Some General Info on CakePHP

CakePHP is an advanced version of PHP and serves as an open source framework for web application development. The platform uses MVC approach, is written using the PHP language and modeled as per the theory of Ruby on Rails. The platform is currently distributed under a standard MIT License. Due to the features provided by the platform, CakePHP is a good tool for a Website Development Company as the framework allows them to ensure speedy development with robust results.

History and evolution of CakePHP:

The initial version of Cake was written by a Polish coder named Michal Tatarynowicz. He developed a minimal version of the platform in PHP and dubbed it as Cake. Afterwards, the framework was published under a standard MIT License and opened to the public coders’ community for their contribution to the project. In 2005, G.J Woodworth and L. Masters laid the foundation stone of the Cake Software Foundation, which has been involved in the development and improvement of CakePHP ever since.

The first stable version of the framework was released in May 2006 and the current stable version is 3.0.8 which was released in June 2015 and the current platform in use for the development is PHP 5.4.16+.

CakePHP has evolved over the past due to the active involvement of the group of developers associated with Cake Software Foundation. With the latest release of Cake, the user is given most of the features out-of-the-box and the need for coding is reduced to minimal, making web application development quite rapid.

Features of CakePHP:

CakePHP boasts of some pretty easy to use features that make it one of the favorites when it comes to developing web apps using PHP model. With the ruby on rails modeling and MVC approach, the platform is capable of making things fairly easy for those who have a little understanding of PHP. However, newbies need to understand the system thoroughly before trying their hand and they might not find the platform a cake walk.

Some of the most notable features that you will find with CakePHP are:

  • Quick Development: The techniques of scaffolding and code generation that are packed in the framework allow developers to build quickly as the need for writing long codes is reduced using the user friendly features.
  • License: The standard MIT License is quite favorable for commercial use and therefore, building sites using CakePHP is a favorite for a Web Development Company.
  • Security: CSRF Protection, SQL injection security, form tampering, XSS prevention and input validation tools are in-built on this platform, thus making it more secure than others. Developers do not need to spend extra hours making your apps secure and can directly use these inbuilt features to make a perfectly secure web app for business use.
  • Configuration not required: The platform does not need the complicated YAML or XML files for database access. Just build up your database and you can directly use it for the app.
  • MVC Conventions: MVC conventions are added in the framework to guide you through the process. This helps a lot and keeps the developers from making mistakes. Furthermore, the feature is quite helpful for large apps where a lot of data is being handled.

A typical CakePHP Development Company will certainly offer you all these benefits. So, if web applications is a part of your business, then make sure that you consider the features of cakePHP before selecting the platform of your app.

How to Protect My Code Using Dynamic Link Library (dll) File?

It's not worth to waste your time putting any protection INSIDE the EA (.ex4 file) – never mind it is a time / date protection or it is limited by email or account number. As long as it has full functionality and can be decompiled, this protection can be removed and the Expert Advisor can be used without permission. If the idea is to sell the expert, better think of a serious protection.

DLL file is a serious protection. It can be done in a few ways. Image You have Your EA to make desicion to enter a BUY trade using RSI and MACD indicators. If You code this inside the EA (.ex4 file) – everyone can see how Your EA decides to make a trade. But if You move these calculations to the DLL, no code will be seen in the EA. DLL file functions will return TRUE or FALSE so your EA would know if it can take a trade or not. All RSI and MACD (or any other indicators) calculations will be made in the DLL file.

When this is done, You can either sell your EA or add more protection.

You can have your own database of Your users that can have access to trade the EA. DLL file can connect lets say every 5 minutes to Your web site and make an authorization using user password. This way no one can use Your EA without You knows about this. If EA will not be able to make an authorization the DLL file will refuse to make calculations and EA will not know when to buy or sell the market.

How To Make Your Own Cryptocurrency In 4 Easy Steps

Okay, so cryptocurrency this, bitcoin that!

Enough, there has been so much hullabaloo about the boom created by the virtual currencies that the internet has been overloaded with information on how you could earn more money by investing in these currencies. But did you ever think how cool it would be if you could create your own cryptocurrency?

Never thought about it, right? It’s time to think because in this post we are going to provide you a four-step guide on creating your own cryptocurrency. Read through the post, and then see whether you can do it for yourself or not!

Step 1 – Community

No, you don’t have to build a community like you do when you plan to rule social media. The game is a little different here. You need to find a community of people that you think would buy your currency.

Once you identify a community, it becomes easier for you to cater to their needs and therefore you can work towards building a stable cryptocurrency rather than going haywire with what you want to achieve.

Remember, you are not here to be a part of the spectator sport – you are in it to win it. And, having a community of people who would want to invest in your currency is the best way to do it!

Step 2 – Code

The second important step is to code. You don’t necessarily have to be a master coder to create your own cryptocurrency. There are plenty of open source codes available out there which you can use.

You can even go ahead and hire professionals who can do the job for you. But when coding, do remember one thing – blatant copying is not going to lead you anywhere.

You need to bring some uniqueness in your currency to distinguish it from the ones that already exist. It has to be innovative enough to create ripples in the market. This is the reason just copying the code is not enough to be on top of the cryptocurrency game.

Step 3 – Miners

The third, and the most important step in the process is to get some miners on board who will actually mine your cryptocurrency.

What this means is that you need to have a certain set of people associated with you who can actually spread the word about your currency in the market. You need to have people who can raise awareness about your currency.

This will give you a head start. And, as they say – well begun is half done; miners can eventually lay the foundation of a successfully voyage for your cryptocurrency in the ever growing competition.

Step 4 – Marketing

Last thing you need to do as part of the job here is to connect with merchants who will eventually trade the virtual coins that you have built.

In simpler words, you need to market these coins in the battleground where real people would actually be interested to invest in them. And, this by no means is an easy feat.

You need to win their confidence by letting them know that you have something worthy to offer.

How can you begin with it? The best way to market your coins initially is to identify the target audience who knows what cryptocurrency is.

After all, there is no point in trying to market your stuff to people who don’t even know what cryptocurrency is.

Conclusion

So, you can see that building a successful cryptocurrency is more about having the awareness about market trends, and less about being a hardcore techie or an avant-garde coder.

If you have that awareness in you, then it is time to make a heyday while the sun shines in the cryptocurrency niche. Go ahead and plan building your own cryptocurrency by following these simple steps and see how it turns out for you!

How Hard Is the AAPC CPC Exam?

The AAPC CPC exam is no walk in the park, just so you know as you prepare to take your AAPC CPC exam. The exam requires a lot of input from your side in terms of preparedness. Many people go to the exam room and come out dejected due to the complexity of this exam. In fact, according to recent reports, about 40-50% of all students fail the AAPC CPC exam. This is worrying for a lot of people and it may not be getting better for anyone any time soon. So why is the AAPC CPC exam so hard? Here are some possible explanation.

One thing that makes the exam a tough one is that the certification is highly sought-after. Not to mention that standards need to be improved every year. After all, your salaries depends on it. You know that nothing good comes on a silver plate. The levels of this exam are set to sieve the cream of the medical industry and leave behind those who do not pass. You will not just walk into a CPC exam room and expect to come out with a certification and a new salary level.

Because getting certified as a medical coder brings with it a certain level of competence and benefits, many people enroll to get certified as a medical coder. This means that every year, thousands of people sit for the exam. The levels therefore, have to be set high at all times. You are in for a challenging paper and there is the need for you to be well-prepared for it to avoid disappointments afterwards. Know that many other determined people are looking forward to pass the exam and the examiners are aware of it too. Rather than worry about the exam passing rate, it is better to focus on getting yourself as prepared as possible.

Take time therefore, to prepare for the exam. This should be a few months or days before the exam day. Look for past tests and get notes from resourceful papers to help you prepare for the exam. Be fresh mentally to help you be strong throughout the exam period. Ensure that the papers you read are reliable and official guides for the exam. You can hire a coach to help you with the revision, and online guides are also reliable to make you ready for the paper all the way.

As you may know, exam takes 6 hours which a very long time for a paper. You need to be ready for this from the very start. The exam is challenging and anything can happen in the end. But if you fail, you can still retake the CPC certification exam. Just figure out where you went wrong and build from there. You may experience a lot of pressure (especially because of the time!) so make sure you are ready for it. Be strong in mind and take your time with each question. While the AAPC CPC exam can be hard, passing the exam is possible in the first attempt, as many had done so.

Review of Laureen Jandroep’s Medical Coding Certification Review Blitz Videos

One of the best-selling AAPC CPC exam study guide that is only available online is The Medical Coding Certification Review Blitz Videos by Laureen Jandroep. This CPC exam study guide is targeted for students interested in getting certified for medical coding. Many have passed their CPC exam on their first try immediately after using it. With that in mind, here’s a detailed review of her program.

What is it?

“Medical Coding Certification Review Blitz Videos” is an online and DVD video training and support program developed by Laureen Jandroep. Laureen Jandroep is an experienced teacher and coach to medical coders taking physician based certification board exams since 1999.

You will have access to Laureen’s proven techniques to pass the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Her program also covers the Certified Coding Specialist-Physician Based (CSS-P) exam by the American Health Information Association (AHIMA).

Who is it for?

Laureen Jandroep has taught many students to prepare for the exams, and through her many years of experience has developed a sense for knowing what students need in order to pass. All these experience and strategies are condensed into these series of videos which are proven to work.

If you need to:

1. Quickly review all the chapters in the CPT book.

2. Know the exam details on what to expect and what to do.

3. Manage your time to answer exam questions, not ask questions in your head.

4. Prepare your coding lookup strategies beforehand.

5. Ask questions and get advise from an authority figure in CPC.

And most importantly, this program give you the confidence and tools to pass so you can keep your cool and focus on scoring high!

What is good about it?

The Medical Coding Certification Review Blitz Videos are a great review alternative to textbooks. Medical coding subject matter can be very technical and boring, so being able to digest it in video form is always a welcome relief. There are 9.5 hours worth of video so it is a comprehensive review divided into chapters.

The videos are narrated by Laureen with interesting and straight-to-the-point presentation. Laureen is an excellent presenter with a pleasant personality so you won’t mind going through the videos again and again. Her advice and techniques for tackling difficult questions will help you to avoid pitfalls that cost you precious time. The videos are organized by chapters so you skip certain chapters if you’re confident enough. As a 2011 special, you get these videos on nicely packaged DVDs as well. *Good news, this special bonus is extended for 2012 as well.*

On top of the videos, you get support as well. This is well worth the price of admission alone. You get access to her community of dedicated medical coders via a Yahoo Groups forum, so you can keep yourself up to date on average salaries, opportunities, or general news about CPC. Laureen also organizes monthly webinars where she interviews successful medical coders. This is a great resource for you ask questions and get guidance. Last but not least, you get a 60 minutes direct telephone support with Laureen so you can pick her expert brain on anything about medical coding, whether is it about the exam techniques, career advice, or coding in general.

How does it do it?

Medical Coding Certification Blitz Review Videos come as downloadable videos (you also get DVDs as a 2011 & 2012 special). The total running time of the videos are 9.5 hours so it is divided into chapters of 20-35 minutes each. As mentioned it comes with a 60 minutes telephone support with Laureen, access to a Yahoo Groups community, and monthly webinars. The program also comes with a 60 days money back guarantee.

Verdict

A quick search turns up very little results for video-based CPC/CSS-P exam preparation or review programs. Nevertheless Laureen Jandroep has done a great job in preparing the blitz review videos with excellent support.

Medical Billing and Medical Coding Changes and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

In February, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Designed to jump start the economy out of a recession, the bill allocated $20 billion in funds as incentives to promote EHR adoption by the health care industry. The term electronic health record (EHR) is a close synonym with electronic medical record (EMR). The vision of EHR is to modernize health care by digitizing health records, lowering costs, and increasing efficiency and accuracy.

EHR comprises many different aspects of health care information management. One key component of health care management is the proper record keeping of health care activities to promote accurate medical claims billing and to avoid claims being denied by the insurance companies. Accurate medical coding promotes efficient medical billing and appropriate reimbursement, keys to smooth office or hospital operations.

With health care costs outpacing inflation, health care organizations face increasing pressure to manage costs. Insurance companies are not immune to these pressures and are getting more restrictive on their reimbursements for claims. EHR offers standardized practices and automated processes that improve the accuracy of medical coding in the health care industry.

The medical coding industry has been transitioning to electronic solutions for several years. Still, some organizations have not made the leap. Professional medical coders know that medical coding software is a better alternative to relying on large coding reference books that need to be updated regularly. Often, several reference books may need to be consulted to code a medical procedure correctly. This process is time consuming and cumbersome. An electronic medical office software solution eliminates this problem and can provide superior online searching capabilities not possible with reference books.

The medical coder needs to work with a variety of coding systems. For example, health care common procedure codes (HCPCS) are special codes used for Medicare patients. HCPCS are based on current procedure codes (CPT®). Unlike HCPCS and CPT®, which are used to classify medical procedures, International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) describe diseases and related health problems. With the diversity and scope of known diseases and the procedures that treat them (and more being discovered every day), medical coding software’s ability to provide browsing and searching of these complex coding systems greatly aid the medical coder.

Medical office software, especially online medical coding software, provides more accuracy for the medical coder. Medical codes are always being updated and it is important to use the most recent updates. Outdated codes can cause claims to be rejected and denied, which results in re-work. In 2013, ICD-9 codes will be replaced an updated ICD-10 code set. This transition is a major overhaul and that requires planning. The medical offices that already use online medical billing and coding software will have a much easier transition because a bulk of the work will be handled by the software vendor.

The health care industry is an increasingly important player in the nation’s economy. Medical coders play an important role in facilitating smooth systems operations. By transitioning to medical billing software solutions, medical coders have better tools at their disposal to help modernize billing practices while improving the quality of care delivered.

CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

Some General Info on CakePHP

CakePHP is an advanced version of PHP and serves as an open source framework for web application development. The platform uses MVC approach, is written using the PHP language and modeled as per the theory of Ruby on Rails. The platform is currently distributed under a standard MIT License. Due to the features provided by the platform, CakePHP is a good tool for a Website Development Company as the framework allows them to ensure speedy development with robust results.

History and evolution of CakePHP:

The initial version of Cake was written by a Polish coder named Michal Tatarynowicz. He developed a minimal version of the platform in PHP and dubbed it as Cake. Afterwards, the framework was published under a standard MIT License and opened to the public coders' community for their contribution to the project. In 2005, GJ Woodworth and L. Masters laid the foundation stone of the Cake Software Foundation, which has been involved in the development and improvement of CakePHP ever since.

The first stable version of the framework was released in May 2006 and the current stable version is 3.0.8 which was released in June 2015 and the current platform in use for the development is PHP 5.4.16+.

CakePHP has evolved over the past due to the active involvement of the group of developers associated with Cake Software Foundation. With the latest release of Cake, the user is given most of the features out-of-the-box and the need for coding is reduced to minimal, making web application development quite rapid.

Features of CakePHP:

CakePHP boasts of some pretty easy to use features that make it one of the favorites when it comes to developing web apps using PHP model. With the ruby ​​on rails modeling and MVC approach, the platform is capable of making things fairly easy for those who have a little understanding of PHP. However, newbies need to understand the system thoroughly before trying their hand and they might not find the platform a cake walk.

Some of the most notable features that you will find with CakePHP are:

  • Quick Development: The techniques of scaffolding and code generation that are packaged in the framework allow developers to build quickly as the need for writing long codes is reduced using the user friendly features.
  • License: The standard MIT License is quite favorable for commercial use and therefore, building sites using CakePHP is a favorite for a Web Development Company.
  • Security: CSRF Protection, SQL injection security, form tampering, XSS prevention and input validation tools are in-built on this platform, so making it more secure than others. Developers do not need to spend extra hours making your apps secure and can directly use these inbuilt features to make a perfectly secure web app for business use.
  • Configuration not required: The platform does not need the complicated YAML or XML files for database access. Just build up your database and you can directly use it for the app.
  • MVC Conventions: MVC conventions are added in the framework to guide you through the process. This helps a lot and keeps the developers from making mistakes. Furthermore, the feature is quite helpful for large apps where a lot of data is being handled.

A typical CakePHP Development Company will definitely offer you all these benefits. So, if web applications is a part of your business, then make sure that you consider the features of cakePHP before selecting the platform of your app.

HIPAA 5010 Implementation for Medical Billing

HIPAA 5010 was adopted to replace the current version of the standard that covered entities must use when conducting electronic transactions. Version 4010 is currently being used under HIPAA standards.

Although HIPAA version 5010 gets much less attention than ICD-10 medical codes,it is just as important and physicians, medical practices and other health providers, should already be working with vendors on the version 5010 implementation.

Testing with external trading partners began in January of 2011. It is very important that you test as early as you can and often.

Here are some important 5010 compliance testing dates to be aware of:

  • January 1, 2011 Level I compliance-ability to process 5010 transactions for testing and transition with able trading partners
  • January 1, 2012 Level II compliance-all covered entities must begin using 5010 transactions

Simply put, transactions are electronics exchanges involving the transfer of health care information between two parties for specific purposes, such as a health care provider submitting medical claims to a health plan for payment. The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) named certain types of organizations as covered entities, including health plans, health care clearinghouses and certain health care providers. HIPAA adopted certain standard transactions for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for the transmission of health care data, as well. These transactions include, but not limited to:

  • claims and encounter information
  • payment and remittance advice
  • claims status
  • eligibility
  • enrollment and disenrollment
  • referrals and authorizations

Unlike the current 4010 transaction standard, version 5010 is more specific in the type of data it collects and transmits over the course of a transaction. 5010 also has clear situational rules built in which will help enhance the understanding of claim corrections, reversals, recoupment of payments and the processing of refunds.

For example, HIPAA 5010 will increase the diagnostic field size to accommodate the increased size of ICD-10 codes. Some other changes include:

  • a version indicator that distinguishes between ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes
  • format changes that will increase the number of diagnosis codes allowed on a claim

Interestingly, the 5010 format does not require the use of ICD-10 codes. However, it will be able to recognize and distinguish between the ICD-9 and ICD-10 medical code sets, which may help in a future with dilemmas of billing utilizing the dual code sets.

All health providers have to establish steps for preparing for 5010 Implementation and it might include the following:

  • Software must be modified to produce and exchange the new formats (e.g. trading partners must be able to read incoming 277CA transactions).
  • Review business processes to ensure changes are not necessary to capture additional data elements not previously required (e.g. Impact of patient registration, billing, and claim reconciliation).
  • Contact your vendor and/or clearinghouse to ensure products and processes are updated (e.g. license includes regulation updates, and will the upgrade include acknowledgement transactions 277A & 999).
  • Trading Partners should contact their local Medicare-Fee-For-Service contractor (MAC) for specific testing schedules.

10 Common Mistakes in APP and Software Localization

Developing software can be challenging, but when localization is also required, there are simple concepts which when incorporated will make localization easier and quick. Here is what needs to be followed:

Keep the text and code separate

When writing to code, the coder may be tempted to embed the text directly into the code. Ensure that this is avoided as this will cause the software localization experts to have to reread the whole code to determine which text needs to be translated. This process will be time-consuming and costly.

It is important to give room

Some languages such as English are compact allowing the developer to keep the code compact. However, some languages such as German and Finish, for example, are longer and denser. If the coding is compact with no extra space when the APP localization is done, the string may overlap onto the controls and require the APP or software to be edited after the translation.

Be specific on language and country

It always pays to be precise and the same applies to software development. It is therefore advised that a language and a country code are used in the coding. After all, US English will defer from UK English in spelling as well as in date formats, etc. These differences, when addresses, will help you to add similar language options with ease as the software is tuned for new geographies.

Concatenate code

Some developers do not place complete sentences in the code causing the APP localization experts to have to guess the missing sentence which causes errors and confusion in the translation process. These incomplete sentence puzzles are difficult to crack and cause a lot of time wastage.

Ensure Unicode support

Use UTF-8 as it standardizes the encodings across the browser and server. After all, you will want to avoid a situation where the server is in English, the browser in Chinese and all the characters get corrupted.

Numbers, Units, Dates & Times

During the App development process, remember to request not to hard-code the number, units, date and time format as these differ with geographies. When software localization is being done, hard-coded formats cause difficulty in adapting to the changed culture and can be confusing.

The writing does not always flow from left the right!

Unlike English, some languages are written from right to left and a few others vertically. Ensure the coding allows for APP localization to adapt to these different forms of language input. It safer to prepare beforehand for the complex writing formats than to have to spend considerable time for software localization.

Enable secure communication

When coding a variable can have different meanings, and this largely depends on the coder. In these cases, it is important to communicate with the localization expert to make him/her understand what the variable stands for. Ensure the coder leaves notes and tips to enable smooth localization minimizing the errors.

Beware of images which contain text

Images are great for APP development as they reduce the word count and make the coding easier to understand apart from making the APP/ software more appealing to the user. However, when these images contain text, the software localization process is impaired as the text on the graphic also needs to be translated and re-coded. Remember to always keep the images and the text apart for easy translation.

ED Specific Exception Allows You to Bypass Some HPI Rules

Use these frequently asked questions (FAQs) to reach level 5.

A patient reports to the emergency department (ED) in such severe respiratory distress that she can’t communicate during the history of present illness (HPI) portion of the Evaluation/Management service. The patient also presents to the ED alone via ambulance, which means there was no one else to speak for her.

How can a medical coder decide on the history level for this emergency department E/M service? Knowing an important exception to the HPI rules in emergency department settings will help you report these incidents correctly.

When a doctor documents that an HPI is unobtainable due to patient condition, you can invoke the caveat, says Lori Bettencourt, CPC, PCS, coder at Pro-Medbill LLC in Hampton N.H.

Advantage: The ED caveat can put off E/M downcoding based on the E/M HPI component. Follow this frequently asked question to get the lowdown on all the ED caveat rules you will require to code correctly every time.

What’re the caveat basics?

“In real life, emergency department physicians are not always able to get a thorough and comprehensive history from a patient. The doctor should of course always document any history they can obtain from the patient, family or friends, EMS, nursing home, and the like,” says Michael Lemanski, MD, ED billing director at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. If the history is limited, but, the caveat “allows the physician to get full-credit’ for even an all-inclusive history – if you document why the history could not be obtained,” stresses Lemanski.

“The caveat is a CPT omission exclusive to emergency medicine 99285 services. It provides an exception to the Evaluation/Management content requirements when the physician is not able to acuire the required [history] information,” says Caral Edelberg, CPC, CPMA, CCS-P, CHC, president of Edelberg Compliance Associates in Baton Rouge, La. This could be owing to the urgency of the patient’s condition or the mental status of the physician.

For example: The emergency department physician carries out an all-encompassing exam and high-complexity medical decision making for a patient, but she can’t get adequate information from the patient for a comprehensive history. If you invoke the emergency department caveat in this instance, you might be able to go for 99285 (Emergency department visit for the E/M of a patient, which calls for these three vital components within the constraints imposed by the urgency of the patient’s clinical condition and/or mental status: a complete history; a comprehensive exam; and medical decision making of high complexity…).

How about a clinical instance?

Think about this probable ED caveat scenario, courtesy of Edelberg:

A patient, aged 64, presents to the emergency department with altered mental status and left-sided facial droop. The physician examines the patient, however the patient can’t provide any useful history information. The doctor orders a CT scan of the head, the patient is admitted to rule out a stroke. Notes point to the fact that the physician performed a comprehensive exam and high MDM.

In this situation, you might be able to call upon the emergency department caveat if the doctor documented her inability to obtain a full history, and report 99285 for the encounter.

How can I identify potential caveat claims?

In an ideal world, the doctor would stamp “ED caveat” on each relevant claim, however coders will have to be good spotters in order to make the caveat work for them.

How? Coders might be able to spot caveat situations based on terms the doctors uses, Bettencourt says. Some terms that could point to a caveat if they appear in the notes cover:

– history unobtainable

– history obtained by family member owing to altered mental status.

Other possible keys: Lemanski offers these terms that might point to a patient that is not capable to fully communicate:

  • unresponsive
  • obtunded
  • comatose
  • aphasic
  • paralyzed and intubated
  • incoherent owing to intoxication or drugs.

How should I document the caveat situation?

In order to submit a successful caveat claim, however, you need to take in two specific pieces of information. Figure out what they’re by registering for the ED Coding Alert.

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