Joining Government with Industry to Discuss Health Issues

What happens when you combine government with industry to talk about health issues related to quality of care, compliance, cost, and partnerships? You end up with roundtable reports published by the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). They have some recent roundtable reports where industry representatives discussed some important quality and compliance issues with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The most recent HCCA/OIG roundtable report is titled:

A Report on the HHS Office of Inspector General and Health Care Compliance Association Roundtable on Hospital Board of Directors’ Oversight of Quality of Care
Driving for Quality in Acute Care: A Board of Directors Dashboard

Past HCCA/OIG roundtable reports include:

A Report on the Office of Inspector General and Health Care Compliance Association Roundtable on Long-Term Care Board of Directors’ Oversight of Quality of Care
December 6, 2007

A Summary of the Government-Industry Roundtable on the
Role of Governance in Compliance Programs
June 16, 2004, Office of Inspector General

HCCA/OIG Rountable Report
Building a Partnership for Effective Compliance
July, 2001

HCCA/OIG Physician Roundtable Report
Building a Partnership for Effective Compliance
July, 2000

CIA Survey
August 2001

Are You Ready for Windows 7?

Have you tried Windows 7? I've been so unhappy with Vista that I've gone back to XP on most of my machines, including my mission critical PC. However, I'm quite intrigued by Windows 7. We will probably see a slim (or lite) version of Windows 7 for UMPCs and netbooks. I'm still running XP on my Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC and my OQO model 02. Will Windows 7 be the ideal operating system for power PCs and ultra-low-cost machines?

In the healthcare field, XP will probably continue to dominate for a few more years because of the way many EHR/EMR systems are configured. Plus, you're often using older peripherals like scanners, printers, bar code scanning devices, and other devices. Some ambulatory EHRs have an EKG attachment that hooks up via USB. My guess is that most of those older connections will only work on PCs running XP. So, I think that health IT will lag behind other industries and we'll be using XP for a long time.

Consulting for McKinsey or the Boston Consulting Group

It seems like many students who pursue a joint MD/MBA want to get a consulting job at McKinsey & Company. Who wouldn't? I've known several people who have worked at McKinsey and I'm always fascinated by the unique stories associated with the McKinsey culture. I've also met medical school graduates who have pursued opportunities at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG, not to be confused with the BCG vaccine). So what about you? Do you have strong interests in the business/consulting industry? If you're pre-med, are you planning on pursuing an MD/MBA program? As I look back on my education, I often wonder whether I would have pursued a combined MD/MBA. Since I lacked "real world" working experience before applying to medical school, I think I would have been lost in business school. Had a been a non-traditional student who had worked for several years prior to applying to medical school, then I would have seriously considered a combined MD/MBA program.

Top Content in March 2009

According to Google Analytics, my post on "Jobs for Physicians with No Residency Experience" had the highest amount of traffic. I often get asked about this on the Student Doctor Network, so I see that many people are also finding this content helpful.

My post on "Non-Clinical Medical Opportunities for Physicians and Other Clinicians" is still very popular among site visitors. I hope that most people recognize that I've created a site dedicated to the topic of non-clinical jobs and opportunities for doctors and other healthcare professionals. You can find it here: www.NonClinicalJobs.com

Does eMarketing Really Work?

According to a presentation given at the CBI's 8th Annual Forum on eMarketing, physician prescribers who are involved in online social networking communities write more prescriptions compared to physicians not involved in such communities. Is that fascinating or expected? eMarketing can also reach more demographics of patients, from those seeking advice, cancer treatment, or even a drug treatment center. Of the physicians using social networks, 68% are male and 32% are female. Sermo is currently the largest online physician-only community. Have you joined yet?

Reductions in the Pharma Sales Force

According to a recent ZS Associates survey, the number of US sales reps has decreased 10% since 2007. We now have 92,000 pharma sales representatives and the prediction is that it will continue to drop to 75,000 by 2012. With all the recent news about mergers, I wonder how that will impact these numbers. Many doctors are unwilling to see sales reps, so pharma/biotech/medical device companies are looking for alternative ways to send their marketing messages. e-marketing has been one of these options that many companies have embraced.

Life as a Medical Writer

What does it mean to be a medical writer? I encounter this question quite often. Medical writing is about as broad as the world of medicine. If you become a doctor, you may be an internist, a dermatologist, a radiologist, or a surgeon. All these specialties are quite unique and very different.

The world of medical writing is also quite vast. You may get involved in regulatory and safety reports. Want to write research protocols? Do you enjoy marketing? How about writing some promotional pieces? Then you have the world of certified CME which is NOT promotional. Medical writers can also get involved in writing chapters within textbooks. If you're familiar with health literacy issues, then check out consumer health and patient education. There are many opportunities in various consumer-friendly websites, but you have to write at a 6th grade literacy level. The term "ghost writing" is frowned upon in the medical industry, so don't brag about your ghost writing experience. Finally, there's the world of blogging. Some medical writers have been very successful as bloggers.