Eroding Doctor-Patient Relationships

The “Bed-Side Manner” Deterioration Continues
Staff Reporters
A growing chorus of discontent suggests that the once-revered doctor-patient relationship is on the rocks.
Results
About one in four patients feel that their physicians sometimes expose them to unnecessary risk, according to data from a Johns Hopkins University [JHU] study published in the journal, Medicine, while two recent studies show [...]

Alternative Medical Communities

Credibility and Physician Referrals  
By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™
Publisher-in-Chief
By Hope Rachel Hetico; RN, MHA, CMP™
Managing Editor
As a member of the Board of Directors, Anthony Robert “Tony” Narushka DC of Poland recently commented on the founding of the Polish Chiropractic Association [PCA]. Comments, largely private, have been interesting and prompted us to post this [...]

Medicare GAO Report on Radiology

Prior Imaging-Authorization Suggested
Staff Reporters
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, on July 14, 2008, Medicare may be soon requiring prior authorization to curtail unnecessary utilization of CT scans, MRIs and other forms of medical imaging, a new Government Accounting Office [GAO] report suggests.
The Medicare Report
To cut imaging costs, Medicare has been reducing certain physician [...]

Blue Cross - Blue Shield Administrative Survey

Cost Trends Demonstrate a Decline in 2007
By Douglas B. Sherlock; CFA
PRESS RELEASE REPORT
Gwynedd, Pennsylvania
The per-member [pm] administrative cost growth for BC/BS declined from 6.1% in 2006, to 4.3% in 2007. Adjusted to eliminate the effect of a shift in product mix, administrative expense growth declined from 6.5% in 2006 to 2.5% in 2007. Administrative expenses [...]

CMS to Bonus Doctors for PQRI

July – December 2007 Reporting Period
Staff Reporters
According to Anne Zieger, of Fierce Health Finance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] will pay out more than $36 million in monetary incentives to medical providers who reported data on quality of care delivered between July 2007 and December 2007; as part of its Physician Quality [...]

Baby Boomers Financially Unprepared

Potential Medical Disability Survey
Staff Reporters
According to findings from a recent Harris Interactive survey conducted on behalf of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) between April 25 - 29, 2008, baby boomers are financially unprepared if they themselves, or the primary wage earner in their household, suffered a medical disability and was unable to work for [...]

Internet Drug Rx Abuse

NCASA Study
Staff Reporters
A large majority of 365 Internet sites that advertise or sell controlled medications by mail are offering to supply the drugs without a proper prescription, while the online trade is stoking the rising abuse of addictive and dangerous prescription drugs, according to a National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse [NCASA] at Columbia [...]

Prescription Quantity Survey

The IMS Health Data Study
Staff Reporters
Did you know that the number of prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies in the U.S. is growing at its worst rate in at least a decade, as consumers are squeezed by both a troubled economy and the growing burden of out-of-pocket health-care costs?
The IMS Report
Data from market researcher IMS Health and [...]

Culture Change in Nursing Homes

Commonwealth Fund Survey of Nursing Homes
Staff Reporters
The “medical culture change” movement is working to radically transform nursing home care, and help facilities transition from institutions to home.
Survey Highlights
The following highlights just a few of the findings from the Commonwealth Fund 2007 National Survey of Nursing Homes report, released in May 2008:

Fifty-eight percent of culture [...]

Financial Advisors Not “Up” on Annuities?

Results of a New Survey
Staff Reporters
In the interactive June edition of Investment Advisor magazine, Savita Iyer-Ahrestani reported on a new study of annuities.
Of course, subscribers of the Executive-Post already know that more and more Americans are counting on financial advisors to help them prepare for a secure retirement; rightly or wrongly. And, this includes [...]

1/3 of Medical Procedures Fail to Improve Health

A Startling Congressional Budget Office Report!
Staff Writers
Almost one-third of the procedures that doctors perform fail to improve a patient’s health!
Of course, this may come as quite a surprise to most citizens, but not so to readers of the Executive-Post, or the books, white-papers and dictionaries of its sponsor, the Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc [...]

Consumer Health Plan Satisfaction Survey

New Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Survey
Staff Reporters
Nine out of 10 Americans are not completely satisfied with their health plans, according to “The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers.”
The Survey:
According to the survey of what more than 3,000 Americans thought about a variety of healthcare issues; these findings [...]

Economics of Variable Annuities

The “Ups and Downs” of Variable Investments
Staff Writers
The chief advantage of variable annuities is that investment income or gains are not currently taxable. However, when distributions are made, all gain is ordinary income, even if substantially all of the gains realized on the investment were capital gains.
Investments made directly by a Family Owned Business [...]

Medication Errors Persist

Bar Coding Not a Proven Technology
Staff Reporters
Bar coding has not yet been proven to reduce medication errors, and often the shortcuts that caregivers develop undermine its effectiveness, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association [JAMIA].
Hospital Settings
In hospitals that use bar codes, each patient gets a unique [...]

CRNA Salaries Rise - Exceed Some MDs

Merritt Hawkins & Associates Study
Staff Reporters
Some nurses land higher salaries than primary care doctors, according to staffing firm Merritt Hawkins & Associates.
The Survey
In the past year, nurse anesthetists recruited through the staffing firm Merritt Hawkins & Associates, landed salaries that averaged $185,000; compared to the pay for family practice doctors hired through the [...]

Faux Healthcare 2.0 Collaboration for Terminal Patients?

American Society of Clinical Oncology Study
Staff Writers
Only one-third of terminally ill cancer patients said their doctors had discussed end-of-life care, according to a recent federally funded study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.
Study Results
According to the study, patients who had these talks were no more likely to become depressed [...]

The Cure for Claims Campaign [CCC]

Reducing Healthcare Administrative Burdens and Costs
Staff Writers
To help reduce the administrative burden of ensuring accurate insurance payments for physician services, the American Medical Association [AMA] recently launched the “Cure for Claims” Campaign [CCC] and unveiled the first AMA National Health Insurer Report Card on claims processing.
Goals
The goal of the AMA campaign is to hold [...]

Perceptions of Electronic Health Records

New Awareness Study
Staff Writers
Kaiser Permanente, through independent market research company StrategyOne, conducted a nationwide survey between May 8-11, 2008 to gauge the awareness and perceptions of electronic health records.
Survey Findings:

38 percent have used their insurance company’s online tools to learn more about their care, up from 29 percent in 2007.

47 percent had a [...]

Ask an Advisor

Second-to-Die Life Insurance
QUESTION: Why has second-to-die life insurance become so popular with medical professionals and others?
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Related Information Sources:
Practice Management: http://www.springerpub.com/prod.aspx?prod_id=23759
Physician Financial Planning: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/0763745790
Medical Risk Management: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9780763733421
Healthcare Organizations: www.HealthcareFinancials.com
Health Administration Terms: www.HealthDictionarySeries.com
Physician Advisors: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.com
Subscribe Now: Did you like this Executive-Post, or find it helpful, interesting and informative? Want to get the [...]

Survey on Convenient Care Medical Clinics

Possible Solution to the Healthcare Dilemma?
Staff Reporters
Another new survey suggests that convenient care medical clinics (CCMCs) could be a potential solution to health care issues, if fears can be alleviated; at least in the Keystone State.
The Survey
The survey by Widener University in Elder Pennsylvania, found that while baby-boomers aged 43 to 64 were most [...]

New Hospital Rating Service

Consumers Union
Staff Reporters 
The nonprofit Consumers Union is launching a new hospital ratings service, adding to the growing competition to provide online consumer information about health care, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
A Consumer Reports Publication
The effort, by the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is a gamble that the credibility of the magazine’s [...]

Executive-Post Update

Subscribe Today!
By Hope Rachel Hetico; RN, MHA, CMP™
If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for the Executive-Post at www.HealthcareFinancials.com yet; you really should!  Now, although that’s our formal corporate moniker, we’re much better known simply as the Executive-Post.
You’ll get a helpful e-mail reminder from us almost daily, or when important posts go up on [...]

Paying for Health Care and Insurance

New Survey Reveals 28% Report Financial Problems
Staff Reporters
A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation recently asked this question.
Q: As a result of recent changes in the economy, have you and your family experienced any of the following problems, or not? Was this a serious problem, or not?
A: Results are included in the summarized [...]

Electronic Patients

Revolutionizing Healthcare
Staff Reporters
Included among our most popular Executive-Post topics are: medical practice valuations, Wal-Mart, DNPs, business and medical marketing plan, investments, asset returns, medical ethics, the financial services industry and various op-ed posts.
We believe however, there will soon be another very popular post, with comments on how e-patients will revolutionize healthcare!
Revolutionize Healthcare
According to Susannah [...]

Nurses in e-Charge

Trends in Clinical Information Systems Technology 
Staff Reporters
Recently, iMBA Inc www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com and the Executive-Post participated in a Healthcare Informatics survey on nursing clinical information systems [CIS].
The top five CIS functions were:

Electronic documentation

PACS

EMR/EHRs

Automated alerts

Cross-continuum patient records

Assessment
The following link has a summary of white-paper results from that survey
http://survey.opinionresearch.com/surveys/J35584NOV2007/First_Look.pdf
Conclusion
You thoughts and comments are appreciated.
Related Information Sources:
Practice [...]

Patient Survey of Retail Health Clinics

One-Third Lack a Family Doctor
Staff Reporters
According to results of an online survey of 4,937 US adults conducted by Harris Interactive® between May 2 and 6, 2008 for the Wall Street Journal Online’s Health Industry Edition, 30% of patients who used retail-based health clinics do not have a primary care provider.
Other findings include:
 

The use of [...]

Alternative Lifestyles and Physician-Partners

A Top-Ten Checklist
Staff Writers
The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association [GLMA] represents the interests of more than 70,000 gay, lesbian or transgender [GLBT] physicians and medical students. GLMA was founded in 1981 as a network to combat homophobia within the medical profession www.Gay.com
And, gay rights advocates had reason to celebrate on both coasts recently, [...]

HIT Congressional News

New CBO Report
Staff Reporters
Official congressional analysts just dealt a blow to the prospects of broad legislation to boost health information technology, by taking a skeptical view of the savings that would likely result.
Yet, iMBA Inc www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com - a sponsor of the Executive Post - took the opposite posture this past summer with release of [...]

Valuation Report Reviews

Understanding a Medical Practice Appraisal
Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™
By Hope Rachel Hetico; RN, CPH, MHA, CMP™
Much has been written, and much has been said about the goals, objectives, reasons, techniques and methodology used in professional medical practice appraisals, at the Executive-Post.
And, even more actionable information is presented in our institutional 1,200 pages, 2-volume print [...]

Milliman Medical Index Components of Spending

Components of Medical Costs
Staff Reporters 
According to the just released Milliman Medical Index Components of Spending [MMICS], the total medical costs for a domestic family of four reached $15,609 in 2008, as allocated below.
 

2008 MMI Component of Spending

Total Medical Cost*

Percentage

Physician

$5,435

35%

Inpatient

$4,724

30%

Outpatient

$2,516

16%

Pharmacy

$2,302

15%

Other

$633

4%

Total

$15,609

100%

 
*Includes both the portion of the costs paid by an employer’s benefit plan and the portion paid [...]