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HIPAA and Medical Power of Attorney - 03/20/2024

Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule change the way in which a person can grant another person medical power of attorney?

Stop Paying to Get Paid - 02/28/2024

Did you know you don’t have to accept health plan payment via virtual credit card? You have a right to request direct deposit.

CMS Introduces Electronic Documentation Submission Tool - 01/02/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a free service to help physician practices of varying sizes and documentation workloads upload and submit medical documents, including prior authorization requests, electronically.

EHR Systems Must Give Practices Export Functionality - 12/13/2023

Practices and patients will be able to export electronic health information more easily thanks to a 21st Century Cures Act requirement that all certified electronic health records systems provide such functionality by Dec. 31.

Feds Update HIPAA Security Risk Assessment Tool - 11/01/2023

To aid small- and medium-sized practices in complying with the HIPAA Security Rule, federal officials have updated their risk assessment tool designed to help practices identify areas where electronic  protected health information (ePHI) is at risk.

New Texas Law Shortens Data Breach Notification Period - 08/21/2023

Texas physician practices and other health care facilities soon will be required to give more timely and public notice of any breaches of computerized data, including electronic health records and billing information.

HIPAA Security Rule: Move It to Top of Mind - 08/07/2023

Problems with HIPAA Security Rule safeguards, both administrative and technical, continue to fall among the top five HIPAA security issues the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifies each year.

Security Risk Analysis for HIPAA — and Medicare/Medicaid? - 08/07/2023

Do you need to conduct a security risk analysis or review of your practice in the next 72 days?

Your Photocopier May Be a Security Risk - 08/07/2023

Don’t let this happen to you! A health plan paid a huge fine after it returned leased copiers that held protected health information.

EHR Data Entry – There’s a Better Way - 07/25/2023

Electronic Health Record (EHR) data entry is a part of the job, but for most physicians it’s a chore. Not only does it take time away from your patients, it adds to the hours you spend in the office (or to the work hours you spend at home). Fortunately, many physicians have found ways to save time doing data entry.

Use EHR to Improve Patients’ Vaccination Rates - 07/25/2023

If you are working to improve the vaccination rates among your patients, don’t underrate your electronic health record (EHR) as a tool.

At Your Service: Practices focus on patient experience and convenience - 06/05/2023

Practices focus on patient experience and convenience to compete in an ever-changing medical landscape.

QHINs Mark a Step Toward Interoperability - 03/07/2023

Physicians likely don’t need another acronym in their vocabulary, but “QHINs” bring some good news that translates to greater access to patient information.

How to Tell Patients About Your Online Practice Tools - 02/23/2023

When your practice adopts a new technology that directly involves patients, such as interactive online forms, a patient portal, or even a simple website, you need to tell patients about it and how using it will benefit them. Here are some suggestions for doing that.

UPDATE: New Information-Blocking Requirements Take Effect Despite Medicine's Call for Delay - 10/12/2022

Since April 2021, federal rules requiring physicians to give patients prompt access to their electronic health information have been focused on a narrow subset of those data. Starting Oct. 6, the so-called information-blocking requirements are set to broaden that scope significantly.

These 10 Tips Will Help You Avoid EMR Liability Exposure - 10/10/2022

Follow these 10 tips for avoiding documentation pitfalls related to electronic medical records.

12 Ways an EMR Can Increase Productivity - 10/10/2022

How does adopting an electronic medical record (EMR) in your practice affect productivity?

Direct Messaging Can Help You Comply With Federal Information-Sharing Law - 09/08/2022

The 21st Century Cures Act requires physicians to be able to electronically share patient information with other physicians who request it. Direct messaging offers a secure, HIPAA-compliant method for sharing that information.

Get Ready for an EHR Upgrade by Dec. 31 to Comply With 21st Century Cures Act - 08/30/2022

Electronic health record vendors must conduct a major software upgrade by Dec. 31, and physician offices should be prepared.

Information Unblocked: Rules Requiring Docs to Give Patients Prompt Access to EHRs Prove Mostly Useful - 08/24/2022

The information blocking regulations stemming from the 21st Century Cures Act, which Congress passed in 2016, broaden patients' access to their electronic medical records and have proven mostly useful since taking effect in April 2021.

New Unscored MIPS Measure Can Help You Refine Your EHR Use - 07/13/2022

Even though it won’t affect your score for 2022, a new piece of this year’s Merit-Based Incentive-Payment System (MIPS) might be worth undertaking just the same – because it can help practices make sure they’re using their electronic health record (EHR) systems safely.

Update Your Digital Contact Info for Electronic Hospital Notices on Your Patients - 05/25/2022

Hospitals are required to let you know when they’ve seen your patient via an admit, discharge, or transfer notice. To ensure that happens, physicians are required to make sure their digital contact information in a federal database is up to date.

Did DSHS Email You About a Criminal Background Check for Death Registry? Here’s What to Do to Maintain Access - 05/19/2022

Starting today, some Texas physicians will receive an email from the Texas Department of State Health Services asking them to complete a criminal background check to access TxEVER, the state’s vital records registry.

Data Transfer Problems Burdensome for Practices, TMA Tells Feds - 05/11/2022

The federal government is trying to standardize data sharing so electronic health records (EHRs) across the country can all speak the same language. The Texas Medical Association is telling the government to keep working on it.

Operation Electronic Integration: Connecting EHRs With Other Systems a Work in Progress - 05/02/2022

Even in medicine, today’s world is a connected one. But that doesn’t mean every conceivable connection is in place, nor does it mean the ones already in place are perfect. According to Texas physicians, that sums up the situation with electronic health records (EHRs) and their integration with other databases that can securely transmit patient information back and forth between physicians, labs, other practitioners, hospitals, and state agencies.