Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: How to Deal With Wrist Fatigue While Working at a Computer

After hours of working on your computer do you find that your wrists are sore and tired? If you are planning on entering a career in medical billing and coding, wrist fatigue could be a huge factor in preventing you from working efficiently. Medical Billing and Coding Blog has outlined the key medical problem associated with wrist fatigue, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndome?

According to WebMD, Carpal tunnel syndrome “occurs when the median nerve becomes pinched due to swelling of the nerve or tendons or both. The median nerve provides sensation to the palm side of the thumb, index, middle fingers, as well as the inside half of the ring finger and muscle power to the thumb. When this nerve becomes pinched, numbness, tingling and sometimes pain of the affected fingers and hand may occur and radiate into the forearm.”

What causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and what are its symptoms?

While there are several possible causes of the disorder, normally it springs from repeated movement of the arms, wrists or hands, often times by typing at a computer for long hours. If you work long days on a computer and your hands and/or fingers feel tingly or numb at night, or if you experience a burning or shooting pain up your forearm, you could have a case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

According to WebMD, to prevent this wrist fatigue disorder you can:

• Sleep with your wrists straight or use a splint.
• Keep your wrists straight when using tools but try not to use splints.
• Avoid flexing and extending your wrists repeatedly.
• Perform conditioning and stretching exercises.

How Can I Cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

HIPPA Safeguards: What is it and why do we do it?

In this field we talk a lot about HIPAA, and many call it “the privacy act” or “security rule”.  Its true intention is the portability of the insurance coverage in order to provide continuity of coverage for workers and their families when they lose or change jobs.

The law covers several items related to safety and security of a patient’s information – things like responsibilities, verification, validation and training, amongst others.

One area that is worth  mentioning is Safeguards; this is the ensuring that confidential information remains secure.

All entities must have in place appropriate safeguards to ensure the protection of a person’s confidential information.  These security measures as described by HIPAA include administrative, technical and physical safeguards.  And many times we assume these are taking place. But do we really focus and protect our patient’s information on a continual basis?

Administrative safeguards require us to verify a patient and or their due representative.  Do we have signatures on file? Do we verify these every time we’re asked to provide information to persons other than the patient?  A good idea would be to include in the patient’s record a photocopy of their identification; this ID should be state issued.

State Alerts: What’s Happening in Florida?

“Hot Jobs: Medical Coders Are in Great Demand,” an article by Scott Andron in The Miami Herald, reports encouraging news about the growing need for medical billers and coders in Florida.  “Health information management might be for you, and a job as a medical coder might be the place to start,” Andron writes.

The Miami Herald is not the only publication that is optimistic about opportunities for medical billers and coders in Florida. According to Orlandojobs.com’s Employment Outlook for Central Florida report, healthcare jobs are among the fastest growing employment opportunities in Florida. The report points to fast-growing opportunities for physical therapists, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical coders and medical billers.

What’s driving this growth? One significant force is the construction of new medical facilities in the state. One of the more promising could be the planned “medical city” in Orlando’s Lake Nona area. According to a recent article in The Orlando Business Journal, the development of this medical and research park has the potential to create 30,000 high-paying jobs in just a decade.

So, is Florida a good place to start and grow your career as a medical biller and coder? It certainly seems to be. We’ll be watching the trends in Florida and other states in the coming months and reporting on them here.

Electronic Health Records and Your New Career in Allied Health

This is a wonderful and exciting time to be entering the allied health field.  No matter what work setting you are in, allied health professionals are in demand.  As costs continue to rise, there are greater demands for improved quality and safety in patient care.  To tackle these problems, the U.S. healthcare system is turning to technology.

Why do allied health students need to know about electronic medical records? The answer is simple – because you will use electronic health records to accomplish tasks once on-the-job.  The transition from paper records to electronic health records affects everyone working in health care today.  Consider just a few examples of the changes electronic health records bring to these jobs:

• Medical assistants enter patient information, such as vital signs, into the electronic health record.
• Coding professionals review electronic documentation in the electronic health record to determine the appropriate code for an encounter.
• Technicians working in blood and chemistry labs, radiology, nuclear medicine, cardiovascular medicine and other areas respond to electronic orders and send test results electronically using an electronic health record.
• Billing professionals use information in the electronic health record to prepare insurance claims and patient statements.

Data Backup for Home Workers

Are you currently working or planning to work from home? Are you concerned about the huge amounts of data that are piling up on your home computer? Billing and Coding Blog has outlined some of the best data backup systems, and their benefits for home-workers.

Carbonite – This online data backup system installs a small application on your computer that automatically backs up data on your computer for only $54.95 per year. This price remains the same regardless of how much data you need to back up! Carbonite goes to sleep when you are active on your computer, and the software only works while your computer is idle; this ensures that you never lose any speed or functionality while you work! Click here for more information and to start your free trial.

Other online storage services to consider: VaultLogix, Data Deposit Box

External Hard-Drives – These serve as extensions of your computer’s hard drive and are available in a variety of sizes and prices, depending on how much data you need to backup. Depending on the speed of your computer, and the size of your hard drive, backing up your data could be a time consuming process. Also, if you lose the hard drive – which can be as small as a wallet – all your data will be gone.

Click here to read PC World’s list of the Top 10 External Hard Drives

CD/DVD – This is the cheapest available option, and since most PCs are now equipped with CD burners, there are few obstacles in getting started. Since this is the cheapest option, however, there are some concerns; it can take considerable time and discs to backup large drives, and CDs can be easily scratched and ruined without proper caution. If you only need to backup a little bit of crucial data, and are confident in your care for the discs, then CD/DVD may be your best option for data backup.

Do you have any advice on the best data backup options? Please leave us a comment and let us know what has worked for you!

The Eyes Have It! Simple strategies for beating eyestrain at the computer

What is the best way to keep your eyes and your vision in tip-top shape, despite long hours at the computer?  Here’s some advice from Dr. Suzanne Offen, an optometric physician and founder of Offen Eye Associates . . .

Remember, your reading glasses might not be right for computer use. “When people are reading, they typically hold books or magazines about 16 inches away from their eyes,” Dr. Offen explains. “Compare that to 24 inches, which is the typical distance from a computer screen.” Her advice: You might need a separate prescription for the glasses you will use at your computer.

Turn down your office illumination. Dr. Offen states that if you are using a computer, you should keep your office illumination only one-half as bright as you would keep it for other office duties. “This is one of the biggest mistakes that computer-users make,” she states. “And it can really contribute to eye strain and fatigue.”

Avoid using older computer monitors. “Most new flat-screen monitors already cut glare,” Dr. Offen states. “But if you have to use an older monitor, equip it with an anti-glare screen.” Also: To further reduce eye strain, don’t locate your computer near a bright window.

Review your prescription if you wear contact lenses. First, you might need a different prescription if you work at your computer for extended periods. But there’s another reason too. “Many computer users complain of eye dryness,” Dr. Offen states, “which happens because people generally blink less often when they are using a computer. If you wear contact lenses, this problem can often be helped by changing to a lens for users who complain of dry eyes.”

Take breaks. “I recommend that computer-users take one 20-minute break every two or three hours,” Dr. Offen says.

Dr. Suzanne Offen is a board certified optometric physician in New York and New Jersey. She received her Doctor of Optometry from the State University of New York and has been practicing optometry since 1983. She began her practice in 1987 in Westfield, New Jersey. In 1988 Dr. Offen became certified as a Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and became board certified in children’s vision.

A Web-Based System of Electronic Medical Records and the Need for Medical Coding Professionals

While America’s eventual transfer to electronic medical records (EMR) is a foregone conclusion, the ways in which we accomplish the shift is still being debated. The key is to create a system that makes doctors’ lives easier, and not more difficult. To achieve this goal, medical coding professionals are crucial to the future of electronic medical records.

The most logical interface to aggregate all medical records is the internet. Individual computers that contain medical record information is a method of the past; to maintain all medical records – a  huge amount of  information – a web-based system is the only option capable of immediately updating and maintaining the digital system.

Aside from changing a paperwork-based system that has become standard practice for them, doctors are often times unfamiliar with the pages of coded medical terms that are central to electronic medical records. This is another obstacle that stands in the way of the full adoption of digital health records, and highlights the necessary inclusion of medical coding professionals in healthcare facilities.

Professionals who are trained and experienced in medical coding facilitate the full implementation of electronic medical records. President Obama guaranteed that every American medical record will be electronic by 2014; this means huge job growth for medical billers and coders.

How to get your studying done – even if you have young kids at home

“I love my kids and they deserve my time,” says Toni K, a woman who is studying online to become a medical biller and coder. “But I feel like I never get any uninterrupted time to sit down and concentrate on my lessons. The kids are always banging on my door, and then I feel guilty if I get irritated at them. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?”

We posed this question to Dr. Kenneth Ruge, a therapist who has written several books, including Where Do I Go from Here?

“Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem,” Ruge states. “Overall, I would say that it is best to get out of the house, if you can. Get to Starbucks, for example. However, when kids reach age seven or eight, they might enjoy doing their own homework while a parent is studying – it can become a family study period that kids will actually enjoy. And kids can feel good if they know they are helping a parent reach important goals.”

Here are more ideas we gathered from people who have learned how to juggle studying with parenting duties:

Make sure your technology is not limiting you. If your only computer is a desktop at home, maybe a laptop would let you study over lunch hours at work. And laptops can now be bought for $400 or even less. Another solution? Print out your online lessons and carry them with you. Remember, paper is portable.

Working or Studying From Home? Time Management Tips for Remote Learners

With so many distractions and the comfort of your home as major obstacles, working or studying from home can be a difficult course to pursue. That is why Medical Billing and Coding blog has developed a list of time management tips for remote learners, to help you work efficiently from home. Remote learning is not for everyone, but if you follow these simple tips, it is possible for anyone.

Set clear goals – Each day you should have a list of tasks/assignments that you will complete. If you set a clear list of deliverables for each work day, you will have an easier time working to reach those goals. The biggest mistake you can make is to procrastinate, and push work off for another day; all this will do is slow you down, let your work load pile up, and make you far less efficient.

Limit Distractions – In any work environment, distractions can limit productivity. This is magnified when you are working or studying from home; you might have to worry about walking your dog, or picking up your mail, or answering to your kids, among other potential disruptions. To avoid these diversions you should isolate yourself in your home, in a designated “work” area. While you are working, make it clear to your children that you are busy, and ignore all phone calls, doorbells, and enticing TV programming.  Don’t attempt to multitask; your designated work time is for working only, and nothing else.

Establish Specific Work Hours – If you are working from home it is easy to procrastinate and say “I will get to this later”; this is a bad habit! Create a specific time frame each day dedicated to work. Whether it be 9 AM – 5 PM, 12 PM – 8 PM, or 6 PM – 3 AM, establishing specific work hours is crucial to remaining productive and getting your work done in a timely fashion. Your friends and family should be familiar with your work hours, to ensure you are not bothered when you should be working.

Dress for the Job – Rather than sitting around in your favorite pair of sweatpants, you should dress like you are in a classroom or workplace. Your mindset is the most important aspect of time management; if you are dressed to work, then you will most likely work. If you are dressed to relax, then you will most likely relax

Be a Training Standout: How to Jumpstart Your Success in the Classroom

Here’s a question for medical billers and coders . . .

Exactly when did your career start?

If you stop to think about it, you will probably realize that your career didn’t begin when you got your first job.  It actually started on the day when you walked into a classroom and began your training.

It only makes sense that great students tend to have an easier time starting their careers.  Their strong grades often give them an edge over other job-seekers. They tend to get better recommendations from their former instructors too.

So how can you be a training standout?  Here’s some advice:

Dress one step ahead. If you dress like a working professional, people will see you in that role – and will think of you first when professional opportunities arise.

Project a positive attitude – even in early-morning classes. Stand tall when you walk into the classroom. Greet the instructor. Smile, sit up, and maintain eye contact as you listen to what your instructor has to say. Then thank the instructor when class is over.

Keep your textbooks and course materials organized, protected and clean. It shows that you are taking your training seriously. Also: Never forget your course materials. But if you do, avoid calling attention to the problem.

Be a great colleague in shared activities and projects. If you show that you are a good team member, people will notice and remember you.

Show strong interest in everything you learn. One good way? Ask questions that dig for information that was not covered in class.

Don’t disappear when your coursework is over. Come back to visit your former instructors. Explain how you are applying the skills you learned in class, and talk about your new achievements. Remember, students who keep in touch come to mind first when instructors hear about new opportunities.

Do you have more training strategies to recommend? Why not take a moment to share them here with other members of the billing and coding community?