We may all dread the patient or family member who complains, yet there are ways to make complaints in positive experiences, or as this great NYTimes article details:
some complaints can serve as icebreakers or bonding experiences.
Check out the full article.   The concept of complaints, service recovery models and how to encourage your staff to “embrace” the complaint are covered in the webinar, Put a Little Disney in Your Practice – Looking at the Service Experience you Provide  now available on demand 24/7/365.

Check out the amazing new automobile that will begin production this summer, along with an inspiring story of how it got started! This could be a wonderful resource for OTs and PTs working in rehab to know about and support.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/automobiles/an-ev-that-wraps-around-a-wheelchair.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[Washington, DC - April 9, 2013] Health Volunteers Overseas is delighted to announce the launch of its new physical therapy program in Blantyre, Malawi at the College of Medicine Programme in Physiotherapy (COMPT).

COMPT has launched a Physiotherapy BSc (Hons) Programme to provide the Malawi health sector physiotherapists with knowledge, skills and relevant competencies to provide rehabilitation services, supervise diploma level technicians and manage district and central hospital rehabilitation services. The course will produce graduates to form a pool of students for further training into MSc and PhD programmes.  

 

The goals of this program include providing evidence-based continuing professional development courses for academicians and clinicians to improve teaching, clinical reasoning and/or clinical practice in the areas of: foundational sciences, cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapy, integumentary physiotherapy, musculoskeletal physiotherapy, neuromuscular physiotherapy, obstetrical-gynecological physiotherapy and pediatric physiotherapy. In addition, volunteers may also assist with the education of the BcS students.

Volunteers for this program may be retired or in active practice with a current license. All areas of expertise are accepted and prior teaching/training experience is preferred. Volunteers will be required to submit their CV and a letter detailing the content they are qualified to teach. Volunteers involved in clinical teaching and training may be required to complete registration with the Malawi Medical Council. Those volunteers teaching non-clinical courses will not be required to complete this registration. Standard assignments are 4 weeks, though 2 week assignments may be considered depending on the course.

Health Volunteers Overseas is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to improve global health through the education of local health care providers. In 26 years of service, HVO’s training has transformed lives through the design and implementation of clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management. In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information, visit the HVO website.

Those of you who have participated in my marketing webinars have heard me discuss service substitution versus direct competition.  There is no better example of this than the recent NY Times article    A Grays Job Market for all Ages.

Check out who is running specialized fitness classes for older adults ( hint- not a PT) and who are holding themselves out to the public as home modifications “experts” ( hint- not an OT)

The HIPAA final rule was released on Jan. 17, 2013.

 As all practices should be aware, patients have a right to have their entire medical record transferred (subject to some exceptions, such as for mental health records) to any provider they choose. This process should be easy for patients once the appropriate paperwork is executed.  Practices must be sure not to allow patient records to get caught in a dispute among providers, which can arise when a physician leaves a medical practice. Additionally, medical records cannot be held hostage in exchange for a patient’s payment of medical bills.

The HIPAA final rule provides some specific guidance on transfer of medical records:

(a) If your practice maintains EHR, you must provide a copy of the medical record in at least one readable electronic format. The record can, for example, be provided on a disc, by sending a secure email, or through a secure Web-based portal. Although a practice is not required to purchase software or hardware to accommodate requests for specific formats, a practice must be able to provide some form of readable electronic copy. A hard copy may be provided if the patient rejects the electronic formats. The file turned over to the patient should include all of the protected health information (PHI) held by the covered entity, even if this is a combination of electronic and hard copies.

(b) Practices can reject using a patient’s own flash drive or other device to transfer the records if there are security concerns. Additionally, if secure e-mail is not available, but the patient wants the record e-mailed to them via unencrypted e-mail, the practice can send the records  after advising the patient of the risk their information could be read by a third party.   I also recommend having the patient sign off on a written acknowledgment of the risk involved.

(c) Be sure you are prepared to transmit an electronic copy of a patient’s medical record directly to a third person if designated by the patient in writing.  Policies and procedures must exist within the practice to verify the identity of any such person.

(d) While practices can charge patients for copying medical records, every practice should be familiar with the limitations set by the final rule.  Labor costs for copying PHI, whether in paper or electronic form, are one factor that may be included in the reasonable, cost-based fees charged to individuals. This might include time the staff spent creating or copying electronic files, scanning, and burning PHI to media. Reasonable, cost-based fees may also include the costs of supplies (e.g., discs, flash drives) or postage, depending on how the patient asks for the record to be transferred. Be aware that under the final rule, a practice cannot charge a retrieval fee for electronic copies or for any costs related to new technology, maintaining systems for electronic PHI, data access or storage infrastructure. Each practice should also determine the state law requirements on patient record copying, since state law will preempt HIPAA if the state law imposes a lower copying charge.

Finally, the final rule decreased the time a practice has to respond to requests for a medical record.  A practice now only has 30 days to respond to a record request but may obtain a one-time extension of 30 days if the practice provides a written explanation to the patient explaining the reason for the delay and the expected date of completion.

 Make sure your record transfer policies are compliant with the final rule and your staff is trained accordingly.

 courtesy of WCH Service Bureau

NO better article than this one in January 29th NY Times – That Daily Shower Can Be a Killer ( the secret to longevity may be to pay attention to low risk/high frequency hazards) to help promote an OT’ or PT program.  Check it out!

Twenty five years ago, healthcare professionals watched silently as managed care slowly rolled across the country from west to east. It took over ten years to get from California to New York, plenty of time to plan ahead,  and be pro-active, yet most of us did nothing.
Managed care started with physicians and hospitals and moved to encompass all types of health professionals and services.

Fair warning to all:  New York’s public hospital system has officially moved away from cost of living increases and toward bonuses for meeting performance gains.

You have plenty of time to plan ahead and be pro-active!  Step one- be informed- here is a great NYTimes Editorial and an Op -Ed piece on the topic.

1. If you paid $600 or more during the 2012 calendar year for services related to your practice to an individual or partnership, you must issue a 1099-MISC form to them by January 31 2013. Payments to corporations do not require a 1099.

2. If you received rental income, and are a single filer with income of over $200,000 or a married couple with combined income of $250,000 or higher, starting in 2013, there is an added 3.8% Medicare tax.

3. Mile rate deductions for 2012 – .55cents for business, .23cents for medical and moving, and .14cents for charity.
Mile rate deductions for 2013 – .56cents for business, .24cents for medical and moving, and .14cents for charity.

4. Business travel – ravel expenses for a dependent, spouse or other individual accompanying you are not deductible unless that person is a bonafide employee of your practice.

5. The value of your time is not deductible when it is provided for a charity event or benefit of a non profit organization.

Advance notice  for 2013:  The IRS is making it easy to take a tax deduction for a home office.  Check out the NYTimes article detailing this.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not replace consultation with your accountant or business advisor.
Iris Kimberg MS PT OTR  infonytherapy@aol.com

The Obama administration unveiled another “layer” of healthcare reform – although its implementation date is set for 2014, now is the time to start thinking how your practice can capitalize on some of the provisions. For example, insurers must provide certain additional benefits, including dental care and vision services for children, treatment of mental health and drug abuse problems, and “habilitative services” for  conditions including  autism and  cerebral palsy.  Wellness programs will be included with financial incentives for participants.  Read the full article.