We’ve had a lot of articles about ransomware on this blog over the years, and for good reason. For roughly a half decade, healthcare organizations have been (and will likely continue to be) irresistible targets for cybergangs looking to carry out ransomware attacks. Case in point, just look at the recent May 1st attack on Scripps Health, which has left their computer network and related applications down for nearly a month (as of the writing of this article, a large portion of their systems were still down).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a wealth of new guidance and resources for MIPS Promoting Interoperability (PI) measures and program requirements for the 2021 reporting period. These changes are based on the IPPS (or inpatient) rule. However, the guidance released in the IPPS rule is usually mirrored in the outpatient rule, which should be released later this summer. As usual, there is a lot to go through. However, most requirements are being carried over from 2020 so only a handful of changes need to be noted by our readers (have no fear; we’ve already done the grunt work, so you don’t have to).

It is safe to say that 2020 was a difficult year for a lot of people, financially and otherwise. When it comes to increased financial responsibility for healthcare, it was an especially difficult year for most patients. According to new research, the average consumer spent considerably more money on healthcare than they did only a few short years ago. This trend of increased financial burden on patients is likely going to continue in 2021 and will be further exacerbated by higher healthcare prices.

As we covered in a previous blog, patient demand for better online and digital payment options has long been on the rise. In a world where everyone is connected online, physical “check in the mail” payments are quickly becoming an antiquated practice. Online payments are no longer seen as an alternative means of payment but have become very much the standard for today’s consumers.

The healthcare industry is predicted to experience an unprecedented level of cyberattacks in 2021. That’s a pretty crazy thing to claim, considering healthcare has already been one of the most heavily targeted industries for decades. However, while healthcare providers and staff have become savvier on how to avoid such tricks over the years, cybercriminals have changed tactics time and time again, finding new ways to compromise data. In response to these ongoing threats, research also predicts the healthcare sector will spend upwards of $125 billion on cybersecurity from 2020-2025.

Healthcare has seen several drastic changes over the past few years. A need for more contactless office procedures. A sharp rise in the use of telemedicine. A surge in digital payments. A crackdown on Information Blocking violations. One change that has not received nearly as much attention is increased financial responsibility for patients. And this economic trend highlights the benefits of patient portals for specialty healthcare practices.

Welcome to the second installment of our two-part blog series on building a high performing team. In Part 1, we took a look at the impact psychological safety has on your team and covered methods for building it within your practice. However, creating an environment that fosters psychological safety is only the beginning. In this blog, we will conclude by following up with a discussion of how understanding the values of your practice and setting the right level of expectations can help you create a more effective team.

There is far more to successfully running a practice than just EHR and Practice Management solutions. While there are many management and leadership studies out there, far too few of them actually deal with the nuances that leaders deal with at practices day to day. Your practice is also a business, and like a business it needs an effective team.