ICBS 120 MEDICAL OFFICE PROCEDURES

1. ICBS 120 MEDICAL OFFICE PROCEDURES Health Care Settings and the Healthcare Team

2. Healthcare is ever-changing • Dynamic and stimulating industry • Encourage healthcare professionals to constantly develop new skills and stay on top of new technology. • Scope of healthcare includes: more than 25 specialties, over 20 kinds of allied health professionals, and increasing non-traditional practitioners.

3. Forms of Medical Practice Mgmt • Sole Proprietorships: • Entitles the physician to hold executive rights to all aspects of the practice (profits/debts). • May employ other physicians • Partnerships: • Several physicians who share a facility. • Corporation: • Allows income and tax advantages to all employees. • Professional employees only liable for “OWN” acts. • Provides fringe benefits such as health insurance/vacation.

4. Ambulatory Healthcare Settings • Individual and Group Practices Individual/Solo Practice: treats all patients in the practice Physician is responsible for all cost of running the practice. • Group Practices Two or more physicians share the operating costs of the practice. Physicians learn and consult with each other Travel between one or more offices Has a larger patient base and able to offer lower prices • Urgent Care Centers Usually private, for-profit Services for primarycare,routine injuries, illnesses, andminor surgery

5. Managed Care Operations • Purpose: To provide comprehensive healthcare at a reasonable cost. • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is a network of participating physicians within a defined geographic area • Specialists are usually seen by gatekeeper referral. • HMO’s provide a full range of services under one roof • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is a Physicians network offers discounted services as agreed • Individual Practice Association (IPA) treats patients for an agreed-upon fee.

6. Ways of Keeping Healthcare Costs Down • Lifestyle change • Diet and exercise • Taking prescriptions as directed • Patient education • Preventative healthcare • Keep on top of billing • Make sure billing is accurate

7. Integrative/Alternative Healthcare • Training is highly specialized and specific • Considered complimentary to traditional health care. Broad Disciplines: • Chiropractic: drug free, non-surgical, manipulation of the body • Naturopathy: remove the underlying causes of disease and to simulate body’s natural healing processes • Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture: Chinese recognize a vital energy behind all life-forms called “qi” (chee).

8. Integrative/Alternative Healthcare Therapies Cont’d Broad disciplines continued: • Oriental medicine is over 3,000 years old. • Includes acupuncture, Chinese herbology and bodywork, dietary therapy and exercise based on traditional Oriental medicine principles.

9. Integrative/Alternative Healthcare Therapy Cont’d Some Selected Alternative Medicine Modalities: • Acupressure: apply pressure to specific acupuncture like points; encourages flow of vital energy along pathways. • Aromatherapy: inhalation and bodily application of essential oils from plants to help relax. It strengthens the self-healing process by indirect stimulation of the immune system. • Homeopathy: healing that claims highly diluted doses of certain substance can leave an energy imprint in the body and bring acout a cure.

10. Role of the Healthcare TEAM • Team concept is critical to the quality of patient care. • A primary care physician is generally, one of the most important members. • Another critical allied health member is the medical assistant. • Other members: insurance coding and billing specialist, RN, surgeon, Receptionist, etc.

11. Role of the Healthcare TEAM Cont’d • Practice within your scope of training. • For example: no one should ever diagnose a patient except for the physician. • Never do anything you feel uncomfortable doing. • Always ask questions when you don’t know or don’t understand.

12. Value of the Administrative Healthcare TEAM • Must have qualities: • Great communicators • Liaison between physician and staff members • Ability to undertake responsibility for directing, informing, and guiding patients and patient care in a professional and caring tone. • Must be competent and compassionate.