Legal

The legal responsibility for stewardship of the medical record still lies with the physicians and creators of the reports, but control of the access to this personal data is a patient’s ethical right.

The use of telemedicine has grown dramatically in recent years. For patients, it may mean increasing convenience and access, but questions remain among providers as to how and when telemedicine should be used.

Patient medical records are undergoing a seismic shift. But this shift is happening quickly, in many ways too quickly for either physicians or the laws and regulations pertaining to medical records to keep up.

The medical profession is on the front lines of the medical marijuana battle. Yet the federal government still treats marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

Wearable technologies aren’t a cure-all for lack of patient motivation and adherence, but can help if used properly

Coding and billing advice from Medical Economics.

Patients should share the ownership of their medical records with their care providers. In this First Take, Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH, discusses how to work with patients about the management of electronic health records.

A new study finds that the risk for hospitalization for influenza pneumonia could be reduced through the influenza vaccine.

Racial and ethnic disparities exist when it comes to the five vaccines routinely recommended for adults, a new study finds.

No matter how prepared your practice is, some payment delays due to the ICD-10 coding transition will happen. Here's how to keep them under control.

At a time when doctors face increased pressure from competition, reduced fee schedules, and greater scrutiny from insurance companies, a recent holding from the United States Supreme Court may provide creative arguments to stop-or at least slow-the continued trampling of physicians' rights in tandem civil-criminal fraud investigations.

An easy, cost-effective, one-step test can allow clinicians to screen, detect, and confirm hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, according to a new study.

Nearly half of all Medicaid claims for direct-acting antiviral drugs to treat chronic hepatitis C virus infections have been denied in four states recently because they were not considered “a medical necessity,” according to a new study.

Programs like PQRS and Meaningful Use are delivering inferior care, keeping patients in the dark, and have driven me out of practice.

In his latest editorial, Steven Podnos, MD, CFP, gives his advice on how to optomize refinancing a mortgage the right way.

We asked the physicians in our ICD-10 Diary project about their impressions of the coding transition after two months.

Physicians share the lingering effects of the coding transition as things still appear smoother than most expected.

In this First Take, Kyle Matthews, CMPE, discusses how millennials are weary of traditional institutions. Once you work to gain millennials' trust, they can be very loyal to your

If you’ve ever been speeding down the highway, passed a police car, then slowed to well below the speed limit, hoping you wouldn’t get pulled over and handed a citation, then you are likely doing the same thing when it comes to your HIPAA compliance.

The millennials have arrived, and they are shaking up the workplace-including the practice of medicine.

With reimbursement changes coming, practices need to watch every penny

Renee Dowling answers your coding questions about the aftermath of the transition to ICD-10.

Consolidation of major national payers may have a profound impact on the daily life of physicians

The surprising changes the Affordable Care Act is bringing to primary care practices

Congress will likely move to forbid non-disclosure clauses in EHR contracts with healthcare providers, but final action won’t occur until 2016 when the House and Senate come together to align their different, more far-ranging proposals on EHRs.

The holidays are upon us, so it's time for physicians to brush up on some ICD-10 codes they could see come through the door this festive season.

The patient centered medical home (PCMH)-once a somewhat nebulous concept-has become more tangible over the last eight years as primary care organizations have implemented strategies to achieve its fundamental tenets.

Depression, coupled with diabetes, can lead to poor clinical outcomes and a number of comorbidities, according to new research.

Thirty minutes of high-intensity interval exercise five days a week can delay diabetes development, according to new research.

We asked our ICD-10 Diary physicians to weigh in on the pros and cons of the new code set. Here's what they said.