FEEDTRACE: Personalized Link Aggregation for Twitter

by Amy Grobe RD

I’m not sure at exactly what age a person starts to feel old, but with my first high school reunion looming overhead, I think I am just about there!  Watching these young children navigate the latest high tech devices and gadgets, I feel almost [...]]]>

by Amy Grobe RD

I’m not sure at exactly what age a person starts to feel old, but with my first high school reunion looming overhead, I think I am just about there!  Watching these young children navigate the latest high tech devices and gadgets, I feel almost embarrassed that my cell phone does not double as an MP3 player, and it cannot be used as a floatation device in cases of emergency.  My two-year old cousin can scroll through the menus on her father’s iPhone faster than I can turn mine on. However, I do feel confident that I am up to date on the latest advances in technology as used in diabetes education, which has to count for something.

In my five years of working as a Registered Dietitian, I have witnessed so many exciting changes in diabetes testing supplies, insulin delivery devices, and computer software that I cannot even imagine what the next five years will bring.  I’ve seen the size of the glucose meters shrink right along there with cell phones and cameras.  Several models weigh in at less than two ounces, making them much less burdensome for patients to carry their testing equipment.  The sample size of blood required to check blood sugar readings has gotten smaller as well, which makes finger sticks that much less painful.

In addition to these mechanical changes, perhaps the greatest advancement enabled by technology is how patients’ blood sugar readings can be interpreted and used to empower the individual to hone his self-management skills.  With most glucose meters come computer software programs that allow the user to upload blood sugar readings from the meter’s memory onto the computer.  Once uploaded, the data can easily be configured into a variety of charts and graphs, making pattern management much easier.  Physicians and educators can average the patient’s blood sugars or view the standard deviations to make medication and/or meal plan adjustments.  If a patient wishes to have closer contact and more frequent communication with his Diabetes Educator, he can select a software program that allows him to enter and save his blood sugar readings on a web site, which his treatment team can view from any computer with internet access using a password selected by the patient.

For those technologically savvy individuals, the insulin pump is perhaps as ‘cool’ as it gets.  Mimicking a pancreas, the pump releases small amounts of insulin into the pump wearer through a small, flexible catheter that is inserted under the skin.  This constant insulin flow, called the basal rate, can be adjusted all the way down to one hundredth of a unit, whereas the insulin syringes and pens can only be adjusted by one-half unit.  Just before eating, the pump wearer tests his blood sugar and counts the total amount of carbohydrates he will consume.  Using individualized ratios, the person with diabetes can then bolus himself the proper amount of insulin to match the amount of carbohydrates in the meal/snack.  Certain pump companies are compatible with specific brands of meters, enabling the meter to ‘beam’ the most recent blood sugar reading into the pump via infrared beams, which then allows the pump to calculate the correct insulin dose for the wearer.  Calculators need not apply.

Maintaining a current knowledge of the most recent technologies in dietetics allows us Registered Dietitians to remain the expert and leading authority in nutrition.  By incorporating these newest tools and research into our practice, we are not only providing our patients with the best care, but also providing ourselves with valuable education and skills.  The extent of these technologies is limited only by our imaginations.  As I was counseling one of my teenage patients, a seventeen-year-old boy about to start on the insulin pump, I wanted to ensure that he had a solid knowledge of carbohydrate counting.  When I asked him to reassure me that he was comfortable with the information, he replied, “Well I have the iPhone, so I can just Google something if I don’t know.”  That about summarizes how far we’ve come!

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Although the concept of search engine optimization can be somewhat complex, there are a number of basic search engine optimization techniques you can use to improve your organic search results. Keep the following in mind when trying to achieve [...]]]> Top 10 Search Engine Optimization Strategies For Your Website!
By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*

Although the concept of search engine optimization can be somewhat complex, there are a number of basic search engine optimization techniques you can use to improve your organic search results. Keep the following in mind when trying to achieve top rankings for your website.

1. Meta Tags.

Meta tags are simple lines of code at the top of your web page programming that tell search engines about your page. Include the title tag, keyword stag, description tag, and robots tag on each page.

2. Create and update your site map.

Developing a site map is a simple way of giving search engines the information they need to crawl your entire website. There are plenty of free software packages on the web that can help you generate a sitemap. Once you create a site map, submit it to Google and Yahoo.

3. Ensure that all navigation is in HTML.

All too often, navigational items are in the form of java script. Even though navigation technically still works in this format, it’s not optimized. Create your navigation in HTML to enhance internal links throughout your website.

4. Check that all images include ALT text.

Your image’s alt text is spidered by search engines. If you’re not including your keywords in alt text, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity for improved search engine result placements. Label all of your images properly.

5. Use Flash content sparingly.

Content generated through java script or flash is a big no-no. Some webmasters like to use flash because of the presentation. If you must, use it sparingly, but only after your site has been properly optimized with basic search engine optimization in mind.

6. Make sure that your website code is clean.

Keep in mind when optimizing a web page crawlers are basically only looking at your source code. When programming your web pages, having W3C compliant code can make all the difference. Run your code through a W3C validator before promoting.

7. Place keywords in your page content.

Search engines scan your website and web pages for keywords. Shoot for a keyword density of between two and eight percent. Google likes your page to be at the lower end of this scale and Yahoo at the upper end.

8. Submit your website to search engine directories.

It’s always a good idea to let large search engine directories know that you’re out there. Submit your website URL to directories like Google, Yahoo, and DMOZ.

9. Build links to your website.

Consider building a link exchange program or create one-way links to your site using articles or forum posts. All major search engines value the importance of your website based on how many others websites are linking to it.

10. Stay the course.

Good optimization takes time. People expect to see results immediately. You may very well see improvements in a short period, but reaching the number one position takes time. Be patient.
Learning to optimize your website for search engines takes time and patience. Start by applying basic search engine optimization principles. If you’re new to website optimization, or even a well seasoned veteran, begin by prioritizing which pages are most important to you and go from there. Soon you’ll find yourself moving up the rankings.
Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience. To discover how to improve search engine rankings on Google and other major search engines visit http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com

There are 12 new, five deleted, and nine revised E&M codes. A new subsection, Non-Face-to-Face Physician Services, has been added that includes new codes for telephone services and online medical evaluations.

E&M codes

There are 12 new, five deleted, and nine revised E&M codes. A new subsection, Non-Face-to-Face Physician Services, has been added that [...]]]>

There are 12 new, five deleted, and nine revised E&M codes. A new subsection, Non-Face-to-Face Physician Services, has been added that includes new codes for telephone services and online medical evaluations.

E&M codes

There are 12 new, five deleted, and nine revised E&M codes. A new subsection, Non-Face-to-Face Physician Services, has been added that includes new codes for telephone services and online medical evaluations.

Three new telephone codes (99441-99443) are for physicians to use to report E&M services provided by phone at the request of established patients. But they can’t be used if the doctor sees the patient within 24 hours or the call refers to an E&M visit within the previous seven days. The new online E&M code (99444) is intended to report a physician’s Internet response to an established patient’s online inquiry. These services should be documented in the medical record.

The AMA created these codes in response to changes in patient expectations and advancements in technology. But Medicare won’t be reimbursing these new codes, and neither will most private payers. “It’s important to recognize the difference between code establishment and coverage decisions,” Thorwarth points out.

Another new subheading, Counseling Risk Factor Reduction and Behavior Change Intervention, features four new codes. Two of them report smoking cessation counseling (99406, 99407) and replace the G codes (G0375, G0376) that Medicare used to report this service. The other two (99408, 99409) apply to alcohol and/or drug abuse screening and brief intervention services. But you’ll have to use new G codes (G0396 and G0397) when you submit this service to Medicare.

Three new codes (99366-99368) cover interdisciplinary team conferences for patients or families by physicians and allied health professionals, such as audiologists, physical therapists, and psychologists. The specific conference code depends on time, whether the patient is present, and whether physicians or nonphysicians attend.

Read more here…