Opinion

2017 Physician Writing Contest winners - Third Place

If you and your team haven’t discussed how social media can be used to grow your practice and get seen in a competitive market, I hope you keep reading. Finding success with social media takes time and energy, but it’s never too late to start building momentum.

The last few months have seen an avalanche of news coming from Washington. But while most of the focus has been on politics, healthcare has seen its share of newsworthy developments too. Have you been keeping up? Find out by taking the Medical Economics news quiz!

New RCM systems will improve small practices’ ability to manage claim denials, improve reimbursements and boost their business operations.

Vendors don’t offer identical features and services, leaving physicians to determine which one offers the right fit.

Practices must focus on building an efficient RCM system that helps them collect payments while allowing them to focus on patient care.

Here’s what features and functions vendors should add to improve their software for physicians.

While the nation debates the policy and payment issues in healthcare, a quiet crisis may be brewing behind the scenes.

The forcible removal of a passenger from the United Airlines flight has reminded flyers of their general dissatisfaction with the airline industry. Perhaps surprisingly, it should also be a stern warning to physicians

After years of exaggeration, misinformation and a national epidemic of opioid and heroin abuse, the nation is finally coming to terms with the fact that pain is not the fifth vital sign.

A vaccine targeting the protein that contributes to acne breakouts is in development at the University of California, San Diego.

Patients often go without vaccines due to cost, and physicians don’t always recommend them over concerns about reimbursement, according to a new study.

Thinking of holding an open house to introduce your new practice, welcome a new physician or tell the community about a new service or treatment you’re offering? You may be on the right track.

Large sums of graduate debt are a harsh reality of practicing medicine for the majority of new physicians.

A shorter, triple DAA therapy combination is not superior to 12 weeks of sofosbuvir plus velpatasvir in chronic HCV patients, according to researchers.

New study indicates early recognition of HBV-HCV co-infection can lead to prompt treatment of HBV reactivation.

After receiving feedback on my previous blog, Medicaid expansion must remain safe in healthcare reform, I must continue to encourage that Medicaid, a joint federal and state program that funds healthcare for the poor, be protected.

Despite its sweeping impact, polls show that most physicians know little about MACRA or how the law will affect them. How much do you know? Take our quiz and find out!

Improvements in glycemic control from combined diet and physical activity intervention drove down use of routine medications, according to new study.

Study: Achieving stringent HbA1c goals within 6 months of initiating metformin predicted decreased risk.

While physicians should be circumspect about “firing” patients in most types of cases, they are well within their bounds to dismiss patients who are violent, verbally abusive or use their trusted doctor-patient relationship to feed drug addictions.

The impact of tax-free health savings accounts (HSAs) to foster direct primary care (DPC) models will be a refreshing change to the cumbersome accounts receivable processes we are all frustrated by.

Maintenance of certification angst is growing and the purveyors of this onerous exercise have discovered the root of the problem: the patient.

While medical offices typically have good cause to dismiss patients who are violent or abusive, doctors and healthcare attorneys say they should be (and generally are) more circumspect in other types of frustrating but ultimately resolvable situations.

Q: We have recently been receiving patient complaints for procedure claim denials. These used to get paid, and our physicians haven’t changed how they are coding. Can you help?

Tips and strategies short of suing your patient for defamation

Your primary care practice team may not be as efficient as it could be, particularly for patients with complex, chronic health needs

Avoid repeating these common errors

How MACRA punishes physicians when patients don’t adhere

How does a physician overcome the challenges and take advantage of the valuable opportunity that arrives with that third person in room?