January 27, 2015
After a successful trial period of the Atlas.md iOS Patient Portal, access to invite patients to the app is now enabled for all accounts.
The portal connects you with your patients, making it easier than ever for them to communicate with you. They can reach out at their convenience, pay their bills and manage other billing details, and set and manage appointments – right from their iPhone or iPod Touch.
January 26, 2015
Call it what you want: concierge medicine, fixed-fee agreements, retainer medicine, membership medicine, or cash-only practice. Direct Care is reducing costs, making more sense for families than ever before – and Michigan is taking steps to keep this business model around.
According to the Michigan Capital Confidential, “Medical retainer agreements between physicians and patients will not be considered “insurance” in Michigan under a recently passed bill signed into law on Jan. 15 by Gov. Rick Snyder. The idea is to ensure that this innovative way for families to obtain routine medical services at lower costs will not be stifled by the extensive state regulatory structure currently imposed on conventional health insurance policies that cover expensive non-routine care.”
The idea that Direct Care results in higher quality medical care is becoming more widely accepted. It works for patients, who enjoy perks like shorter wait times, longer appointments, and actual one-on-one attention as well as physicians. Jack McHugh, legislative analyst with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy agrees everyone wins with this business plan. “What’s not to like about a very inexpensive relationship that covers all your family’s routine health care needs with no burdensome insurance paperwork, copays and bureaucracy? This can be liberating for doctors too, who are freed up to focus purely on patients’ needs rather than insurance company and bureaucrats’ needs.”
Read the full article for more information on Senate Bill 1033, now Public Act 552 of 2014, as well as the guidelines for being considered a “medical retainer agreement.” >
January 22, 2015
Words are powerful, there’s no doubt about it. As a physician you learn a fair amount about bedside manner in school. And you gain valuable experience through every day application. You may think you have the art of feedback perfected, but as a Direct Care doc you have the ability to connect with patients on a deeper level than you would through a traditional practice. It’s partially why you’re in Direct Care to begin with; you wanted the opportunity to practice patient-centric medicine.
That means providing feedback that will actually be useful and yup, you guessed it, constructive. Providing feedback in a way that opens the doors for honest improvement does more than invigorate someone to better themselves. It builds trust.
“Think about it: is there anything more invigorating than knowing there are people who want to help you become your best self? It starts with how we interact with one another. Words can hit and bounce off people or they can be planted like a seed. Even the raise of an eyebrow or the wrong tone can extinguish a desire to learn, stirring anxiety and a fear of failure.” – HelpScout
Aside from our own interactions with patients, we frequently deal with feedback when handling support for the Atlas.md EMR. We know firsthand how much weight a note carrying an attitude has. Alternatively, kind words and thoughtful suggestions go a long way toward the effort we’re willing to put in to make our users happy.
Believe it or not, there’s formula for constructing feedback, and it’s something we should all keep in mind each time we interact with a patient, a support team, or anyone we’re critiquing. We highly recommend reading this article from HelpScout for more details. After all, when is it ever a bad idea to choose positivity over negativity?
January 21, 2015
If you know anything at all about hockey, you know that in order to survive in the game, you must think proactively. It’s the same with most sports, actually. To receive the pass, you go where the object you’re receiving is going – not where it’s already been.
It’s the most basic of principles, and it applies to medicine, too. The ACA is around to stay for a while – that’s just the way of it. So to prevent a giant ball from being dropped, Direct Care is taking it upon itself to show patients where the industry should go in order to catch the pass that is healthcare.
It’s this kind of proactive thinking that is leading docs around the country to open up Direct Care practices. These docs are standing in the end zone, frantically waving their arms calling for the pass; they’re wide open! Their rally cry? Patients really can save money while getting the kind of care they forgot even existed. Third party payments become a thing of the past, and people are reminded of how simple the whole thing can be.
Wayne Gretzky is a hockey hall-of-famer; one can only assume that’s partially because of his ability to apply the principle he so eloquently expressed. Skate where the puck is going, not where it’s been.
January 19, 2015
A recent Wall Street Journal article by Dr. Gerald Gianoli sheds light on many of the reasons why Direct Care is the logical choice for docs who want to get more out of medicine.
“In 2005, well before ObamaCare, my practice in Louisiana transitioned to one such alternative: Third-party-free. Rather than deal with the hassle of private insurers or government health-insurance providers like Medicare, physicians in our practice work for patients—and no one else. When patients have a problem, they come in for treatment, pay with cash, and are out the door hassle-free. No copays. No insurers. No government.
“These alternative practice models also come with enormous cost-savings potential for physicians and patients. When insurance billing isn’t involved, physicians can save an average of 40% in overhead administrative expenses, according to reporting in this newspaper, and these savings are passed down to patients in lower fees…”
Read the whole article on the Wall Street Journal here. Then when you have time, check out this video of him speaking on the issue.
Keep spreading the word about DPC!
January 12, 2015
Some of the new features launched in the latest round of Atlas.md EMR updates include better security, better activity tracking, enhanced custom billing options for labs, and MMS messaging support.
New Inventory Sales & Expense Widget: The new inventory sales and expense widget shows you in plain daylight what you’ve profited vs what you’ve spent during any timeframe you choose. Read more about the widget here.
Two Step Authentication on Login: Now you have the option to enable two step authentication when you log in, during which you’ll enter an SMS code sent to your cell phone for an extra layer of account protection. Read more about that over here.
Better Activity Tracking: Now the app tracks your keyboard strokes, so if you’re typing a long note about a patient you won’t be logged out automatically for inactivity.
In-App Mass Emailing: Now you can send a mass email to multiple patients from right inside the app. Click here for all the details.
Send and Receive Images through SMS: Text isn’t the only hotshot in town anymore. Now images sent and received through MMS are stored inside the app, just like SMS messages.
Custom Labs Billing: Now you can enter custom prices for labs with a simple click. Read more about how it works here.
Open Prescription Alert: Forget to finish a prescription? We’ll help remind you with an alert that shows open prescriptions one week old or more.
Additional User Roles: Now your Atlas.md account can include more than physicians and nurses. New user roles include Nurse Practitioner, and Physician Assistant. Read more about user roles over here.
Money Saving Techniques: In case you’re curious how much money is being saved on prescriptions ordered and filled through the Atlas.md EMR, that magic number is now being displayed on the sales site. The number grows daily so check back often!
December 22, 2014
Whether you want direct care, or embody it, there’s a place on the web for you.
You probably remember the launch of IWantDirectCare.com, which was the beginning of a movement to put patients who wanted Direct Care in touch with docs who provided it. This site’s doing a lot of great things, including proving the demand for better quality healthcare around the country. It’s even grown to include insurance agents in its networking nature.
Now it’s time for the movement’s progression to make its debut on the web, which is why we’re so excited for the launch of IAmDirectCare.com. With this largely socially-centered platform, supporters can show their support from a more individualized perspective.
IAmDirectCare.com captures the stories people share on social media about their wonderful experiences with Direct Care. It also shows supporters of the Direct Care movement and explains the DPC concept in simple, easy-to-grasp terms. Read more
December 19, 2014
We hate to hear stories like the one Dr. Frances told recently over at Kevin.md. The picture he paints about his friend who has been the unfortunate victim of not only cancer, but “community” treatment mishaps leaves only one word in our minds.
Chaos.
And that is not the ideal word you want to use to describe healthcare. According to Dr. Frances, several of those mishaps could have easily been prevented if someone were just paying attention to the patient instead of his results. Among these mistakes? The patient was prescribed meds that clashed and is no longer able to participate in lung cancer studies because alternative treatments (also prescribed by his docs) compromised his kidneys.
Dr. Frances has had it up to here. Read more
December 18, 2014
We’re excited to announce the launch of Atlas.md’s Community Forum, where participating users can see how others are interacting with the app, ask questions or advice from those who are in similar situations, and even request features.
Atlas.md EMR users continue to find new and interesting ways to integrate the EMR into their practice, and they’re talking about it. By providing users a way to spread the word, our goal is to pull the DPC community together in the name of better patient care. Here’s how the forum works:
December 17, 2014
Dr. Neuhofel, family physician and owner of NeuCare Family Medicine is ready to set the record straight. He took the time to tackle a few of the most widely spread rumors, including affordability and Dr. shortage.
“Just last week, I was able to provide nine doses of sumatriptan to a new patient for $8.12. She had previously been paying more than $100 per month through her insurance for the same amount of the drug.”