Yep, I’m heading to the Microsoft campus this week to take part in HUG, the Health Users Group Conference. I’m doing my homework and trying to get the most out of my visit by catching up on what Microsoft is doing in the healthcare sector.
I found two great videos by Bill Crounse, MD (hope [...]

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My August 20th post (read it here) noted that Dragon voice recognition software has been quietly gaining acceptance as a mainstream solution to hefty transcription costs and EMR integration. 10% of the healthcare providers in the United States are currently using Dragon Medical.
Yesterday, HISTalk noted that:
At least one doc is unhappy that Nuance has [...]

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Five years ago I worked for a physician who used Dragon to dictate his office notes. He put in the time to teach Dragon his voice and successfully dictated, edited, and printed his own notes. He eliminated all transcription costs, and was a favorite of the staff as no one ever had to scramble [...]

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Here are two of the newest healthcare games on the market. First up, Rite Aid:
They’re giving $30 gas debit cards with the transfer of a prescription to their store. If the Rx stays with Rite Aid, consumer’s name stays in play to win the gas lottery — a $2,600 gas card. [...]

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My daughter has a big crush on Billy Mays and loves his products, but even she should draw the line at buying health insurance from him.
BusinessWeek’s recent article by Karyn McCormack includes the pitchmeister Mays’ endorsement of the iCan health insurance product, touted as “affordable” and “not some discount card.”
Someone advised me a long time [...]

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If you are working in practice management, you might want to explore the gold standard in certification through the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE). Disclaimer: I am Board Certified and a Fellow in the ACMPE but I receive no compensation for writing about the College or having a link to them on [...]

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My son called me today and asked me how to ask for a raise. Here is how I told him I’d like an employee to ask me for a raise:

Make an appointment with your boss and let her/him know that you’d like to discuss your compensation. Do not e-mail this request to your boss [...]

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A great column in last week’s BusinessWeek by Carmine Gallo gives the reader 4 steps to making difficult conversations with employees and coworkers more productive. I like his steps, but I have four of my own, and I’ll let you choose which works for you. Read Carmine’s suggestions here.
Here are my four steps:
Step [...]

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When we first moved to the west coast, I was stunned to find that people routinely take two weeks of vacation off AT ONE TIME! On the east coast, my experience had been that taking more than a week off was reserved for getting married or going to Europe. Amazingly, and this was [...]

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