In TAFP’s monthly Products & Services e-newsletter, we highlight products and services important to family physicians. See this month’s offerings below, and access previous issues in the Products & Services section of TAFP’s website, www.tafp.org/resources/products. We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think of this member resource by e-mailing tafp@tafp.org.
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Working toward your ABFM Maintenance of Certification? TAFP and AAFP can help |
TAFP and AAFP have many tools to help you make progress toward your ABFM MC-FP. If you still have Maintenance of Certification requirements to complete before the end of the year, TAFP will offer two more SAM Group Study Workshops in 2011 in Lubbock and San Antonio, both on Saturday, Dec. 10. TAFP will offer at least 10 more SAM workshops in 2012 to meet the growing needs of our members. Find more information and register at www.tafp.org/education/sam. AAFP offers board review resources, study materials, and a schedule of live clinical courses; additional SAM Group Study Workshops around the country; and a METRIC program to fulfill Part IV of your MC-FP process — all on their Maintain Your Certification webpage. Go to www.aafp.org/online/en/home/cme/boardreview.html. |
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Refer your patients to the new and improved FamilyDoctor.org |
Do you cringe when your patient says, “I read it on the Internet”? Make sure they’re aware of a health and wellness information website that you both can trust — FamilyDoctor.org. Reviewed by family physicians, FamilyDoctor.org is AAFP’s patient education website that features health and wellness information organized in user-friendly headings and categories, including disease overviews, symptoms, causes, risk factors, and more. Check out FamilyDoctor.org’s enhanced and redesigned site for a text-to-audio tool called ReadSpeaker; rehab exercise animations; “questions to ask your doctor;” and printer-friendly patient education handouts, available in English and Spanish and free of advertisements. Refer your patients to FamilyDoctor.org and feel good doing it.
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Ensure correct coding with AAFP’s FPM pocket guide |
Put a wealth of coding information in your pocket with Family Practice Management’s pocket guide. This popular coding tool is available in a new, improved format with these added features: valuable documentation tips, key information organized by color, synthetic paper that stands up to long-term use, and a more compact size to fit in your pocket. Use this reference to the documentation requirements for new and established patient office visits (codes 99211-99215 and 99201-99205), and quickly and easily confirm that the code selected is supported by the documentation in the progress note. Order yours through the AAFP catalog. Members receive a discounted rate.
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Access ONC’s risk analysis tool to fulfill meaningful use requirement |
One of the required meaningful use criteria is to conduct a security risk analysis. To help physicians carry out this objective and comply with the HIPAA Security Rule, the Office of the National Coordinator created a security risk analysis tool. Use of this tool provides an overall view of the state of security and provides suggestions for potential deficiencies. Several elements must be incorporated into a risk analysis. You must: document scope of analysis; collect data; identify and document potential threats and vulnerabilities; assess current security measures; determine the likelihood of threat occurrence; determine the potential impact of threat occurrence; determine the level of risk; finalize documentation; and periodically review and update the risk assessment. Access the risk analysis tool through this link to TMA's website. Questions? Contact the TMA Health Information Technology helpline at (800) 880-5720 or e-mail HIT@texmed.org.
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Learn about physician employment law through free recorded webinar |
TAFP partnered with the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals and the Texas Hospital Association to bring you a one-hour webinar explaining Senate Bill 894, the law that allows most rural Texas hospitals to directly employ physicians. It also explains the do’s and don’ts that you need to consider before entering into your first agreement. Originally broadcast on Oct. 25, an archive recording is available at no cost. Go to https://torchcast.webex.com, select “Recorded Sessions” from the left-side menu, and select “Physician Employment Webinar.”
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