Lifestyle

Sick care is broken. The processes of delivering care to patients and families are burdensome, time consuming, frustrating, laden with administrivia, and causing a deterioration of how doctors, nurses and other medical personnel deal with those who need their care. It is particularly irksome for the increasing numbers of seniors with chronic, complex illnesses taking multiple medications.

For big ticket vacations that require hefty deposits months in advance, especially for international trips, don't leave home without travel insurance. Because you never know.

I consider myself a very aware consumer, so I was surprised when very recently, I was the target of a minor but relatively sophisticated online scam. (No, I didn't front the Nigerian prince several thousand dollars in return for millions once his fortune was released.)

In personal finance, it is well-known that success comes from winning the big battles, rather than amassing thousands of minor triumphs. Psychologically, it is hard to deny yourself over and over and over again. So use your limited willpower where it will make the biggest difference – on the big expenses of your life.

We all like stupid pet tricks and stupid human tricks videos on You Tube. But wait. There's more. Now we have stupid business tricks to entertain you.

Now, here's something to chew on. The promotion of a financial Advisory Firm advertises, "Fee Only." "This is good," you think to yourself. "The company doesn't accept commissions or compensation based on product sales." In other words, they adhere to the "Fee Only" definition below from Investment News.

As a physician, you are intimately familiar with what it's like to serve others. So, when your career winds down, will you miss that aspect of your life? You don't have to.

Charles Edwards II, MD, had every intention of entering into a traditional medical practice when he completed his residency and fellowship. He really did.

When it comes to bioentrepreneurship, most will be watching the parade from the sidelines.

Even as today's physicians admit patient interaction is one of the few things they love about medicine, the vast majority of them think that appropriate time with their patients is forever gone

Choosing the right EHR has never been more important – Stage 3 of the Meaningful Use program is about to begin. Here's a look at the systems creating the most buzz.

Complexity has a way of seeping into portfolios a little bit at a time. Simplicity has advantages beyond being easier to understand: it's also likely to keep you disciplined and adherent to your goals and long-term strategies.

The answer is: It depends.

Anyone who says they know basic performance data about their physician is probably fibbing or living in another galaxy. However, that will soon change.

Eric Anderson, MD, reviews four nonfiction works about America in 1927, the Watergate era, the sinking of the Lusitania, and Winston Churchill.

Thirty million Americans made unexpected withdrawals from their retirement accounts in the past year due to a largely preventable problem, according to a new survey.

What's the dirtiest place on an airplane? It's not the lavatory. A travel website did the dirty work of swabbing various airplane cabin surfaces. Here's what they found.

Everywhere you look consolidations, mergers, and acquisitions dot the healthcare landscape. So it's not surprising that the results of a recent survey found that 44% of independent specialists anticipate selling their practices within the next 10 years.

High-priced drugs are becoming a hot-button political issue. But the solutions are much more complex than political soundbites.

Though medical marijuana clinics are becoming commonplace in many states, physicians remain skeptical, in part due to the apparent ease of getting certified to take the drug. That story tops this week's PMD Critical List. Also on the list, a look at the emotional interactions of patients and physicians, and how the National Football League is using aerial views to diagnose concussions.

Filling the basic research and development pipeline with money is no guarantee that you will get impact out the bottom

Hospitals are not good for your health. Every year, 400,000 people die in them due to preventable errors. These are some of the common reasons.

Here's a look at PMD's most popular stories for the week ending Sept. 25.

When it comes to providing care and increasing patient satisfaction, time is not on anyone's side. As appointment times shrink, quality communication falls by the wayside, leading to loss of information and a fraying of the doctor-patient relationship.

Demographic changes certainly create opportunities. But, it is short sighted to think one size fits all or that all members of a generation think the same way.

Autumn, as any beach aficionado knows, is the best time to visit. The water's still warm and the weather's balmy but the crowds have gone and room rates have dropped. In September and October, you get more beach for your buck.

Fall has yielded a trove of useful facts, quotes, and other ephemera that otherwise do not fit into neat cubbyholes. These financial tidbits might surprise, and some might infuriate.

New research from the Medical Group Management Association shows technological improvements are driving up practices' operating costs.