Legal

Social media is more powerful than you think. It has become increasingly common for patients to find their physicians online. Creating a positive online presence can be one of the easiest ways to market your practice and make a lasting impression on patients.

It’s frustrating when patients don’t follow recommendations. These tips may get them on track.

Doctors put a great deal of thought and effort into developing treatment plans for patients, but typically have no way of knowing-beyond results at follow-up appointments-whether the patient is actually following it. But advances in technology are giving physicians and their staff new tools for improving and tracking patient adherence.

For practices that do not routinely offer vaccinations or are struggling to maintain a successful program, we would like to offer a basic outline of the process our practice used.

In today’s healthcare environment, using data analysis to improve your bottom line is an issue of survival.

Dialogue and trust are keys to helping patients stick to treatment plans.

Candidates are ignoring issues important to physicians.

Unmarried couples are facing new pressures to tie the knot now that same-sex unions have been federally legalized and some companies are planning to repeal benefits unless couples are legally married. And yet, many singles seem to be resisting marriage.

One of the office managers in our complex told me that there are some things that doctors just shouldn’t write in a note-certain words or phrases will make payers down-code or deny claims. Is that true?

Doctors must confront the clinical, legal, and ethical implications as more states permit the use of marijuana.

It’s typically best not to expect too much legislative activity in the last two years of a president’s term. But Congress can surprise, as it did in the flurry of legislation enacted before lawmakers went home for the holidays in 2015.

Within many physicians practices, there is a relatively untapped resource for optimizing revenue-business operations data. There has never been a better time to dive into this type of data-it can show both areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ single-payer healthcare plan is winning favor and drawing skepticism from U.S. physicians.

A new study finds that novel direct-acting antiviral therapies might reduce the prevalence of hepatitis C virus and, with enhanced screening and treatment, potentially end infections altogether.

No surprise here-patients say they are usually less satisfied with their doctor’s care when computers were used during appointments, according to a recent JAMA Internal Medicine study.

CMS head says new program will focus on outcomes, not technology use.

Treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at early stages of fibrosis improves health outcomes and is cost-effective, a new study finds.

The Federal Reserve is the United States central bank, and it is technically independent of the branches of the government, yet subject to political appointments and potential legislative constraints.

No physician knows with certainty what payment tactics Medicare will actually be offering physicians, because CMS actually has not decided them yet. Thus the devil will be in the details. Here is what CMS must do.

In our latest Your Voice, readers share their thoughts on the MOC and certification, using APRNs and dealing with difficult patients.

The incentive program for electronic health records is in limbo as physicians and their advocates dig in their heels.

Primary care physicians in 10 industrialized countries say that their health systems have problems caring for patients with complex needs, according to a report in the December issue of Health Affairs.

Four steps to help physicians get reimbursed for what they earned.

Get paid what you are owed.

Coding and billing advice from the experts.

Technology giants such as Google, Apple, and IBM seek to revolutionize how healthcare is delivered.

The massive contract could create a ripple effect,analysts say, but impact won’t be clear for years.

Positive outcomes depend on the physician-patient relationship, but what can you do if it doesn’t work out?

Primary care physicians concerned about rising drug costs may want to watch efforts in California and other states to cap copayments, and monitor discussions about allowing the federal government to negotiate prices with drug makers or about setting medication prices based on their value to patients.

The American Board of Internal Medicine is extending by two years its decision not to require internists to complete several controversial portions of its Maintenance of Certification program in order to keep his or her certification status.