News Briefs
As a leader in the diagnostic radiology and neurodiagnostic industries, One Call Medical has unique insights. We frequently meet with other industry leaders to provide you with a comprehensive view of today's diagnostic challenges. These articles are designed to educate and increase awareness about the latest trends and to inspire the industry toward new and emerging solutions.
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High-Tech Tools Enables Easy, Streamlined Referrals (March 2012)
In this month’s issue of the OCM News Brief, learn how OCM leads the industry
in investing in IT tools to streamline touch points with customers and enabling
a more efficient, convenient, and quality-driven referral process. (read more)
One Call Medical's Portfolio of Specialty Services (January 2012)
In this news brief, we outline the six services OCM offers in its portfolio, and
how each service is distinguished through quality and excellence. (read more)
Transportation Survey Results and 10 Things You Should Know About STOPS Transportation Services (December 2011)
In workers’ compensation, due to the severity of an injury or the physical limitations resulting from an injury, many claimants are unable to drive themselves to medical or other types of claims-related appointments. As a result, there is a growing demand for transportation services for injured workers. To better assess and ensure it is meeting the industry’s needs, STOPS Enterprises, LLC recently sponsored a transportation survey, in which 150 claims professionals across the U.S. participated. (read more)
7 Things You Should Know About OCM University (November 2011)
This year to assess and better meet the educational requirements of the workers’ compensation industry, OCM conducted an education survey to which more than 290 claims professionals responded. The results demonstrated not only the success of OCM University as an educational platform, but also revealed key interests among claims professionals for education in both medical and non-medical areas. (read more)
EMG Case Study and Clinical Discussion: Ulnar Neuropathy (September 2011)
Examine a case study and discussion of the results that led to a diagnosis of ulnar radiculopathy. (read more)
Home and Vehicle Modifications Improves the Quality of Life for Patients (August 2011)
Should a disabled worker’s vehicle be modified to accommodate his cowboy hat? No, not necessarily, but these are the types of situations Fast Track has encountered as it serves the needs of disabled workers by modifying their homes and vehicles. (read more)
Got Specialists? Finding The Right Specialty Physicians At The Right Time (July 2011)
Traditional workers’ compensation preferred provider organizations (PPO) typically lack specialists such as urologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, allergists, toxicologists, and rheumatologists. (read more)
EMG & NCS Case Study: The Right Diagnosis Goes a Long Way (June 2011)
Read through a patient case study to see how important it is to get the right diagnosis at the right time. (read more)
A Fresh Look At Vision Claims (April 2011)
If you were asked which of your five senses you value the most, chances are it would be the sense of sight. About 3 out of every 100 workers’ compensation injuries involve a vision problem or eye injury. (read more)
Special Handling of Dental Claims Can Improve Clinical Outcomes, and Manage Potentially Excessive Costs (March 2011)
Dental injuries may not be among those that you see most frequently, but these injuries do happen more often than you might think. (read more)
In the Winners' Circle: Workers' Compensation Payers Drive Diagnostic Savings & Quality with One Call Medical (January 2011)
With Diagnostic Radiology costs skyrocketing, many workers' compensation payers require new and more effective ways to ways to achieve optimal savings, while still accessing quality tests. (read more)
Needle EMG Changes in Acute and Chronic Radiculopathy? (December 2010)
Dissecting Acute and Chronic Radiculopathy through case studies. (read more)
Back-to-School with OCM University: Delivering Quality Education & Free CEUs (September 2010)
September is here, and the smell of sharpened pencils and new erasers fills the air as millions of students head back to school. (read more)
Open vs. Closed MRI : Is there a difference in quality? (August 2010)
Getting the patient the best quality MRI possible with the greatest patient comfort, and therefore, patient compliance, is the primary goal in deciding on the setting for the MRI. (read more)
Over-Radiation: Emerging Danger in Workers' Compensation? (July 2010)
Are americans getting too much radiation from medical imaging? According to recent headlines, the answer is: maybe. (read more)
Spotlight on Radiology: OCM Providers Focus on Quality (June 2010)
In this issue, our radiology providers share their philosophy for providing a high level of service and quality to our workers' compensation clients. (read more)
Acute Injuries: Timing of EMG & NCS (May 2010)
Questions frequently arise concerning timing of Electrymyograpy (EMG) & Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) following an acute injury. Timing really is everything in this case. (read more)
Seven-Point Quality Checklist for Diagnostic Networks (April 2010)
Workers' Compensation payers are seeking new solutions that provide access to the best diagnostic providers and accurate test results. We've identified the top seven criteria that can be used to assess the quality quotient of a provider network. (read more)
How Well Are You Managing Your Diagnostic Referrals? (March 2010)
Many payers do not realize that a leakage problem exists, but more organizations are now trying to understand their own diagnostic referral and spending patterns to determine when and where leakage occurs. (read more)
EMG & NCS: Medically Useful Outcomes (February 2010)
EMG and nerve conduction studies (NCS) are performed to assist the treating physicians in making a diagnosis that would direct the patient’s treatment. In order for the results of the study to be utilized, the EMG & NCS must be considered “medically useful”. (read more)
Nurse Case Managers: Top Three Needs (January 2010)
In workers’ compensation, nurse case managers (NCMs) perform many tasks. They work with medical providers, employers, and injured workers to facilitate appropriate medical services, identify potential obstacles to recovery, and ultimately focus on returning injured employees back to work. (read more)
News Brief Archives
Click here to visit our Archive Page for past News Briefs or click on any of the following titles.
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here to read even more of our archived Newsletters in the Resource Library.
Industry News
Keep informed of the latest in industry trends and enhance your industry knowledge.
Workers' Comp Claims Too Complicated? Try This.
Dr. Bicuspid.com
June 15, 2011 - Dentists have shied away from workers' comp cases because of low reimbursement rates and the complicated claims process. But now there's a company that works with insurance companies and guarantees payment to dentists while also streamlining the paperwork. (read more)
Seven Things Adjusters Need To Know about WC Dental Claims
Workers' Comp Watch
May 5, 2011 - Seven key challenges that Adjusters need to be aware of and prepared to address when managing dental claims. (read more)
Dental Claims Vex Workers' Comp and Disability Claims Managers
Employee Benefit News Podcast.
April 4, 2011 - Claims managers who handle workers comp and disability cases often struggle with the unique challenges presented by injury-related dental claims. Listen in as Stacey Whidden, CEO of Express Dental Care, explains these challenges and offers some solutions. (listen to the podcast)
7 Key Points to Growing Your Workers' Compensation Line of Business
AHRA Newsletter: Link, March 2011
April 1, 2011 - With the rising costs of diagnostic imaging, some health plans and Medicare have aggressively lowered radiology rates and now utilize radiology benefit managers (RBMs) to authorize scans. As a result, practices have felt a squeeze in traditional sources of revenue, forcing radiology providers to diversify their portfolios. (read more)
Kent Spafford: Defining Quality (Part 2)
WorkCompWire.com, March 2011
March 7, 2011 - Since my first column, “Embracing Quality,” I have received a significant number of responses from readers who agree that price can no longer be the sole criterion by which they make their service-buying decisions, and quality has become increasingly more important to an overall cost-effective service delivery model. This article aims to outline key factors to broaden the perspective of potential shoppers, so they can consider qualitative attributes they may not have initially thought of. (read more)
Kent Spafford: Embracing Quality (Part 1)
WorkCompWire.com, February 2011
February 28, 2011 - Having been engaged in workers’ compensation for many years, it’s been interesting to monitor industry trends over time. Since September 2009 and over the last 18 months, there has been considerable movement to embrace “quality” and the impact it has on overall claims costs and outcomes. (read more)
Not Playing House
Risk and Insurance, December 2010
December 1, 2010 - If you've ever watched the TV medical drama, "House," you know that a myriad of diagnostic tests exists. When these tests are wielded by a diagnostic--and fictional--genius like Dr. House, they can be used to pinpoint even the most obscure medical condition. (read more)
A Tunnel of Errors
Risk and Insurance, June 2010
June 1, 2010 - Last year, Dr. John Robinton, One Call Medical’s medical director, presented study results at the AANEM Meeting, which revealed a significant percentage of Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) performed by uncredentialed providers were highly unreliable. In the article, Dr. Adam Seidner, national medical director at Travelers and co-author of the AANEM poster presentation, was interviewed on how he is reducing diagnostic errors with the help of One Call Medical. (read more)
Recognizing & Addressing Top Nurse Needs in Workers’ Compensation
Florida Underwriter, April 2010
April 15, 2010 - There is no arguing that nurses are an extremely valuable resource to the workers’ compensation process. Serving as patient advocates, nurse case managers (NCMs) help to ensure that injured workers receive the quality medical services they need to make the best possible recovery. (read more)
Radiology Management Strategies That Can Save Your Plan Money
Employee Benefit News, April 2010
April 5, 2010 - Innovations in diagnostic radiology have led to advances in the field of medicine. Today, MRI, CT and PET scans enable physicians to detect, diagnose and treat medical conditions much sooner and with increased accuracy. (read more)
Diagnosing What Works in Radiology
Risk & Insurance, April 2010
April 1, 2010 - The use of advanced radiology is growing about 18 percent to 20 percent annually, so it pays to pick the brain of Kent Spafford, whose company handles 40 percent of all workers' comp-related diagnostic tests--about technology, data and cost savings. (read more)
A Call to Action
Inside Healthcare, October 2009
November 2, 2009 - If measuring the strength of a company all comes down to the value of its services, then One Call Medical is one strong company. (read more)
The Value of Managing Diagnostic Claims
By Don Duford, President, One Call Medical
Risk Management Magazine, October 2009
October 7, 2009 - As the debate over health care reform continues, the challenge of managing diagnostic claims costs and quality have increasingly come to light. (read more)
Diagnostic Radiology Costs: The New Frontier for Managed Costs
By Don Duford, President, One Call Medical
Self-Insurer Magazine, May 2009
May 6, 2009 - Medical inflation has always been a key concern for self-insured workers' compensation and group health programs, but with today's tough economic climate, the need to control medical spending is even more urgent. (read more)
A Tighter Rein
From BusinessInsurance.com
May 4, 2009 - As the recession continues to bite, risk managers are trying to rein in their costs by asking a wide range of vendors—from medical service providers to insurers—to cut their prices. (read more)
Radiology Costs Growing at Rapid Pace
Excerpted from Visions, the periodical of the NAOHP
March/April 2009 - Diagnostic radiology is the fastest growing medical expense in workers’ compensation, according to the Association of Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).(read more)
Research Reveals Two-Thirds of Advanced Radiology Services in Workers’ Compensation are Overpaid by 30-40%
The Result Is Higher Costs for Today’s Fastest Rising Medical Expense and Potential Delayed Return to Work
March 3, 2009 - Today, more than two-thirds of advanced radiology services are performed without the benefit of a specialized network, according to research analysis performed by One Call Medical. (read more)
Managing Growing Medical Expenses
By Pam Landefeld, Vice President Planning & Strategy, One Call Medical
Workers Compensation Educational Conference, February 2009
February 20, 2009 - What’s the fastest rising medical cost today in workers’ compensation? It’s not hospital services. It’s not prescription drugs. It’s not physical therapy. The fastest growing medical expense today is diagnostic radiology. (read more)
Research Reveals Workers’ Compensation Hidden Cost Drivers
Up to 40% of Neurodiagnostic Test Results Are Not Medically Useful, Leading to Poor Treatment, Unnecessary Surgeries, and Delayed Return-to-Work
November 17, 2008 - Up to 40 percent of Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) performed on injured workers may be inaccurate, according to research by One Call Medical. (read more)