Recent blog posts

In October 2019, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced a new requirement for prescribers renewing their Controlled Substances Registration in 2020: the completion of 3 hours of continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices. The requirement applies to individuals that are prescribers under the Controlled Substances Act, which includes such licenses for dentists, optometrists, physicians, and veterinarians. The change does not come as much of a surprise given the continuing spotlight on opioid addictions and overdoses turning into a nationwide…

Patients have the right to keep their health records private and to know if their information is shared with others. Generally, a healthcare provider may only release an individual’s information with written consent, unless the information is critical for any treatment the patient will receive or if necessary to protect the public at large. In today’s technological world, the majority of patient data is stored in hospital or clinic systems and software. While certainly an efficient manner of securing information, technologies’ ever-changing…

Illinois is one of 33 states that has legalized medical marijuana. While such legalization has expanded the ways to address patient pain, it has left physicians in the tricky position of determining whether to prescribe a substance that, while legal at the state level, still faces a federal ban. The question physicians face now is whether their license may be put in jeopardy, even if cannabis is approved for medical use. The answer, of course, is “it depends.” The risk to physicians is…

The quick answer is yes, but you must follow strict guidelines as set forth in your Act and Rules. We take no position on whether veterinarians should allow chiropractors, physical therapists, medical orthopedic or plastic surgeons to “crossover” into veterinary medicine. Instead, veterinarians should be aware of the risks and responsibilities of asking a healthcare provider, who is licensed to treat only human ailments, for assistance in a veterinary medical case. There are six sections of the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 (“Act”) and the…

Electronic health records (EHRs) make information related to patient-centered records available instantly and securely, containing patient medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans that greatly assist with overall diagnosis and treatment. However, missing, incomplete, or ineligible documents may hurt patient care and be used as evidence if a patient claims negligent treatment. In order to best protect yourself, here is advice on how to ensure properly maintained EHRs: Understand How the Data is Tracked Each time someone at the practice or hospital goes into…

Health professionals will likely have to deal with difficult patients throughout their careers. They are the ones patients look to when experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety over the health issues facing their day to day lives. Such interactions can test the limits of health care professionals who have a duty to remain respectful and composed, so as to not compromise the integrity of their relationship with the patient. Then how should one deal with disrespectful patients? The most obvious answer:…

Medical adherence is the act of taking medication as prescribed by a physician, which involves taking the proper dose, at the correct time, and for the recommended length of time. In order to achieve the full benefit of medications, patients need to adhere to prescribed treatment regimens. Patient non-adherence can result in adverse consequences to a patient’s health and result in additional medical costs and physician visits. Why would a patient willingly not adhere to a medication treatment meant to provide help?…

Artificial Intelligence has come into everyone’s life in one way or another over the past decade. One of the fastest growing areas using this new technology is the healthcare industry. There have been many advancements over the years and new ways of using it coming out every day. These advancements have even come into light with physicians using data they receive from wearables like smartwatches. Companies like Microsoft and Apple have entire teams dedicated to healthcare. The teams create software that give customers and…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come into everyone’s life in one way or another over the past decade. One of the most significant growth areas using this new technology is the healthcare industry. There have been many advancements over the years, and new ways of using it come up every day. These advancements even arrive on the surgical side of a physician’s practice. Robots empowered with AI have been used to assist surgeons in performing intricate surgeries. These robots limit the amount of human…

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (“AI”) has entered everyone’s life in one way or another. The healthcare industry is one of the most significant growth areas for this technology. There have been many advancements over the years, and new ways of using it arrive every day. The advancements, in large part, enter the medicine side of a physician’s practice. One area of advancement with AI in medicine is diagnostics. Computers have been able to use data from around the world to diagnose…