The value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) permeates health care. Patient-centered care demands that the patient’s perception be placed at the center of health care decision making.
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) has surpassed electronic medical records (EMRs) in many health care offices—especially regarding features critical to good practice management. Simple EMRs typically only consist of digital documentation of your record for a given patient. Electronic health records have the capability to be multidisciplinary. For me, as an optometrist working in a hospital setting, this is a very exciting development. Formerly it was a tedious chore obtaining lab results, verifying pertinent medical history, medications, and co-managing with other specialists. EHRs make these and other tasks simpler, faster, and easier.
By 2014, the concept of mindfulness began to hit mainstream. Who doesn’t want to be “mindful”? The promises of less stress and getting more out of life seem to be the ground in which mindfulness rooted itself in our modern world. Utilization among business leaders quickly propelled the use of mindfulness to the top of effective business practices.
The U.S. health care industry is growing at an exponential rate and is projected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2025, according to a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS). Physician and clinical services constitute over 20 percent of this projection.1 This leads to an important question: Does this economic growth indicate improvement in the quality of patient care?
I am sure every business owner remembers the day when they had to hire somebody to keep up with an increase in customer inflow. It is a great feeling, one that I can personally attest to. I also remember the feeling of dread that quickly followed. I have to make sure the right candidates find me, then sift through the applicants and hire the right person. Finally, how do I make sure the new person is going to be as committed to helping my business as my current team? I don’t want someone good who will leave after we have spent a lot of energy training them.
