Category: Medical
What are EMRs? EMRs or electronic medical records are technologies widely used in the US today which aims to improve medical practices in different health care providers or institutions, such as in a hospital, by giving them a way to quickly and efficiently store, access, and modify their patients medical records.
Advantages of EMR over the use of Paper-Based Records
EMR was introduced to eliminate the use of paper-based records in different health care institution, which is still a widely used form of recording a patients health and medical information. According to experts, by eliminating the use of paper-based records, EMR also eliminates the usual adverse effects of using pen and paper, such as:
Storage Costs
Patients health and medical records are normally stored in a secured storage facility for 7 years. The cost of storing these records is usually expensive, particularly if stored in a secured storage facility normally found outside a hospital or other health care institutions.
Digital storages, usually in a Hard Disk Drive, normally cost lesser compared to the use of storage facilities. And this digital information produced by an EMR can be storage not only for 7 years, but for more than that time.
Medical Errors
The use of paper-based records also posed a number of problems which caused a number of medical errors. Handwritten paper medical records can be associated with poor legibility, which can contribute to medical errors. Pre-printed forms, the standardization of abbreviations, and standards for penmanship were encouraged to improve reliability of paper medical records.
Electronic records help with the standardization of forms, terminology and abbreviations, and data input. Digitization of forms facilitates the collection of data for epidemiology and clinical studies.
According to a number of studies, the use of EMR software can verall efficiency by 6% per year, and the monthly cost of an EMR may (depending on the cost of the EMR) be offset by the cost of only a few “unnecessary” tests or admissions.
Difference with EHR
EMR and EHR are said to be similar with each other. However, there are several differences that separate both types of electronic records. The EMR can be defined as the legal patient record created in hospitals and ambulatory environments that is the data source for the EHR.
The 1980s saw a progressive shift away from psychological treatments of sexual dysfunction to an emphasis on surgical and medical solutions for improving sexual health. Simultaneously, there was a progressive shift within the medical community and public at large, towards viewing the etiology of sexual dysfunction as organic, rather than the psychogenic understanding emphasized by sex therapists. Use of improved sophisticated diagnostic procedures, such as duplex sonography and cavernosograms (although not necessarily improving treatment) added credibility and imprimatur to the importance of organic pathogenesis. This was particularly true in the area of erectile dysfunction, where urologists established dominance, with the successful marketing and use of various intracavernosal and intraurethral systems. Although highly touted by urologists, the treatment efficacy of these products was offset by their intrusiveness into the patients bodies and reduction in spontaneity, their patterns of use required.
Initially, there were few oral treatments for erectile dysfunction, being used by urologists, such as yohimbine based products, trazodone, and bupropion. They had only modest proerectile capability. Pharmaceutical companies were inspired to pursue oral treatments with the promise of less intrusiveness and even greater profits. The first visible evidence of fulfilling that promise was the sildenafil launch. Subsequent to Pfizers success, multiple companies simultaneously pursued clinical trials of easy-to-use treatments for male sexual dysfunction. Among others, these included additional PDE-5 type compounds and other oral treatments, such as ixense (TAP Holdings, Deerfield, IL, USA), and topically applied compounds (MacroChem, Lexington, MA, USA). Additionally, PT-141 (Palatin Technology, Cranbury, NJ, USA) is a nasally administered peptide that is under development, which is presumed to work through a central nervous system mechanism.
Currently, there are three highly efficacious PDE-5, FDA-approved treatments for erectile dysfunction: sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil. Reviews of long-term extension studies and published accounts of use in clinical practice show that sildenafils effectiveness was maintained with long-term treatment. “Significantly improved erectile function was demonstrated for sildenafil compared with placebo for all efficacy parameters analyzed (P , 0.02 to 0.0001), regardless of patient age, race, body mass index, erectile dysfunction etiology, erectile dysfunction severity, erectile dysfunction duration, or the presence of various co morbidities. Long-term effectiveness was assessed in three open-label extension studies.” Vardenafil (launched in 2003) “is a potent, selective PDE-5 inhibitor, which improved erectile function in a broad population of men with erectile dysfunction and in characteristically challenging-to-treat groups such as diabetic and post prostatectomy patients.” Tadalafil also launched in 2003, when taken, “as needed before sexual activity and without restrictions on food or alcohol intake, significantly improved erectile function. It allowed a substantial proportion of patients to achieve a normal IIEF erectile function domain score, exhibited a broad window of therapeutic responsiveness and was well tolerated in a representative population of patients with broadspectrum erectile dysfunction.”
What is Medical Transcription?
Medical transcription is the process of converting medical audio-recordings created by health care professionals into their text equivalent. The text documents produced from the audio recordings are then used for different purposes medical or legal purposes.
The Medical Transcription Process
The medical transcription process allows the physicians to take fast and efficient dictated recording of a patients’ record, findings, operations and the physicians’ recommendations without the need to manually write them down. This allows the physicians to proceed to more critical tasks directly related to saving lives and not have to worry about proper documentation.
The Medical Transcriptionist
On the side of the medical transcriptionists, they receive the dictated audio-recordings, listen to it and transcribe it. It’s not as easy as it looks because these recordings are heavily abbreviated and filled with medical terms and description of medical analysis and procedure.
Duties of Medical Transcriptionists
The duty of the medical transcriptionist is to transcribe the audio-recordings completely and correctly. A mistake in certain medical terms can lead to negative health effects to the owners of the medical records being transcribed.
So the medical transcriptionist needs proper background on medical terminologies, processes and procedures along with good language skills particularly in grammar and punctuation.
Technology and Medical Transcription
The medical transcription industry benefits a lot from the internet and related technology improvements. This is because data exchange is now much faster between the medical transcriptionists and the consumer of information that includes Doctors, record section of hospitals, insurance agencies and the patients themselves.
In fact the internet is a very efficient platform for medical transcriptionists. Through the internet, medical transcriptionists can receive audio-recordings and send the transcripts of the recordings anywhere in the globe as long as internet connection is available. Doctors on far-flung clinics can have their patients’ audio recording sent to medical transcriptionists in the city and retrieve the information as soon as it’s done without having the need to travel. This allows Doctors more time to focus on their patients and other critical tasks they need to do.
The Medical Transcription Industry Is Growing
Recently, the US labor statistics released a report predicting the further growth of the medical transcription industry. It said that the biggest growth will be experienced by the home-based service providers. This isn’t surprising, considering that technology is making data transmission and retrieval fast and efficient. It only makes sense that in the coming years a lot of medical transcription jobs will be outsourced to work-at-home service providers.
But what is causing the growth? Sad to say that the increase in health care service demand is driving the growth of this allied health service. Remember, the more patients require medical care, the more information will be required to be transcribed. This is the reason why there is an increasing demand for this service.
The professionals in this industry are lucky because it means there will be continuous growth and long term job security in this sector.
Medical Transcription Certificate
Clearly, proper training is required for those who want to start a career as a medical transcriptionist. The proper training must include not only language training but a comprehensive background on medical terminologies, punctuations and procedures and on physiology as well. Most training programs will allow students to take a certification exam at the end of the course, and it’s ideal to take it. However, at present a medical transcription certificate is not an enforced requirement when applying for a job as a medical transcriptionist.
Everyday, thousands of patients and their families are faced with the challenge of arranging non emergency medical transportation for their loved ones. The federal and state government recognizes the importance of meeting the transportation needs of medically frail patients who do not require emergency medical transportation. The United States Congress enacted Section 6083 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to allow the introduction of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (“NEMT”) brokerage systems for Medicaid recipients at the state level.
Non-emergency medical transportation involves getting a patient to and from the source of
medical care when the medical condition is not life threatening. This includes non-emergency
ambulance, medi-car, taxicab, service car, livery or private automobile. The Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) business service is a growing Industry as the need for this specialized service continues to grow. Many existing companies and new businesses are venturing into the NEMT business as an additional source of revenue or as a stand alone profitable business. However, the start up process for Non emergency Medical Transportation business is moderately difficult. Recent study published in a business journal in 2009 indicates 69% of businesses that venture into the NEMT business abandon the start up process. This is due to lack of correct information or unavailability of information to help with the start up process.
There is more to non emergency transportation management than getting from one location to the next. The NEMT business is heavily impacted by laws and regulations that are specific to states, counties or municipalities. Businesses that start an NEMT business with an informative and detailed start up guide have a higher chance making it past the start up phase.
NEMT services are a good business by all accounts. This is a service that is needed. The elderly, disabled people including veterans, people with chronic medical conditions that require frequent medical appointments rely heavily on NEMT businesses to get their medical needs met.
The recent economic hardships have resulted in lower revenues for taxi and limousine and other companies. An NEMT business provides a solid and steady base of revenue for these businesses. However the success of any NEMT business is highly dependent on the establishing effective policies and procedures, education and training programs for staff, quality improvement programs and practices and most important an effective marketing strategy.The Non Emergency Medical Transportation start-up guide by Precision Management provides direct and detailed answers to the daunting questions that confront businesses during the start up process. The start up guides goes further to address policies and procedures requirements, success proven marketing strategies, risk management. Ultimately, the goal of the guide is to help NEMT businesses achieve a higher customer satisfaction and the success of new businesses in the NEMT service industry.
If you suffer from any chronic medical conditions and live within the port city of San Pedro in the greater Los Angeles area, you may wish to visit your local dispensary to find out more about how medical marijuana could potentially help you. By visiting a co-op or legal dispensary, you can be sure that the selections on the San Pedro medical marijuana menu comply with the rules set forth by Proposition 215 and SB 420. There are a number of medical conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana, including Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, HIV, cancer, and glaucoma.
These are just a few conditions, however, so if you experience pain or discomfort it’s best to speak to your doctor about whether or not medical marijuana may be right for you. Once you have received medical clearance, you can then take a look at the San Pedro medical marijuana menu to determine which product will be the best for your particular needs. There are many different types of marijuana strains, all of which have slightly different effects. Sativa, Indica, and hybrid strains are available at different weights, which you can purchase to be inhaled.
One of the first types of strains that you will see listed on any San Pedro medical marijuana menu is marijuana Sativa. This type of herb has an active profile, meaning that it is more stimulating than other options. It can be used to stimulate appetite, relieve pain, elevate mood, and reduce nausea. This makes it ideal for the treatment of depression, eating disorders, tension, or migraine headaches. Another option is marijuana Indica, which exerts a calming effect on the body. It can be used to help with insomnia, anxiety, stress, arthritis, or other problems of this nature.
Hybrid blends will have their own characteristics of these two primary strains. However, there are other options that you will find on a San Pedro medical marijuana menu. Those who don’t enjoy smoking marijuana can choose from an array of edible options, for example. Tinctures, oils, baked goods, and snacks that have been infused with THC can be used to control symptoms. Because these can be more potent than the herb when it is inhaled, it’s always a good idea to start out with the lowest dose possible and then move up if needed. Always speak to your doctor before starting any new program.