Aging Parents - Information You Need In Case Of A Medical Emergency

By Martin R. Sabel

Today, many adult daughters and sons find themselves called upon to help care for their aging parents. Often that care must be provided in an emergency. Could you provide the vital information doctors would need to care for them? If you're like most, you're not sure.
Why You Should Have Instance Access to Your Parent's Senior Health Information
Having your parent's complete medical information handy during an emergency can make a life saving difference. Seniors have more chronic health conditions than the general population. Unfortunately, many adult children aren't aware of all those conditions. Not knowing your parent's medical details can have a life altering impact on the entire family - like not knowing about an allergy to a particular medicine.
If your loved one is unconscious or unable to speak during a crisis, having medical information available can literally be life saving. Medical personnel will need it quickly to properly treat during an emergency.
What Doctor's, Nurses and Emergency Medical Personnel Need to Know
At a minimum have the following information available, as well.
1. Names of doctors-Your parents' doctors are good sources for the details of your parent's specific health care needs. Include the name of the primary care physician and all specialists.
2. Medical history - Including any surgeries and chronic medical conditions like Alzheimer's disease, COPD, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease and cancer and any transplant surgery.
3. Medications - Including over-the-counter drugs, vitamin and other supplements
4. Allergies - Both to medicines and foods
5. Birth dates- Because many times insurance and medical information are stored by date of birth. can improve communication in an emergency or a crisis.
6. Emergency contacts - Include multiple contacts with alternate numbers
7. Advanced directives - The legal documents that tell doctors and hospital personnel whether life support is wanted and if resuscitation efforts should be used.
8. Insurance policies- including the name of the issuing insurance company, the policy numbers and contact numbers to get approval for procedures.
Getting Your Parent's Doctor To Discuss Your Parents Health Issues
Due to privacy restrictions created with the Health Insurance Portability and Affordability Act (HIPAA), doctors are no longer as open as they once were to discussing your parent's medical needs.
Your parent's doctor won't discuss private information with you unless your parent first gives the physician permission to discuss their care with you. The doctor's office may require your mom or dad to fill out a form giving the doctor written permission to freely discuss private medical matters. Without that permission, the doctor may still be willing to talk to you about your concerns and be glad to get your input but don't expect much detail in return.
If it's in your parent's best interest for a medical practitioner to discuss their health issues, HIPAA rules allow them to discuss that care. For example, if your mom or dad isn't able to give important medical information in an emergency. Emergency medical personnel will turn to you for that information.

Does an aging parent have you ready to pull your hair out? Save your hair and your sanity. Use Martin Sabel's popular elder care tips and resources at http://www.mreldercareonline.com to keep your loved one safe without emotionally or financially bankrupting yourself in the process.

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Just What is an EMR (Electronic Medical Record)?

By D. York

An EMR, or electronic medical record, is a medical record for a patient in a digital format that is stored on a computer or in a computer server. In health informatics, an EMR is considered by some to be one of the different forms of electronic health records, but usually these two terms mean the same thing. Sometimes EMR's include other information, such as HIT, or health information technology, which are systems that keep track of medical information, like medical practice management systems. These systems support the electronic medical records.
Until 2006, most medical practices still do not use EMR's or other health information technologies, like computer physician order entry systems, or CPOE's. In fact, less than 10% of the American hospitals have begun to use this technology, while only 16% of primary care physicians now use electronic health records. The majority of medical transactions in the US are still done on paper, with a system that was developed in the 1950's and is still in use today. The health care industry actually spends only about 2% of their gross revenues on HIT's, or health information technology, which is way behind other areas like finance.
One of the main problems of most medical facilities implementing EMR's is the interoperability for different medical offices and professionals to use the systems and software to communicate and exchange data accurately. In the US, the development of standards for EMR's is at the front of the agenda for national health care. Without a good interoperable EMR system, physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, and other medical professionals cannot share patient information correctly, which would be necessary for patient-centered care.
Since the EMR's need to be compatible, in 2004, President Bush created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology or ONC, to address issues that deal with EMR's and interoperability issues to help establish a national health information network, or NHIN. This organization, along with the Center for Information Technology Leadership, has placed four different categories, or levels, of data that is in the health care data exchange right now. These different levels are:
Non-electronic data - this includes paper, mailed information, or phone calls.
Machine transportable data - this includes faxes and emails.
Machine organizable data - this includes HL7 messages, images, and objects.
Machine interpretable data - this includes automatically transferred lab results to an electronic health record.

D. York is with Fox Meadows, a provider of electronic medical records software, EMR Software, and medical billing software. Learn more by visiting http://www.foxmeadows.com.

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What is Medical Identity Theft?

By Clyde Cathcart

Everyone has heard about identity theft. You lose your wallet or purse, someone uses your credit cards to run up charges and leaves you to foot the bill. But there are other forms of identity theft that can have disastrous results even to the point of costing you your life. One of these is medical identity theft.
Medical identity theft consists of having your medical records and/or medical insurance information used by someone other than you. Someone may call in a prescription in your name so the information doesn't show up on their medical records. An uninsured person might use your identity and medical insurance to receive treatment. A doctor billing an insurance company for services not performed on an insured patient he never treated. These are some examples of medical identity theft.
The problems that arise from these practices aren't limited to just an insurance company being bilked. Everything medical that happens to you, from prescription antibiotics to organ transplants are reported to an insurance clearinghouse called the Medical Information Bureau (MIB). If your MIB information is wrong, then you're more vulnerable to errors in treatment that can jeopardize your life. From adverse reactions to allergy causing medications to getting the wrong blood type in a transfusion, you're at risk. There are plenty of errors that occur in medical treatment already without compounding the problem with false information. Also, many insurance policies have annual and lifetime limits on how much service they'll pay. If the protection you've paid for is used up when you need it, then that just might become a problem.
There can also be legal ramifications. Most medical insurance does not pay for 100% of charges. You can be left responsible for the unpaid deductibles and co-payments. If the person receiving treatment under your name is found under the influence of illegal drugs, the police could show up at your door. You can be denied employment, credit or rated for insurance because of the inaccurate information that your now appears in your history.
The chances that you can discover and rectify the situation are also slim with medical identity theft. HIPPA laws make it difficult for you to get your own information. If your credit is not adversely affected, you may not know that the theft has taken place for some time after it occurs. And these types of crimes are often attributed to mistakes in paperwork.
So although medical identity theft doesn't get reported as often as financial identity theft, it is still a growing problem and one to watch out for.

To learn more about ID Theft and to receive a free e-book detailing how ID Theft occurs and what you do to protect yourself, visit http://www.clydereviews.com
Questions, comments? Write me at mail@clydereviews.com
Thanks for reading, Clyde Cathcart

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Medical Transcription Jobs - The Ins and Outs of Medical Transcriptionist Work at Home Jobs

By Jasmine Berry

According to Wikipedia, medical transcription, also known as MT, is an allied health profession which encompasses the process of transcription or converting voice-recorded reports as dictated by physicians and/or other healthcare professionals into text formats.
The medical profession is growing rapidly. Doctors, hospitals, clinics and insurance companies are in need of skilled medical transcriptionists.
Job description:
Medical transcriptionists translate diction from physicians and other health care professionals, into written reports, correspondence and other documents so that it can be used for medical records. Medical transcriptionists who work outside the home can find employment in hospitals, doctors' offices, MT services and home based offices for medical offices and law firms. Those who work in doctors offices also have additional clerical duties. Most MTs who are self employed generally work on a contractual basis.
Because the medical information is increasingly received over the internet in recorded form, transcriptists must have knowledge of medical terminology and be able to spell medical terms accurately. They produce discharge summaries, operative reports, autopsy reports, progressive notes, diagnostive imaging studies, history and physical examination reports and referral letters. Medical transcriptionists will also edit documents for grammar and clarity, look for inconsistencies and errors in the documents and check with the physical or healthcare professional in order to correct them.
These reports are for medical history files, thus a transcriptionists must be able to type quickly and still maintain accuracy in grammar and spelling. They do not come into contact with patients but they need to understand the laws regarding medical record documentation because they are dealing with confidential information.
Requirements:
Medical transcriptionists must be organized and pay close attention to detail. Good analytical skills are a must as well as being able to work well under pressure.
A background in word processing, algebra, introduction to business, business computers applications, English, shorthand, record keeping, composition, health occupations/medical profession education and cooperative office education are an asset to this career. Although many companies train on the job, and state that the transcriptionists are not required to have post secondary education, most employers prefer to hire people who have an associates degree in medical transcription or a certificate. This training can be acquired through community colleges, vocational schools and distance learning programs. Coursework includes anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, law and ethics in medicine, computer literacy and applications, and English grammar and punctuation.
Medical transcriptionists earn $10-$40 an hour. Some companies however, pay per line, in which case the transcriptionists may earn 7 cents per line for hospital transcription. Those who hold a certificate or degree in earn more than those without. Medical transcriptionsts without a degree make around 28,000 a year while those with post secondary education can earn as much as 50,000 a year.
Employment of medical transcriptionists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012.
The overall growth in the health service industry should be a major contributing factor for the expansion of this job market. The greater the demand the better it is for those working on a contractual basis from the home. Of course offline workers will also find that there is enough room for everyone in this job market.

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Focus On The Use Of Electronic Medical Records Programs Increased

By Cassie Netherfield

A system to automate medical records has been built by the University of Maryland. Computerized medical records are a fairly new concept that allows doctors, nurses, and other health care practitioners to access patient records, files and information electronically in place of a tangible, fixed form.
A lot of aspects of its use was criticized because the medical industry wasn't quite open to it yet. Some practitioners had even questioned the practicality of the endeavor, particularly as doctors simply cannot be bothered with having to carry a computer with them at all times.
There is an answer to this problem, however. A stable, easy-to-use, and intelligently designed program. The University of Maryland Human Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) had made sure that this new electronic medical records system would not create a delay in the health care professional's performance and time. In short, a system that decreases the search time significantly, enables the presentation of data properly and accurately, and is a lot less susceptible to glitches. To sum it all up, this program is beneficial since it provides the medical practitioners more time with their clients and less fiddling with their paper trail.
Equipped with the expertise of computer scientists and researchers, a sound plan for a great electronic medical records program was built, with this list of goals and benefits:
(1) Accurate and complete information.
(2) Finding and locating trends and anomalies in a patient's health history.
(3) Quick and easy access in spite of massive volumes of information.
(4) Keep the program simple, yet also flexible so it can be modified to address a variety of areas and uses.
One problem against automation was the probability of receiving incorrect or even losing information. Although similar concerns apply to using physical patient record information and documents they were at least physical, whereas electronic medical patient records are not. However, there are software nowadays that guarantee the safety of data.
One key perk to using electronic medical record systems is the fact that it can detect errors at once. With the right elements, an electronic medical record package can disseminate massive amounts of medical information from patient data and recognize patterns and trends across several elements and criteria. This part of the program can easily be customized meet the specific division's requirements.
If you need this product, or any other program for that matter, to succeed, it should be simplified. The more simple it is, the more effective doctors will be in their work. The time indicated in their schedules could be significantly narrowed down, since doctors can now easily get what they need from the database, and in a short amount of time, as well. This is best for such a busy industry, where time is of the essence.
The electronic medical records systems in place today are very much similar to what the University of Maryland has produced. Electronic medical records and software packages are in place and in use all over world.

Electronic Medical Records software can help your daily office routine flow. Visit http://www.ChartLogic.com now to see what they can offer your office, they'll change the way you think of Medical practice management software.

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Personal Health Records Could Save Your Life In Medical Emergencies

By Catherine Collins

Imagine you are on a routine business trip to a foreign country. You collapse after your dinner at a fancy sea food restaurant. On arrival to the hospital, under the current fragmented health care system, retrieving your medical record is difficult, answers to questions whether you are allergic to any seafood or your previous medication history or even your primary physician contact details are difficult to obtain. You will be treated as any other emergency arrived patient. On discharge from the hospital you will carry no more than a paper based record of your medical history.
What are the probabilities of this episode recurring? And how can you make a note that you may be allergic to certain kind of sea food? Can you carry this vital medical information with you always?
Digital Personal Health Record can answer these questions. Digital personal health records enable people to store their vital health information in an easy to use format. It could be in memory keys like USB drives or in Compact Discs.However, Memory sticks or USB drives are popular as they are easy to use and carry around.Also the data in them could be repeatedly changed.
The basic health information that you should be carrying around in these USB drives are your personal contact information, emergency contact information and health insurance contact details. Along with medical or surgical history and medication history. History of any allergy to medicines and also any other food types should be part of your emergency information kit.
These could be easily created in a word document and stored in your USB drive. You could also identify this USB drive with a sticker stating that it is your health information file. The only danger of this method is that if you lose your USB drive, all your health information along with contact details are lost.
To safeguard against this you need to purchase a commercially available USB drive with stored template for health information along with a pass word protection. These small precautions will help you to better organize your health care data and help physicians to optimize their treatment to you in case of emergency.
If individuals carry portable personal record with them always, physicians on their arrival to hospital in case of any emergencies can rapidly establish the patient's medical antecedents. On their departure from the hospital they can carry their updated medical treatment history all the time, everywhere. This will enable an individual to maintain a record of their health information in illness. Physicians can deliver better optimized care to patients who have their complete health records.
Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purpose only and is in no way intended to be a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified professional. The author encourages Internet users to be careful when using medical information. If you are unsure about your medical condition, consult a physician.
Reference:
http://www.open.medicdrive.org
Open MedicDrive is a collaborative Wiki for advancing and educating about the role of Health care Information Technology in Personal Health Record Management.

Ms.Catherine Collins has spent nearly a decade in writing about health care topics. She has published her work on health care management in several leading publications in online media.Her vision is to help people to take care of their health with aid of current technologies.

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Diabetes Medic Alert Bracelet - Fashionable And Helpful Identification

By Flor Serquina

Today, there are more than 17 million people living with diabetes in America. That makes the odds pretty darn good that at least a few of your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family have already been touched by the disease on some level.
With that in mind, you may not need to tell them a lot they do not already know; then again, they may be sorely in need of some accurate and current diabetes education. Either way, you only have to share the basics of handling an emergency at this point, such as providing a diabetes medic alert bracelet.
Medical Identification
Even if you have got a buddy with you at all times, it is important to make sure that you have medical identification in case you need to be treated by medical personnel. You do not need a giant scarlet D on your lapel, but wearing some form of identification at all times is the best way to ensure you will get proper treatment should a blood sugar emergency cause you to lose consciousness among strangers.
One good example is the diabetes medic alerts bracelet. This particular bracelet contains all the necessary medical information about the patient who is wearing the bracelet. This diabetic information is engraved within the bracelet to alert paramedics if ever they need to take action in an individual's medical emergency.
The diabetes medic alert bracelet is a practical and hands-on step to efficient caring of one's health, especially with a disease that is erratic and unstable.

The Options
Today, the diabetes medic alert bracelet is gradually taking its fair share in the market. More and more people understand their importance, considering the fact that the occurrence of attacks is unpredictable.
And because many people are now affected with the disease, a wide array of fashionable designs is available to give people ample choices that will match their taste.
When you are shopping for a diabetes medic alert bracelet, keep these things in mind:
1. It must be noticeable.
This is the most important criterion for a good identification. In cases of emergency, most people may not be aware of the concerned individual's condition. They may be in shock or too agitated to look for your medic alert bracelet. Of course, their utmost concern is on how to give you first aid.
However, if you have a noticeable diabetes medic alert bracelet, it will be easier for paramedics or for other people to identify your condition and provide you the necessary medical attention that you need.

2. It must be comfortable.
Since you will be wearing this bracelet almost every single day of your life, you should wear something that is comfortable. Otherwise, you won't wear it. And when that happens, you will never know how unsafe your condition might be especially for those people who know nothing of your disease.

3. It must be durable.
As mentioned, you will be wearing this bracelet everyday. Hence, it should be durable enough to stand the wear and tear brought about by the surf, sand, or whatever other elements you may encounter.
4. It should be comprehensive.
The diabetic information contained in your diabetes medic alert bracelet must show all the pertinent medical information about your condition. In this way, paramedics will know what kind of medication they should give you.

5. It should be stylish.
Style should be one thing that you will not neglect. Attraction is one factor that people who should be wearing the medical bracelet should consider. Not that you want to show off your condition to everybody but more on making the item pleasing to wear. The idea behind this is that you must like the item, or, again, you might not wear it consistently.
So the next time you go shopping for accessories, do not forget to take home some fashionable diabetes medic alert bracelets with you. You will never know how these dainty accessories can save your life.

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