Month: May 2019

Mystery Shopping The Healthcare Industry A Must For Patient Retention

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Mystery shopping the healthcare industry may strike some as counter-intuitive. Medicine and commerce have traditionally been mutually exclusive endeavors, but as medical practices consolidate and look more and more like regular businesses, patient retention becomes a growing factor.

The era of crotchety doctors and long waits in DMV-esque waiting rooms is drawing to a close, and many healthcare providers have embraced reputable mystery shopping firms as a partner in improving the patient experience. Here is what they are measuring:

Healthcare providers audit the appointment setting process.

Medical offices are typically a beehive of activity, and this is often reflected in the poor quality of the phone conversations we have with receptionists and other staff. Mystery shoppers are most often asked to audit the following, when calling to set an appointment with a medical practice:

Was the staffer courteous and helpful?

Did the staffer gather the required patient information?

Did the staffer ask how the caller learned of the practice?

Did the staffer tell the patient what to expect at the visit?

Did the staffer offer directions to the office? Did the staffer confirm the appointment details?

A good firm will ensure all calls are recorded so the client can hear how the call went.

Hidden video is becoming more prevalent for healthcare mystery shoppping, and gives an objective diagnosis of how your office is performing.

Healthcare providers audit the office visit.

Once the patient arrives at the office, there are many things that can affect the quality of the visit. Mystery shoppers audit everything from parking lot to the office and back. Here are the most commonly audited aspects of a medical visit:

How difficult was it to find the office?

How was the patient greeted?

How long was the check-in process?

Were the appropriate forms completed?

What was the wait time?

What was the condition of the waiting room?

How long did the patient wait in the examining room?

Were nurses and doctors friendly?

Did the doctor follow procedure in explaining the diagnosis?

Were options given?

Reputable firms offer mystery shops in the following types of healthcare practices:

Family practices

Pediatrics

PT/OT

Obstetrics

Dental

Orthodontics

Hospitals

Immediate care clinics

Cosmetic Surgery practices

There is a trend towards using independent contractors in many of the settings listed above. It is especially important to audit these situations, as there may not be as strong an allegiance from hired guns than from permanent full-time employees.

Healthcare in Malaysia

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The healthcare system in Malaysia consists of both public and private sector hospitals. About 80% of these hospitals come under the public sector which are the best facilities in the region. The government heavily subsidizes the public sector. The private sector in Malaysian healthcare is now a rapidly growing sector. It works mainly on the basis of “fee” for services provided .

The public hospitals in Malaysia are of the following three types: general hospitals, district hospitals, and special medical institutions. There is a general hospital in each of Malaysias sixteen state capitals, which has an average of 600 to 700 beds each. These general hospitals provide specialized medical care. The district hospitals are smaller and provide more basic medical care.

The private hospitals account for 20 percent of Malaysias hospital beds, but they employ about 54 percent of the doctors in Malaysia.

SurgeryPlanet , the premier Medical tourism Facilitator with international accreditations, has the largest and best hospital network in Malaysia, which includes Mahkota Medical Centre, Gleneagles Medical Centre, KPJ Healthcare Berhad etc. Many of these hospitals in SurgeryPlanet hospital network are e ISO and JCI accredited hospitals. Most of the doctors at Malaysia are highly educated and experienced and do speak English fluently.

Medical Tourism in Malaysia
Malaysia has fast gained a reputation as one of the major medical tourism destinations of Asia. Malaysian hospitals are among the best in the region and most private hospitals have internationally recognized quality standards. Malaysia has become the chosen destination for medical travelers from all across the world due to many reasons. The cheaper cost of treatment in Malaysia, state-of-the-art hospitals and clinics, highly qualified doctors, and exotic tourist destinations. Most private hospitals in Malaysia provide comfortable accommodation facilities to tourists. Given Malaysias low cost of living, the accommodation does not cost a lot to the medical tourists. Malaysia ranks as among the top four centers of medical tourism in Asia with Thailand, India, and Singapore. In 2003, about 100,000 foreign patients sought treatment in Malaysia, bringing in millions in revenue. Many hospitals in Malaysia have set up international departments to cater especially to the international patients.

The Malaysian government is actively promoting medical tourism in Malaysia. As a result the number of private hospitals providing quality medical care to international patients has increased over the years. Medical and surgical procedures in Malaysia cost only 20 to 25 percent of the same in USA or UK. The official language of Malaysia is Malay, but English is spoken and understood by the doctors and health staff. The prices of medical and surgical procedures are a fraction of those in developed countries, with over 60% to 70% savings .

Citizens of the United States do not require a visa to visit Malaysia for social, business, or academic purposes. Nationals of all ASEAN countries do not require a visa for a stay of less than one month. For stays exceeding one month, the nationals of ASEAN countries, except Brunei and Singapore, require a visa. The nationals of the following countries require a visa at all times: Afghanistan, India, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, etc. The citizens of following countries require a visa for a stay exceeding three months: Argentina, Australia, Netherland, Norway, Qatar, France, Germany, Hungary, etc.

Why International Patients prefer Malaysia for medical treatment?

Medical expertise in Malaysia is at par with the western countries and most private hospitals in the country have internationally recognized quality standards. All private medical centers are approved and licensed by the Ministry of Health and are required to maintain stringent quality standards. People from around the world have been visiting Malaysia for Medical Tourism and avail high quality medical treatment in some of the best healthcare facilities in the country.

Cost Benefits: When compared to the medical costs in the US and UK, Malaysia offers medical services and healthcare facilities at a very competitive price. Medical Tourism packages offer world-class medical facilities to medical tourists at affordable prices.

State of the Art Healthcare Facilities in Malaysia: Most private hospitals and healthcare facilities are well equipped with state of the art equipments and are well staffed with English speaking and internationally trained medical professionals.

Highly Qualified Medical Professionals: Most hospitals and healthcare facilities are staffed by well-experienced and highly qualified English speaking medical professionals with extensive international qualifications and are supported by an equally efficient group of English speaking paramedic staff.

Affordable and comfortable Accommodation: Most private hospitals in Malaysia offer accommodation for their patients ranging from comfortable rooms to luxurious suites with full time nurses. Sleep-in facility for patients traveling companion is also provided by some hospitals. The cost of accommodation is very reasonable and allows most foreign patients and travel companions to enjoy the comforts ofl luxurious hotel or hospital suites.

Tourism in Malaysia
International Medical Patients get ample opportunity to enjoy the exotic Malaysian beaches or go for sightseeing and participate in other tourist activities during or after their recuperation. While patients with minor surgeries enjoy an exhilarating tourist experience, Malaysia also offers enough opportunity for critically-ill patients to take a leisurely vacation on the quiet beaches. An extensive and relaxing tour of Malaysia not only works as an enriching experience but also actively contributes to the patients recovery.

SurgeryPlanet, the most trusted and renowned medical tourism facilitator, makes complete door to door arrangements for international medical travelers globally. For more information visit.

Healthcare Law Means Changes for Nurse Management Jobs

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Would it surprise you to know that President Obama’s health care law goes well beyond simply providing insurance to those who don’t have it? Indeed, the Affordable Care Act (affectionately known as ObamaCare) contains an entire litany of new regulations that will affect everything from who receives care to how services are bought and paid for.

A good example of the burdensome regulations applies directly to nurse management jobs. There is a provision in the law requiring medical facilities to allow breaks for employees who are also nursing mothers, in order to allow them time to express milk. For a nurse manager this presents a whole new set of problems.

For instance, the law states breaks must be “reasonable” in terms of length. But who decides what “reasonable” is? If one nursing mother can express her milk in 15 minutes while another takes 30, there will be questions about fairness and equal time. Then there’s the question of workers who have babies brought to the workplace to nurse rather than expressing milk and putting it in the refrigerator.

Just this one little regulation is already causing a lot of headaches for nurse managers. It provides further evidence that the health care overhaul is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Nurse Management Jobs Still Worthwhile

Despite the changes in the healthcare regulations, don’t be discouraged if you want to get into the healthcare field. Nurse management jobs are still very attractive for a variety of reasons. They offer excellent pay, a good working environment, and room for professional advancement.

Furthermore, working as a nurse manager brings with it a measure of personal satisfaction by being able to help make the lives of patients better. By your willingness to put your best foot forward your nursing staff will be encouraged to do the same and your patients will benefit.

You and Your Staff

To excel as a nurse manager requires a way of thinking that’s slightly different from what you did as an active floor nurse. In other words, before moving into management your primary focus was your patients. As a nurse manager you’re still focused on patient care, but you’re more focused on your staff as the vehicle to provide that care.

Nurse management jobs are therefore more about encouraging the success of your staff. When you’re nurses are doing well, so will your patients. When your nurses are not performing up to standards patient care will suffer.

Nurse Managers also have the added responsibility of representing their staff before upper management and other members of the healthcare team. This requires a certain amount advocacy which some nurse managers find difficult. Nonetheless, it’s part of building a solid team.

In the United States there is currently a significant shortage of nurses and nurse managers. There are nurse management jobs available in big cities, small towns, and through temporary staffing agencies. If you’re qualified and want to work, it’s out there for the taking.

Health Care Education – Choose The Right Career In Healthcare Sector

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Specialized medical courses are now being offered by many health schools. These programs provide in-depth knowledge of various medical treatments and subjects.

Health care education in the sphere of allied health, diagnostic medical ultrasound and sonography, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy technician, healthcare management, emergency medical services, and other subjects are open to students these days. These programs are available as full time or part time programs and offer internships as well, so that students can get a hands-on experience in their respective fields.

With the increase in health care facilities for the disabled and elderly, nursing universities have developed new courses in health care education. Nowadays, wellness centers and independent living centers are offer bright prospects to upcoming medical professionals. Assisted living centers, adult care centers and the likes are offering them designations like that of medical administrator, in which they are responsible for every resident and their well-being. The requirement of skilled medical practitioners is steadily increasing with increase in the number of adult care centers and retirement homes. The minimum requirement for a job in these centers is a Bachelor’s degree in science or health care. Professional course certificate in the branch of health administration, human physiology or health law gives you a better chance of getting a job over others.

Now that we have a number of options available in health care sector, choosing the right course for you can be a daunting task. You got to clearly define your career goals and then find out the details of the courses that fulfill them rightly. If you want start earning quickly and gather some job experience, then you must look forward to diplomas and certificate programs. Likely, there are some courses which take up a few years to get completed but they offer rewarding careers ahead.

If you are looking for job and career prospects in this industry then there is some really fascinating news ahead. The healthcare industry is on a high tide these days and there are numerous jobs available in various adult day care centers, emergency clinics, hospitals and rehab centers. In the last ten years, there is been a significant change in the health care facilities. Conventional roles like doctors, pharmacists and nurses are a thing of past. This escalating demand for skilled medical services is contributed by diversification of roles in medical care centers. Healthcare benefits along with hefty pay scales are common feature in healthcare jobs these days.

Healthcare Facilities in Mnchengladbach

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Being healthy is critical. The sedentary and busy lifestyle has triggered a large number of health problems among people; these include numerous mental as well as physical disorders. All these need to be catered to effectively or they may lead to a more complicated scenario.

There are various common psychology issues faced by people. Some of them are listed below:

Depression: Depression is of various types- non-specific depression, dysthymic disorder, adjustment disorder with depression as well as bi-polar depression. Psychologe Mnchengladbach mention that psychology issues can affect a person deeply and can lead to serious consequences.

Anxiety Disorders: Various kinds of anxiety problems include post-traumatic stress, panic disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, agoraphobia, etc. All these can mentally torment a person and can affect his mental condition severely. Such patients require the right treatment in the right time.

Psychologe Mnchengladbach identify schizophrenia as another very common mental illness. Schizophrenia can be severe, chronic as well as disabling brain disease. The patients with such an ailment require medications as well as proper guidance from the best psychologist Mnchengladbach. Psychological problems occurring in children include conduct disturbance, ADHD, oppositional behavior, etc. These problems are very common however one should neglect it, it can lead to a far more serious consequence than one can imagine.

There are many other psychological issues including personality disorders, adjustment disorders, family problems, etc. All these need proper diagnosis and treatment using the right means. Hence one needs to ensure that he contacts the right healthcare professionals for the same.

Besides mental issues one can contact Internist Mnchengladbach for all the internal body issues. Internists are generally equipped to handle numerous kinds of problem even if they are complicated. Severe chronic illnesses as well as different illnesses can be easily diagnosed and handled by a good internist. In fact many people have chosen Mnchengladbach internist as their family doctor. These doctors can various kinds of problems related to ears, eyes, skin, nervous system as well as reproductive organs.

Urologe Mnchengladbach are deft at managing all kinds of urology issues including reproductive problems in the male patients as well as urinary issues in both the sex. They might even be responsible for handling surgeries on bladder, ureter, kidneys as well as genitals. Urologe Mnchengladbach are popular for their invasive, technologically sophisticated methodologies for handling delicate physical structures.

The healthcare center at Mnchengladbach also include facilities for X-Ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, nuclear medicine, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). These equipments are important for diagnosing as well as treating several diseases. The advanced department of Radiologe Mnchengladbach help in proper diagnosis as well as treatment of various ailments.