Serving Patients Better
ETHICS
Eric Kaplan
DC, FIAMA
The # 1 way to build your practice is to continue serving your patients better, while getting the best results. If you serve your patients better, your practice will be more prosperous. Do not do any service or treatment just for the money, do it for the results, and because it is the right thing to do. It’s just that simple. If it boils down to the only way your practice can expand is to be a better salesperson, which isn’t a very attractive approach. The key is to become a better doctor. Great doctors don’t have to sell; their reputation speaks volumes. In this article we provide some samples and many tools to help you with your chiropractic practice. Chiropractic is a science, treat it as such. I’m sure you didn’t get into your field in hopes of becoming a good enough salesperson to make a living. Rather, you’ll discover that you’ll make more money because patients will be better satisfied. So this article is going to deal with serving your patients in a better way that translates to your bottom line. Chiropractic, Non-surgical Spinal decompression, Laser, Neuropathy is about educating the patient through research.
REMEMBER, PEOPLE PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR YOUR CARE; THEY DESERVE THE BEST CARE, THE BEST SERVICE.
there is a definite deterioration in ethical behavior in our society
MANAGEMENT
Now that you have entered the world of being a doctor, you have entered a world of higher scrutiny. It is important that you maintain your ethics.
Ethics is the study and philosophy of human conduct with special emphasis on the determination of what is right and what is wrong.
Something is ethical when it conforms to the right principle of conduct as generally accepted in a profession or a culture.
In analyzing your behavior in your practice, review how you conduct yourself. Think about your peers and the people that are in your life. Are a majority of those people ethical? Only you know what the answer is, but there is a definite deterioration in ethical behavior in our society. If there wasn’t, there would not be a need for this section.
Ethical behavior is related to your self-esteem—how you think about yourself. Self-esteem is a collection of attitudes about yourself and attitude is nothing more than habits of thoughts. Your behavior is nothing more than actions of inner attitude.
To insure ethics, it is important to have a code of conduct for ourselves and our employees. The following example is a clinic’s code of ethics; however, you will want to establish your own code of ethics to coincide with your beliefs.
Each of us is responsible for both the integrity and the consequences of our own actions. The highest standards of honesty, integrity, and fairness must be followed by every person in any activity concerning the clinics, particularly in relationship with patients, competitors, suppliers, the public, and other employees.
Our clinic expects that no employee will undertake any activity while on clinic premises or while engaged in clinic business that is improper, illegal, immoral, or that could in any way harm or embarrass our clinic or our patients.
It is easier for a doctor to be unethical than the average person because he or she is placed on a pedestal and people assume he or she is ethical. That’s why it is so important that he is ethical. When a person who is expected to be ethical is unethical, it is much more damaging to society. Doctors have a tremendous responsibility to society simply because they are doctors.
There must be a standard by which you determine whether an activity is ethical. Indeed, there are ethical check questions you can ask yourself.
Code of Ethics
A code of ethics provides guidance to all employees, management, physicians, and board of directors as to what is required of them when facing ethical issues. It is necessary to ensure that the office conducts its business and practices in an ethical, lawful, and honest manner.
Ethical issues include understanding and following business and healthcare ethical guidelines. Sometimes ethical issues are also considered as legal issues. Most medical office compliance policies include both ethical and legal concepts.
Some of the topics that should be included in a code of ethics include:
• Anti-kickback and competitive conduct
• Conflicts of interest
• Marketing
• Fraud and abuse
• Chemical safety and precaution procedures
• Accounting principles
• Confidentiality
• Anti-Kickback and Competitive Conduct
The Anti-Kickback laws, Stark Laws, sets provisions to identify and penalize anyone guilty of making certain health care decisions in exchange for money. You can’t pay for patients or take compensation for the referrals of patients.
The provisions are broad but fall into two categories:
• Any money transaction that influences the referral of an individual for any service payable under the Medicare or Medicaid program, and
• Any money transaction that leads to the purchase of any item payable under the Medicare or Medicaid program.
Conflicts of Interest
Chiropractic practices are often faced with situations that may be considered as a conflict of interest. One conflict of interest could be the handling of patient payments and payment plans by the physician. Many times a physician starting out in a sole practice cannot afford to hire a full staff. Consequently, the physician and maybe one other employee are responsible for handling every aspect of the practice.
Physicians that exempt themselves from billing and collections within their practice eliminate having to make uncomfortable decisions regarding patients and financial issues.
Marketing
Don’t do bait-and-switch marketing. Don’t offer FREE and then bill the patient or insurance company. Follow your state laws on marketing do’s and dont’s
Selling patient lists or disclosing protected health information (PHI) to third parties for marketing purposes is strictly prohibited without prior authorization from the patient. Remember that disclosure of patient information should be accessed only for the purpose of providing quality care.
Fraud and Abuse
Fraud generally refers to willfully and knowingly billing medical claims in an attempt to defraud any federally funded program for money.
The most common forms of FRAUD & ABUSE include billing for visits never provided, billing for services never performed, up-coding charges to receive a higher reimbursement rate, and unbundling charges.
Accounting Principles
General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are the common set of accounting principles, standards, and procedures that your office utilizes to compile their financial statements. GAAP, simply put, is the customarily accepted ways of recording and reporting accounting information. Don’t hesitate to review this with your accountant or CPA.
Confidentiality
Any clinic, office, or organization that accesses patient health information is considered a covered entity and is required by law to comply with HIPAA provisions or face civil and/or criminal penalties. It is imperative that medical records remain confidential and cannot be accessed by people who do not have proper authorization. Disclosures made regarding a patient’s protected health information (PHI) without their authorization is considered a violation of the Privacy Rule.
REMEMBER: THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO DO A WRONG THING
By following the rules and regulations of your state and your state board, by being ethical in every facet of your practice, you will watch your practice and reputation grow.
Dr. Eric S. Kaplan, a former President COO of a NASAQ traded public company, which included Nutrisystem, Currently he is CEO of Concierge Coaches, Inc., www.conciergecoaches.com, a comprehensive coaching firm with a successful, documented history of assisting doctors create profitable practices nationwide, providing over 30 New Patient marketing Programs. Dr. Kaplan is a member of the adjunct faculty at Parker. Parker University now offers a National Certification course on spinal decompression. If you want to learn more about how to build your practice through spinal decompression, goto www.thechiroevent.com
