Routine Practices Make a Difference in Protecting Data Security
With clinical care remaining the highest priority in behavioral health provider organizations, many providers struggle to give enough attention to critical administrative tasks such as protecting patient data. Some staff might see cybersecurity as someone else’s concern, while leadership might consider it too expensive to enlist the necessary expertise. Given the effect that an […]
Cybersecurity Starts with Sound Workforce Awareness
The sensitive nature of the information inherent to substance use and mental health provider organizations demands establishing strong safeguards to protect patient privacy. The best defense in cybersecurity remains user education that incorporates all staff in an organization, explains Matthew Prete, Sigmund Software’s chief product and information officer. Behavioral health organizations should instill in […]
Prominent Group Calls for Balance in Combating the Drug Crisis
A leading voice in the substance use treatment community is calling for a balanced approach in national policy as a new administration and new Congress in Washington consider measures to reduce still troubling opioid overdose rates. In a detailed letter to congressional leaders in early February, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) urged […]
Leaders Facilitate Access to Proven Medication Treatments
Despite indisputable research demonstrating the value of medication treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), now considered the “gold standard” of care, uptake of these evidence-based treatments remains frustratingly slow. But it has been encouraging lately to see policy-makers and field leaders advancing access to these lifesaving treatments, given the seriousness of the opioid crisis. […]
Gateway Rehab’s Continuum of Care Meets Today’s Challenges
The most successful substance use treatment organizations strike a careful balance between honoring the past and adjusting to a changing service landscape. Gateway Rehabilitation Center (GRC) remains a leader both in its western Pennsylvania region and nationally by embracing evidence-based practices while never losing sight of its strong foundation in 12-Step support. As cookie-cutter […]
Customizing Your Behavioral Health EHR – What You Need to Know
Not all EHR systems are created equal. That’s why 32% of independent practice providers would not recommend their EHR, and 65% would consider switching for a whole litany of issues. In the evolving landscape of behavioral health, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play a crucial role in streamlining care delivery, improving efficiency, and enhancing patient outcomes. […]
6 Things to Determine the Right EHR for Behavioral Health
Selecting the ideal behavioral health EHR is crucial for practices aiming to deliver high-quality care while optimizing operations. After all, behavioral health presents unique challenges, from managing complex treatment plans to ensuring compliance with specialized and stringent regulations. Understanding what to look for in an EHR system can make a significant difference in […]
Medicaid Policy Will Be Much-Watched Under New Administration
A U.S. election season that produced much hand-wringing across the political spectrum is over, transitioning to a period of rampant speculation before the new administration begins official business in Washington. Amid the many policy directions that could affect substance use and mental health treatment, a much-anticipated discussion of changes to Medicaid will bear watching. […]
Research Could Unlock the Potential of Precision Medicine
Health care leaders define “precision medicine” as an individualized approach to treatment that takes into account factors such as the patient’s genetics, environment and lifestyle. In one of its simplest forms familiar to many of us, matching a transfusion recipient’s blood type to a donor’s is an example of precision medicine. At one of its […]
A Broader Definition of Recovery Expands Providers’ Mission
Over most of the substance use treatment field’s early history, leaders defined recovery simply as long-term abstinence from alcohol or drug use. Not much else about the patient’s life found its way into the equation. That perspective has changed dramatically in recent years, for the better. Recovery is now commonly viewed as encompassing all the […]