CrossCheck Blog

For healthcare providers, patient well-being is the number one priority, but the ability to provide affordable services and receive fair compensation is crucial to their continued success. With medical costs remaining as a primary consumer concern, the CrossCheck editorial staff takes a closer look at the services and requirements of one popular option, CareCredit.

Do you or a loved one qualify for Medicaid long-term care programs? State by state, Medicaid program eligibility and coverage requirements vary. In the interactive “Medicaid Long Term Care Guide,” Arizona organization Senior Planning dissects the medical resources of all 50 states. The goal of Medicaid long-term care programs is to support blind, disabled and aged individuals. With so many patient choices, the CrossCheck editorial team decided to examine the requirements and resources available to Californians.

According to the Department of Physiotherapy at Singapore General Hospital, drivers can squeeze in a mini workout when they are stuck in traffic. Singapore residents should know a thing or two about sitting behind the wheel since their road congestion was ranked 45 th worst among all international cities in 2015. “ Exercises You Can Do in the Car” was published in November 2016, providing a list of recommendations for the neck, trunk, back and arms.

It resembles a plump R2-D2 from Star Wars at idle and a tall patio propane heater while powered up. Despite those unflattering visuals, a germ-zapping robot from San Antonio, Texas is living up to the hype that has overtaken the healthcare profession like wildfire. The robot destroys viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in less than 10 minutes per room where speed is an asset to cleaning operations. Launched in 2010, Xenex has garnered broad recognition in late 2016 as it approaches the 400 mark in hospitals using the robots.

The world rate of diabetes has risen nearly 400% since 1980. The World Health Organization's first global report on diabetes reveals that 422 million people in the world — up from 108 million in 1980 — were diagnosed with diabetes in 2014. Type 2 diabetes accounts for the majority of those diagnosed, largely resulting from excess body weight and physical inactivity. Released April 7 for World Health Day, the 88-page report revealed that Type 2 diabetes, once seen only in adults, is increasingly occurring in children and young people.

Few things in life function properly right out of the box. Purchase a guitar, and there are bridges to dial in and strings to replace. Buy a new car, and there are seats to adjust and a clock to set. Add a new computer, and there are desktop pictures to choose and hundreds of apps to personalize, including the email client and web browsers. It never ends. What about online management systems for medical practices, especially those claiming to integrate a handful of platforms in one easy-to-use package? Smart management and marketing solutions may indeed simplify and fulfill multiple functions, but the learning curve for setup and operation is extensive. Following a successful launch, the proper management of all sources can increase sales by improving the quantity and quality of patients walking through the door. M

A recent unique study was conducted for CareCredit about how people purchase healthcare services and related products including dentistry, veterinary services, hearing health, vision care and cosmetic procedures. In an online survey, patients who had made an elective healthcare purchase in the past 12 months (or were likely to do so soon), were asked a series of questions resulting in some interesting findings that could help medical service providers retain more business and potentially grow their current practices.

Heart disease is a silent killer that takes the lives of nearly one million Americans annually, states The Heart Foundation. February is American Heart month, and campaigns by The Heart Foundation, American Heart Association, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute are in full swing to raise awareness about cardiovascular and other heart related diseases. After discovering that the lives of nearly 500,000 American women were claimed by cardiovascular disease in 2004, the American Heart Association founded the Go Red For Women movement to empower women to take charge of their heart health and dispel myths that heart disease and strokes were predominantly men's diseases. Historically, physicals for women focused on breast cancer and gynecological screenings while testing for heart disease was done on men. Nevertheless, the association maintains that heart death rates among women still outpace those in men, and there are disparities in the symptoms and cause of heart disease between the genders. As vital influencers on the living habits of individuals, physicians lead the communication on health with their patients and can dramatically influence the prevention, care and treatment of women's heart health issues. In an effort to provide health professionals with digestible and up-to-date information for their patients, and to inspire individuals to educate themselves on the disease, CrossCheck has accumulated the most recent facts and health tips on the signs, symptoms and prevention of heart disease. Share these recent facts and health tips to inspire patients, friends and colleagues to recognize the signs and actively work toward preventing heart disease.

“Eighty-one percent of doctors are at capacity or overextended,” states Physician Trends 2015, a report containing data, surveys and commentary on the future of physicians in the United States. The document was summarized in a presentation by Jackson Healthcare on October 29, 2015. The report serves as a factual second opinion for physicians making, or at the threshold of making important career decisions.

One in five patients with a distressing diagnosis will seek a second opinion. If they were diagnosed with cancer, more than half will seek one. While the second-opinion phenomenon is not new, the way its delivered and the impact it may have on your practice is.