Currents

Study: Consumers Consider Procedure and Costs Equally

When making elective healthcare decisions, consumers conduct extensive and simultaneous research into both the procedure and how they are going to pay for it, according to a study from CareCredit.

The Consumers’ Path to Healthcare Purchases Study included an online survey of nearly 2,000 consumers who had made an elective healthcare purchase in the past 12 months, or who were likely to make an elective healthcare purchase in the next 12 months. Results found that consumers take an average of five steps and an average of 76 days to conduct research. The complexity of the research process that patients and clients undertake before committing to a significant elective healthcare purchase is influenced by the level of need, cost, how insurance benefits impact out-of-pocket expenses and perceived risk.

Consumer research is conducted online and off, including a preliminary visit to the provider’s office and discussions with family and friends. Cost is not researched independently; rather it is considered at the same time as other factors, including whether to invest in the procedure or device itself and the selection of provider. Seventy percent of respondents said they researched the procedure, while 73 percent said they researched costs, including the availability of financing.

“Putting some time and some effort into the assets you’ve built over the years is important…”

OJM Group principal David Mandell, JD, MBA, reviews the importance of protecting assets for physicians, introduces the asset protection “sliding scale” and outlines basic tools for protecting personal and practice assets. Visit DermTube.com to view the video.

NOW TRENDING ON DERMTUBE

“Every day I meet with my COOs and we go over things that I need to know… Once a month I meet with my Executive staff—Our IT person, our billing manager, our marketing director—and we go over things for the practice… And then once a month I meet with every department… I build out a calendar for [these meetings] six months in advance.”

- Michael Gold, MD

Dr. Michael Gold’s thriving Nashville practice includes a busy medical practice, a medical spa, and a research center. Plus, he’s involved in teaching and educational ventures globally. How does he do it all—and stay on schedule? In Best Practices, a new video program from Modern Aesthetics magazine available on DermTube.com, Dr. Gold sits down with host Joel Cohen, MD and shares some of his methods and the lessons he’s learned through building a practice.

To watch the video, visit http://modernaesthetics.com/series/best-practices/video.asp?f=ulekinod

CMS and AMA Announce Efforts to Help Providers Get Ready For ICD-10

With less than three months remaining until the nation switches from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding for medical diagnoses and inpatient hospital procedures, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) are announcing efforts to continue to help physicians get ready ahead of the October 1 deadline. In response to requests from the provider community, CMS is releasing additional guidance that will allow for flexibility in the claims auditing and quality reporting process as the medical community gains experience using the new ICD- 10 code set. Recognizing that health care providers need help with the transition, CMS and AMA are working to make sure physicians and other providers are ready ahead of the transition to ICD-10 that will happen on October 1. Reaching out to health care providers all across the country, CMS and AMA will in parallel be educating providers through webinars, on-site training, educational articles and national provider calls to help physicians and other health care providers learn about the updated codes and prepare for the transition. 


The Benefits of Social Sharing

In its July 2015 “Trent Report Digital Marketing,” Acara Partners shares tips on what it calls “social sharing,” which is when members of your own team share information about your practice via their personal social media accounts. According to the report, studies have shown that social sharing can have a positive impact on exposure of your practice and potentially be a tool for growth.

They recommend the following steps to successful social sharing:

• “Make your team aware of the importance of social sharing. After all, the company’s growth and success is also their own.”
• “Create interest around posting and sharing with more personal, less “sales-y” posts such as for the holidays, events and spur of the moment, in-office happenings. It is a nice reminder that your company and employees are people too – not just workers!”
• “Get your team excited to socially share, instead of feeling like they are being forced to share. Recognize your team for sharing and let them know how it is affecting the business. Have you gotten more leads or higher engagement on multiple social media platforms? Tell them!”
• “Finally, the person requesting the social sharing should be doing the social sharing as well. Be the leader, take the initiative and be excited about your business to ignite excitement in your team.”

For more information, visit www.acarapartners.com.n