Loring Jacobs. MD , an internist from Las Vegas, wanted to find a more personal way to tell patients their routine test results, otherwise relayed through a phone call, an automated system or a nurse.
So Dr. Jacobs began making video e-mails, giving patients the results himself, and explaining them in more detail. If the news is bad, Dr. Jacobs sends a video requesting that the patient make an appointment.
Dr. Jacobs has been sending video e-mails for about seven months. He said he does it because his patients like it, not only because they can see him talk about their test results, but also because they like how tech-savvy the video e-mail makes him appear.
"They say, 'Thanks,' and then, 'How did you do that?' " Dr. Jacobs said.
That "how" question is one a small but growing number of physicians are trying to figure out, as they incorporate the use of Internet video into their practices.
Doctors are creating video blogs, or posting video of lectures or procedures, or as Dr. Jacobs is doing, adding video to e-mail. Some are posting video to their own Web sites, to YouTube or to doctor- or health-specific sites.
Creating Web video doesn't have to be expensive. Dr. Jacobs pays $9 per month for his video e-mail system and made a one-time purchase of a webcam, which can sit atop or near the computer and feed video straight into it. A webcam can cost as little as $25.
Nina Sossamon-Pogue, with BenefitFocus, a Charleston, S.C.-based health IT company that recently launched the open-source video site icyou.com, said video is a way to make things easier for patients to understand what the physician wants to convey.
[...] Copyright 2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
RELATED CONTENT You may also be interested in reading:Capitalizing on a craze: Medicine on an MP3 June 4, 2007
Massachusetts considers requiring all surgeries to be videotaped April 23/30, 2007
Podcasting primer: All you need is the Internet May 8, 2006
December 31st, 2007 / Uncategorized / Comments Off
UnitedHealth Group's former CEO and board chair has settled with the company and the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations that he benefited from an illegal scheme to maximize what he earned in stock options. But legal troubles remain for both William McGuire, MD, and United. On Dec. 5, 2007, Dr. McGuire settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with pension funds that had brought a lawsuit against him over backdating of stock options, which was alleged to have occurred from 1994 to 2005. The SEC settlement totaled $468 million, the largest ever resulting from options backdating.
Though Dr. McGuire admitted no wrongdoing, the size of the settlement "reflects the magnitude and scope of Dr. McGuire's misconduct," Linda Chatman Thomsen, director of the SEC's enforcement division, said in a prepared statement. Of that total, $7 million was a civil fine paid to the SEC, another $12.7 million was a return of what the SEC called "ill-gotten gains," and the remainder was a forfeiture of options already issued. The SEC settlement also bars Dr. McGuire from serving as an officer or director in a public company for 10 years. In the lawsuit settlement, Dr. McGuire agreed to reimburse United for $448 million in options and cash, on top of $200 million in options he gave back upon resigning from United in November 2006, after 15 years with the company. The SEC said the lawsuit settlement, which needs to be reviewed and approved by a U.S. District Court judge in Minnesota, was sufficient to cover the forfeiture it had ordered. [...] Copyright 2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. RELATED CONTENT You may also be interested in reading:Health plan earnings up, but United's woes continue Feb. 26, 2007 SEC takes closer look at United's stock-option grants Jan. 15, 2007 Stock option problems magnifying financial troubles for United Nov. 27, 2006
December 19th, 2007 / Brain Injury News / Comments Off
The Children & Adolescents Committee of the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey presents a free educational session intended for parents and school professionals. Participants will learn the basics of why children and adolescents with brain injury experience behavioral issues, what those behaviors look like, and how they are a way to communicate feelings and frustrations. Parents and school professionals will also learn how to prevent and manage behavioral issues, both at home and in the classroom.
The seminars will be held:
Thursday March 13, 2008
7:00-9:00 PM
Children's Specialized Hospital, Mountainside
and,
Tuesday March 25, 2008
6:30-8:30 PM
Weisman children's Rehabilitation Hospital, Marlton
For more information or to RSVP, contact Erica Puopolo at 732.738.1002 or epuopolo@bianj.org. 
December 18th, 2007 / Brain Injury News / Comments Off
I am pleased to announce that, at the recent Brain Injury Association of America Leadership meeting, the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey received the Award of Excellence for Communications for organizations with a budget above $250,000.
The honor was based on the submission of Returning to Work After Brain injury: An Information and Resource Guide for New Jersey's One-Stop Centers, written by BIANJ staff members Judi Weinberger, Rita Stindlberger, and former employee Samantha Caetano.
I am proud that the fine work of these staff members has been recognized. In addition, this publication has been valuable to workforce development personnel in New Jersey and has been adapted for use by other states in the ongoing efforts to achieve successful employment outcomes for persons with brain injury. 
December 17th, 2007 / Uncategorized / Comments Off
Family physician Don Gibson, MD, isn't too keen on talking about bills with patients. Usually, he said, if a patient asks about the price of a visit or a test, he refers them to "the people at the front desk," who manage the billing for his solo practice in Richland, Miss. His hesitance to talk about the cost of care or a patient's bill is just the way he was trained, Dr. Gibson said. "I do have to talk about money more. I personally don't like to be a part of it, but at times I have to be a part of it."
The discussion about money is happening more often, in part because some patients now have high-deductible health plans paired with health spending or flexible spending accounts -- also known as consumer-directed health plans. Advocates of such plans say that giving patients first-dollar coverage will get them more involved in their health care, and more involved in discussing the costs. But analysts say those plans are growing more slowly than expected because of a perceived taboo about patients and doctors discussing the cost of care. "There's no question that there will be certain individuals who just don't feel comfortable having this discussion related to their financial situation, period," said Jacque Sokolov, MD, chair and senior partner at health care consulting firm SSB Solutions. It appears many patients and physicians are having a difficult time turning health care into a consumer-retailer discussion. "I'm only concerned about their medical problem," Dr. Gibson said. "I don't like that term, 'consumer,' even though I guess there's some truth to it. I've always considered them my patients, not consumers." [...] Copyright 2007 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. RELATED CONTENT You may also be interested in reading:HSA enrollment growth slows but is still high May 14 High-deductible plans seen as risky for kids March 19 Congress adopts measures to boost health savings accounts Jan. 1/8 Insurers offer expansions to consumer-driven health care Sept. 11, 2006
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