For most of his adult life, David recalls experiencing random bouts of a racing heart.  However, it wasn’t until his late forties did he discover that the irregular activity in his chest was actually atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm).  Although various treatment methods helped at first, his heart condition was never fully reversed. Because of this, David’s primary care physician explained that he could be at the risk of a stroke.  He was then placed on anticoagulants (blood thinners) in order to prevent the possibility of blood clots forming in his heart.  

At its essence, health care is all about delivering the best possible outcomes for patients. Superior care is essential to success – no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. The challenge is that improving care can be expensive and many health care providers overlook the fact that failure to do so can lead to costly repercussions.

Did you know that stolen medical data is extremely valuable on the black market? Cybercriminals across the globe have seen the demand for this enticing commodity and have reaped the benefits of their lawless actions. 

Managing a patient’s transition from one area of care to another, known as Transitional Care-Case Management is a critical feature of improving healthcare outcomes. The process aims to identify and overcome obstacles that may hinder successful transitions while working to fill in any gaps that would otherwise be seen in a patient’s care. The overarching goal is to provide a patient with an easy transition that’s not only efficient but also reduces costs by lowering rates of readmission.

Health care providers understand that excessive hospital readmission rates pose a direct threat to patient outcomes. On top of this, high rates also inflict problems to a hospital’s financial well-being, particularly in a value-based reimbursement environment.

HIPAA is based on the concept of “Administrative Simplification,” or the pursuit of the most effective and efficient use of modern information technology. Handheld computers, the Internet, e-mail communication, and the use of personal computers enable users to store nearly limitless amounts of data, perform timely searches and reporting, and distribute large quantities of information to a wide audience in practically no time.

Continue reading HIPAA and Healthcare, Will They Ever Get Along?