Online clinical data: An update
The move online by hospitals, labs, pharmacies, health plans, and physician offices is continuing slowly. Here's where things stand now.
We don't deserve tort reform
A physician discovers a possibly fatal blunder in his own mother's treatment.
What's your duty to inform?
Malpractice Consult
Tax deductions: Keep track of the small stuff
Often overlooked, these valuable deductions can reduce your tax bill, if you have enough of them.
HIPAA Consult: Answers to your questions about . . .
Request for information; mail order pharmacies; postcard reminders; release of records
Exclusive survey: Fees & reimbursements
Doctors continue to raise fees in hopes of recouping increased practice expenses, but reimbursements are thwarting the plan, according to our latest Continuing Survey.
Clip and Copy 10/10/03
About my fees
Special Report: The FTC cracks down again
A New Mexico IPA is among the latest to run afoul of the law.
How to get back into the market
Here's advice for cautious investors who want to edge back in.
Frivolous suits: These doctors bite back
A Texas judge hits a high-profile lawyer with a $50,000 fine for filing a frivolous malpractice suit.
College health--the career choice for me
A college health physician describes a typical day on her job--and the many reasons why she loves it.
The IOM targets doctors
A new Institute of Medicine report calls for more-stringent licensing and recredentialing criteria.
Online UPDATES #29
Patient friendly billing; online customer service; long distance customer satisfaction
Last Word: The last delivery
Excessive malpractice premiums forced this physician to give up the work she loves.
Clip and Copy 08/22/03
Performance review form
The Way I See It: One-size pain regs won't work
The JCAHO's new pain standards create more problems than they solve, charges the author.
The changing country doctor
Small-town physicians now have big-town worries, but they wouldn't trade places for anything.
Judge to patient: "Stay away"
This doctor had to convince a judge that a 77-year-old with arthritis posed a danger.
HIPAA Consult: Answers to your questions about. . .
Bill payments; accounting rules; accidental disclosures; disclosure to a spouse; treatment for STDs; document shredding
When to add--or subtract--physicians
The era of bigger is better is over. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to expansion decisions, but here are some guidelines.
Fund fees: Do you pay too much?
Loads and other fees do add up--and they smart the most when returns are low.
Index of articles Jan. - June 2003
Semi-annual index
Are you liable for a colleague's mistake?
"Vicarious liability" and "ostensible agency" sound like obscure legal theories, but they can land you in court. Here's how to protect yourself.
Investment Insider: Gary Shilling on the dangers of deflation
A long spell of declining prices could mean financial disaster--unless you're prepared, this noted economist says.
Losing Dad, gaining insight
Her father's death gave this young doctor a new perspective on treating her terminal patients.
Hire a pharmacist?
Having a clinical pharmacist on staff can enhance patient care, prevent medication errors, and make your workday more manageable.
Can "phase IV" trials work for you?
More physicians are signing up for these lucrative studies. Here are the benefits and pitfalls.
Alter records, lose the case
"Updating" your clinical records to bolster your malpractice defense is a sure way to lose the case, say attorneys.
Memo from the Editor : Your thoughts
Our new series, "What would you do?"
Financial Problem Solved! "I need to choose a pension plan"
Deciding between a 401(k), a defined benefit plan, or a 412(i) plan.
