Welcome to the second half of our brief blog series on the dangers of fake apps and rogue security software. In Part 1, we took a look at fake apps. Among those discussed was the infamous Virus Shield, a fake mobile antivirus app that did not actually do anything. However, those who downloaded the fake app may want to consider themselves lucky that it didn’t. Had it been a rogue security software loaded with a virus (or worse), as we will show in this second installment, their situations could have been far more troublesome. In fact, a 2010 study by Google found that 15% of all malware is downloaded due to rogue or fake antivirus software.

Forgeries, fakes, and counterfeit products have been around for thousands of years. About 2,000 years ago, Roman sculptors were copying preexisting sculptures from the ancient Greeks. Of course, back then, no one really cared that the statues weren’t authentic. They just liked how the sculptures looked and copies were more affordable than the rarer originals. In 1496 Michelangelo, the legendary Renaissance artist (just in case you thought I meant the ninja turtle) was hired by an unscrupulous art dealer to create a fake reproduction of what was supposed to be an “ancient” Cupid statue. The dealer who then sold the work was later caught for selling the fake and was forced to refund the buyer’s money. Luckily for Michelangelo, he was allowed to keep his fee.

Consumers in the technology age are ingrained with convenience and accessing information within seconds. So it’s only natural that those desires would eventually make its way into healthcare, which is where telemedicine has made its mark.

The primary goal of all medical practices is to provide excellent care to patients, but at the end of the day, a practice is a business. Without a solid patient base, practices cannot be financially successful. Specialty practices that offer elective procedures like cosmetic plastic surgery, fillers and botox injections, and Lasik eye surgery, should not only rely on existing patients for business, but always be looking for ways to bring new patients into a practice. One of the most cost effective ways to build a patient base is through word-of-mouth marketing.

With each passing day, technology is becoming a more integral part of the way we conduct our lives, and medical practices are no exception to this rule. Whether it's the emergence of more intricate and user-friendly EHR systems, practice management software, data reports from wearable technology or new patient portal solutions, our practices are more technologically involved than they've ever been before. While all of this technology is aimed at simplifying life, it can actually complicate things a great deal if managed improperly. Take a minute and check out these tips for managing technology in your practice to keep things running smoothly, seamlessly and effectively.

Interoperability. To say it’s a priority for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would be an understatement. As an added effort to encourage interoperability between vendors and providers, the CMS is calling on everyone in the medical community to – for lack of a better word – snitch.

Use of electronic medical records (EMRs) continues to spread throughout medical practices in the United States, especially in the field of ophthalmology. According to the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) 2015 EHR Customer Satisfaction Report, 75 percent of ophthalmologists are currently using an EMR in their practice. EMR’s growth in ophthalmology can largely be attributed to Meaningful Use since the majority of ophthalmology patients are elderly and likely using Medicare. Unfortunately, with the increase in EMR use has come a slight rise in dissatisfaction in EMRs as well. In the last two years, dissatisfaction rose four percent in the survey (18-22 percent).

Financial management of a medical practice is similar to mastery of a fine art or sport; it's something that one has to be working at constantly in order to do well. However, striving for financial excellence doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, there are several key habits that you can work into the practice's daily and quarterly routine that can help you maximize profit, reduce error and improve financial stability across the board. Whether you're satisfied with the state of your practice's financials or are looking to improve them, you may benefit from reading these tips: