Alternatives to Opioids in Treating Acute and Chronic Pain

Many providers have asked, “Now that I know that I should avoid opioids as much as possible, what am I supposed to do about patients’ pain?” This program was developed to help meet that need. Optimizing non-opioid treatment for pain provides patients the safest and most effective pain treatment possible, promoting patient satisfaction and outcomes. Read more »

Wisconsin Medical Examining Board Opioid Prescribing Guideline

This program provides a comprehensive review of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board’s (MEB) Opioid Prescribing Guideline (finalized November 2016). The scope and purpose of the guideline is “to help providers make informed decisions about acute and chronic pain treatment -pain lasting longer than three months or past the time of normal tissue healing. The guideline is not intended for patients who are in active cancer treatment, palliative care, or end-of-life care.” However, the underlying principles upon which the guideline is based will often apply to palliative, cancer, and end-of-life patients because these patients’ opioid physiology is not fundamentally different from other patients, although their duration of use may be. A prescriber practicing according to these guidelines will be providing the best evidence-based treatments for patients needing pain relief. In addition, thanks to a clear understanding of the guidelines, prescribers can be confident that their opioid prescribing protocols remain in compliance with state licensure statutes. Read more »

Increasing Mammography Uptake Through Academic-Community Partnerships Targeting Immigrant and Refugee Communities in Milwaukee (WMJ volume 117, no. 2)

An article selected for CME credit from WMJ, a peer-reviewed, indexed scientific journal published six times a year by the Wisconsin Medical Society. Read more »

GunderKids: Design of a Clinical Care Management Program for Parents With Substance Abuse and Their Newborn Children with a Focus on Preventing Child Abuse (WMJ volume 117, no. 1)

Health Care Reform: A synopsis of plans, legislation and next steps

Primer and summary of recent health care reform legislation, tactics and outcomes, as well as a description of possible health care reforms going forward. Read more »

Distant Doctoring: The Impact of Telemedicine on the Practice of Medicine

This webinar will provide an overview of federal and Wisconsin law on telemedicine, the impact these laws have on physician practices, and potential opportunities and compliance challenges relating to telemedicine. Read more »

The Rules and the Realities: Minor Patients and Patients Deemed Incompetent or Incapacitated

This session will discuss the tricky issues related to the health records and information of patients who are under the age of majority, incapacitated as to medical decision-making, or deemed incompetent by a court. This session will also identify practical steps to navigate through the many obstacles and inconsistencies between the applicable laws. Read more »

HIPAA 101

This webinar will outline the fundamentals of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. In addition to HIPAA, the webinar will also discuss some of the important aspects of Wisconsin health information privacy law that affects how providers may use and disclose information. Read more »

Data Breaches and Security Incidents: Effective Preparation and Incident Response

For physician practices and hospitals, health information is everywhere and has proven to be of interest to hackers and disgruntled employees alike. Knowing your obligations under HIPAA and Wisconsin law in responding to an incident is key. Also learn best practices for incident prevention and response, including how you can help make data security an organizational priority; tips for effective data breach preparation; and how you can respond to a data breach, from preparation to discovery and remediation. Read more »

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Records: Putting Together the Puzzle

This session will identify and explain the state and federal laws governing mental health and substance abuse treatment records and provide guidance as to how to implement policies to facilitate compliance. This session will also discuss common pitfalls and proactive practical methods to avoid them. Read more »

Disclosures to Law Enforcement: Confidentiality Considerations

This session will identify the federal and state legal requirements for (and prohibitions on) medical providers in disclosing various scenarios to law enforcement. The lay of the land has changed considerably over the past few years and contains many nuances due to changing federal and state parameters. This session is an attempt to identify the practical answers to the question of when a provider CAN and when a provider MUST disclose certain patient health information to law enforcement. Read more »

The Wisconsin ePDMP: What to Look For, and What to Do When You Find It

This webinar was designed to help physicians and their health care teams assess options for compliance with the requirement to check Wisconsin’s Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP) before issuing a prescription order for a monitored prescription drug. Read more »

Navigating a Provider's Ability to Charge Copy Fees and a Patient's Right to Access Records

This session will navigate the balance between a medical provider's ability to charge copy fees for providing medical records and obligation to honor a patient's right to access their medical records. This session will also identify the federal and state legal authority (and prohibitions) regarding copy fees as well as provide practical answers to what fees can be charged and to whom. Read more »

Cameras and Patient Recordings: Maintaining Patient Privacy and Confidentiality

This session will provide guidance on how to address the use of cameras and patient recordings within a medical provider's facility consistent with HIPAA and state privacy and confidentiality laws. This session will offer case examples to provide practical insight into the use of cameras and patient recordings and potential traps for HIPAA and state law violations. Read more »