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| Accommodating disabled patients
| The second-floor office where I'd like to set up my internal medicine practice is not accessible to patients in wheelchairs. However, if I need to see any wheelchair-bound patients, another physician in the building has offered to let me use his office downstairs. Would this arrangement satisfy ADA regulations? Also, what changes will I have to make to the restrooms to accommodate handicapped patients? | | | When a deaf patient demands an interpreter
| One of my deaf patients is capable of communicating with me in writing or by typing on a computer. However, she insists on having a sign-language interpreter present when she comes to the office. Does the Americans with Disabilities Act oblige me to provide one? | | | Can you fire a staffer on disability leave?
| My office manager has been on disability for three months. During that time, my other four employees have taken over her tasks, and we're doing quite well without her. Can I eliminate her position? | | MORE ARTICLES
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| When a medical group practice partner retires
| A senior partner has announced his plan to retire from our single-specialty group practice. We have a buy-out in place and expect his departure will be amicable. However, we have no experience with managing the details of a doctor's departure. For example, when should he tell his patients and referring doctors that he's leaving? What else do we need to do? | | | A mediator or an attorney?
| Both my partner-to-be and I agree that the buy-in agreement we signed years ago needs to be renegotiated. But we disagree on some issues. Should we hire a mediator to help us hammer out a new contract, or should we each hire our own attorney? | | | Nailing down the terms of a practice sale
| I plan to recruit an associate who would buy my practice when I retire in a few years. I'd like to start cutting back my work schedule as soon as he's comfortable. When we draft the buy-sell agreement, what provisions should I include to protect my interests? | | | What happens if a partner dies
| I'm forming a practice with two other doctors. If one of us dies, does his ownership interest pass to his estate? Should the remaining partners be required to buy his share? What should our contract say about transferring ownership in the event of death? | |
| Could a contract clause spoil your retirement plan
| My younger associate, whom I assumed would succeed me, told me that he intends to resign. He says our buy-sell agreement obligates me to purchase his shares. I plan to retire next year, and this will upset my plans. What should I do? | | | Time to rethink this buy-out agreement
| According to our small group practice's buy-sell agreement, part of the payout upon termination is return of capital invested. How does the practice provide for the payout without hurting the remaining doctors? | | | Can out-of-state docs bankroll your practice?
| I want to start my own practice, but I can't get a loan from the bank because I have so much debt already. I have several private investors lined up, though--physicians licensed in another state--who would like to be shareholders in the professional corporation I'd set up. Is this legal? | | MORE ARTICLES
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| U.S. Court in Arkansas rejects cardiology practice's antitrust action against hospital, insurer
| The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas dismissed an antitrust action brought by the Little Rock Cardiology Clinic against Baptist Health and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.  | | | Collections
| If a patient receives insurance checks directly, cashes them, and refuses to pay the physician, aside from sending that patient to collection, might criminal charges also apply, and on what grounds? | | | ER Compensation
| My hospital has recently started paying certain specialists to take ER calls. Other specialists continue to be required to take ER calls as a condition of medical staff privileges. Is this legal to force some physicians to take uncompensated ER coverage while others are being paid by the hospital? | | | Debt collection
| Is it okay to set up an in-office collection process for past due patient balances using a form letter that looks similar to a collection agencies letter? I have seen other office send these out. The letter usually has a letterhead that indicates something like "The Collection Center," and goes on to advise the patients that they have X number of days to pay their balance or further collection measures will be taken. | | | Charging no-shows a fee
| I just read the article on no-shows by Dr. Eric Shore (June 6, 2008 issue). I share his concern regarding physicians’ liability when patients neither arrive for their appointment nor cancel. There is an added expense for physicians to follow up on these unreliable patients. What are the legalities of charging no-shows a fee, and what is Medicare’s stance on this? | | | S corp, C corp, LLC, LLPwhich is best?
| Whether you're setting up a new practice or re-evaluating an existing one, here's help in sorting through your options. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Your employment contract
| As you prepare to start a new job, read your employment contract carefully, make sure you understand all of its provisions, and, if necessary, let a lawyer have a peek. | | | Before you sign...
|  | | | Look out for employment contract snags
| Be careful, because the terms of this agreement can have a profound impact on your career. | | | When a noncompete isn't ironclad
| They're tough to break, but two Indiana doctors showed one way to do it. There are other ways that could work, too. | | | The end of restrictive covenants?
| A state supreme court rules that "noncompete" clauses violate public policy by limiting patient access to medical care. | | | No contract? No good!
| Leaving things to chance can spell disaster for your practice, the author says. | |
| When a salary guarantee expires
| This "base compensation" model provides built-in incentives for new physicians, and protects the group if they don't produce. | | Finding a Job
Step 4: Weighing offers
| Before you sign an employment agreement, do your homework, talk with your advisers, then decide which offer you can't refuse. | | | A win-win alternative to noncompete clauses
| For both groups and their employed doctors, there's now a fair and legal alternative to restrictive covenants. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| First telehealth provider launches on the Google Health platform
| Users of Google Health who have scheduled telehealth consultations with physicians or mental health therapists via MDLiveCare will be able to share medical records with their doctors before the appointments and receive records from the doctors after the appointments, thanks to a new collaboration between the two companies. | | | Electronic prescribing increasing in popularity
| More than 140,000 (23 percent) of all office-based physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the U.S. are now using electronic prescribing, according to Surescripts. At the current pace, the company projects, the total number of health care professionals prescribing medication electronically via its network this year will more than double from the 74,000 active electronic prescribers who used it at the end of last year. | | | CMS gives guidance on Medicaid incentive payments for EHRs
| In order to encourage providers to adopt EHR technology, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has informed state Medicaid directors that the federal government will reimburse states for 100 percent of incentive payments made to healthcare providers showing "meaningful use" of electronic health records. | | | MGMA calls for EHR data for PQRI
| The Medical Group Management Association is asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to hasten the reporting of electronic health record data for the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative P4P program, according to a letter from the organization. | | | ONC clarifies extension center grant program
| The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has published more information on its $598 million grant program to go towards 70 Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers. | | | Hospital group opposes 'meaningful use' quality improvement targets
| The Federation of American Hospitals sent a letter to federal health IT officials asking them to drop "meaningful use" proposals that would require healthcare providers to meet quality improvement targets in order to qualify for federal incentive payments. | | | Study shows medical home model increases quality of care
| A one-year evaluation study from the Group Health Cooperatives demonstrates that a medical home model in conjunction with health information technology could solve the nation's primary care physician shortage. | | | Federal government sponsors EHR-support offices
| The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in late August plans to award $598 million in grants to open as many as 70 regional offices next year to help practices adopt electronic health record systems. | | | HHS announces HIT Extension Program funding plan
| Details of a $694-million program that will create a national extension service to help office-based physicians set up their health information technology have been announced by federal officials. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Rhode Island uses e-prescribing data to track flu cases
| The state of Rhode Island has launched a new system for tracking H1N1 flu that uses prescribing data provided by pharmacies throughout the state via a secure electronic link. Enabled by the state?s e-prescribing and the digital healthcare infrastructure, the system is believed to be the first of its kind. | | | Survey reveals attitudes about health-care information technology
| Health-care information technology (HIT) has the potential to cut costs, increase access and improve quality in the U.S. health care system, according to results of a Harris Interactive survey of a nationwide sample of 2,200 adults aged at least 18 years commissioned by the Career College Association and TechAmerica. | | | Electronic prescribing increasing in popularity
| More than 140,000 (23 percent) of all office-based physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the U.S. are now using electronic prescribing, according to Surescripts. At the current pace, the company projects, the total number of health care professionals prescribing medication electronically via its network this year will more than double from the 74,000 active electronic prescribers who used it at the end of last year. | | | HHS announces HIT Extension Program funding plan
| Details of a $694-million program that will create a national extension service to help office-based physicians set up their health information technology have been announced by federal officials. | | | Survey shows technology, mobility vital to future physicians
| Medical students view electronic-health-record technology as an important component of their medical education and a critical factor when choosing where they will practice medicine, according to results of a recent survey. | | | State privacy laws deter EHR adoption in hospitals
| EHR adoption has decreased in hospitals in states where privacy laws restrict the ability to disclose patient information, according to a study published in the journal Management Science. | |
| | Study: Schools' gift policy influences subscriber attitudes
| Free drug-branded pens, coffee mugs, and note pads may bring about negative feelings in the prescriber, depending on where the doctor went to school. | | | Inconsistent data may lead to medication errors in computerized ordering
| Inconsistent information in computerized provider order entry systems can lead to a "significant risk" to safety, according to the results of a recent study. | | | E-prescribing on the rise, but still low overall
| Only 10 percent of total eligible prescriptions are sent electronically to pharmacies, but the number of electronic prescribers and prescriptions has soared during the past two years and continues upward at a fast pace. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| GE Healthcare launches connectivity business unit
| GE Healthcare has launched a new business unit designed to improve healthcare systems connectivity for clinicians and patients.  | | | Patients see benefits of e-mail and web communications -- if free
| Patients are willing to use e-mail and physicians? websites to communicate with their doctors in an effort to save time, as long as they do not have to pay for the ability. | | | Merck releases iPhone apps for its manuals
| Merck & Co. has released iPhone applications for the professional and consumer editions of its Merck Manual. | | | First telehealth provider launches on the Google Health platform
| Users of Google Health who have scheduled telehealth consultations with physicians or mental health therapists via MDLiveCare will be able to share medical records with their doctors before the appointments and receive records from the doctors after the appointments, thanks to a new collaboration between the two companies. | | | Survey shows technology, mobility vital to future physicians
| Medical students view electronic-health-record technology as an important component of their medical education and a critical factor when choosing where they will practice medicine, according to results of a recent survey. | | | Telehealth, online appointments could ease healthcare access jam
| Universal coverage could clog the healthcare system unless new care-delivery models are created, such as telehealth and online doctor appointments, according to a recent survey. | | | State privacy laws deter EHR adoption in hospitals
| EHR adoption has decreased in hospitals in states where privacy laws restrict the ability to disclose patient information, according to a study published in the journal Management Science. | | | Consumer interest in healthcare technology is growing, survey finds
| Consumer interest in online tools and resources to assist with health improvement is high, according to results of the 2009 Deloitte Survey of Health Care Consumers. | | | More consumers comparing cost, quality of health services
| A growing number of healthcare consumers are comparing services, quality, and cost in order to meet their health goals, according to a recent survey. | | MORE ARTICLES
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|  | | GE Healthcare launches connectivity business unit
| GE Healthcare has launched a new business unit designed to improve healthcare systems connectivity for clinicians and patients. | | | Survey finds EHR adoption behind at hospitals treating the poor
| A new study published in Health Affairs finds that hospitals that disproportionately care for low-income patients are falling behind in adopting electronic health records. | | | NIH grants to fund research using EHRs, informatics
| Several entities will receive more than $90 million in funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for efforts involving electronic health records (EHRs) or informatics it was recently announced. | | | First telehealth provider launches on the Google Health platform
| Users of Google Health who have scheduled telehealth consultations with physicians or mental health therapists via MDLiveCare will be able to share medical records with their doctors before the appointments and receive records from the doctors after the appointments, thanks to a new collaboration between the two companies. | | | Electronic alerts do not necessarily ensure timely follow-up
| Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests sometimes may not receive timely follow-up even when clinicians receive and read results in an advanced, integrated electronic medical record system, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. | | | Survey reveals attitudes about health-care information technology
| Health-care information technology (HIT) has the potential to cut costs, increase access and improve quality in the U.S. health care system, according to results of a Harris Interactive survey of a nationwide sample of 2,200 adults aged at least 18 years commissioned by the Career College Association and TechAmerica. | | | CMS gives guidance on Medicaid incentive payments for EHRs
| In order to encourage providers to adopt EHR technology, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has informed state Medicaid directors that the federal government will reimburse states for 100 percent of incentive payments made to healthcare providers showing "meaningful use" of electronic health records. | | | Study shows medical home model increases quality of care
| A one-year evaluation study from the Group Health Cooperatives demonstrates that a medical home model in conjunction with health information technology could solve the nation's primary care physician shortage. | | | Hospital group opposes 'meaningful use' quality improvement targets
| The Federation of American Hospitals sent a letter to federal health IT officials asking them to drop "meaningful use" proposals that would require healthcare providers to meet quality improvement targets in order to qualify for federal incentive payments. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Rhode Island uses e-prescribing data to track flu cases
| The state of Rhode Island has launched a new system for tracking H1N1 flu that uses prescribing data provided by pharmacies throughout the state via a secure electronic link. Enabled by the state?s e-prescribing and the digital healthcare infrastructure, the system is believed to be the first of its kind. | | | AMA launches flu website for physicians, patients
| The American Medical Association has launched AMAfluhelp.org to improve physician-patient communication and the coordination of care. | | | New website offers individualized care plans
| The former head of Google Health has launched a new website, Keas.com, in an effort to provide individualized care plans. | | | Cash-only patients name their price on doctor fee search website
| After a successful pilot program in the Seattle area, a website that matches cash-paying patients to healthcare providers is slated to launch nationwide on November 2.  | | | Patients see benefits of e-mail and web communications -- if free
| Patients are willing to use e-mail and physicians? websites to communicate with their doctors in an effort to save time, as long as they do not have to pay for the ability. | | | Online H1N1 self-assessment tool launched
| Microsoft has launched a new Web site, www.h1n1responsecenter.com, with a self-assessment tool to help individuals with flu-like symptoms determine whether their illness is severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention, and whether they are at risk for developing severe disease. The site also offers practical advice for those with flu-like symptoms. | | | Electronic prescribing increasing in popularity
| More than 140,000 (23 percent) of all office-based physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the U.S. are now using electronic prescribing, according to Surescripts. At the current pace, the company projects, the total number of health care professionals prescribing medication electronically via its network this year will more than double from the 74,000 active electronic prescribers who used it at the end of last year. | | | First telehealth provider launches on the Google Health platform
| Users of Google Health who have scheduled telehealth consultations with physicians or mental health therapists via MDLiveCare will be able to share medical records with their doctors before the appointments and receive records from the doctors after the appointments, thanks to a new collaboration between the two companies. | | | Survey reveals attitudes about health-care information technology
| Health-care information technology (HIT) has the potential to cut costs, increase access and improve quality in the U.S. health care system, according to results of a Harris Interactive survey of a nationwide sample of 2,200 adults aged at least 18 years commissioned by the Career College Association and TechAmerica. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Merck releases iPhone apps for its manuals
| Merck & Co. has released iPhone applications for the professional and consumer editions of its Merck Manual. | | | Viewpoint: Why one doctor became his own IT director
| Many physicians worry that if they install an electronic health record system, they will also have to become computer geeks to keep it operating. I've learned that you don't need to be IT-savvy, but you'll be happier if you are. | | | Viewpoint: What do patients think about doctors' use of technology?
| Patients are more satisfied with their doctors' use of technology when doctors took the time to explain what they were doing with it.  | | | The best new software for your PDA
| It wasn't too long ago that many of us toted around a cell phone, pager, PDA, and a laptop—a veritable RadioShack holstered at our waists. Now most of these devices can be consolidated into a single cell phone. | | | Prescribing errors can be caught by electronic tools, study finds
| Most medication errors in primary care practices are prescribing errors--many of which could be prevented by electronic tools, according to a new study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. | | | Tech firm launches speech recognition for iPhones
| Speech recognition has come to the iPhone. | | | 10 new tech devices that could improve your practice
| A wide range of new equipment can help improve your practice — and the quality of patient care. | | | Tools: 25,000 U.S. physicians download free drug info software for iPhone
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About 25,000 U.S. physicians have downloaded a free drug information software program that runs on Apple's popular iPhone, according to the California company that develops the software. | | | Tools: Tech firm aims to deliver key data to OB's iPhones
| Obstetricians may soon be able to check key patient data in real time on their iPhones. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Not a first-time homebuyer? You can still save $8,000
| The federal stimulus bill offers a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers, but there are ways to take advantage of this new tax break even if you already own a home. | | | What "mystery patients" can do for you
| Mystery patients can help solve the problems you didn't even know you had. | | | Rolling out the red carpet
| If you're looking to increase your patient base, there's a lot you and your staff can do to make first-timers feel welcome and ease their integration into your practice. | | | 2009 federal tax breaks: How your practice can save
| Lurking within the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are nearly $300 billion in potential tax breaks, and much of it is available to you. | | | Arbitration beats litigation
| An arbitration agreement signed before the patient seeks or starts treatment is more likely to be upheld than one signed just before treatment. | | | "Loss of chance" doctrine changes malpractice standards
| The loss-of-chance doctrine provides that even if a patient had less than a 50-50 chance of a full recovery at the time of a physician's negligent act, it is a compensable injury if that negligence deprived the patient of any chance of recovery. | | | Is the time finally right for health reform?
| While leaders of the AMA, AAFP, and American College of Physicians all support Obama's goals and what he's done so far, no one is underestimating the tremendous political hurdles—or the potential for opposition from segments of the physician community. | | | Viewpoint: Now is the time to invest in stocks
| The question on many people's lips is whether the stock market has reached bottom or whether there is still a ways to go before we get there. | | | What the "Red Flags Rule" means for you
| By rule, any medical practice that extends, renews, or continues credit for a patient—i.e., one that bills patients for services rendered—is subject to the "Red Flags Rule." | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Don't be afraid to contact your insurer when you smell a suit at your doorstep
| Inform your malpractice insurance carrier any time you have suspicion that a patient is considering a lawsuit. | | | Repayment of Stark violations can be tricky
| Exceptions that permit referrals under Stark are complex, therefore determining a violation has happened and the preferred way of managing are also difficult. | | | Electronic alerts do not necessarily ensure timely follow-up
| Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests sometimes may not receive timely follow-up even when clinicians receive and read results in an advanced, integrated electronic medical record system, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. | | | End-of-life care: Who decides when to pull the plug?
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Efforts to thwart the increasing costs of healthcare cannot succeed without addressing the question of how much care to provide the terminally ill. | | | Know when the Stark law applies to you
| The Stark law is relevant only in situations that involve a specific set of health services and patients who use Medicare. | | | When to refer a nonadherent patient to a mental health specialist
| Consider a referral to a mental health provider for patients who remain nonadherent to therapy or lifestyle changes even after extensive patient education efforts. | | | Why every physician should have a migraine
| Over the many years of my medical practice, it has repeatedly occurred to me that we might be better caregivers if we had a more visceral rather than purely intellectual understanding of what our patients are experiencing. | | | Study: Doctors often fail to inform patients of abnormal test results
| Primary care doctors or staff neglect to inform patients of at least 1 out of every 14 abnormal test results. | | |
How to avoid malpractice liability in cross-coverage arrangements
| For a solo practitioner or a small group practice, cross-coverage arrangements are like oxygen: Without them, there is no life—that is, no weekends, no evenings, no vacations, and no holidays. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Don't be afraid to contact your insurer when you smell a suit at your doorstep
| Inform your malpractice insurance carrier any time you have suspicion that a patient is considering a lawsuit. | | | Repayment of Stark violations can be tricky
| Exceptions that permit referrals under Stark are complex, therefore determining a violation has happened and the preferred way of managing are also difficult. | | | Electronic alerts do not necessarily ensure timely follow-up
| Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests sometimes may not receive timely follow-up even when clinicians receive and read results in an advanced, integrated electronic medical record system, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.  | | | End-of-life care: Who decides when to pull the plug?
| Efforts to thwart the increasing costs of healthcare cannot succeed without addressing the question of how much care to provide the terminally ill. | | | Cardiometabolic Disorders & Weight: Action for Outcomes
| For the first time, 17 of Advanstar Communications' Life Sciences publications and its web portal, ModernMedicine.com, are collaborating in a coordinated, interdisciplinary initiative to address a major public health issue: cardiometabolic disorders and weight. | | | Americans spend $34 billion annually on alternative medicine
| Adults in the United States spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on visits to "complementary and alternative medicine" practitioners and purchases of alternative health products in 2007. | | | A complex constellation of interrelated conditions
| An estimated 47 million Americans have double the average risk of heart disease because they are affected by a complex constellation of interrelated conditions, including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, hypertension, and lipid disorders. | | | Why every physician should have a migraine
| Over the many years of my medical practice, it has repeatedly occurred to me that we might be better caregivers if we had a more visceral rather than purely intellectual understanding of what our patients are experiencing. | | | Q&A: Can I fire a patient who refuses to pay his account balance?
| Most states do not outline or limit the reasons a physician can terminate that relationship, which gives the physician considerable discretion to determine the reasons he or she might do so. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Study to make physician notes available to patients online
| Starting next year, about 25,000 patients will be able to see all the encounter notes from their primary care physicians on an online personal health record for the duration of a 12-month study. | | | Eli Lilly publishes list of payments to physicians
| Eli Lilly and Co. has launched an online registry detailing recent payments the drugmaker awarded to physicians and other healthcare professionals. | | | Physicians must report changes to National Provider Identifier
| Physicians need to update the information related to their own NPI numbers. Failure to do so could result in not being paid for some services. | | | FTC issues third delay of "Red Flags" Rule
| For the third time, the Federal Trade Commission has delayed enforcement of its identity-theft protection system, or "Red Flags" Rule, which applies to physicians' offices. | | | Viewpoint: EHR mandates should be coupled with tort reform
| There is a middle road wherein standards and expectations of how to practice in a whole new world of real-time data can be established, and it must be addressed so that those who use EHR systems can do their jobs without apprehension and fear. | | | Study: Doctors often fail to inform patients of abnormal test results
| Primary care doctors or staff neglect to inform patients of at least 1 out of every 14 abnormal test results. | | | Q&A: When patients request "frivolous" letters
| Generally, the cost of writing letters is not included as a covered service under managed care contracts.  | | | Q&A: When patients refuse to provide social security numbers
| Patients are not required to provide their social security numbers, even if your practice asks them to do so. | | | PHRs can boost efficiency, but also hold malpractice risk
| Since personal health records could be the wave of the future, it is important to understand their risks and benefits. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| 2009 Medical Economics Survey methodology
| The methodology and numbers behind Medical Economics' 2009 Exclusive Survey | | | Malpractice insurance rates drop to 30-year low
| Medical malpractice liability premiums are at a 30-year low and claims have dropped 45 percent since 2000, according to a recent study. | | | PHRs can boost efficiency, but also hold malpractice risk
| Since personal health records could be the wave of the future, it is important to understand their risks and benefits. | | | Study: Half of younger uninsured are voluntary
| Almost half of all uninsured U.S. citizens younger than 65 earn enough to afford health insurance but voluntarily don't purchase it, according to research by a Washington, D.C. think tank. | | | American Well to offer online visits nationwide
| After securing agreements in two states earlier this year, Boston-based physician-visit website American Well has announced plans to expand its services nationwide. | | | Physician groups push increase in Medicare fees for primary care
| Primary care doctors deserve a 30 percent increase to their Medicare fees during the next five years, according to three groups representing more than 330,000 physicians. | | | Is becoming a medical home worth the trouble?
| Although most of the programs promise increased reimbursement or lump-sum payments, conversion to a medical home requires a level of transformation that can be prohibitive to many practices. | | | Medical homes across America
| Details of several health-plan-sponsored medical home projects around the country | |
| Health plans: The questions you should be asking
| Dedicating the time to conducting thorough research can help you ensure payer relationships that are built upon timely processing of claims, optimal reimbursement, and efficient use of your staff's valuable time. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| New HIPAA rules on information breaches take effect in September
| If patient information is stolen, practices must notify the affected patients and, in some cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and local media, according to new regulations that go into effect on September 23. | | | Q&A: When patients refuse to provide social security numbers
| Patients are not required to provide their social security numbers, even if your practice asks them to do so. | | | Improve patient communications with voicemail and e-mail
| E-mail and voicemail are excellent and convenient means of dealing with prescription renewals, appointment reminders, and other standard administrative tasks.  | | | New HIPAA rules get tough on security breaches
| The additional rules obligate physicians to individually notify patients and the local media if there has been a security breach of "protected health information." | | | Q&A: How to avoid HIPAA violations with phone messages
| Under HIPAA, exactly what information can and can't be left in phone messages? | | | What the "Red Flags Rule" means for you
| By rule, any medical practice that extends, renews, or continues credit for a patient—i.e., one that bills patients for services rendered—is subject to the "Red Flags Rule." | | | Q&A: Fighting identity theft
| Do the FTC's "red flags" rules apply to physician practices? | | | Viewpoint: Confidentiality laws bring moral concerns for one doctor
| A physician shares an experience that tested the bounds of doctor-patient confidentiality. | | | The rules of debt collection
| Simply because you are in compliance with federal debt collection laws does not mean that you are in compliance with all state laws. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| End-of-life care: Who decides when to pull the plug?
| Efforts to thwart the increasing costs of healthcare cannot succeed without addressing the question of how much care to provide the terminally ill. | | | When to refer a nonadherent patient to a mental health specialist
| Consider a referral to a mental health provider for patients who remain nonadherent to therapy or lifestyle changes even after extensive patient education efforts. | | | Know when the Stark law applies to you
| The Stark law is relevant only in situations that involve a specific set of health services and patients who use Medicare. | | | How to avoid malpractice liability in cross-coverage arrangements
| For a solo practitioner or a small group practice, cross-coverage arrangements are like oxygen: Without them, there is no life—that is, no weekends, no evenings, no vacations, and no holidays. | | | Q&A: Delegating administrative work
| I'm the youngest physician in the five-doctor group I joined a couple of years ago, and they want me to take on the president position for a year or two. | | | "Nationalized" medicine lacks national standards
| To properly design a compliant, multi-state medical practice, physicians must understand the significantly different laws and regulations they may encounter. | | | Referrals don't let you off the malpractice hook
| Don't be lulled into the misconception that you have passed off all liability when you refer a patient to a specialist. | | | Q&A: Following former patients after they enter nursing facilities
| What can we do to continue caring for our patients after they've entered a nursing facility, and the nursing facility is denying us access? | | | How to avoid malpractice suits
| The better care you take of yourself legally means the greater your chances of swearing off lawyers forever—the same way that taking care of your body may well mean avoiding costly and intensive medical interventions. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Don't be afraid to contact your insurer when you smell a suit at your doorstep
| Inform your malpractice insurance carrier any time you have suspicion that a patient is considering a lawsuit. | | | Repayment of Stark violations can be tricky
| Exceptions that permit referrals under Stark are complex, therefore determining a violation has happened and the preferred way of managing are also difficult. | |
| End-of-life care: Who decides when to pull the plug?
| Efforts to thwart the increasing costs of healthcare cannot succeed without addressing the question of how much care to provide the terminally ill. | | | Know when the Stark law applies to you
| The Stark law is relevant only in situations that involve a specific set of health services and patients who use Medicare. | | | Malpractice insurance rates drop to 30-year low
| Medical malpractice liability premiums are at a 30-year low and claims have dropped 45 percent since 2000, according to a recent study. | | | How to avoid malpractice liability in cross-coverage arrangements
| For a solo practitioner or a small group practice, cross-coverage arrangements are like oxygen: Without them, there is no life—that is, no weekends, no evenings, no vacations, and no holidays. | | | PHRs can boost efficiency, but also hold malpractice risk
| Since personal health records could be the wave of the future, it is important to understand their risks and benefits. | | | "Nationalized" medicine lacks national standards
| To properly design a compliant, multi-state medical practice, physicians must understand the significantly different laws and regulations they may encounter. | | | Referrals don't let you off the malpractice hook
| Don't be lulled into the misconception that you have passed off all liability when you refer a patient to a specialist. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| First telehealth provider launches on the Google Health platform
| Users of Google Health who have scheduled telehealth consultations with physicians or mental health therapists via MDLiveCare will be able to share medical records with their doctors before the appointments and receive records from the doctors after the appointments, thanks to a new collaboration between the two companies. | | | Exercise stress testing in the primary care office
| Exercise stress testing is helpful in evaluating chest pain in selected patients and is a cost-effective strategy for triaging patients with chest pain in the primary care setting. | | | Know when the Stark law applies to you
| The Stark law is relevant only in situations that involve a specific set of health services and patients who use Medicare. | | | Q&A: Offering limited emergency services
| If you are going to represent yourself as providing emergency care, you should be prepared to handle the full range of emergency care services. | | | The risks of dealing with supplements
| The overwhelming majority of doctors know little about supplements or the risks, rules, and regulations that may apply when selling them from a medical practice. | | | Q&A: How to get paid for imaging services
| Is there any way for a solo physician who wants to do imaging services to get the full global fee from Medicare without owning the equipment? | | | Q&A: Steering clear of Stark
| Several colleagues and I would like to open a diagnostic center with lab, CT, MRI, and X-ray capabilities. We are all independent primary care practitioners in separate offices. How can we do this and avoid Stark Law violations? | | | Physician group may employ part-time physicians for endoscopies
| A physician group's proposal to employ part-time two physicians to perform endoscopies would not generate prohibited remuneration under the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in an advisory opinion posted December 15. | | | Imaging self-referral proposal would amend Stark laws
| A Medicare bill introduced in July would require physicians to disclose to patients any self-referral of imaging services such as MRIs and CT scans. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Coding the day prior to hospital discharge
| Allowing a doctor to bill for a discharge the night before it occurs prevents a situation in which patients are occupying hospital beds solely in wait of a physician. | |
| Don't be afraid to contact your insurer when you smell a suit at your doorstep
| Inform your malpractice insurance carrier any time you have suspicion that a patient is considering a lawsuit. | | | Repayment of Stark violations can be tricky
| Exceptions that permit referrals under Stark are complex, therefore determining a violation has happened and the preferred way of managing are also difficult. | | | Coding for the H1N1 virus vaccination
| Questions and answers dig into preparedness for a potential H1N1 influenza pandemic. | | | Web initiative aims to decrease time, expense of office visit paperwork
| A new Web initiative to be launched in Ohio by several health plans is designed to benefit patients and practices by reducing the time, effort, and expense associated with the paperwork required for office visits. | | | Coding for vaccinations without counseling
| Our physicians don't want to report code 90465 when children under 8 years of age are vaccinated, because they do not provide any counseling.
| | | Q&A: How to tell if going concierge is right for your practice
| I've had several negative experiences with the insurance reimbursement system and am thinking of going with an all-cash concierge-style practice. Should I? | | | Coding for ring entrapment, removal
| Unfortunately, even though there are CPT codes for simpler procedures, there is currently no code for ring removal or entrapment. | | | Coding for a primary care preoperative exam
| Can I bill for a preoperative visit, and if so, what CPT code should be used? | | MORE ARTICLES
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| New HIPAA rules on information breaches take effect in September
| If patient information is stolen, practices must notify the affected patients and, in some cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and local media, according to new regulations that go into effect on September 23. | | | State privacy laws deter EHR adoption in hospitals
| EHR adoption has decreased in hospitals in states where privacy laws restrict the ability to disclose patient information, according to a study published in the journal Management Science. | | | Improve patient communications with voicemail and e-mail
| E-mail and voicemail are excellent and convenient means of dealing with prescription renewals, appointment reminders, and other standard administrative tasks. | | | PHRs can boost efficiency, but also hold malpractice risk
| Since personal health records could be the wave of the future, it is important to understand their risks and benefits. | | | Q&A: When your practice's computers get repossessed
| A few months ago, our practice ran into some financial difficulties, and we tried to renegotiate our lease contract for our computers, but were rebuffed. | | | New HIPAA rules get tough on security breaches
| The additional rules obligate physicians to individually notify patients and the local media if there has been a security breach of "protected health information." | | | Q&A: How to avoid HIPAA violations with phone messages
| Under HIPAA, exactly what information can and can't be left in phone messages? | | | Second Opinions: Alta View Internal Medicine
| The challenge: Accommodating the needs of hearing-impaired patients. | | | Q&A: Can auto dialers violate HIPAA?
| What is and is not appropriate information to include in phone messages from auto dialers? | |
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| From private practice to hospital medicine
| Alfred J. Maher, MD, differs from most hospital physicians in that he didn't begin working as a hospitalist soon after residency. | | | Medicare cracks down on false claims
| Pfizer allegedly promoted four drugs for off-label indications and caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programs for uses that were not medically accepted indications and therefore not covered by those programs. | | | State roundup: Massachusetts physician shortage worsens
| A look at state legislation affecting primary care doctors. | | | Your employment contract
| As you prepare to start a new job, read your employment contract carefully, make sure you understand all of its provisions, and, if necessary, let a lawyer have a peek. | | | Web initiative aims to decrease time, expense of office visit paperwork
| A new Web initiative to be launched in Ohio by several health plans is designed to benefit patients and practices by reducing the time, effort, and expense associated with the paperwork required for office visits. | | | Coding for ring entrapment, removal
| Unfortunately, even though there are CPT codes for simpler procedures, there is currently no code for ring removal or entrapment. | | | Health insurers' executive pay faces Congressional scrutiny
| In a letter sent to executives, two top lawmakers demanded compensation information, for each year from 2003 to 2008, on health insurance company employees earning more than $500,000, including their bonuses, stock options, and other incentives. | | | Q&A: How to tell if going concierge is right for your practice
| I've had several negative experiences with the insurance reimbursement system and am thinking of going with an all-cash concierge-style practice. Should I? | | | State roundup: Wisconsin court rules on informed-consent law
| A look at state legislation affecting primary care doctors.  | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Q&A: Tips to save money on supplies
| Supplies in your practice can cost more than you think. | | | Health plan proposal has downside
| A rule proposed in the health reform legislation would allow health insurers to sell plans across state lines. | | | First steps in your job search
| Whether just done with residency, an experienced hospitalist seeking new work, or a private practice physician transitioning to hospitalist work, a job hunt, at the outset, is an exercise in information-gathering. | |
| | Q&A: Cure for too much overtime
| Staff overtime can cost practices thousands of dollars yearly. Learn how to control overtime. | | | Survey: Physicians confused about off-label drug use
| Nearly half of physicians believe that various off-label uses of prescription drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a national survey. | | | Q&A: Monitor your practice's economic vital signs
| What statistics do I really need to track in my practice? | | | A complex constellation of interrelated conditions
| An estimated 47 million Americans have double the average risk of heart disease because they are affected by a complex constellation of interrelated conditions, including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, hypertension, and lipid disorders. | | | Improve your management of cardiometabolic disorders
| The art of medicine can be as pivotal as the science of medicine when it comes to managing the treatment regimens of patients with cardiometabolic disorders.  | | | Viewpoint: Help your patients make a difference in their own lives
| Beginning this issue and continuing through November, Medical Economics will deliver "Cardiometabolic Disorders & Weight: Action for Outcomes," a series of in-depth coverage designed to help you manage your patients' disorders more effectively. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| New HIPAA rules on information breaches take effect in September
| If patient information is stolen, practices must notify the affected patients and, in some cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and local media, according to new regulations that go into effect on September 23. | | | Federal bill would provide deferred-payment loans for EHRs
| A deferred-payment loan of up to $315,000 for solo physicians to purchase electronic health record systems may soon be available from the Small Business Administration. | | | Is there an exemption from the federal EHR mandate?
| Although Medicare is expected to offer a financial hardship exemption from electronic health records, the agency has offered scant details so far. | | | Study to make physician notes available to patients online
| Starting next year, about 25,000 patients will be able to see all the encounter notes from their primary care physicians on an online personal health record for the duration of a 12-month study. | | | State privacy laws deter EHR adoption in hospitals
| EHR adoption has decreased in hospitals in states where privacy laws restrict the ability to disclose patient information, according to a study published in the journal Management Science. | | | Pen-and-paper workarounds plus EHR may boost efficiency
| The use of pen-and-paper workarounds in conjunction with electronic health records could boost overall efficiency, according to a new study. | | | Viewpoint: EHR mandates should be coupled with tort reform
| There is a middle road wherein standards and expectations of how to practice in a whole new world of real-time data can be established, and it must be addressed so that those who use EHR systems can do their jobs without apprehension and fear. | | | Q&A: When patients request "frivolous" letters
| Generally, the cost of writing letters is not included as a covered service under managed care contracts. | | | Vaccination codes: Medicare vs. third-party payers
| Medicare has established G codes only for administration of the influenza vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, and hepatitis B vaccine. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| 2009 productivity survey: How do you compare?
| While primary care physicians, by and large, worked as much in 2008 as they did the previous year, the number of patients seen increased just marginally, according to Medical Economics' annual productivity survey. | | | Q&A: Cure for too much overtime
| Staff overtime can cost practices thousands of dollars yearly. Learn how to control overtime. | | | Q&A: What to do when your schedule isn't full
| What statistics do I really need to track in my practice? | | | 2009 earnings survey: How do you compare?
| A rough year for the U.S. economy had little negative impact on the income of physicians, according to the results of Medical Economics' 2009 Exclusive Survey. | |
| Exercise stress testing in the primary care office
| Exercise stress testing is helpful in evaluating chest pain in selected patients and is a cost-effective strategy for triaging patients with chest pain in the primary care setting. | | | Q&A: Monitor your practice's economic vital signs
| What statistics do I really need to track in my practice? | | | Doctors prepare for swine flu, await final word from federal officials
| Now that the H1N1 vaccine has been approved, primary care physicians are waiting to hear whether 1 or 2 shots will be required for adult patients. | | | A complex constellation of interrelated conditions
| An estimated 47 million Americans have double the average risk of heart disease because they are affected by a complex constellation of interrelated conditions, including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, hypertension, and lipid disorders. | | | Cardiometabolic Disorders & Weight: Action for Outcomes
| For the first time, 17 of Advanstar Communications' Life Sciences publications and its web portal, ModernMedicine.com, are collaborating in a coordinated, interdisciplinary initiative to address a major public health issue: cardiometabolic disorders and weight.  | | MORE ARTICLES
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Starting a practice:
The first steps, one year out
| Here's the first installment of our nuts-and-bolts guide to getting a medical office up and running. | | Starting a Practice 9-10 months out: Loans, leases, and credentialing
| This second article in our series gives you guidelines for financing your new practice, finding office space, and making certain that you'll get paid. | | Starting a practice 7-8 months out: Benefits and insurance
| Choosing insurance coverage and practice perks can be daunting. This third installment of our series will help you snare the right ones. | | Starting a practice 5-6 months out: Office design and supplies
| Now's the time to consider how your office will be laid out and what furnishings and equipment you'll need. | | | Viewpoint: A doctor's journey to the medical home
| My attempt to create a patient-centered medical home really started 20 years ago. | | | Is becoming a medical home worth the trouble?
| Although most of the programs promise increased reimbursement or lump-sum payments, conversion to a medical home requires a level of transformation that can be prohibitive to many practices. | | | Viewpoint: Find your own best place to practice
| With any luck you've already found your own "best place to practice." If not, consider this your invitation to find a friendly place all your own. | | | America's best places to practice
| With primary care physicians in demand almost everywhere, there's not a region in the nation that wouldn't love to claim you as its own. The question is: Which state is best for your bank account, your career, and your peace of mind? | | Starting a practice 3-4 months out: Hiring staff
| This fifth article in our series tells you how to assemble your practice team. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Roth conversion: Is it the right strategy for you?
| Deciding on a traditional versus Roth IRA calls into consideration several factors, including tax rates. | | | Q&A: How a car purchase affects your credit score
| A little-known fact about credit scores is that generally automobile financing uses a unique set of scores. | | | New credit card law could mean higher fees for consumers
| Recent changes in credit card laws will likely affect everyone in ways both positive and negative. | | | Q&A: Keys to maintaining a good credit score
| I have several credit cards, two of which have sizable balances. Is there a way I can manage my debt in a way that improves my credit score? | | | The 150 best financial advisers for doctors
| To help you get control of your financial future, Medical Economics offers our annual exclusive list of the 150 best financial advisers for doctors. | | | Q&A: When your adjustable-rate mortgage increases
| I have an adjustable-rate mortgage that I've had no problem paying, but it's about to go up in a few months and I'm afraid it'll be too expensive. What can I do? | | | Federal bill would provide deferred-payment loans for EHRs
| A deferred-payment loan of up to $315,000 for solo physicians to purchase electronic health record systems may soon be available from the Small Business Administration. | | | Q&A: What's a cafeteria health plan?
| Adopting a cafeteria plan will allow you and your employees to not only pay health insurance premiums on a pre-tax basis, but also unreimbursed medical expenses, dental expenses, eye care, and pharmaceuticals. | | | | Q&A: When to turn accounts over to collections
| When engaging a collection agency or an attorney, first be certain that the accounts in question have been worked multiple times and are well over 180 days past due. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| What would you do? P4P and noncompliance
| What angers physicians more than recalcitrant patients? Insurance companies that penalize them because of these patients' actions. | | | What would you do? Testing and insurance
| A patient's coverage takes a back seat to clinical factors, say most respondents to our ethics poll. | | | What would you do? Alternative medicine
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For most doctors, our poll shows, patient autonomy is key when the patient turns away from conventional medicine. | | | What would you do? Reproductive Rights
| Our poll shows that physicians, like the general population, are deeply divided on the ethical implications of abortion. | | | What would you do? Splitting pills
| There's no one-size-fits-all answer, judging by your responses to our poll examining the difficulty faced by physicians caught between a frugal patient and an insurance company's rules. | | | What would you do? New issues in medical ethics
| The insurance reimbursement situation, pay for performance, and expensive technology have made it harder than ever to choose the most appropriate ethical course. | | | Abortion: A right or an outrage?
| Physicians are just as divided as the rest of the nation on this controversial issue. | | | My toughest choice
| Our survey asked specific questions about the hot-button ethical issues in medicine today, but we also wanted to hear about the thorny issues that proved most troublesome on an individual level. The solutions are seldom comfortable. | | | Gifts: What's all the fuss about?
| Most doctors tell us they aren't unduly influenced by gifts from pharmaceutical companies, and they don't understand all the commotion. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| OIG: Practice owned by physicians and podiatrists poses minimal fraud risk
| The Office of Inspector General ruled a shared medical practice with 23 physician and podiatrist investors poses little referral abuse risk. | | | Q&A: Steering clear of Stark
| Several colleagues and I would like to open a diagnostic center with lab, CT, MRI, and X-ray capabilities. We are all independent primary care practitioners in separate offices. How can we do this and avoid Stark Law violations? | | | Physician group may employ part-time physicians for endoscopies
| A physician group's proposal to employ part-time two physicians to perform endoscopies would not generate prohibited remuneration under the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in an advisory opinion posted December 15. | | | Imaging self-referral proposal would amend Stark laws
| A Medicare bill introduced in July would require physicians to disclose to patients any self-referral of imaging services such as MRIs and CT scans. | | | Hospital permitted to share pay-for-performance bonuses with physician-owned practice
| The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has given the green light to a hospital's proposed arrangement to change its pay-for-performance program to allow for sharing with a physician-owned entity a percentage of the bonus compensation it receives from a private insurer for meeting certain quality targets, according to an advisory opinion posted October 14. | | | Gas cards for valued patients?
| Can we reward valued patients with gas cards, or does that violate governmental regulations? | | | Rising physician self-referral rates has resulted in higher utilization of certain services, report says
| The number of physician-owned facilities has increased substantially in the past decade, and physician self-referral has resulted in higher utilization of services, especially imaging services, according to a new report issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?s Synthesis Project. | | | How the new Stark rules affect you
| You'll applaud some changes, but have trouble with others. | | | Will leasing space from your spouse trigger Stark?
| Q. My wife, a family physician, owns a building where she practices. I'd like to rent space from her to open a satellite neurology clinic. Are there any Stark or other legal problems with this arrangement? We don't plan to routinely refer patients to one another, but what happens if a patient wants to see both of us? | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Keeping mobile computers mobile
| Tech Talk | | | Survey finds EHR adoption behind at hospitals treating the poor
| A new study published in Health Affairs finds that hospitals that disproportionately care for low-income patients are falling behind in adopting electronic health records. | | | New website offers individualized care plans
| The former head of Google Health has launched a new website, Keas.com, in an effort to provide individualized care plans. | | | Cash-only patients name their price on doctor fee search website
| After a successful pilot program in the Seattle area, a website that matches cash-paying patients to healthcare providers is slated to launch nationwide on November 2. | | | Google's PHR easier to use than Microsoft's, report says
| Google's personal health records application beats Microsoft's because it's easier to use, according to participants in an independent study by a user experience research firm. | | | "Paperless" hospital health benefits bode well for outpatient setting
| The results of a large-scale study that indicated there are health and operational benefits to hospitals that go paperless are likely applicable to outpatient settings, too, says the study's senior author. | | | E-prescribing systems cause "alert fatigue," study says
| A recent study of doctors' e-prescribing habits says that the software's accompanying medication safety alerts are so often ignored that the alerts are "more of a nuisance than an asset." | | | HHS launches HIT security education site for docs
| The federal government is backing a new pilot website that aims to ease doctors' concerns about security and privacy when sharing health information electronically. | | |
$44K in incentives available for EHR usage; penalties by 2015
| Starting in 2011, there could be a total of $44,000 coming your way over the following five years if you choose to adopt an electronic health record system. | | MORE ARTICLES
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| Health savings accounts: Investment tool
| HSAs are a tax-free, interest-bearing investment tool in which funds deposited can be spent only on qualified health services. | | | How an integrated care group turns the tide against cardiometabolic disorders
| Holston Medical Group employs team-based strategy to treat patients with cardiometabolic disorders. | | | 2009 productivity survey: How do you compare?
| While primary care physicians, by and large, worked as much in 2008 as they did the previous year, the number of patients seen increased just marginally, according to Medical Economics' annual productivity survey. | |
| Is a hospitalist career for you?
| The hospitalist career path is among medicine's fastest growing specialties. | | | Hospitalists and primary care physicians: Strategies for keeping in touch
| With the rapid and sustained growth of the hospitalist movement, cooperation between teams of physicians becomes even more critical. | | | 2009 earnings survey: How do you compare?
| A rough year for the U.S. economy had little negative impact on the income of physicians, according to the results of Medical Economics' 2009 Exclusive Survey. | | | The 150 best financial advisers for doctors
| To help you get control of your financial future, Medical Economics offers our annual exclusive list of the 150 best financial advisers for doctors. | | | Why every physician should have a migraine
| Over the many years of my medical practice, it has repeatedly occurred to me that we might be better caregivers if we had a more visceral rather than purely intellectual understanding of what our patients are experiencing. | | | A complex constellation of interrelated conditions
| An estimated 47 million Americans have double the average risk of heart disease because they are affected by a complex constellation of interrelated conditions, including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, hypertension, and lipid disorders. | | MORE ARTICLES
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