Augmented Reality, Google Glass, and the Holideck

Ok, be forewarned… I am about to reveal my geekish side.

Growing up, my mother use to tell me that anything we can imagine can be done – maybe not today, but as we advance, anything imaginable can be done. You are probably thinking, wow, she has a cool mom… and yes I do. Few adults can brag that their mom is more tech savvy than they are. I suppose she is why I am so fascinated with tech today.

In light of the ‘anything imaginable can be done’ mentality, I grew up a Star Trek fan, wondering when (not if) the holideck would become a reality. For those not familiar, the holideck was a place on the Starship Enterprise where crew members could go for a virtual reality experience. The holideck created an entire virtual world of sight, sound, smell, and touch, designed according to the user’s preference.

Fast forward to the early 2000s and introduce sites like Second Life where a person can create and “live” in a virtual world through their computer. I admit that this was an interesting concept, but still weak in comparison to a holideck. Fast forward again to present day and introduce augmented reality.

Of late, I have become fascinated by Google Glass. Imagine it, walking around with glasses that fill in the gaps, connect people, and explain things.


While Google Glass is still in its infancy, I see so many possibilities for how technology such as this will transform the way we interact with the environment and the people around us.

I think, from this point it is only a matter of time before mainstream implantable devices create constant, bigger experiences; experiences that include sight, sound, touch, smell, and even emotion, as it collects data to continuously refine the experience.

Think about big data for a second. Think about all the places from which data is collected and how many more data sources will be collected in the future as more and more devises and people connect. This may include information about the population in aggregate as well personalized information, even real-time health monitoring. Think about how that information could be used to augment individual reality.



Not only would this change every person’s reality but something like this could have a huge impact on healthcare. Connected doctors and nurses may be able to receive real-time, individualized instructions for patient care. Doctors would have access to deeper, more detailed patient records including life-style information. How about real-time, personalized care instructions for patients? How about if a patient being able to know about predispositions to and/or extremely early signs of illness?

My mother was right; anything that can be imagined, can be created. I know that this could start a huge debate of the good versus the evil of such technology, but this post is just pointing out the interesting factor – not discussing the philosophical debate…So, those are my thoughts for today...

Don't Leave Your Accounts Receivable on the Table

I found these AR tips courtesy of Medical Billing Star

Don't leave your accounts receivable’s on the table ! from ango mark

People and Technology

This isn't going to be a full post, I just found this really great video and thought I'd share. It really gets you thinking about how we interact with man versus machine.

Here's a good question. Do you know your neighbors?

What is Big Data?

A lot of people are talking about Big Data these days, but what is it and why is it important. Throughout the day, I talk to a fair number of customers and get the impression that many really don’t understand what big data is or what it can do and why it is important. So, I wanted to use a post and try to clear that up.

In short, big data is just what it sounds like; it is a lot of data stored in a database and ultimately used to create reports that tell a story. Because there is so much data, the story it tells is generally pretty accurate. The bigger the data, the more accurate it is likely to become.

With that basic definition done, lets back up and define a couple of terms. First, what is data? Data are pieces of information. For example, data would include names, purchase history, medical information, internet searches, etc… really any information.

The next term to define is database. A database is an organized ‘holding bin’ for information. For example, you can think of your iPod as a database of music or your phone’s contact list as a database your friend’s contact information. The important thing about a database is that it is well organized. Each data element is in its own field so a person can report on each element or report on various combinations of the elements. 

As a visual person, I find the best way to understand databases is by thinking of Microsoft Excel.  As you probably know, Excel has rows and column that can be sorted, searched, etc. (among other things). You can think of a database as a giant Excel sheet where each column has a title in the top row and each field down that column contains a distinct piece of information. We’ll use a phone’s contact list as an example (yes, this is a sample of my real contact list, haha):

Notice how, in the example, each individual piece of information is in its own box. The column headers tell us what is in the fields below. Now, you might say, ‘my contact list doesn't look like that’ and you’d be right. When information is displayed to the user, the information is pulled from these organized tables and displayed in a prettier way. That is called a user interface.

Now, with that defined let’s go back to big data. You see in my example above, I have only 6 rows containing 9 columns of specific information types (first name, last name, etc). With big data, those rows and columns would be almost innumerable but still well organized. With that much information, you can generate massive reports that tell a story. For example, the story the contact list above tells us that all of my contacts live in Nowhereville, CA. That is a story. If the database were bigger, we might be able to see the percentage of my contacts that live in Nowhereville as compared to other places where I have contacts. With enough information, one may be able to predict the probability that the next contact I add to my list will or will note live in Nowhereville, CA.

With big data there will be more and different columns (and definitely more rows). Those might include things purchasing history, terms searched on Google, medical things… you name it. With enough data, other, bigger stories emerge. For example, we might see that people in Nowhereville, CA all buy a particular type of widget or people in Nowhereville tend to get a particular disease.

This quantity of data can help to find correlations that no one knew existed. In medicine, for example, we may find that a particular type of person, with particular habits, with a particular disease, and taking a particular medication, have a higher rate of ear infections than people who do not meet the same criteria. How is that valuable? Well, if we know what specific factors contribute to a disease or condition, for example, we can work to proactively prevent it thus improving length and quality of life.

Big data is not only useful in medicine, it can also be used in business and marketing to identify buying behaviors and develop predictions that help marketers to “speak” the right language to the right people to improve sales. In law enforcement, trends can be identified that may predict crime before it happens. The possibilities are as enormous as the data.

The next logical question is where the data comes from. That’s simple – you are on it right now. The data comes from computers. They are everywhere and can record everything. For example, when you buy something at the store, there is a computer at work recording the details. The credit card company gathers data about the purchase such as the product, the store and location, etc. What if you pay cash? Haven’t you ever had a store clerk ask for your zip code, phone number, or email address? Do you belong to any store’s discount or rewards club? It’s all data. What about driving? Your car more than likely has a computer in it. Do you have E-Z Pass? Do you use GPS? Data. Internet searches – data. Social media posts – data. Cell phone usage – data…. Data is recorded EVERYWHERE. According to IBM, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day.  That means 2,500,000,000,000,000,000 bytes or units of information. Put it all together, and voila, you have seriously BIG data.

The challenge for big data providers, obviously, is getting all that data in to one centralized database. First, the data is so huge that normal computers cannot accommodate it so massive numbers of huge and powerful servers are used. Also, it is spread all over the place. Still, big data companies are making progress. Who are these providers? Well, while many others may exist, the big companies like IBM, Oracle, and SAP are the first that come to mind.

Now that a simplified foundation is laid, if you want to learn more about big data, I recommend visiting IBM’s website. They have a great definition and some examples of use cases that may help to make it all clear. 

Also, here are some articles that show big data at work in a variety of industries: 

Big Data in Employment

Big Data in Video Games

Big Data in Education

Big Data in Finance

Big Data in Law Enforcement

Big Data in Healthcare

Big data in Marketing

Pediatrics: Sick and Well Visits on the Same Day are NOT Double Billing

The other day I read a blog post about physicians double billing. The article was posted on a blog of a reputable company  but the content was outrageous and it has driven me to a reply. First, about the article to which I am referring…

The author complained that when he took his child to the pediatrician for a well visit and an ear infection was discovered during the visit, his insurance was double billed. He claimed to have called the insurance and was told it was a legitimate practice. Regardless, the author blogged a complaint saying that the  physician was double billing in a blog post.

First, I want to take a second to talk about the technical aspects of what happened in this situation and why the physician’s billing practices are completely legitimate. Following that, I will point out the common sense perspective.

When a child sees their pediatrician for a well visit, the physician is responsible for performing and documenting a physical appropriate to the child’s age. A physical for a child generally includes various measurements (height, weight, etc.) and examinations to make sure that the child is growing and healthy. The physician will check through the child’s history, make sure that all necessary immunizations have been administered and make recommendations (or answer questions as appropriate) on nutrition, sleep , exercise, life-style, etc.  During the well visit, the physician is examining the child for physical health, mental health, and developmental health. The physician is responsible for documenting all of this and, if documented, well visits are a complete service which can and should be billed.

If the physician happens to find a problem, the physician must address that problem and a distinct sick visit begins. A sick visit also has specific requirements for the history of the present illness, review of systems, history,  examination, and medical decision making. All this must be performed (or if already performed it must be reviewed/considered in the context of the sickness) and documented. As the sick part of the visit is a distinct and separately identifiable service, it is separately billable with the modifier 25.

So, why is this practice legitimate? Because two separate services were performed. Think of it this way (here’s the common sense part). If you take your car in to the mechanic for a routine oil change, the mechanic will bill you for the oil change (a well visit). Now, what if, during that oil change, the mechanic discovers that there is a crack in the oil pan. If the mechanic repairs/replaces the oil pan to fix the problem (a sick visit) would you expect that repair for free since he/she was in there anyway? No! You would expect that the mechanic would bill for BOTH services. If you wouldn't expect a mechanic to give away free services, one cannot expect a physician to perform additional services for free.

Content Marketing Strategy Part 2

Planning a content strategy is a challenging venture. One cannot just put up any old content in any old order and expect it to save the day. As with any strategic initiative, you must plan effectively and thoroughly.

Here is a video to set a foundation: 

In the previous post I talked about the goal of content strategy. The goal is the best starting point. From the goal, one can build a strategy by identifying the high-level elements that are required to make the strategy come to fruition. I touched on this briefly in the last post and we will explore in more detail here.

As you will recall the goal is:

Efficiently produce and organizing relevant / up-to-date content that engages by immersing the audience in a meaningful / helpful / enjoyable / interesting /and sharable experience in order to attract new and existing followers / customers / readers and motivates your audiences to practice the same behaviors as your best customers. In time you will develop a following of people that will return to you habitually in time of need.

The first step is to define the scope of the content. Within the goal, we can identify several requirements for the content. Those things are:

• Efficient production
• Well organized content
• Meaningful, engaging content
• Directed at both customers and non-customers

Accomplishing these content goals will require extensive research including the following:

• Competition
• Industry
• Other industries
• And… Review your own company data and knowledge (analytics, system usage, win/loss analysis, debriefing sales people, brainstorming with other departments, etc.)

Looking at all this data, collecting feedback, etc. will help define the scope of the content (That way you don’t end up creating a three-headed monster inaccurately nicknamed content strategy).

The next step is to define how and where to deliver the content. As noted in the previous post content can be delivered in a wide variety of forms including, but not limited to: whitepapers, news articles, video, infographics, etc. The organization of this information is just as important as the content itself. An expert in information architecture or user experience is a valuable asset here.

As you continue through the planning process, the next step is planning a means of measuring your return on investment. To do this, first you must understand the short-term and long-term goals. Out of the gate, traffic might be light and sales are not likely to skyrocket. So, be sure to set realistic expectations. Here is a list of key performance indicators to consider including in the plan:

• Sales lead ‘quality’ and quantity
• Website traffic – page views / returning visits / unique visits
• SEO ranking
• Time spend on website
• “Membership” acquisition
• Links
• Views/downloads
• Mentions
• Shares (shares to social media, for example)
• Followers
• # of Comments

Next, plan what tools you will need to carry out the plan. For example, you will definitely need a way to keep track of the content schedule (like an editorial calendar). Also, to support KPI reporting, you will need Google Analytics, and perhaps some type of social media scanner to see where your content is referenced/shared.

The last part of the plan will relate to how you will spread the word once the content is live. This will likely include a search engine optimization strategy and advertising.

Please remember, this is just a quickie, high-level overview. It is certainly not enough to form a really thorough plan. If this has whet your appetite and you want to learn more check out: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com

What is a Content Marketing Strategy?

You may notice that the more recent posts on this blog are not wholly related to

healthcare. This is no accident. I believe that people benefit from a wide variety of ideas and, to that end, I strive to learn new things while sharing what I know.  I never mentioned this on the blog before, but a sometime ago I disrupted my career.  I left healthcare and started working in a completely different industry. This, of course, has not changed my interest on healthcare, nor have I stopped following healthcare.

This personal disruption isn't abandonment; it is a means of growth.  And, boy-oh-boy, have I learned a lot! Not only have I learned a new industry, I have also learned new ways of doing things, I have learned to see common things in a different light, I have learned new applications for the same old, and so much more. I think these things can benefit both you and me. So, while I will still post about healthcare frequently, don’t be surprised to see a more broad range of topics.

Today, I want to share what I have been working on recently: Content Marketing Strategy

With the Internet being such a powerful learning tool, content is a great way to develop brand recognition as a thought leader and fountain of information. The goal of a content marketing strategy is:

Efficiently produce and organizing relevant / up-to-date content that engages by immersing the audience in a meaningful / helpful / enjoyable / interesting /and sharable experience in order to attract new and existing followers / customers / readers and motivate your audiences to practice the same behaviors as your best customers. In time, you will develop a following of people that will return to you habitually in time of need.

I know that is a giant run-on sentence, but with good cause. Content marketing strategy has a huge job that requires a huge sentence. The words in the goal stated above were not chosen at random, each word has a specific purpose. For example, look at the first word, efficiently. If your goal is to produce mass content, you must do it efficiently or your marketing spend will go through the roof and your business won’t benefit.  If you are new to content marketing strategy, I encourage you to read and reread that phrase. Interpret each word for yourself. Then, work to improve upon that phrase.

In addition to the word choices, the statement is intended to imply actions that help to execute on the goal. For example, the phrase attract new and existing constituents, is intended to imply the need to develop a plan to attract people to your content. This may be through advertising, SEO, etc. 

Another implication relates to the part of the phrase that says motivates your audience to practice the same behaviors as your best customers.  Clearly, you have to know your best customers before you can do this. In knowing your customers, I don’t just mean knowing their names – I mean knowing their behaviors and speaking to that persona. If you aren't familiar, you should do a little research on user persona. While it generally is used referring to user experience and interface design, it actually has a much wider implication in getting to know your customers. 

Now, spend a little time picking apart the goal phrase above and see if you can find the other implications that drive planning and execution. 

Here is a great video I found on YouTube that sums it up well. 

Anyway… I find I learn best with visual examples. So, if you want to get a good grasp content marketing strategy, take a minute to look at what others have done. Here are some examples of really impressive content marketing strategies:

• http://www.webmd.com/
• http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/
• http://virginmobilefeed.com/
• http://www.msptv.net/
• http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-us/pages/home.aspx
• https://presentations.inxpo.com/Shows/Cisco/IP_NGN/05-10/Website/home.htm?AffiliateKey=11431&AffiliateData=188986_6
• http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html
• http://www.shrm.org/Pages/default.aspx

You will notice on those example sites that content types and the organization/display of that content vary from site to site. So, what is content? Here is a short list of possibilities:

Social media	Webinars	Video
Case studies	White papers	Articles
E-newsletters	Blog	In-person events
Articles on other sites	Research reports	Infographics
Microsites	Branded content tools	Ebooks
Syndicated data	Virtual conferences	Podcasts
Books	Mobile content	Digital magazines
Games	Comics	Competitions
Apps	Gifs	Guides
Hangouts	Framework	Images
Link bait	Press releases	Quizzes
Social feed	Slideshows	Live presentations / QA session

Now that I have defined content marketing strategy and given some examples, I think I will close this post as it is getting rather long. In the next post, I will share more about planning and executing a content marketing strategy.

Before I go, I do want to point you in a direction to learn more while you wait on my next post. In my venture into content, I learned the most valuable information from the Content Marketing Institute. You should pay them a visit to learn more: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com

Learning Technology

Education certainly has changed. Today, anything you want to learn is available online.  Regular readers may remember that some time ago, I started working toward an MBA. The program I chose is completely online. 

Online learning is more convenient than sitting in a classroom, particularly for those that work full-time. It does, however, require a lot of commitment and drive. It is very easy to be ‘too tired tonight’ or want to watch another episode of Big Bang Theory instead. But, when motivation is low, I simply remember the overarching theme of one of the best books ever written, The Science of Getting Rich.  The theme in a nut shell: If you want it (whatever it is) badly enough, do what it takes to get it – then do even more. That, coupled with the advice of Winston Churchill, “never, never, never quit” keeps me going.

What I find amazing though is how much is available to learn for free and outside of formal learning institutions. I have written about that at length before, so I won’t cover that again. This time, I actually want to talk some other things available in education.  

Today, I read about several learning platforms that help children learn programming. Considering our dependence on technology, the skill gap in mathematics/engineering, and the number of jobs available in technology today, I think this is a great opportunity. Here are some great ways to learn about programming: 

Tynker: This is a platform designed for elementary age children and available for deployment at schools at no cost. I only wish that a version of the platform was immediately available to kids without having to go through a school. I fear that widespread school adoption may take too much time considering schools’ other priorities. I do, however, think that a lot of parents would encourage their children to use such a platform at home and even be willing to pay a subscription fee  to ensure their children’s future success.   Perhaps, Tynker will make the program more widely available in the future. For now, I do hope schools see the opportunity and jump quickly.

Treehouse: This is another site to learn programming aimed at adults and teens. This site offers videos, programming challenges, quizzes, etc. as an interactive, user friendly way to learn. The site teaches web design, app building, advanced programming,  and even business skills. This one has a nominal subscription fee, but I think it is very well worth it.

Code Academy: This is another learning platform to teach programming to adults and teens. Using this free tool, a person can build projects, participate in a community, and build a portfolio to show off your new skills with accomplishment badges and all J. The site offers learning in Javascript, HTML, CSS, PHP, Python, Ruby, and APIs. I am absolutely amazed and really impressed that this type of content is free. To the founders and developers of this site – YOU ROCK!

Right now, my schedule is a little hectic with work and school. But, as a technology product manager, I have long wanted to build up programming skills and this will likely be the way I do it… as soon as time permits. In the mean time, I believe that parents should encourage (push them hard!) their local schools to check out Tynker and adults who want to learn should check out Treehouse and Code Academy. Remember, if you want it – go get it!

Doctor-Hiring Rush is On

According to a recent Healthcare Leaders article, Doctor-Hiring Rush is On, with health reform, with the focus on population health and the shift away from volume to quality outcomes, discerning the financial value of a new hire [Physician] can be elusive. While many payers are not yet reimbursing for better-quality care, physicians are beginning to be tracked by quality and patient satisfaction metrics that are not yet tied to all payer contracts and can add to the challenge when calculating ROI. Accordingly, under pay for performance, finance leaders could measure the financial success of a physician-hospital partnership in a relatively simple equation: how much was spent to onboard a physician, plus salary and benefits, plus overhead minus the amount of revenue per patient that the physician generated.

Very interesting read!