The obstacles facing practicing physicians are numerous, but can be overcome with the help of great ideas put into action effectively. In order to foster the sharing of new ideas among physicians, Medical Economics introduces Practice Innovators, an ongoing, periodic series spotlighting your colleagues who are breaking new ground in medical practice-and succeeding.
In this Practice Innovators profile, Medical Economics looks at how John Kulin, DO, makes customer service an important part of treating patients.
On the 50th birthday of Medicare, Medical Economics looks back at this landmark legislation and the effect it has had on physicians and healthcare in general.
Electronic health records (EHRs) promised to revolutionize healthcare delivery. In some respects, they have. But for physicians deluged by patients, EHRs have yet to fulfill their lofty promises and, in many cases, have added considerable strain to the daily workload of physicians. In this article, physicians discuss with Medical Economics how EHRs should-and must-improve to reach their potential.
Underlying much of the controversy surrounding MOC is the question of how much-or even whether-the process as currently structured actually improves physician performance and/or patient outcomes.
Prepare yourself for the potential of malpractice cases by maintaining good relationships with your patients and by following thorough rules.
The push is on for physicians to embrace the concept of high-value care, providing patients with appropriate treatment while avoiding wasteful or unnecessary tests. But high-value care requires physicians to navigate many pitfalls, including lack of time to talk with patients and malpractice pressures.
At first glance, Medicare’s new chronic care management (CCM) billing code, which became available January 1, looks like a major opportunity for primary care practices. But many practices will find it difficult to meet the requirements for billing the code, and a major reason is the limitations of today’s electronic health record (EHR) systems.
HHS’ announcement that, by the end of 2016, it aims to link 30% of Medicare reimbursements to the "quality of value" is the latest sign that, after years of talking about the importance of quality and outcomes in medicine, payers are getting serious about making them part of their reimbursement formulas.
Regardless of how well physicians or their coders understand the new coding system, practices will not fare well on reimbursement unless their providers can document encounters in sufficient detail to support the new codes.
How to weigh the risk and the benefits to your practice of these care delivery and payment models
Many physicians feel they're between a rock and a hard place. If they're participating in the Medicare side of the Meaningful Use program, have attested before, and don't attest to MU2 this year, they'll not only lose financial incentives but will be subject to penalties in 2017.
Despite the reimbursement challenges primary care physicians will continue to face in 2015, new initiatives will provide primary care physicians with opportunities to grow and better manage patient health.
Beginning January 1, 2015, medical practices can, for the first time, bill Medicare for the non face-to-face time spent managing care for patients with multiple chronic diseases. But doing so may prove challenging for many practices, at least at first.
It’s possible to maintain a viable, even thriving practice if physicians confront challenges and identify fixes that can improve their lives and the health of their patients.
Opportunities and strategies for billing non-face-to-face encounters
As the evolution of health information technology forges for-ward, electronic health record (EHR) systems will continueto transform the practice of medicine.
Watching parents who are physicians practice medicine often has a profound impact on a child’s decision to purse the same career.
As the numbers of nurse practitioners and physician assistants surge, primary care physicians can improve patient care and increase revenue by bringing them into the fold.
A reader opposes the merger of osteopathic and allopathic medical training into a single program.
Who owns patient data in an electronic health record? The traditional concept of ownership is unraveling as patient data migrates from paper charts to the cloud.
The latest version of Apple’s operating system iOS 8, released in September, allows physicians to connect with patients in more ways than before.
Healthcare workers are in a unique position to separate the facts from the fears concerning the Ebola virus in the United States. Make sure you and your staff members are educated about the virus and able to answer any questions from patients.
It is with great excitement that we unveil our network-wide redesign. Please read further to learn more about a few of our new features, and browse around to explore the new site!
Though once touted as time-savers, physicians in a recent survey reported losing an average of 48 minutes a day because of electronic health records (EHRs).
A reader disagrees with a recent American College of Physicians guideline regarding contraception and abortion.
A reader defends the American Osteopathic Association's decision to pursue a single GME accreditation program.
While a recent study has found that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) pose less of a health risk than conventional cigarettes, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a ban on indoor use and stronger regulation.
In some ways, the implementation delay for ICD-10 is a welcome relief for practices not ready for the transition. But now practices must use the extra time to prepare. Here's how to get started.
Technology giant Apple unveiled its new operating system, iOS 8, on June 2, and a new platform called HealthKit has the healthcare IT industry abuzz with its possibilities.