FIRST SET OF OPEN PAYMENTS DATA TO BE RELEASED (Sept. 30, 2014)
Today, the first set of Open Payments data will be released, although the ability of patients to look up their own doctors is not yet available, reports The Washington Post. The Open Payments system was developed to keep the public abreast of drug company payments and gifts to physicians greater than $10.
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FREE REGIONAL CME MEETING ON LIVER DISEASE (Sept. 29, 2014)
A free CME opportunity on liver disease is coming to Philadelphia on Oct. 4. The Liver Summit is a regional CME conference to help familiarize physicians and other providers with chronic liver disease, screening, diagnosis and treatment. Click here for the complete details. Note: This is not a PAFP event.
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AS ELECTION NEARS, CONSIDER DONATING TO PAFP-PAC (Sept. 26, 2014)
Election day is right around the corner. Before you cast your ballot on Nov. 4, consider making a donation to the PAFP-PAC, the official political action committee of family medicine in Pennsylvania. Your funds go toward supporting candidates running for public office in the Commonwealth. Click here to donate today.
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REGISTER EARLY FOR PITTSBURGH CME CONFERENCE! (Sept. 25, 2014)
Early bird registration for the Pittsburgh CME Conference, Nov. 7-9, ends Oct. 7, so register soon for a $30 savings! In addition to 18 CME credits, the PAFP is planning some exciting adventures, including a morning yoga session and a reception at the Carnegie Science Center - now open to all PAFP members!
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ARE YOU READY FOR LAST QUARTER REPORTING PERIOD? (Sept. 24, 2014)
Oct. 1, 2014 is the start of the last quarter reporting period for eligible providers under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Meaningful Use program. If you're not sure you're ready, please contact a member of the PAFP-affiliated Primary Healthcare Consultants for all your Meaningful Use needs!
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STUDY: YOUNG DOCS PREFER ACA; OLDER DOCS DON'T (Sept. 23, 2014)
A recent study by the Physicians Foundation has found a difference between how older and younger doctors perceive the Affordable Care Act. Forbes reports more than 50 percent of doctors older than 46 give the health law a "D" or "F" grade; just 37 percent of doctors 45 and under would give such low marks.
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INCREASE CULTURAL SENSITIVITY IN CRC SCREENING (Sept. 22, 2014)
As the U.S. becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse, it's important to be culturally sensitive to all patients, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings which are often uncomfortable to patients. The PAFP's CRC Screening Collaborative has developed a tip sheet to help educate providers: Click here.
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INTRODUCING PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS (Sept. 19, 2014)
After months of research, planning, and development, the PAFP is proud to introduce Primary Healthcare Consultants. From Meaningful Use to patient-centered medical home transformation, Primary Healthcare Consultants is dedicated to practice solutions and innovation. Click here to visit the website!
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STUDY: EARLY ADOPTERS OF HEALTH IT LEAD PACK (Sept. 18, 2014)
Early adopters of technology lead the pack in terms of revenue growth and market share, according to a Harvard Business Review Analytic Services study. Fierce Health IT reports that only 27 percent of health care organization actively seek that early advantage - but those who do see "substantial benefits."
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HOW EHR SYSTEMS CAN IMPROVE OUTCOMES (Sept. 17, 2014)
"EHRs [electronic health records] must do more than simply replace paper charts," reads an Information Week commentary. While EHRs are far from universally satisfactory, new innovations such as cloud computing and big data are on the verge of delivering amazing benefits for patients and physicians alike.
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AMA: OVERHAUL ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS (Sept. 16, 2014)
The American Medical Association is urging a major overhaul of electronic medical records (EMRs) after a survey by the nonprofit Physicians Foundation found physicians lukewarm on their usability. The Wall Street Journal reports some practices are enlisting outside help to ease the technological burden.
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HEALTH IT IN THE SPOTLIGHT; BIG NEWS COMING (Sept. 15, 2014)
Sept. 15-19 is National Health IT Week, dedicated to celebrating the value of health information technology. Each day this week, the PAFP will be posting health IT news to pafp.com, Facebook, and Twitter. And stay tuned ... we have a major announcement regarding health IT coming on Friday!
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JOIN THE PAFP'S PRACTICE ADVOCACY NETWORK (Sept. 12, 2014)
Calling all office staff! The PAFP's Practice Advocacy Network is a workgroup of practice administrators and office managers focused on practice management and advocacy issues. Enjoy learning helpful tips through presentations, events, online learning sessions, and the monthly Practice Perspectives newsletter!
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FREE ONLINE EVENT: LEARN ABOUT DIRECT PRIMARY CARE (Sept. 11, 2014)
Direct primary care, or DPC, is an innovative alternative payment model that eliminates fee-for-service incentives in favor of membership fees for patients. To learn more about this exciting new model, join the PAFP's free Introduction to Direct Primary Care webcast, Oct. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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PROGRESS NOTES IS OUT: HEALTHY PA., DPC AND MORE! (Sept. 10, 2014)
Should you expect a new influx of patients from Healthy Pa.? Is direct primary care (DPC) the future of family medicine? Does your practice have an adequate emergency plan? Read the new issue of Progress Notes to find out! The PAFP's biweekly newsletter is packed with news you won't find anywhere else.
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SECURITY CONCERNS ABOUND AFTER APPLE ANNOUNCEMENT (Sept. 9, 2014)
Apple's new HealthKit app - and its AppleWatch, which will ship in 2015 - are making health care technology more personal. But, as Politico notes, the company remains silent on privacy and security, even as hacked health information systems and leaked celebrity personal data become more common.
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OBESITY RATES INCREASE IN 6 STATES, DECREASE IN NONE (Sept. 8, 2014)
The obesity epidemic in the U.S. continues to grow, reports Yahoo! News: obesity rates have increased in six states, remaining stable elsewhere. In its newly released annual report on obesity, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks Pennsylvania as the 19th-most obese state, with a 30 percent adult obesity rate.
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PREPARATION UNDER WAY FOR HEALTHY PA. PLAN (Sept. 5, 2014)
Pennsylvania is the fourth-oldest state in the U.S., and its older adult population is growing. Learn how to better take care of older patients with the PAFP Foundation's Essential Care for Older Adults CME series. The first three lectures are free live webinars; the final two will take place at the Pittsburgh CME Conference. |
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LEARN THE ESSENTIALS OF OLDER ADULT CARE (Sept. 4, 2014)
Pennsylvania is the fourth-oldest state in the U.S., and its older adult population is growing. Learn how to better take care of older patients with the PAFP Foundation's Essential Care for Older Adults CME series. The first three lectures are free live webinars; the final two will take place at the Pittsburgh CME Conference.
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NEW RULE ALLOWS CERTIFIED EHR TECHNOLOGY FLEXIBILITY (Sept. 3, 2014)
A new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allows eligible providers to use the 2011 Edition certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT), or a combination of the 2011 and 2014 Edition, to report for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Details can be found here.
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HELP GUIDE AVAILABLE FOR STAGE 2 OF MEANINGFUL USE (Sept. 2, 2014)
Having trouble meeting Core Objective Measure 3 for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use? Check out the National Institute of Standard and Technology's (NIST) EHR randomizer, which allows you to exchange data with a test EHR to meet Measure 3 of the Stage 2 Transitions of Care Objective. Click here for a user guide.
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