Lifestyle

With every patient encounter we address the ABCs first. There's a good reason for it -- the ABCs provide us with a framework for managing even the most complex patients and organize our thoughts to focus on the most important aspects of the patient's condition first. So let's discuss the framework you should build to have a successful investment experience.

A new online service provides consumers with diagnosis and treatment for common medical conditions round the clock. By accessing the service for conditions that are not serious health emergencies, patients can get the care they need when their physician is not available. In turn, doctors can access the online information to work more efficiently and manage a larger patient population.

If you're investing in stocks for the long term, buy stable companies with a track record of increasing their dividends -- and then reinvest those dividends -- to turbo-charge your portfolio's performance.

A reader who hires his high-school aged kids to work at his medical practice asks whether he needs to withhold taxes and report their income, as he would for his other employees.

Which universities are ranked as being among the best in America for primary care? A handful consistently appear at the top of the annual rankings, but this year two new schools cracked the Top 10.

Michael Stone, founder of private investment firm Westwind Investors, opened the Map and Atlas Museum of La Jolla in San Diego this month, transforming his long-time hobby into the largest map museum west of the Mississippi.

Porsche SE started taking pre-orders this week for the 918 Spyder hybrid sports car, its most expensive model ever. The cost for the eco-friendly luxury vehicle? A cool $845,000.

The one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act finds support for the law remains mixed, with opponents seeking to block implementation as a prelude to repeal.

Reviewing a book that is not-so-hot off the press can be beneficial. This is the case with "This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly," by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. However, I must tell you that navigating the book is similar to the underwater snorkeling trail at Truck Bay in St. John, the Virgin Islands.

I had the privilege of receiving a galley copy of "The Color of Atmosphere: One Doctor's Journey In and Out of Medicine" prior to publication and had originally planned to "skim read" the chapters and write a review. Instead, from the first chapter, I was hooked. To all tired and frustrated physicians struggling to make sense of your life and work, I recommend this book. It will let you know that you are not alone, and validate your disillusioned observations about the problems within the U.S. healthcare system.

Recent polls of America's wealthiest people have found they're the most optimistic they've been in months. Of those who said they'll invest more money in the stock market, the majority said they're focused on these three sectors.

It's undeniable that the events unfolding in Japan in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami are a tragedy affecting millions of people. It is less clear what economic impact will be. Some think rebuilding efforts could start a long-awaited expansion of the Japanese economy. In the meantime, individual investors should check their international stock and bond holdings to better understand their exposure to Japan.

Medication compliance is an issue that not only impacts patients, but families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals as well. So when a recent study for a mobile phone application designed to improve medication compliance turned up encouraging results, it signaled an important step forward.

An innovative new malpractice insurer intends to change the rules of the game: Instead of waiting for malpractice claim to come in, it plans to use iPads to assess patient satisfaction and head off claims before they are filed.

Testosterone levels have been directly associated with risk-taking behavior in multiple studies. For example, when trial lawyers who take courtroom risks are compared to non-trial lawyers, they have higher testosterone levels. Now, a new study shows we have to rethink our concept about testosterone and risk taking when it comes to making economic decisions.

There are a wide variety of retirement plan possibilities available to physicians, but many are not utilizing strategies that allow them to maximize their savings. Here are the best ways to maximize these wealth building/asset protection tools.

Medical groups are calling for legislation that will eliminate the sustainable growth rate formula used in calculating Medicare payment rates.

Compensation for physicians working in academic settings increased slightly last year, according to a new survey, with strong demand and candidate shortages resulting in higher pay for internal medicine faculty.

Securities industry regulators warned investors to steer clear of criminals selling bogus pre-IPO stock in Facebook and other popular social-media companies.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommended that Congress increase Medicare payments to physicians by 1% for fiscal year 2012. The panel also said Medicare patients have "good access" to physicians nationwide, despite threats by doctors to refuse them.

In keeping with our theme of enhancements to your medical practice, it's time to talk people. Your people! You may be the smartest doctor in the city, or have the best bedside manner, but all your efforts to build a great medical practice will flop in the face of an uncaring or rude staff.

Last week I introduced a simple saving strategy to build wealth by focusing on saving early in your career. But let's say you didn't save much early on and now you're worried that you won't have enough for retirement. There is still hope, because you can use these two powerful savings strategies.

A reader searching online for African safari tour operators asks our travel columnist whether there are some types of tour operators to avoid even if their costs are attractive.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami has led to widespread power outages and the possibility of a nuclear disaster. Americans are doing what they can to help, and technology companies are stepping in to make donating to the cause easy.

Once again, Harvard Medical School was ranked No. 1 for research in an annual ranking of U.S. medical schools. Though most of the schools that topped last year's list remain, one leapt into the Top 5.

How much money would you need to have in the bank to begin to feel truly wealthy? For millionaires, that magic number is $7.5 million in investible assets, according to a new survey. Four out of 10 millionaires said they still don't have enough assets to feel wealthy.

Shoppers who frequent online auction sites know there's sometimes a danger that the products listed for sale could be counterfeit goods. But experts say the chances of buying a phony product are far greater if you're shopping for certain items that are favorites of counterfeiters. Here are products most likely to be fake goods.

Seven California counties and three physicians have sued the federal government for $3.2 billion, accusing it of underpaying physicians due to an outdated Medicare payment formula.