BLOGS & EDUCATION
2023 Advances in Mental Health Tech Platform Leaders Will Offer
The technology for mental health, substance use treatment, and the I/DD support market continues to expand. For me, it’s been hard to keep drinking from the technology firehose. There is so much to follow and stay up-to-date on! Maybe you don’t have enough time to review all the latest and greatest technology for our market. If that applies to you, I’ve provided a group of technologies that, in my opinion, could help provider organizations boost care quality in 2023 and beyond. First things first! It’s hard to discuss any technology without discussing the changes in federal legislation over the years. The central theme has been that patients need access to their information, and technology providers must seamlessly share data between [...]
How to Knock Every B2B Meeting Out of the Park!
Your most important meetings every day are with current and potential clients. This is your chance to connect and understand their needs, wants, and where they aim to go as individuals and as an organization. Leaders at all levels need to put the necessary effort into having productive conversations. Often staff will show up unprepared, late, and without an agenda. The worst thing they can do is not give themselves enough time to review the data they’ve received that will help them have a successful meeting. Almost every encounter with a current or potential client should start well before the meeting. I was fortunate enough to learn the core process from leaders years ago and have added to that process [...]
The Keys to a Successful Substance Abuse EHR Implementation Process
For substance abuse and mental health treatment providers, a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is a big commitment. Implementing it requires significant investments of both time and money, with a lot of pressure to get it right. Your EHR is critical to your organization’s success. How you use your EHR is equally crucial as which EHR. The electronic health record will be the backbone of your organization. It can provide insightful information regarding your organization and patient outcomes if used correctly. Standard productivity tools like Microsoft Word and Excel have expanded our capabilities and dramatically lowered the friction of presenting and sharing information. But like many technologies, you usually use around 20 percent of the available features. That may [...]
Prepare for Substance Abuse Treatment Changes With the Right EHR Solution
The for-profit substance abuse market is changing, and providers need to be prepared. From value-based reimbursement to multiple-payer clinical outcome requirements, you need to be able to collect, analyze, and report accurate data to stay compliant and receive the greatest reimbursements owed. The right EHR can help you navigate many of these changes. But how do you know that you are choosing the right EHR? If you’ve already invested in an EHR system, how can you make sure you’re using it effectively? Here’s what to keep in mind. Start with the basics Buying an EHR is a lot like buying a house. When you’re shopping for a house, you can assume it will have a few basic features. For example, [...]
We have an app for that!
It’s a road, not a destination Advancing technology has brought more health care into the digital world. Today there are tons of behavioral health applications and services to choose from. Although these tools have been available for years, the COVID-19 pandemic propelled their adoption forward as most behavioral health care moved online. An ongoing shortage of behavioral health providers and increasing costs have also prompted consumers to turn to digital apps to help manage mental health symptoms. There are hundreds of behavioral health apps with different features aimed at a variety of needs. Some apps, like TalkSpace and BetterHelp, connect users directly to a licensed therapist for individual counseling. Other apps, such as Calm and Sanvello, offer meditation and breathing [...]
Here’s What EHR Users Need to Know About the 21st Century Cures Act
If your practice uses an electronic health record (EHR) system, then it’s important to understand how the 21st Century Cures Act affects you. The Cures Act, signed into law in December 2016, is the foundation put in place by the HITECH Act via the 3 stages of Meaningful Use. The Cures Act in many ways should be thought of as the next version or next “stage” of Meaningful Use. 21st Century Cures Act: Getting the Basics The Cures Act covers many areas of research, including drugs, medical devices, and software. For example, some funding is intended for the creation of new research competitions and loan repayment programs for certain researchers. It also speeds up the FDA drug approval process for [...]