The Mayo Clinic Invests in a Healthcare App

Mayo Clinic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Mayo Clinic recently revealed that it is backing a newhealthcare app, one created by Geoffrey Clapp, and released in October of 2013. The app, known simply as “Better” offers a variety of resources to individuals seeking healthcare. Using the app, they will be able to call a doctor when needed, to get a preliminary/prospective diagnosis based on symptoms and medical history, and to input information about their medical appointments and the results of those appointments. The app does charge a small monthly fee for those who want to have easy access to healthcare practitioners but is otherwise free.

“Better” is not the only healthcare app available, however. There are also apps that help the professionals who actually provide the medical care. Geared toward recording information and making billing simpler, such apps are an excellent tool for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

With both sides—patient and doctor—now able to be “linked in,” it’s easy to see how quickly the medical world is changing and advancing.

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Curation Wins Big

Curatio is relatively new to the healthcare scene; in fact, the company has only been in existence for the past four months. Amazingly, however, it’s getting noticed, and in a major way, thanks to its recent win at the annual Health 2.0 Conference held in the Silicon Valley.  The conference hosts a contest, sponsored by Novartis, that awards advancements in healthcare technology, and it granted $100,000 to Curatio for its new mobile healthcare app.

The healthcare app is called “ThaliMe” and is designed to be used specifically by those with thalassemia, a

recessive blood disorder. Not only does the app function as a tracking tool, but it also gives users access to an online support group that includes others diagnosed with the disorder, as well as doctors and other healthcare experts.

Via the app, users can get emergency advice and answers to their health-related questions from qualified healthcare professionals, and they can reach out to others who truly understand what they are going through, making the app a virtual lifeline of sorts.

There is a Healthcare App for That!

These days, there are Smartphone applications that allow you to turn your phone into a flashlight, a GPS, and so much more, so it makes sense that healthcare app after healthcare app is being designed, and that each one is changing the face of modern medicine a little at a time.

Many of today's medical apps are designed for use by doctors. Via their phones or tablets, doctors can access drug databases, disease and illness databases, blood pressure monitors, glucose level monitors, and more. There are also, however, apps for patients. These apps, which are usually provided from the doctor to the patient, can do things like allow a patient to see his or her diagnostic data, to set up doctor's appointments, or to keep track of symptoms.

What's the most recent healthcare app available? That would have to be the do it yourself electrocardiograms. Using nothing more than a Smartphone, some downloaded software, and a small, portable heart rhythm reading device, patients can receive the results of their self-administered EKG readings right on their own phones. How’s that for handy? And with more healthcare apps being released regularly, there’s no telling what the future will bring!

If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app, DeductorMD?

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Lose the Stress of Medical Billing

A lot of healthcare professionals are upset and worried over the upcoming change to ICD-10. Though change can be scary, there really is no reason to stress. Know, first of all, that anytime you learn and use 

something new, such as the ICD-10 coding system, you are expected to make a few mistakes, and experts are saying that healthcare insurers are aware of this fact, are prepared for it, and are willing to assist and be patient with those just learning the new coding system. In fact, several contingency and assistance programs are already in the works for those who need help getting acclimated to the new system.

In addition to these great resources, there’s also a new healthcare app, available at DeductorMd.com, that is guaranteed to make medical billing easier, no matter which coding system you’re using. In fact, with this great healthcare app, you can send stress right out the window!

If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app, DeductorMD?

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Great Gifts for Doctors

Do you have a special doctor in your life? Whether it’s your own doctor or just a family member or friend who happens to work in this noble profession, you’ll be happy to know that buying gifts for doctors is pretty simple. There are just so many great items and ideas out there!

One thing that any doctor is sure to love is a good read, especially if that “good read” is also helpful on the job. While you’re free to browse through the bookstore on your own, a good recommendation is The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, which comes out regularly and serves as a great tool for helping doctors to diagnose maladies.

If the doctor you’re thinking of is a little more “high tech,” then you may want to consider gifting him or her

with some of the awesome new healthcare apps that are now available. You can find a particularly useful one at DeductorMD.com, and there are all kinds of other options available as well.

If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app for Medical Decision Making, DeductorMD?

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Missing Patient Records Resurface

In Pennsylvania, a medical practice known as Reading Health System recently had to alert its patient to the fact that some of their medical billing records had disappeared. The records, apparently kept in boxes in the office, dated from 2009 through 2010. Three entire boxes full of records were removed from the office in 2012 and were just returned in 2014.

Many of the records contained sensitive personal information, but the firm said there is no evidence of tampering. However, it has extended an offer of free credit monitoring to the affected patients. 

So, how did the missing files turn up? Well, someone working for a maintenance services vendor that serviced the firm allegedly took home the boxes for safekeeping. Whether that story is true or not is still yet to be determined, but the firm is stepping up and trying to improve its security practices overall as a result.

A good first step for this firm and others like it might be to take a more modern, electronic approach to file keeping. It’s easy to step into the modern world when you have access to great healthcare apps. Many healthcare apps, like DeductorMD.com, can even help take care of more complex processes for you, like medical billing and coding. 

If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app for Medical Decision Making, DeductorMD?

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Medical Biller Charged with Identity Theft

It’s important for medical billers to be trustworthy individuals. Of course, that’s an important trait for all people to have, but it’s especially important for those who have access to records that contain sensitive information.

Unfortunately, one medical billing company may have made a bad choice in hiring Reon Jordan. The 34 year old medical biller has been charged with stealing the identity of hundreds of her patients. She now faces charges of grand theft, burglary, and unauthorized use of personal identifying information. 

Jordan, who resides in Los Angeles, was reportedly found with 400 identity profiles and over 200 peoples’ credit card information. Police say she used the money to pamper herself, buy expensive jewelry, and take flights to Alaska.

With stories like these becoming disturbingly more common, it’s so important to hire a trustworthy biller, or even better yet, to do the billing yourself. Nowadays, there’s a healthcare app for every need you could possibly have, and medical billing is no exception. With a great healthcare app like DeductorMD, there’s no reason to take chances!

If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app for Medical Decision Making, DeductorMD?

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Can a New Law Impact Emergency Medical Billing

As a healthcare provider, you’ve probably heard of the term “balance billing.” Just in case you haven’t, the term refers to the billing practice utilized by emergency medical facilities that don’t have contracts with certain insurance companies. These providers can be reimbursed in the form of the insurance company’s “in network” fee, which is usually substantially lower than the out of network fee they often believe they should have received. In many cases, however, the healthcare provider will also bill the balance to the patient, and no laws prevent this action.

All that could change in Louisiana, however, if three state lawmakers are successful at passing their

suggested bills. These bills would require all emergency medical providers to either accept in-network fees or bill the patient, not both. They would also disallow medical providers from suing patients over the balance amount.

Whether the law is passed or not and whether or not it affects your practice, it’s your job to bill your patients fairly. Don’t make that harder than it has to be with faulty records or less than scrupulous practices. And, keep mistakes from getting in the way of rightful billing by relying on helpful healthcare apps. While there are many healthcare apps available, the best one for all your medical billing and coding needs is available at DeductorMD.com.


If you are a healthcare clinician, are you using todays new healthcare app for Medical Decision Making, DeductorMD?

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