ASP practice management systems are a new and potentially useful service for the dental profession. ASP systems have the potential to reduce the time, effort, and expense required to maintain computer-based practice management functions. ASP systems can deliver a rich array of functions at a distance, eliminate concerns about upgrades, ...

Managing billing and revenue requires constant vigilance. Do you feel confident or frustrated with your current system? Perhaps it is time to take a closer look at your revenue pipeline and determine if it could be better organized. Three years ago, staff from Emory Medical Laboratories did just this. This ...

To optimize revenue under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system's new coding-based ambulatory payment classifications (APCs), healthcare providers need to ensure several key steps are taken at the organizational level. Individuals who manage coding need to identify areas of overlap and adjust billing systems to reflect changes under the system. ...

We analyse commercially operated rangelands as coupled systems of people and nature. The biophysical components include: (i) the reduction and recovery of potential primary production, reflected as changes in grass production per unit of rainfall; (ii) changes in woody plants dependent on the grazing and fire regimes; and (iii) livestock ...

The National Vegetation Classification Standard (NVCS) was implemented at two US National Park Service (NPS) sites in Texas, the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) and the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area (LMNRA), to provide information for NPS oil and gas management plans. Because NVCS landcover classifications did not exist for ...

Secondary forests regrowing on abandoned agricultural land constitute an important, albeit widely overlooked, component in the landscape matrix of tropical lowland America. These 'new' forest resources on private land-holdings derive either from unsustainable cattle-ranching practices of better-off farmers or are part of the crop/fallow system of resource-poor farmers. If previous ...

Disputed claims and delayed payments are among the principal sources of provider and vendor dissatisfaction with managed care payment systems. Timely and accurate claims-payment systems are essential to ensure provider and vendor satisfaction, fiscal stability, and regulatory compliance. A focused analysis of conditions contributing to late payment of claims can ...

In the non-extensive Tsallis scenario, Page's conjecture for the average entropy of a subsystem [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1291 (1993)] as well as its demonstration are generalized, i.e., when a pure quantum system, whose Hilbert space dimension is mn, is considered, the average Tsallis entropy of an m-dimensional subsystem is ...

The notion of management has undergone many changes during the past century. Nowadays, management is perceived as "specialized activity to achieve targets." Skill in management is the single most important factor determining the economic and environmental performance of agroecosystems. Nutrient management is "management of nutrients to achieve agronomic and environmental ...

In April 1997, the Cochrane Collaboration implemented the Criticism Management System for The Cochrane Library, allowing readers to electronically submit criticisms on Cochrane reviews and protocols. As a result of resource constraints and user feedback, the Criticism Management System evolved through three different versions. Major problems have included difficult access ...

Today, there is a worldwide infrastructure of offshore structure systems that include fixed, floating, and mobile platforms, pipelines, and ships. Background on current and future trends in development of comprehensive programs to help improve the quality and reliability of offshore structure systems are discussed. A combination of proactive, reactive, and ...

The development of a bee species as a new crop pollinator starts with the identification of a pollination-limited crop production deficit and the selection of one or more candidate pollinator species. The process continues with a series of studies on the developmental biology, pollinating efficacy, nesting behaviour, preference for different ...

"This paper examines how institutions mediate values placed on different forest resources by forest users. It focuses on the key question: how do the situated practices of different actors, collectively or as individuals influence relations between the State and local people? It also examines how the institutional configurations in different ...

The pressure on Materials Managers, Information Technology Managers and Chief Executive Officer's has never been greater to re-imagine, re-invent, and re-architect their operations. The need for speed and for emerging Internet skills and sensibilities has led many operations to look to E-business service providers for assistance. The United States market ...

Librarians are acknowledged as leaders in providing information and knowledge management. They recognize the importance of maintaining an awareness of the most cutting-edge information and technology to meet the challenges of new business practices and changes that inevitably occur. Working as a team, the AHS librarians have achieved a level ...

The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of knowledge management concepts to an information systems (IS) knowledge base, as opposed to a clinical one. The field of Medical Informatics is committed to helping others manage medical information and knowledge through the application of information technology. At Partners ...

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the role of a patient resource manager in an academic healthcare organization which has implemented a strategy management system. This management system is composed of communication tools organized in a balanced scorecard to support/promote ongoing growth and development using Kaplan and Norton's ...

OBJECTIVE: Multi-site data collection is complex and requires an effective data management system. This article explores data management issues encountered in the design, conduct, and analysis of a research project involving 74 community-based sites and a central data management system. RESULTS: Once the data arrived at the central site, data ...

In the European Union, Council Directive 96/82/EC requires operators producing, using, or handling significant amounts of dangerous substances to improve their safety management systems in order to better manage the major accident potentials deriving from human error. A new safety management system for the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant in Helsinki, ...

In this paper, we describe a U.S. Army concept to monitor soldier physiologic status and provide computer-based medical support to increase the likelihood of soldier survival on the battlefield. Supported by an underlying platform of complex wearable computerized systems, the "Warfighter Physiological Status Monitoring" (WPSM) concept consists of an array ...

Injectable medications represent one of the fastest growing and most expensive categories of prescription drugs with costs rising to $26 billion by 2006. Historically, managed care organizations have not aggressively overseen this area of the prescription benefit, resulting in a disjointed system. However, a growing number of MCOs are developing ...

Non-allopathic Indian medicines, referred to elsewhere in the world as complementary and alternative medicine have gathered increasing recognition in recent years with regard to both treatment options and health hazards. Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and homeopathy are practiced in India as non-allopathic systems. These systems comprise a wide range of therapeutic ...

The increasing size of the collections used for drug-discovery purposes has demanded both hardware and software automation of compound management in order to cope with the increasing demands of HTS. Splitting the collection into a number of copies in different formats is a desirable approach to keep a balance between ...

We have built a microarray database, StressDB, for management of microarray data from our studies on stress-modulated genes in Arabidopsis. StressDB provides small user groups with a locally installable web-based relational microarray database. It has a simple and intuitive architecture and has been designed for cDNA microarray technology users. StressDB ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the information-seeking behaviour of medicine users. METHODS: A telephone survey and follow-up in-depth interviews of a random sample of the adult population in the Hunter Region, NSW, Australia. The survey sought information on medicine use, information seeking, and satisfaction and understanding of the information received. In-depth interviews ...

This overview summarizes the revolutionary changes that are occurring in medicine today and looks beyond medicine to the other disciplines of science that contribute to the overall revolution of the Information Age. The concept of "information equivalent," representing real objects within a computer as information, is explained. The application of ...

A carefully structured, well thought-out CPOS based on a successful prototype(s) that has proven itself over time is probably the fastest and most reliable way to get your practice on the road to profitability that can be sustained and built upon over the life of the practice. If you rely ...

Plasma electrolyte, protein and metabolite concentrations were determined in White Fulani cattle kept under intensive and extensive systems of management in Nigeria. The total protein and albumin values were significantly higher (p < 0.02 and p < 0.05, respectively) under the intensive management systems. The plasma bicarbonate, calcium, inorganic phosphate, ...

Regulation of managers would improve patient safety and managers' credibility. Removable offences should include improper conduct. Managers should be required to demonstrate competence in people management, finance and information services. A regulatory code should incorporate the values of integrity, honesty, openness and accountability. In the absence of a regulation system ...

IDSs can turn around an owned group practice's poor financial performance by taking steps to more effectively manage the practice's expenses. The primary areas on which an IDS should focus its expense-management efforts are physician compensation, nonprovider staffing, and facility planning. The physician compensation system, for example, should include incentives ...

OBJECTIVE: To present a new approach in the evaluation and management of concussion from the athletic trainer's perspective. BACKGROUND: The evaluation and management of concussion continues to be a controversial topic among sports medicine professionals. Inconsistent management, lack of objective data, and confusion concerning assessment techniques may lead to inappropriate ...

This study outlines the development of an approach to evaluate the sources, sinks, and magnitudes of greenhouse gas emissions from a grazed semiarid rangeland dominated by mulga (Acacia aneura) and how these emissions may be altered by changes in management. This paper describes the modification of an existing pasture production ...

The authors have developed a networked database system to create, store, and manage predefined radiology report definitions. This was prompted by complete departmental conversion to a computer speech recognition system (SRS) for clinical reporting. The software complements and extends the capabilities of the SRS, and 2 systems are integrated by ...

This study examines the relationship between the tolerance of ambiguity and the outcomes of negotiation and the misrepresentation of information. The data were obtained from 98 middle managers of a bank in Turkey. A positive correlation of .74 (p < .01) obtained between scores on tolerance of ambiguity with the ...

The practice of medicine has extended itself to vast areas and requires active clinicians to systematize and organize their workload through the use of the most up-to-date digital and computer communication technologies. Computerization and worldwide accessibility of information has especially provided great assistance in this regard. The explosive growth of ...

As computer networks become an integral part of the radiology practice, it is appropriate to raise concerns regarding their security. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of computer network security risks and preventive strategies as they pertain to the radiology enterprise. A number of technologies are ...

To manage posterior capsule rupture during phacoemulsification, we use a dry technique in which all procedures are performed without an irrigation/aspiration system. The dry technique is characterized by (1) continuous viscoelastic injection instead of fluid irrigation to maintain anterior chamber depth with the posterior capsule and vitreous located posteriorly and ...

Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic are a highly suitable and applicable basis for developing knowledge-based systems in medicine for tasks such as the interpretation of sets of medical findings, syndrome differentiation in Eastern medicine, diagnosis of diseases in Western medicine, mixed diagnosis of integrated Western and Eastern medicine, the ...

BACKGROUND: The Department of Health introduced a new deprivation payments system for general practitioners (GPs) on 1 April 1999. Following a three-year phasing-in process, registered patients will attract deprivation payments based on the underprivileged area (UPA) score of their enumeration district (ED) of residence, rather than their electoral ward, changing ...

This article relates how to plan and execute a successful laboratory information system (LIS) installation for those installing a first LIS, converting to a new LIS, or upgrading the current LIS. It covers the planning process, schedule adherence, vendor relationships, project team management, and system readiness, as well as post-installation ...

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is an increasingly popular method of delivering laboratory testing. Management of POCT is challenging given the variety of devices, locations, and staff that need to be coordinated to ensure quality results and meet regulatory guidelines. Electronic capture and transfer of data are preferred for managing POCT, but ...

Integrated coastal management in the tropics requires the conservation of vulnerable and diverse ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves as well as the management of land and marine-based human activities. Decision-making for integrated coastal management involves multiple decision-makers and multiple stakeholders often with conflicting needs and interests. Decision support ...

Oral candidoses are frequently encountered in the practice of dentistry. Although most oral candidoses are symptomless, the can indicate the presence of an underlying systemic disease, and the persistence of oral candidosis following appropriate conventional management may be one of the first signs of undiagnosed immunosuppression. The opportunistic pathogen Candida ...

Echocardiography has become an invaluable tool in the management of critically ill patients. Its safety and portability allow for use at the bedside to provide rapid, detailed information regarding the cardiovascular system. Echocardiography can elucidate cardiac structure and mechanical function. Recently, the power of clinical echocardiography has been augmented by ...

Operations management enables the efficient utilization of the production systems in a business. This paper will address several key elements in the business competency of operations management. Specifically, this discussion will review the components of a material requirement planning system and a "just-in-time" system for inventory control and time management ...

This paper describes the design of a prototype integrated mobile telemedicine system that is compatible with existing mobile telecommunications networks and upgradable for use with third-generation networks. The system, when fully developed, will enable a doctor to monitor remotely a patient who is free to move around for sports medicine ...

Gaseous emissions from swine (Sus scrofa) manure storage systems represent a concern to air quality due to the potential effects of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, and volatile organic compounds on environmental quality and human health. The lack of knowledge concerning functional aspects of swine manure management systems has been a ...

Traditional air resource management systems have difficulty in addressing global issues, sustainable development, direct citizen participation, and integration with broad economic interests. As reactive management systems, they tend to be compliance-driven, static, and rigid. In contrast, proactive management systems are principle-driven, innovative, and flexible. Bridge scientists play a key role ...

The Industrial Hygiene and Safety Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) developed a database application known as IH DataView, which manages industrial hygiene monitoring data. IH DataView replaces a LANL legacy system, IHSD, that restricted user access to a single point of data entry needed enhancements that support new ...

To ensure that your software optimizes your practice management systems, design systems that allow you and your team to achieve your goals and provide high levels of quality dentistry and customer service to your patients. Then use your current software system or purchase a new practice management software program that ...