According to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Millennials have become the largest generational group in the United States. Along with this shift in demographics comes changes in experiences, attitudes and expectations, all of which have implications for varying businesses, including health care providers. A 2012 study from ZocDoc and Harris Interactive found that Read more…
Voice
How Is Augmented Reality Transforming Medicine?
Have you noticed more and more people walking around your town or city staring at their smartphones and acting a little…weird? If so, there’s no need to panic. These people are most likely playing Pokémon Go, a free augmented reality game for iOS and Android users. The app harnesses a phone’s GPS to inform players Read more…
MACRA Proposed Rule: Not What the Doctor Ordered?
Many healthcare providers have been waiting for the end of meaningful use with baited breath. After all, the end of MU promised to lessen the burden of compliance requirements, and usher in more realistic reporting guidelines. But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) thousand-page proposed rule for the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of Read more…
Will Doctors Vote in Favor of orAgainst PPaACA in the 2016 Elections?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPaACA/ACA also known as Obamacare) has been a hotbed topic since it was signed into law in 2010. Six years later the ACA still manages to divide the American public. In a Gallup poll taken last April, 50% of respondents said they disapprove of the ACA while 44% said Read more…
Why Urgent Care is becoming a Key Piece of Value-Based Care
Though they’ve been around for decades and have catered to numerous patient needs, until recently, many Americans have not given urgent care the time of day, opting instead for traditional ER visits. But, thanks to a rise in healthcare consumerism and a shift toward value-based care, the urgent care industry is finally “having its day.” Read more…
How are Retail Medical Clinics affecting your Private Practice?
You feel that telltale constriction in your throat again, you wonder if it’s just the weather’s doing. You call up your doctor’s office only to find that the next appointment is in a week. You do not have a primary care physician to consult. You have a tight budget, or worse, you do not have Read more…
Monopolistic Insurance Giants Might Just Get Bigger.
The trigger for these mergers is the Affordable Care Act. One can’t help but wonder if the quest for accessible and affordable healthcare has made physicians worse off. Well it’s happening. Humana is officially seeking a buyer, despite its dominant position in the marketplace. Cigna and Anthem, two biggest players in the insurance market have Read more…
Does Sexism Still Exist in Medicine?
Science. Does sexism still exist in medicine? In many cases, it depends on which side of the fence you’re on. The prevalent opinion among male medical professionals is that it does not, and that women have equal opportunities when it comes to education, medical positions and so forth, but if you’re a woman, you might Read more…
Physician assisted suicides: The right to choose?
California might become the sixth state to protect aid-in-dying practices. The End of Life Option Act, a bill that would allow doctor-assisted suicide for some terminally ill patients, was recently advanced by California’s Senate. Two previous attempts to pass similar legislation were stalled, mainly because doctors did not support it. But last month the California Read more…
The Blue Button brouhaha
When President Obama launched the Blue Button initiative for veterans in 2010, the idea was to make a consumer engagement tool that empowers the patients by enabling them to access and download their online medical records. Today, the use of and the awareness about this initiative has skyrocketed and it has become an important part Read more…