Healthcare Communications
In order to support the strong positive relationships between quality of care and patient satisfaction, your healthcare communications must reflect a knowledge of medical science, a genuine understanding of good healthcare practice, and a talent for medical writing. I follow good publication practice, as well as your own internal compliance procedures.
I provide articles, medical education materials, marketing copy, advocacy content, slide-decks, grant applications and blog posts on medicine and healthcare.
Contact me today for a free consultation.
Selected Works
Healthcare Communications
The Future of Healthcare IT
Client base: Healthcare, Psychiatric, Geriatric, IT, Educational
Healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated industries in North America, with a highly conservative IT adoption rate when compared to other industries. The term healthcare information technology (IT) refers to the design, development, creation, use and maintenance of all IT systems related to healthcare. It is a framework for managing and manipulating health and medical information, improving quality of care, and enabling better care coordination. It is, however, not a single framework or system, but a patchwork of fragmented solutions supported by different providers. Valuable resources are wasted on a regular basis due to a disconnect between archaic infrastructure and data repositories that host medical history, diagnostic results, or insurance information.
Our healthcare industry is not yet up to standards with the expectations of patients or the government. How can we get everyone involved in the process, from healthcare providers to insurance companies, to prioritize quality of care? It has been suggested that interoperable IT systems with the ability to exchange and integrate information from different sources (including providers, billers or payers), will lower the cost of healthcare, improve treatment and care efficiency, as well as reduce medical errors.
The Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) standardized the interchange of electronic data. With the creation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, the regulations now ensure that: healthcare providers cannot use any personal health information without expressed permission from the patient; the patient must authorize the sale of private information; he or she may audit their electronic patient records at any time; and that patients must be notified of any security breaches.
The future of healthcare IT is under constant development and we need to overcome the challenges associated with the health information exchange (HIE), electronic medical/health records (EMR/EHR), virtual healthcare systems, mobility, and the many serious concerns connected with big data and private health information (PHI).
The next-generation healthcare IT, including the transition to the ICD-10-CM and PCS medical coding systems, will affect not only how we interact with our caregivers, but also how we will receive medical treatment. We need to ensure that this is done correctly. How do we evaluate which solutions have sustainable impact? Without clear guidance and direction for our efforts, the wellbeing of an entire nation is at stake. When the dust settles, are we going to be healthier?
Transitioning to the ICD-10 Medical Coding System
Client base: Healthcare, Psychiatric, Geriatric, IT, Educational
Long overdue, the transition of the ICD-9 coding system to ICD-10 has been scheduled for October 1, 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed that no extensions beyond the compliance date will be granted. It’s no longer a question of whether the transition should be made, but of how successful it will be. We are facing an upgrade that has the character of a business process transformation, which will create a major disruption in the healthcare industry.
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) is a standardized medical coding system used to classify diseases, indications, signs and symptoms, atypical findings, complaints, social conditions, as well as external causes of injury or disease. Version 9 of ICD (ICD-9) has been an invaluable help for healthcare providers and payers for decades, but the code set is outdated and insufficient. The requirements on patient coding have changed dramatically and the coded data is currently used in a way for which ICD-9 was never designed. With the increased number of available diagnostic tools, as well as the ability to diversify one disease into multiple subcategories, the situation has become critical. One of the most important issues with ICD-9 is the scientific organization of the classification system, which has fixed limitations in terms of categories and subcategories. We are unable to accurately describe inpatient procedures for care delivered, and it is not possible to keep up with recent discoveries and breakthroughs in medical research.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has collaborated with the U.S. to develop a version of the ICD-10 coding system that is only going to be used in the U.S. and nowhere else. The transition to ICD-10 will require a conversion of the current ICD-9 codes to the corresponding codes in ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modifications) and ICD-10-PCS (Procedure Coding System). Although the current ICD-9 coding system contains an impressive 13,000 medical codes, ICD-10-CM alone boasts approximately 68,000 diagnostic codes. With ICD-10-PCS, we will have separate sections for different procedures and access to an additional 79,000 codes. ICD-10-PCS is designed to replace Volume 3 of ICD-9-CM for inpatient procedure reporting and will be used for procedure coding, billing of inpatient procedures, and reimbursement.
The transition to ICD-10 (ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS) will improve our healthcare in many ways, with significant benefits for:
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Quality Measurement
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Research
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Organizational Monitoring and Performance
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Reimbursement
Effects of Attitude on Dementia and Geriatric Mental Health Issues
Client base: Healthcare, Psychiatric, Geriatric, Educational
Whatever you may have heard or believe to be true, dementia and mental health issues are not natural stages of aging. Dementia is a progressive disease, which may have been under way for many years before the first visible symptoms appear. Once we begin to suspect that something is wrong, the disease has already been manifested. Over 35 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with dementia, and it is believed that 1 out of 3 elderly dies as a direct result of the disease. Although incurable, there are studies that suggest that we may be able to delay or even prevent the onset.
Before we take the discussion further, it is important to emphasize that there are many different forms of dementia. The term “dementia” is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of symptoms, including memory loss and neuronal degeneration. All types of dementia are progressive with increased cognitive decline. This means that the structure and chemistry of the brain become increasingly damaged over time, specifically affecting our cognitive abilities (i.e. our ability to remember, understand, communicate and reason).
Healthy aging may be achievable through a few relatively simple and straightforward steps and changes in our lifestyle and attitude. We are what we think and stress is a normal physical reaction to situations where we have no or little control. It can also be caused by feelings of vulnerability, nervousness or frustration, which are natural parts of life and something we all will experience at one point or another. However, many elderly are experiencing stress as a direct consequence of age and the aging process.
With increased age, our bodies are destined to endure a natural and steady decline. We will one day discover that neither our bodies, nor our brains, are what they once used to be. The activities of daily living, perceived wellbeing and quality of life are affected by a decreasing number of choices and options that are quickly becoming more limited. Many elderly suffer from feelings of vulnerability and frustration, along with a struggling financial position or the feeling of isolation and loneliness. As a result, they may experience a level of stress that is absolutely ruthless.
Due to the physical effects of prolonged and chronic stress, many researchers believe it is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and dementia, as well as other health issues. As a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, or caregiver for a patient or loved one that suffers from dementia or mental health issues, one of your primary duties is to help him or her cope and maintain a positive attitude.