVID-19 triage, testing, and follow-up treatment in office or virtually and whether tasks such as medical billing and coding can be done remotely.
Keep track of the latest developments: The federal government is working to reduce regulatory obstacles to help physicians and improve patient care.
On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a series of temporary regulatory waivers in order to aid the in order to support response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). On April 3, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced that it urged Congress and the Administration to provide relief to physician practices in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Even as daily work has been postponed, cancelled, or seen a decline due to the virus outbreak, physicians need to keep track of latest development and constant policy updates to protect the practice.
Evaluate financial obligations and plan for financial contingencies: With cancelled elective surgery, drop in outpatient visits, and whole or partial closure of practice locations, many providers are experiencing significant fall in revenue. Here are some tips for practice survival:
- Review their financial obligations and see which bills can be postponed
- Discuss cash flow disruptions with their vendors, landlords, and creditors and renegotiate credit or ask for more repayment time
- Develop a financial contingency plan to stay afloat during this emergency
- Explore additional resource options such as loans and relief funding
Practices may have to lay off employees or rotate staff to work alternating days, says Owen Dahl, MBA, FACHE, a medical practice management consultant(www.medicaleconomics.com). They would also need to look into options for paying personnel in the case of a temporary shutdown.
Understand insurance coverage: Physicians need to understand what the group’s business interruption insurance will and will not cover. If a practice has to stop operation because the majority of staff or doctors are sick, it could trigger business interruption insurance coverage. Evaluating their insurance policies can help practices understand their risks, which is essential for planning and business decision making.
Set up telemedicine consultation facilities: In the light of COVID-19, Medicare and private payers have new telehealth regulations that offer greater flexibility to treat patients. By setting up telemedicine, practices can care for their patients in a safe and effective way during the virus outbreak. Medicare now allows in-home telemedicine visits and patients can communicate with their doctors using audio only or audio-video interactive tools. Telemedicine programs can be used for virtual screenings, stay in touch with patients who may be quarantined and provide follow-up care, while keeping them out of clinics and emergency rooms.
Assess needs for essential supplies: Practices should take stock of essential medical supplies such as respirators, personal protective equipment (PPE), face shields/goggles, surgical masks, and gowns for providers and staff, disinfectant for environmental cleaning, IV solutions, antivirals, and antibiotics, and so on. The pandemic has led to a shortage of PPE and respirators and the AMA recommends that practices should contact their supply vendors and state and local health authorities to ensure that they receive necessary supplies.
Ensure proper processes in place for coding and claims submission: Practices should have robust measures in place to maintain documentation even in the event of a complete or partial shutdown. Collection of accounts, coding and claims submission processes can be outsourced to ensure smooth billing. Expert coders can help physicians report services using new COVID-19 specific CPT codes and guidelines released by the AMA.
Teamwork, focus and regular communication: To keep the practice open, it’s important to keep the team together and boost employee morale. “Recognize the stress the staff is under,” says Anderson. “Make regular, timely communications about efforts to maintain the office, take care of patients, and maintain financial viability. If employees don’t have information, they get scared”, says Lisa Stevens Anderson, president of Equality Health’s Management Services Organization division (www.medicaleconomics.com). If furlough or cuts are being planned, staff must be told. Staying connected with staff can increase and strengthen their loyalty.

Operational disruptions from COVID-19 can be reduced with proper planning and cost containment strategies. As physician practices weather the storm, medical transcription companies will ensure reliable support to meet their documentation needs.