Sunday, July 31, 2011

Essential Lawn Care Tools - Weed Wackers

Weed eaters also known as weed wackers or string trimmers are one of the must have lawn care tools these days. I can't imagine using a hand trimmer around my yard. They can trim grass and weeds along fences, buildings, stone or rock walls or under bushes and gardens where you can't reach with a lawnmower. A great addition to your lawn maintenance toolkit. They cut grass and weeds by spinning a nylon string or piece of plastic, like a plastic tie, and can be powered either by corded electric, rechargeable battery, gas motor and recently propane power.

Determining which type is the best fit for you depends on how large an area you need to use it on, how long it will take you when you talk about battery powered and how much power you need. They also have different ways to replenish the nylon string or plastic. These systems can be frustrating when they don't work right. Many have a bump feed system where you tap the bottom on the ground and it is supposed to feed more string out. When the string runs out you need to wind some more string onto the spool. Others use a plastic tie the snaps in or runs through a couple of slots.

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Electric corded: This type is usually the lowest cost weed wacker, lightweight and easy to handle. The motor is usually 5-7 amps and mounted either near the handle (good) or near the bottom where the cutting string is (not as good). For ease of use it's better if the motor is mounted near the handle. Most do not have the power of a small gas powered trimmer and the major drawback is that they need to be plugged into an outlet. If you have to do both sides of a fence it can be quite a hassle dragging the cord over the fence to get the outside. Most will come with a bump feed for the string which you have to refill by winding a new length of string.

Cordless: These give you the freedom of not having to plug into an outlet. Unfortunately your freedom is short lived as the batteries usually are good for less than 1/2 hour. They also don't have as much power as the corded models, nevermind comparing the power to a gas trimmer. Avg weight is about 8 lbs. Most have a bump style line feeder. The biggest drawback is lack of power.

Gas Powered: With more power you also get more weight and higher cost. They come in 2 stroke (they need oil mixed with the gas) or 4 stroke (quieter and less pollution, but heavier). You can also have more breakdowns because 1. they are usually pull start and 2. they need to be lubricated. 2 stroke models are cheaper and still have more power than their electric counterparts. Read customer reviews for durability.

Propane: Propane powered are fairly new. The advantages are that they have just as much power as some gas powered trimmers, and they are environmental friendly. You don't have the typical motor problems of gas powered but you do need to buy new propane canisters. So availability of the canisters can be a problem.

Essential Lawn Care Tools - Weed Wackers

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Friday, July 29, 2011

How to Care For Corian Countertops

If you clean residential homes, chances are you've had to clean solid surface countertops made of DuPont(TM) Corian®. Your customers have invested a lot of money in their countertops, so you want to make sure you're cleaning them according to the manufacturer's directions.

Here are some tips for the care and cleaning of Corian countertops:
The most important thing to remember when cleaning Corian, is to wipe the surface dry after cleaning. If you leave it to air dry, a film can build up on the surface. This film will end up leaving the counter looking dull or blotchy. Clean with water, soapy water, or solid-surface cleaners specially designed for Corian surfaces. Never use window cleaners, as they will leave a film that will eventually dull the surface. If there are hard water marks, use a cleaner that is formulated for removing hard water such as CLR. Be sure to rinse well and dry the surface completely after cleaning. If the surface is dull from residue build-up, use a product from Stone Care International called Deep Cleaner for DuPont Corian. Follow the instructions on the bottle. You can disinfect the counter occasionally by using diluted bleach (1 part bleach to 1 part water). Be sure to rinse thoroughly and then wipe dry. Cleaning Corian sinks -- use the same procedures as listed above. You can also use Soft Scrub and a green Scotch Brite pad to remove residue. NOTE: Do NOT use Soft Scrub on the countertop surface for everyday cleaning. Corian is heat resistant, but it is NOT safe to place hot pots and pans directly on the surface. Always use trivits or protective pads. Never cut directly on a Corian surface, always use a cutting board. To remove small scratches, put a small amount of abrasive liquid cleaner like Soft Scrub onto a damp sponge. Rub into the scratched area using circular motions first, then front to back, and then side to side. Rinse thoroughly with water and then wipe dry. If this doesn't remove the scratches, then it could be because they're too deep. You may need to call a professional refinisher to remove deeper scratches. Avoid using harsh chemicals on or around Corian surfaces. If you spill any chemicals on the surface, immediately flush with water and thoroughly dry.

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How to Care For Corian Countertops

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Is Primêre verpleegsorg of verhouding-Based Care om terug te kom?

Primêre verpleging of verhouding-Based Care is 'n metode van verpleegpraktyk wat beklemtoon die kontinuïteit van sorg deur' n verpleegkundige (dikwels saam met 'n verpleegassistent)' n volledige sorg vir 'n klein groepie van binne-pasiënte in' ​​n verpleeg-eenheid van 'n hospitaal. Die "primêre verpleegster" is verantwoordelik vir die koördinering van van alle aspekte van die sorg vir die dieselfde groep van pasiënte wat regdeur hul verblyf in 'n gegewe gebied . So, primêre verpleging is 'n aspek vandie verpleegberoep wat fokus op die verskaffing van primêre sorg aan pasiënte.

Primêre sorg optree as 'n pasiënt se eerste punt van kontak met die mediese stelsel: wanneer' n pasiënt opdaag in 'n dokter se kantoor op soek na' n fisiese, aandag vir 'n seer keel, of ander vorme van mediese hulp, hy of sy is interaksie met' n primêre sorg verskaffer . Primêre sorg verpleegsters kan diagnoseer, te behandel, en bestuur 'n aantal voorwaardes onafhanklik of in oorlegmet 'n dokter, en hulle kan verskaf ook verwysings na ander mediese praktisyns as' n probleem is buite die bestek van sorg . As dit seer keel, byvoorbeeld, is veroorsaak deur 'n kanker in die tragea, sou die pasiënt verwys word na' n onkoloog.

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Hier in Noord-Kalifornië, (LVN skole in Kalifornië is bewus) die meeste akute hospitale aan te pas om hierdie verpleging model te meer effektiewe en doeltreffende pasiëntsorg. Ons beskik oor die mandaat deur die wet dat 'n verpleegster nie meer behoort te hêas 5 pasiënte te versorg. Hierdie wet te voldoen, en om geld te spaar op dieselfde tyd mees akute hospitale wat hierdie model huur verpleegsters wat 'n goeie tydsbestuurvaardighede pas, is goed in die multi-tasking en bekwame met verpleegvaardighede ten einde direkte pasiëntsorg effektief en doeltreffend te verskaf . Die meeste verpleegsters wat primêre verpleging aan hul pasiënte is tevrede oor waar hulle werk en het aangepas by hierdie werk model van verpleegsorg. Hulledaarop aanspraak maak dat hul pasiënte kry meer persoonlike sorg en dus die verpleegsters voel waardeer en kry meer bevrediging van hulle werk. Hierdie verpleegkundiges nie staatmaak op hul verpleegassistente of sorg vennote om te sorg vir hul pasiënte of pasiëntsorg doen. Hierdie verpleegkundiges voel hulle weet hul pasiënte goed en kan beter pasiëntesorg. Verpleegkundiges is ook van mening dat hul pasiënte is gelukkiger en vinniger herstel as hulle weet hulle verpleegster goed en het 'n beterkontinuïteit van sorg. Hierdie hospitale het ook 'n hoër klanttevredenheid koers soos deur die meeste opnames.

President Obama kom van Hawaii, 'n toestand wat gebruik maak van die primêre verpleegsorg model. Daar is 'n paar voorspellings dat die primêre verpleging na vore sal tree as deel van die mediese hervorming dat die Kongres en lobbyisten is besig om te slaag, as' n wet die ideale verpleeg instelling te skep. LVN sertifisering verdien om 'n LVN in Kalifornië is' n goeie eerste stap om te leer van diegesondheidsorg stelsel en beweeg na 'n RN-program en om' n primêre verpleegster .

Is Primêre verpleegsorg of verhouding-Based Care om terug te kom?

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Daarop aandring dat jou dokters Gebruik Elektroniese Voorskrifte

Baie dokters is skakel hulle praktyke mediese sagteware gebruik om hul kantore te meer doeltreffend te bestuur. Terwyl baie funksies van die sagteware kan direk impak pasiënte nie, elektroniese voorskrifte bied 'n aansienlike verbetering in die gehalte van die sorg vir pasiënte.

E-prescriptions is veiliger

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'N 2006-verslag van die Instituut van Medisyne na raming meer as 1,5 miljoen Amerikaners is beseer of gedood word deur dwelm foute elke jaar. 'N belangrike bron van dié tragedies isfoute wat veroorsaak word deur handgeskrewe voorskrifte. Apteke verkeerd lees die inligting gee pasiënte die verkeerde medikasie of die verkeerde dosis, wat lei tot potensieel dodelike gevolge.

Die meeste apteke gebruik mediese sagteware wat jou toelaat om hulle dwelm bestellings elektronies direk te ontvang van dokters se kantore. Die voorskrif is duidelik sigbaar met geen kans om die apteker mislees van die medikasie of dosis, sterk vermindering van die kans om van die dwaling.

Beserings kan ook veroorsaak word wanneerpasiënte per ongeluk gegee dwelms dat hulle is allergies vir of wat in wisselwerking met ander medisyne wat hulle kan neem. Mediese sagteware kan 'n pasiënt se hele dwelms geskiedenis, insluitend medisyne wat voorgeskryf word deur ander dokters, dop die kans van onveilige middels wat uitgereik is, te verminder.

Pasiënte Bespaar Geld

Een van die grootste gesondheid probleme in hierdie land is die hoë koste van medisyne. Studies het getoon dat die gebruik van mediese sagteware vir e-voorskrifte verminder uitgawes virbeide die dokter se kantoor en die apteek, potensieel die verlaging van die koste van die kantoor besoek en dwelm-aankope.

Apteke gereeld om die dokters se kantore te noem voorskrifte wat moeilik is om uit te maak om te verifieer. Duidelike elektroniese voorskrifte maak hierdie verduidelijk hoogte onnodige sodat die personeel by beide fasiliteite om meer te fokus op pasiëntsorg as op administratiewe besonderhede . Mediese sagteware kan verskaffers pasiënt geskiedenis te vinnig kontroleer, en weer die vermindering van die bedragtyd bestee aan administratiewe take. Ten slotte, dit maak dit makliker vir dokters generiese alternatiewe te hersien en te verseker dat 'n dwelm is op' n pasiënt se versekering formularium.

Elektroniese voorskrifte meer gerieflik

Pasiënte kan optel hul voorskrifte vinniger as dokters en apteke gebruik mediese sagteware. Nie meer 'n pasiënt het die papier voorskrif om uit te dra tot die dwelm stoor en dan wag om tot die voorskrif is gevul. Die dokter kan oordra dieelektroniese voorskrif tydens die pasiënt se besoek en die apteek kan begin vul dit voor die aangesig van die pasiënt selfs die kantoor verlaat. Die voorskrif gereed sal wees en wag wanneer die pasiënt kom.

Die vinniger verwerking van voorskrifte kan apteke kliënte te vinnig te hanteer, meer bestellings te vul in 'n korter tyd. Dit verminder die lyne by die dwelm-toonbank en laat kliënte om hul medikasie om nog vinniger te te kry.

Daar is 'n aantal van aansporings wat ontwerp is ommediese diensverskaffers aanmoedig om mediese sagteware aan te neem nie, maar sommige praktyke is verset teen die skuif. As jou dokter se kantoor nie elektroniese voorskrifte gebruik, laat hulle weet jy sou verkies dat hulle gedoen het. By die keuse van dokters, tel praktyke wat gebruik maak van die tegnologie. Dit is veiliger, goedkoper en meer gerieflik as die ou voorskrif metodes.

Daarop aandring dat jou dokters Gebruik Elektroniese Voorskrifte

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I recenti miglioramenti della macchina CPAP nel PR Respironics Auto e Auto BiPAP

Sulla base di più di un anno di utilizzo dei clienti e di input, Philips Respironics sta fornendo un livello ancora più elevato di raffinatezza in un dispositivo di terapia intelligente. Il leader del settore Sistema PR Uno è ora pronta a offrire ai pazienti CPAP i più alti livelli di soddisfazione qualsiasi macchina CPAP nel settore.

Attraverso innovazioni negli algoritmi del software e il matrimonio di comprovata paziente-centrica tecnologie, un solo sistema pensa per sé, un attento monitoraggio dei pazienti e riconoscere quandoesigenze della terapia stanno cambiando. E poi i fornitori di armi con i dati intelligente necessari per compiere scelte informate assistenza al paziente decisioni.

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Alcuni dei miglioramenti più importanti sono:

Livelli sonori ridotti

Hanno migliorato un sistema per renderlo uno dei dispositivi più silenziosi sul mercato al momento è più importante: quando i pazienti sono respiro su di esso. Ma non prendete la parola per esso: test da un gruppo indipendente di terze parti di laboratorio dimostra che l'unico sistema automatico REMstar è,in media, il 25% più silenzioso rispetto alla ResMed S9 AutoSet in condizioni di respirazione simulato.

Una tecnologia innovativa CPAP macchina che riduce drasticamente Rainout

Un sistema di controllo dell'umidità è stato progettato per stabilire il massimo comfort del paziente e le prestazioni del dispositivo. I pazienti selezionare una delle cinque impostazioni di selezione per ricevere una fornitura costante di umidità relativa alla maschera per soddisfare le loro esigenze personali. Per un ulteriore comfort, sistema di Una macchina CPAP ora è migliorata assolutolivelli di umidità umidità e target relativo per le varie impostazioni di selezione tutti umidificatore. Inoltre, un nuovo modo "classico" offre la possibilità di spegnere il controllo dell'umidità, se lo si desidera.

Anche nel mutare delle condizioni ambientali, i livelli di umidificazione coerenti sono conservati nel corso di ogni notte. Un sistema di CPAP macchina automatica segue da vicino temperatura ambiente, umidità ambiente, e il flusso per determinare ciò che è necessario per mantenere il paziente-selezionati livello di umidità. Controllando l'umidità relativauscita alla maschera, rainout possono essere evitati, in più circostanze. Con tale controllo intelligente, le nostre tecnologie conforto di altri, come Flex, a dare il massimo, offrendo il massimo comfort e incoraggiando compliance a lungo termine.

Il sistema migliorato Una macchina CPAP presenta una serie di altre tecnologie innovative e funzionalità che migliorano sia il paziente e / esperienza clinico.

Duplice modalità con commutazione a distanza: Ora, System One BiPAP Pro e BiPAP Autoi dispositivi sono dotati di capacità sia bi-livello e CPAP e può essere facilmente commutabile tra le modalità - anche a distanza via computer - quando i medici e fornitori di necessità di regolare la terapia dei pazienti. La comodità di avere entrambe le opzioni in una singola unità è un'altra innovazione progettato per salvare i fornitori di dover fare i viaggi supplementari al domicilio del paziente '.

Maschera in forma e tenuta di monitoraggio: Con la funzione Fit Maschera, System One dispositivi Auto dare ai pazienti la possibilità dicontrollare la tenuta delle loro maschere in tempo reale e permette loro ed i loro medici sanno cosa può comportare perdite quando le pressioni è aumentato dal basale per tutta la notte.

Facile notte la visualizzazione in tempo: un schermo retroilluminato garantisce pazienti saranno in grado di vedere l'interfaccia Uno System, anche al buio.

Progettazione di filtraggio avanzato: In dotazione con ogni dispositivo, un bianco, ultra-sottile filtro fornisce la filtrazione che possono migliorare il comfort senza disturbo o le variazioni di efficacia.

15 millimetri tuboopzione: Un sistema è ora dotato sia 15 mm e 22 opzioni di tubi mm che può fornire maggiore comfort del paziente e la personalizzazione della terapia.

Display multilingue: i dispositivi un sistema può essere impostato per visualizzare lingue diverse, a seconda del paese di utilizzo. Modelli statunitensi visualizzare inglese o spagnolo; modelli Canada visualizzare inglese o francese.

Il sistema di PR Un Auto e BiPAP auto si sono affermati come efficace ed affidabile macchina CPAP Auto fornendo risultati diretti alla CPAPpazienti che soffrono di apnea del sonno. Per saperne di più su innovazione macchina CPAP visitando un fornitore di macchina CPAP sul web.

I recenti miglioramenti della macchina CPAP nel PR Respironics Auto e Auto BiPAP

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E-prescrizione di sostanze controllate

Tra le altre cose, eprescribing tecnologia permette ai professionisti di rilevare le interazioni farmaco potenzialmente dannoso, evitare fraintendimento delle prescrizioni scritte a mano, permette alternative generiche per essere facilmente identificabili, e permette di abbassare co-paga di farmaci a causa di avvisi piano sanitario approvazione. Così pronunciata ed evidenti sono i vantaggi che, il 15 luglio, 2008 l'ex presidente Bush ha firmato in legge la Miglioramenti Medicare per i pazienti e fornitori di legge 2008 (MIPPA).MIPPA fornisce incentivi bonus per i medici che eprescribe per i pazienti sotto Medicare Medicare parte Provider D. eprescribe che potranno beneficiare di un bonus del 2%; praticanti che non eprescribe sarà penalizzato nel 2012. Questa nuova legge ha lo scopo di aumentare rapidamente l'adozione di massa di eprescribing nazionale. Inoltre, il presidente Barack Obama sostiene chiaramente la riforma sanitaria con l'aggiunta di salute IT al pacchetto di stimolo economico.

Uno degli ultimi ostacoli che devono essereeliminati per portare eprescribing all'adozione di massa da parte della comunità medico sta lavorando su un metodo per consentire droghe controllate da eprescribed. Attualmente, le sostanze controllate non possono essere trasmessi per via elettronica per US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regolamenti. Questo ha notevolmente ostacolato l'adozione di eprescribing, anche per i non controllati farmaci, a causa di interruzioni al flusso medico richiedere al prestatore di lavoro per stampare la ricetta, poi via faxessa o consegnare al paziente una prescrizione di carta in farmacia. Tabella II per i farmaci, il più probabilità di essere vittime di abusi, le prescrizioni di carta ancora devono essere trasportabili a mano in farmacia. Questo divieto ha portato ad un grave ritardo nell'adozione e realizzazione di tutti i vantaggi di e-prescrizione.

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Di consigliare il DEA, il Dipartimento di Salute Pubblica del Massachusetts (MDPH) sta lavorando in collaborazione con DrFirst, Inc. su un progetto finanziato dall'Agenzia per il settore sanitario ricerca e qualità (AHRQ) per studiare,sviluppare e testare un sistema elettronico per la prescrizione di sostanze controllate dal governo federale in un ambiente ambulatoriale. L'obiettivo è quello di consigliare il DEA di soluzioni alternative consegna sicuro, in modo che l'adozione diffusa di eprescribing si verifica che si tradurrà in una maggiore sicurezza del paziente a causa di una migliore gestione dei farmaci, di supporto alle decisioni, il miglioramento del flusso di lavoro clinico, verificando l'interazione con conseguente prevenzione di eventi avversi eventi di droga e riduzione in uso non medico e l'abuso di controllosostanze.

E-prescrizione di sostanze controllate

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Shine On With Easy Care Wood Flooring Tips

Flooring can make a huge difference in the looks of a home. There are many things available that you can do to cover the floors from carpeting to vinyl to tile. Wood flooring is becoming very popular once again. Many people like the looks of a wood floor. From centuries back, floors were covered with wood as a main floor covering. It wasn't until carpeting became popular that floors had any other covering. Throw rugs were placed over the wood flooring just for decoration, but most of the older homes used wood as the main flooring choice. This article will talk about some of the wood flooring choices available and how they can still shine on in the days and future days ahead.

You might be surprised to find out what is under the carpeting in many older homes. If you were to pull up the carpet, you might find wood flooring underneath. Because hardwood floors were so popular, many of the older homes still have that type of flooring under the transformed look of carpeting. The older hardwood floors required a lot of sanding and polishing. It was quite a task to shine them up. You might have had to use a buffer after waxing them to create the luster of shine you were after. Then wood flooring progressed and someone came out with wood floor wax that you just mopped on with a wet mop.

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Wood flooring has come a long ways. You can still buy real hardwood such as oak to lay down, but most of the wood now days is treated and requires little polishing. The wood may already have a high luster of shine to it originally when you purchase it and all you may have to do is mop it. You can now buy wood flooring that looks like real wood, but isn't. It is very durable, already has a high shine to it and all you have to do to clean it is dust or sweep and mop. Much of the wood flooring available today, you can lay yourself. It can be a tongue and groove where each piece attaches to each other or you can get the wood flooring pieces that you simply match up the grain lines and glue down.

You can find wood flooring in most home improvement stores or flooring stores. With all the varieties available you may want to do a little research as to the best one available in your budget and needs. Wood flooring is beautiful and can be found in many different types of homes today. You don't have to own a log house to have wood flooring.

Shine On With Easy Care Wood Flooring Tips

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Home Care For Dementia

Dementia refers to certain symptoms that ultimately lead to loss of functions of the brain as a side effect of some physical or mental illness. A common misconception about dementia is that it is described wrongly as a disease. It actually consists of symptoms of a functional disorder and is not a disease in itself. Symptoms of dementia may lead to lack of abilities in certain areas such as problem solving, loss of memory and confusion. Dementia is often found in elderly people as a harmful side effect of some mental illness, such as Alzheimer's, and might reflect as an after-effect of a medical treatment. Symptoms of dementia might occur due to vitamin deficiencies, head trauma, or Parkinson's disease. Dementia is mostly incurable with some rare exceptional cases. It is definitely not an easy task to provide home care for Dementia going by the nature of Dementia and its various symptoms.

While providing home care for patients suffering from Dementia, special considerations are required. Frequent change in routines and turnover of staff providing home care can have adverse effects on Dementia patients. It is highly recommended to ensure minimum turnover of staff and changes in support procedures. Persons providing care for Dementia need to have special training for handling Dementia patients that can be acquired from various organizations dealing with Dementia care.

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Diseases such as Alzheimer's and related symptoms of dementia are usually chronic; they can last for ten years or more after they are diagnosed. These symptoms may include paranoia, anxiety, aggression, or agitation, making persons difficult to handle while providing home care. Appropriate support and care is thus required for patients as well as their families. Nature and intensity of care might again fluctuate as patients may go through different stages of effect of medication and treatment.

Most families have started forming self-help groups to provide mutual support, as it is difficult and emotionally draining to provide care to terminally ill patients. Professional help is always recommended although the family remains the core of a home care system. Community programs also play a significant role in improving the service and providing support. Necessary Government approval is also an important requirement for providing professional care for Dementia patients at home.

Home Care For Dementia

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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Documentation Improvement in the Field of Health Care

Documentation may have a lot of definitions depending on the type of industry but it mostly deals on records and information placed on communicable materials. They serve as evidences of the things that happened which included the features, characteristics, attributes, and quality of a material, procedure, or a process. Documentation is vital to all fields and there are a lot of qualified professionals who are trained to handle it. They are chosen because they have the knowledge and experience on the subject matter that they are documenting. They are specifically assigned to take care of documentation in order to reduce mistakes, errors, and inconsistencies on delicate information.

This scenario was seen beneficial in the field of medicine. Clinical documentation was regarded as one of the basis for the quality of health care provided by hospitals. It is subjected to clinical documentation improvement programs to maintain its effectiveness and reliability. Medical documentation is considered as dynamic as it is now affected by products of information technology. This means that IT solutions, computers, electronic devices, and the Internet are now part of modern clinical documentation. This is all a part of the most appropriate documentation improvement program applied to a certain hospital or clinic.

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Clinical documentation improvement programs are expected to be effective in making sure that clinical documents are free from errors. Delicate information about the welfare of the patients are recorded in these clinical records and so they are expected to be correct, accurate, and compliant with the standards and rules set by authorities. All documents are governed by these regulations to protect the interest of all the patients and the hospitals as well. The medical field faces the ongoing challenge of providing quality health care and so important aspects such as clinical documentation must be subjected to various improvement programs. In this case, a clinical documentation improvement program serves the purposes well.

Clinical documentation improvement program promotes a more convenient record keeping though digital and paperless procedures. This will be supported by various computer products, tools and applications. The modern practices will then promote a safer and more efficient documentation that will great reduced the drawbacks offered by traditional documentation. By having an organized record keeping, a medical institution can enjoy a more organized daily operation that will allow them to provide high quality medical services. Complete and accurate data is ensured to prevent medical problems and misunderstanding. The medical field involves services for human health so there are supposed to be no rooms for major mistakes.

Documentation Improvement in the Field of Health Care

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Friday, July 22, 2011

Hospice - Take Care of Your Loved Ones Today

Since the 11th century, the concept or hospice as treatment facility for ill people has been continually flourishing up to this day. It is both a type of care, and a philosophy of care given to individuals who need to be treated relatively longer compared to those who have common illnesses. Nowadays, a "modern hospice" treats illnesses and palliates symptoms that are emotional, spiritual, social, or physical in nature. With the ever developing medical technology, many clients continue to patronage the assistance and medical aid provided by these institutions.

If you are an individual who truly love your ill family members, and care for them beyond any doubt, you can have them admitted to a hospice anytime. You can be assured that an institution like this will attend to your loved ones with a great amount of concern and professionalism. In the United States alone, the growing number of medical institutions like this continues to increase in number. They normally begin as volunteer-led organizations then eventually develop to more professional health establishments.

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In line with this, it can be said that the growing number or hospice institutions in the country also imparts upon us a picture of the increasingly unsound health conditions in the greater portion of the population. Therefore, even private individuals like you are encouraged to contribute to the improvement of the currently alarming health situation in our country. An admission to health institutions such as rest homes or sanatoriums could be the perfect way for your ill loved ones to get better, by letting health professionals handle them at times when they badly need skilled care.

Hospice - Take Care of Your Loved Ones Today

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What You Can Do As a Medical Provider to Improve Patient Satisfaction

It has been widely believed and accepted that if you provide quality patient care, your patient satisfaction rates will be high. We now know that this is not always the case. Research has shown that there is a large disparity between perceived hospital and physician quality of care and patient satisfaction across the nation. Research has also shown that patient satisfaction in many states is actually opposite what one would expect when providing quality patient care.

A survey performed by CareChex, has shown that while many hospitals and physicians across the nation ranked high in quality of care, they adversely ranked low in patient satisfaction. Florida, for example, ranked 8th in the nation for quality of care and 49th in the nation for patient satisfaction. How does this happen? It is believed that practices and facilities are spending their extra resources acquiring state of the art technology to provide high quality care to their patients. What they are lacking in many cases, is delivering exceptional care to each and every patient who enters the building. While the aesthetic appearance and technology a facility offers is important, so too is the way the patient is treated while receiving care.

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What does this mean for medical practices and facilities across the nation? Administrators must be proactive in gathering feedback from their patients. Patient surveys must become a common part of the practice. The medical industry at large has become highly competitive and as such, if your patients are not happy, they will go elsewhere. Gathering feedback alone is not enough, you must also implement any needed changes. If you take the time to ask your patients about their experience and then do nothing to fix any problems that may be present, you are telling them that their opinion truly does not matter. This is worse than not asking their opinion at all.

By taking a proactive approach to measuring patient satisfaction and then implementing needed changes, medical practices will bridge the gap between patient satisfaction and quality of care. The practices that deliver not only quality care, but exceptional service are the ones who will prosper the most!

What You Can Do As a Medical Provider to Improve Patient Satisfaction

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Lean Healthcare - Streamlining Primary Care Services

Background

This VA Hospital is a small facility focused on the Primary Care, Rehabilitation and Mental Health needs of its Veteran-Patients. Most surgeries and other specialties are handled at the larger regional hub medical center.

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Given the focused mission of this smaller medical center they decided to focus Lean Six Sigma on improving patient service in Primary Care. The quality of care in this medical center was excellent, but seeing patients at their appointment time was poor. Only 9% of patients were seen on-time for their primary care appointment. This caused stress for patients and for the healthcare providers (Support Staff, Nurses and Physicians).

Project Overview

Initial Assessment Performance Scorecard 5S Visual Management Spaghetti Diagrams Time Study / Quickchangeover

We used a variety of Lean tools, over an 8 week period, to improve on-time delivery of care to patients. Each one will be covered separately.

However, before we go into the details, I will cover how we decided to use the tools show above. An initial assessment of the department showed three problems.

The first was a lack of awareness of how the department was performing. Doctors, Nurses and support staff worked all day, went home and had no idea how the overall department had performed that day. They know how they did, and how their patients were feeling, but there was no connection with the overall Primary Care organization. Everyone worked in their own silo.

The second problem was a general lack of organization and standardization in the workplace. The hallways were cluttered and every exam room was set up differently. It was hard for patients in wheelchairs to maneuver around hallway obstacles. Providers had to walk around, from room to room looking for instruments and information.

Finally, there was an on-time delivery of care problem due to rooms being used for exams, longer than scheduled. The department was properly staffed, and technically has enough space, but there was often a lack of rooms available when a patient was ready scheduled to be examined.

Consequently, patients were rarely seen at their appointment time. Not seeing patients on time caused them to wait longer and leave the exam later than expected. This resulted in a culture of inefficiency, disorganization and a lack of timeliness. Patients learned to come late to appointments, because they knew they wouldn't be seen on time. Providers got frustrated at the lack of organization in the workplace and had to stay at the hospital longer than their normal shift

Performance Scorecards Lean is a set of tools to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities. It creates visibility. The first step in our Lean journey was to create visibility. The Lean Team (Doctors, Nurses, Support Staff) created the Primary Care Performance Scorecard. This scorecard represents a few key performance indicators.

You will notice that there are just five measures. The fewer the number of measures, the more focus each one gets.

We started with the Purpose, or Mission, of the Primary Care department. The team then brainstormed their key performance measures. We weighted them to show which measures are most important in achieving the Mission. Finally, we gave each measure a "Below" and "Exceed" goal.

This Scorecard is reviewed by the head of Primary Care each month with the entire Primary Care staff. It is a 15 minute meeting to review prior month and year-to-date performance.

Primary Care Department Scorecard Complete Clinical Reminders

Exceed Goal = 90%

Weighting = 35%

Current Performance Y-T-D = 50%

Patient Service Survey % Excellent responses

Exceed Goal = 90%

Weighting = 30%

Current Performance Y-T-D = 85%

Utilization of Access Appointments

Exceed Goal = 95%

Weighting = 15%

Current Performance Y-T-D = 78%

1st Patient of the Day Roomed and Ready by 8 AM

Exceed Goal = 95%

Weighting = 10%

Current Performance Y-T-D = 67%

1st Patient of the Day Seen by Physician by 8 AM

Exceed Goal = 95%

Weighting = 10%

Current Performance Y-T-D = 61%

This is the scorecard, six months after we completed the project. Note, our project worked primarily on the two on-time-delivery measures. While still far below the goal of 95%, both measures increased from below 10% to the levels shown above.

5S Visual Management

Sort Set-In-Order Shine Standardize Sustain

We first addressed the physical disorganization using 5S Visual Management. The first step in the 5S Visual Management system is to sort through everything in the workplace to determine if it is a Green, Yellow or Red item.

Green - Used frequently, needs to be easily accessed Yellow - Used, but infrequently, can be stored in a storeroom Red - Not used, should be reviewed to see if another department needs it and if not thrown away

We worked on 2 exam rooms and the hallway. The hallway had 9 bulletin boards with random information. Both exam rooms were set up differently and didn't have a list of instruments, supplies and pamphlets (patient information).

To see 5S before and after pictures goto http://www.supplyvelocity.com and view the White Paper page.

We completed the 5S's by labeling everything that needed to be in the room and creating a standard list of instruments, supplies and pamphlets that each room should always have. We removed every bulletin board in the hallway, except the one by the phone, which got an updated internal phone list and emergency numbers.

The exam room standardization is sustained by making the standardized supply list part of the monthly housekeeping and safety audit.

Spaghetti Diagram Once the foundation of Lean was in place, with the Performance Scorecard and a visually organized workplace we began to analyze the Primary Care Exam process. To do this we used two Lean tools, Spaghetti Diagrams and Quickchangeover Time Study.

Lean is a series of tools to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities. Spaghetti Diagrams track people movement during a process. We use it to find excess movement of the people in the process. In this case we were tracking the Nurse, Patient and Physician. The outcome of the spaghetti diagram is to rearrange the physical workplace to reduce non-value-added move time.

Even after implementing 5S Visual Management and organizing the rooms to have all the instruments, materials and pamphlets, there is excessive movement in and out of the room. The Primary Care Exam process has created too much movement for the Nurse and Provider.

The Spaghetti Diagram also showed that the room is too big. Almost half of it is unused by the providers or patient. If we could rebuild the Primary Care Department we would make the rooms smaller to improve space utilization, fitting more exam rooms into the same envelope. If you recall from the Assessment, a lack of exam rooms being available was key driver for poor on-time-delivery of care. During a facility expansion later that year, this was acted on and the exam rooms were halved in size and doubled in number.

A picture of the Spaghetti Diagram is shown on the same white paper as mentioned above.

Quickchangeover Time Study Analysis At the same time as we were drawing out the "spaghetti" of people movement we were time studying what was happening during the exam process.

This Lean tool is called Quickchangeover. Its outcome is getting the patient in and out of the room faster, while improving the quality of service. Quickchangeover uses time study analysis to understand if there are times when the patient is in the exam process that is wasted time for them. We want to know what exactly is making the exam take longer than scheduled, so we can improve on-time-delivery of care and make sure that patients are seen on time.

Our time study is shown below in seconds and minutes.

Time Study Analysis

Nurse calls patient - 38 seconds (0.6 minutes) Weigh in - 27 seconds (0.5 minutes) Previsit with Nurse - 204 seconds (3.4 minutes) Review reminders with Patient and put in computer - 129 seconds (2.2 minutes) Physician review history with patient in the room - 740 seconds (12.3 minutes) Patient exam - 914 seconds (15.2 minutes) Physician does exam data entry - 1062 seconds (17.7 minutes) Complete reminders with patient - 20 seconds (0.3 minutes) Physician leaves - 102 seconds (1.7 minutes) Nurse enters - 32 seconds (0.5 minutes) Nurse reviews what Provider said - 175 seconds (2.9 minutes) Nurse does patient care as ordered by Physician - 937 seconds (15.6 minutes) Patient leaves, room readied for next patient - 136 seconds (2.3 minutes) Total Time = 75 minutes & 16 seconds

There is one major finding of this analysis and it had a big positive impact. The Physician was spending 17.7 minutes entering data into the computer with the patient in the room. This is called "Completing the Encounter" on the time study below. The patient does not need to be there, but the Physician wants to enter this data as soon as possible after the exam and usually doesn't have access to another computer. So the patient sits and makes small talk, while the Physician enters data.

The team's solution was to make one room in the Primary Care department a computer data entry room for Physicians. This would cut 17.7 minutes out of the exam process for the patient and the exam room. With well over 100 exams per day, this gives back the equivalent of 4 exam rooms per day.

Results

Improved on-time delivery of care from 9% to 61% in 6 months

The cumulative effect of this Lean Project was a drastic improvement in seeing patients at their appointment times. While still below the goal, improvements continue to be made in this Hospital's Primary Care department. They are currently experimenting with:

Staggering breaks Starting half the appointments at 7:45 AM Adding evening hours

All of these ideas are part of the process of increasing room availability and seeing patients on-time.

Lean Healthcare - Streamlining Primary Care Services

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Copper Sinks Basic Care

The authentic Mexican hammered copper sinks are all made of just one piece of a previously cut copper plate that is patiently hammered and heated in a wood fire until the desired shape is obtained and a brand new piece of copper art is out of the shop. But there is one more process that has to be applied to the copper sinks prior to its exhibition and sale in the market. The sinks are "patinated" so the surface will be protected against the elements, giving copper sinks its characteristic look.

Many people asks about how to take care of these beautiful sinks, and many times they think it can be a daunting task, but that thought is too far from reality. Caring for these copper bowls is surprisingly easy and they are virtually maintenance free.

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First of all a copper finish is a living finish and it never really stops changing in color. But the evolution of a copper finish is very slow and gradual thanks to the "patina", and as it slowly ages your sink will become even more handsome and unique.

For basic cleaning simply use a mild soap and water - other cleaners are not necessary, and gently clean the surface with a sponge or soft fabric. That's all you need to do in order to keep your sink in good shape. Unless you want to maintain a shiny copper finish, do not use copper cleaners. Also do not use abrasive materials or harsh chemicals as chlorine or vinegar on any of these copper sinks because these chemicals can harm the surface of your sink.

In short, you don't need much care to enjoy the living qualities of your beautiful hand hammered copper sink; a unique and functional work of art for your kitchen of bathroom.

Copper Sinks Basic Care

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

DIY or Professional Lawn Care

The sun, the surf, the year round warm temperatures...we get it all in the Tampa Bay area where I live and usually on the hottest days of the year is when I find myself mowing and edging and trimming my grass and hedges. Its also about this time when I am thinking about hiring a professional lawn care company to take all this work away from me.

So the question is: DIY or hire a professional lawn care provider

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Some people think that taking care of a lawn is simple. Well yes its not rocket science but there is a little more to it than just mowing the lawn.

DIY'ers need to know many things about caring for their lawns such as: what type of sod or grass should be planted in your area? What type of fertilizer should be used, how often should it be applied, should you use commercial brands or organic fertilizers?

Why should you get a soil analysis of your soil? How to you get a soil analysis performed to tell you what nutrients are present in your soil and even what nutrients should be present.

How exactly should you mow the lawn, should you cut it short or leave it long? What tools are needed to take care of your lawn once its mature? How do you take care of a newly seeded or sodded lawn?

How often should you water your lawn and how much water should you give it?

Yes there is more to lawn care than just mowing the grass.

So the question is do you want to make the commitment to spend the time and effort to learn how to take care of your lawn properly and then actually do the work of caring for your lawn or should you spend the money to hire a professional lawn care provider?

Consider the time you will need to do the research in order to understand how to properly take care of your lawn.
Things such as soil science: the different types of fertilizers the soil and lawn will need and why. The types of lawn weeds and how to effectively remove then and keep them away Wat areas the different types of turfgrasses grow in and what type is best suited for your area, etc. Then there is the actual doing the work..the mowing, trimming, edging, carting off the debris to the compost pile, etc.

And then consider that this is usually all done during the hottest times of the year, usually twice a week like I do in Florida!

While some people need to do the work themselves to save money especially during these hard hitting economic times but for me its the great sense of accomplishment I get knowing I did all the work myself when I look out my window and see my great looking lawn. The old pioneer spirit I guess!

Still others find hiring a professional lawn care provider is simply the prudent thing to do for themselves. Perhaps the hands on approach is not their style or they don't do things well with their hands or its that they are just too busy.

When hiring professionals to handle their lawn care needs many people look for the cheapest offer. This isn't usually in their best interest. The cheapest guy may have just lost a job last week at the local burger joint and has borrowed a lawn mower, then put out fliers to land some lawn care jobs. Do you really want this guy taking care of your lawn. Due diligence is required here to find a lawn care professional that will be trustworthy and experienced. Ask for references and go look at their work. Ask the homeowner if they are happy with their provider.

Now during these trying economic times, negotiation is key. Remember everyone is looking for new customers and the lawn care business is very competitive especially in year round warm climates like Florida. Most providers will want to sign you up for a year or a season contract. Just make sure you are getting all their services in writing and get yourself a good price.

DIY or Professional Lawn Care

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Ten Tax Deductions Home Daycare and Child Care Providers Miss

Most child care providers know they can deduct the cost of food and supplies for their business on their taxes. Some even know they can take a substantial mileage deduction. But many home daycare providers miss some large deductions that can really help trim your tax bill or increase your refund. This article deals with ten commonly missed deductions and how to apply them to your taxes.

I am sure you have diligently kept your receipts from last year and have added up your food costs. Did you also calculate the cost of your consumable supplies? Maybe not! Consumable supplies are the items used for your business that are, well, consumed and have to be purchased over and over again. Items like toilet paper, tissues, napkins, paper towels, dish soap, laundry soap, etc. fall into this category. All of these items are either used by the children in your care or are used more frequently because you have children in your care. And all of them are partially deductible on your taxes. If you buy these supplies strictly for child care and your family doesn't use them, then these supplies are 100% deductible. However, most of us don't separate out our toilet paper for daycare and family use.

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So, in order to find out how much you can deduct for these consumables, you need to apply the time/space formula to the total amount spent on these supplies in a year. The time/space formula calculates how much time you spent doing daycare in a year compared to the number of hours in a year, and also calculates the amount of space in your home that you use for your business. Briefly, you need to calculate the number of hours you spent doing child care in a year. Then you need to divide that number by the number of actual hours in a year (8760) to come up with a percentage of time you spent providing child care in the year. Finally, you need to calculate the percentage of your home that you use for your business and multiply this percentage times the percentage of hours worked to get a final percentage. This final percentage is then multiplied by the amount spent on consumables in a year to come up with the dollar figure of how much you can claim as a business expense on the consumables you purchased.

Here is a list of the most common consumables used, though you may come up with a lot of others depending on your situation: dish soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, all cleaning products, Ziploc bags, aluminum foil, Saran wrap, garbage bags, tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, hand soap, lotion, paper plates, paper cups, and air fresheners. There are many others that may apply to your home. Try to come up with an exhaustive list that applies to your situation.

This next grouping of deductions I will deal with together, as they are all related. These deductions deal with supplies and services for your home that you pay for. This includes utilities, garbage services, internet service, and more. Since these services benefit both your business and your family, they once again need to have the time/space formula applied to them in order to calculate your deduction. Use the figure that you calculated from above and multiply it times the total amount paid in a year for, say, your electric bills to come up with a deductible amount. Basically, any supply or service that is used to benefit your business can be at least partially deducted.

Remember to include these items: electric bills, propane or natural gas, water bills, home security system fees, cable or satellite television, internet service (if you use the internet for your business for advertising or looking things up or email), and garbage and/or recycling pickup. All of these services are necessary for running a child care business and are therefore deductible. Just calculate the total amount spent in a year for a service and then multiply it by your time/space formula calculation to get a total deduction. List these out and give them to your accountant, it's that easy!

There are occasionally times when you can deduct 100% of the cost of a service. This applies when a service is used exclusively for your business. For example, if you have a phone line that is only used for your child care business, then you can deduct 100% of the fees for that phone line. Also, if your child care is run out of a separate building from your home, say a converted garage, then you can probably figure out the electricity for just that building and deduct that cost at 100%. It is, of course, advantageous to be able to increase your deductions, so take advantage of this if you can.

The tenth and final deduction that is commonly missed is a deduction for work done on or services provided for your home. For example, did you have new gutters installed? That cost will be at least partially deductible. Did you have your carpets cleaned? Again, that is a deduction. Did you have a repairman come to fix the refrigerator? Take a deduction for that! Save all receipts for any work done so you can claim the deduction. You will need to speak with your accountant about how much you can deduct for services done, because it depends on the service how the deduction is taken. Things like refrigerator repair will probably be deducted based on the time/space formula. Carpet cleaning and other cleaning services may be 100% deductible. Things like home improvements may have the time/space formula applied or they may be depreciated, depending on the cost. These can be great deductions, it is just a little more difficult to know how to calculate the total deduction on these items and should probably be done with the help of an accountant.

These ten tax deductions are fairly simple to apply and can really bring a home daycare provider some much needed tax relief. It takes a little extra time to calculate these items, but it can definitely be worth it in the long run!

Ten Tax Deductions Home Daycare and Child Care Providers Miss

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Incentives With Healthcare Information Technology Software

The Health Care Industry is focusing on ways to provide better service to patients and cut cost for all entities involved. One of the major pushes for improving the quality and cost of health care has been the movement toward better Health IT.
Health IT is defined as "providing the umbrella framework to describe the comprehensive management of health information and its secure exchange between consumers, providers, government and quality entities, and insurers." The advances in Health Care Information Technology Software aim to improve health care quality, prevent medical errors, reduce cost, decrease paperwork, and more.

The Health Care Industry has made significant strides in their technology with the development of electronic prescribing and electronic medical records (EMR). Electronic Prescribing is the ability to send error-free, accurate, and understandable prescriptions electronically from the provider to the pharmacy. EMR is a computerized history of patient health information. EMR's are housed on health information systems that allow storage, retrieval and manipulation of records by health care providers. These electronic capabilities have proved to assist in the goals of improving health care quality by decreasing medical errors and reducing costs.

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Health Insurance providers are expected to see major benefits from the ePrescribing and EMR programs. For instance, Medicare could "save up to 6 million over the five-year course of the program due to avoided adverse drug events." Another area to benefit is doctors. Studies have proved that doctors using ePrescribing software "save about

If the direct cost-saving benefits do not entice health care providers enough, they also receive savings through many of the health acts and services currently in place. Incentives are given to those that participate in ePrescribing software and Electronic Medical Records, and in future years penalties will be given to those that do not participate.

Examples of incentives are through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), the Health Information Technology for Economics and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). They both offer a bonus for those that participate in the electronic medical record and/or the e-prescribing programs.

MIPPA has designed a year by year percent bonus for ePrescribing participants and a year by year penalty for non ePrescribing participants. Starting in 2009, they rewarded 2% and took no penalty. This year (2010) they will also reward 2% and take no penalty. In 2011, MIPPA will reward 1% with still no penalty. In 2012 the penalty begins. They will still reward 1% to participants but will also begin penalizing non participants at 1%. In 2013 the rates move to 0.5% reward and 1.5% penalty. Beyond 2013, those participating in electronic prescribing programs will not receive an incentive but if you choose not to participate you will be hit with a 2% penalty.

The ARRA HITECH incentives deal more with EMR's or EHR's (Electronic Health Records) but also include eprescribing. President Obama signed this act into law in February 2009. Medical professionals who provide Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as EMR's are eligible to receive as much as ,000 in incentives.

MIPPA and ARRA HITECH are just two examples of the many incentive programs that the government has approved. Health care providers that do not participate in electronic prescribing and electronic health records miss out on these as well as the ROI and cost savings. And, this is just the beginning. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is continuing to put efforts toward Healthcare Information Technology Software and developments. It is the wave of the future- the sooner you jump on the better.

.70 per patient per month, which translates to 5,000 annually for each 100,000 insured patients filling prescriptions.

Incentives With Healthcare Information Technology Software

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Lean Process Improvement in Health Care

Introduction

U.S. hospitals are in for a transformative awakening. They are facing the most sweeping change to health care since Medicare was enacted in the 1960s. The Patient Protection Act recently signed into law, fundamentally alters the healthcare landscape for all hospitals and medical care facilities. Demand for services will increase astronomically, as 30 to 40 million individuals become insured, this demand will spike in 2013 and 2014.

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Improving throughput in hospitals and medical care facilities will become a challenge, calling for improving process efficiency and labor productivity, at a time when most hospitals are already at their capacity limits. Experts predict that the Emergency Rooms will be the hardest hit, where non-critical wait times may be as long as four hours. Improving productivity will have even more meaning with the predicted shortfalls in nurses and doctors.

Pricing pressures from insurance providers, plus new rules from Medicare and Medicaid are threatening the financial viability of for profit and non-profit healthcare institutions. The cost of poor quality will now have to be absorbed by the hospitals.

Although the Patient Protection Act doesn't become fully effective until 2013 now is the time for hospitals and other healthcare providers to start implementing changes in the way they do business. Hospitals must transform the care delivery system and create a new model free of non-value-added steps, and provide high quality care to the patient.

The Need for Change

The need for change in healthcare has never been more apparent than it is today. Healthcare is by far the largest industry in the United States. It is on the edge of astronomical growth as baby boomers reach their sixties and the impact of the recently enacted Patient Protection Act. The demand for new physicians will continue to grow even more rapidly than the supply of practicing physicians. The Council on Graduate Education predicts that the nation is likely to experience a shortage of 85,000 to 96,000 doctors by 2020. The health Resources and Services Administration predicts that the national nursing shortage will exceed 800,000 by 2020. Hospitals must take action and learn to do more with less. Lean process Improvement has the very real potential to update the care delivery process to one that flows, mistake free, and delivers value from the standpoint of the patient/customer. There is, however no time to waste. The time for action is now.

Can lean techniques help hospitals increase efficiency, streamline processes, and improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction? In a special report on how lean processes can transform businesses beyond the shop floor, experts from Wharton and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) explain how it is possible to accomplish these goals.

Length of patient stay is a critical measure of effectiveness and efficiency. A shorter stay means that beds turn over more quickly and hospitals can treat more patients without investing additional capital. According to Jon Scholl, a partner and managing director at BCG, a hospital with 800 beds that cuts average length of stay by just 10 percent can free up nearly 80 beds per year, enabling the delivery of more than 4,000 additional procedures and boosting operating profit by almost million. This approach effectively "builds" new beds for the hospital. With new construction costs averaging million per bed today, "another million in averted capital can be realized," says Scholl. "If you can lower length of stay by 10 percent, just look at the incredible leverage a hospital has."

Lean Hospitals do more than implement just tools and technical methods. Lean is also a cultural change and a management system, a transformation that takes time, effort, and persistence. Hospitals should not expect results overnight because Lean is a journey not a destination. Lean hospital value leaders are implementing infrastructures that all too familiar to a Lean manufacturer - Lean practices training, internal consultants/experts, or Kaizen Promotion or Center of Excellence Offices. Lean Hospitals are making significant training and development investments to help teach their managers how to become true leaders by empowering their employees and driving continuous process improvement.

Some Lean Hospitals use a primarily Kaizen Event driven event methodology, although the method is sometimes called "Rapid Improvement Events" or by another name in healthcare. Other hospitals have taken an approach that focuses less on short events and more on creating the infrastructure to drive improved process performance. As the leading Lean Hospitals are about five years into their journey, time will prove which model (or models) will be the most sustainable. As in manufacturing and other service organizations, Lean Hospitals will have to guard against regressing to old practices or behaviors.

Conclusion

Lean process improvement isn't a new concept, but it is relatively new to health care. There are many skeptics who believe Lean is a manufacturing strategy and is not suited for medical care. Like the manufacturing industry, hospitals are in fact, extraordinarily complex organizations, with multiple interacting processes. Many of the principles of the Toyota Production System and other lean tools can and do apply to medical care delivery processes.

Courageous, out-of-the-box thinking health care organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, ThedaCare, and Virginia Mason along with others, are leading the way by demonstrating that lean process improvement can reduce waste in health care and are achieving similar results as other industries.

Lean principles hold the promise of reducing or eliminating wasteful activities, costs, and inefficiencies in health care, creating a system that provides value to patients.

Lean Process Improvement in Health Care

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Friday, July 15, 2011

B2B Portal: A Business Platform to Ultimate Productivity Improvement

If somebody tells you that your present corporate website can be converted to a B2B portal which will help you significantly improve your company's productivity in both of the two primary factors: Revenue Growth and Cost Saving, and that the portal can be launched in a matter of months with a very reasonable investment, what will be your reaction? Read on to learn how corporations all over the world are missing an opportunity, which can revolutionize the way they manage their businesses.

What is a B2B portal?

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A portal is defined as an access point to World Wide Web. A portal is a combination of web pages, features and services which become a primary destination for users. The word was first used to describe the sites of popular Internet access providers or search engines such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo! At a later stage, the word "portal" evolved into something bigger covering business websites, where a corporate portal or enterprise information portal acts as a base for employees, customers, suppliers and other associates of a company to access corporate information and web services. A B2B portal is a distinct kind of website with features to conduct electronic business and manage significant parts of corporate business processes.

Benefits of having a B2B portal

Today, B2B portals are not just a fancy idea! They are an absolute necessity for all enterprises of any type and size. The advantages of having a quality B2B portal are massive. Implementation of a true high quality B2B portal could have immediate impact on company productivity.

Revenue Growth

Revenue Increase from Existing Clients
Existing clients get faster and easier access to product information, quicker response to their requests, get better customer support and are able to buy products online.

Revenue Increase from Value Added Services
Once a B2B portal is set as the primary sales channel, spared resources can be used to create more value added services for clients. Some of the services that the portal may offer also could be utilized to generate more value.

Cost Savings

Order Processing Cost

If the B2B portal integrates supply chain management solution, it will reduce the cost of processing orders drastically. Studies show that similar solution can reduce cost of processing a purchase order from US$ 70 down in average to US$ 6 only.

Sales and support costs

Automated sales and customer support features integrated in the solution is capable of reducing overhead costs up to 30 percent.

Inventory keeping costs

Clearer visibility and forecasting ability thanks to various features of the B2B portal may help companies considerably reduce inventory keeping costs.

Other key benefits include:

Low customer acquisition cost

Effective portal branding on the Internet will help to attract customers from new sources. The cost of acquiring customers through online channels is always cheaper than other traditional methods.

Improve customer service

Ability to have constant interaction with customers through the B2B portal helps companies serve customers better. The B2B portal solution allows tracking the whole ordering process from payment to delivery and brings greater efficiency in customer service.

Reduce sourcing time cycle

The customers can select products from the integrated marketplace of the B2B portal and either sends purchase orders or directly buy products using the shopping cart. Buyers handle all their procurement related correspondence from a consolidated working page, which helps them react instantly and reduce time in document processing.

Community participation

Company buyers and sellers can create communities surrounding the B2B portal's discussion board. This helps getting valuable feedbacks on time, building new partnerships using the networking ability of a community, and disseminating important information to members easily.

Real time access to current product information

Current information of a product is vital for an accurate buying decision. Updating product content and other information using customized forms as it is necessary, the company can help buyers and other associates to take critical decision promptly.

Control rogue spending

Consolidated and automated procurement and approval method stops maverick buying in a company.

Main components of a B2B portal

Supply Chain Management

Supply chain management solutions can deliver great values to company's existing systems. Implementation of these solutions will help achieving incredibly high return on investment and will have tremendous impact on company's business, which include: better productivity, faster order processing, greater visibility, the elimination of maverick or unplanned purchasing, etc.

Marketplace

This is the venue where the enterprises can post their products for sale. A sophisticated shopping cart will be integrated into the electronic marketplace in order to automate the buying process.

Auction

Electronic auction system can use both English and Dutch auction methods. For convenience the auction component can be integrated into the electronic marketplace.

Online auction helps liquidate surplus goods easily.

Reverse Auction

This solution allows the company to automate electronic procurement, where suppliers compete for business real time online.

Storefront for Participants

Each associate of the B2B portal will get a Storefront that may reflect profile of the company, its products, services or other information.

Forum

A Forum or a Discussion Board is an organized, on-line interactive message board where participants conduct discussion on a set of topics by posting questions, comments and responses.

Internal Messaging System

Elaborate Messaging System allows a participant of the B2B portal send and receive messages from other participants and the company. Since the messages do not leave a secured server, participants would not be worried about sending sensitive information over the Internet.

Classified

Catalog based bulletin board allows company associates to post important notices in various predefined formats.

Directory of Companies

This is a listing of all registered associates of the B2B portal either by business category or by alphabetical order. An advanced search engine tool is incorporated in order to find a company based on data provided.

E-catalog

E-catalog -- a hierarchy of product and service categories based on UNSPCS, a global products and services classification method that covers the broadest collection of industries and commodities available today, and designed to facilitate e-commerce transactions by providing geography-independent common nomenclature system.

Product Content Adding System

Product adding mechanism based on either easy-to-use wizard or simple but detail forms allows users to integrate products or services with accurate and up-to-date information.

Product Notification

The system can generate an alert and send by email to a user, who requested to inform once a particular product or service gets added to the E-catalog.

Numerous other features could be incorporated to an existing B2B portal depending on requirement, such as: News Aggregation using RSS feed, Contact Management, Electronic Journal, Press Room, Document Repository, etc.

Time needed to set up

Using ready made B2B Portal components from a provider like Rusbiz.com a medium size portal can be built or integrated to existing website within three to four months.

By developing a B2B portal ahead of your major competitors you can give your business a significant boost and make your company stand out from the crowd.

B2B Portal: A Business Platform to Ultimate Productivity Improvement

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