Information Technology for the Practicing Physician

Book excerpt: Following both a patient and an employee through a physician visit, this is a "how-to" manual for implementing practice management solutions. The first section provides information and examples prior to the patient visit, and includes examples of physicians who utilize email and Web sites to attract patients, electronic scheduling systems to decrease wait time, and registration systems which can verify insurance information. The second section focuses on electronic medical records, electronic referral systems, billing and collection systems, and follow-up patient education and discharge information, thus portraying the "future physician office visit." The third section centres on the physician practice manager's daily operations and how technology can achieve efficacy.