Links to articles on why switching from the handshake to the fist bump helps reduce the spread of germs, a new ICD-10 conversion deadline, and a list of travel money tips can be found in this week’s installment of the Friday Recap.
- Switching from the handshake to a fist bump spreads up to 90 percent fewer germs, suggests a study reported by The Advisory Board Company. Study participants wore gloves contaminated with non-pathogenic E. coli bacteria, then gave sterile glove wearers handshake, high-five, and fist-bump greetings. High-fives reduce spreading of germs by 50 percent.
- The US Department of Health and Human Services has issued a final ruling that sets October 1, 2015, as the compliance date for conversion to ICD-10 diagnostic and procedure codes. Modern Healthcare reports the ruling is significant because it accelerates the rule-making process by a step, by not providing a formal comment period for discussion of the date.
- Physicians Practice’s 2014 Technology Survey of nearly 1,500 physicians reveals electronic health record (EHR) implementation is still the most pressing tech problem for clinicians. Among the data points discovered, 53 percent of respondents have a fully-implemented EHR, 67 percent of whom stated their EHR made their practice equally or more efficient than before implementation.
- The Los Angeles Times published a list of travel money tips; ways to keep your banking information secure and your valuables safe while away from home. Disabling the automatic Wi-Fi connection setting on your smartphone and notifying your credit card company that you’ll be traveling are among the listed tips.
- A poster presented at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 2014 meeting showed a new phone reminder program has increased the number of pneumococcal vaccinations among Medicare recipients by more than 25 percent, the Clinical Advisor reports. Eighty percent of participants stated the phone reminder triggered vaccine acceptance.
Have a wonderful weekend!
