Opinion

This month, Medical Economics takes a look at the issue of guns in medical practice.

Before selling your practice, bringing on a new partner or investor or entering into a new practice management relationship or joint venture, you should first determine if there are any business or regulatory risks present in your practice, as they could jeopardize your transaction or put a portion of your proceeds at risk.

Employees in any sized healthcare facility should not be allowed to carry guns inside their place of employment.

Allow guns into my practice-and yours? How could you not? If you think your practice is in a gun-free zone, you are wrong.

Karma at its best.

The number of physician practices owned by hospitals has increased 86% over the past 4 years, which also resulted in a 50% rise in the number of physicians employed by hospitals, according to a recent study.

Many doctors have a difficult time with marijuana as medication, and consider doctors who prescribe it as second-class citizens.

While the presidential campaign dominates the news, some doctors view the political process through a unique lens because they, too, are elected officials.

The Hippocratic Oath directs physicians to act in a manner that advances patient well-being. Yet CMS, by offering financial reward for clinical behavior dictated by other considerations, has created a practice environment at odds with this directive.

When it comes to investing in IT and data security, the healthcare field has been known to lag behind other business sectors. That underspending, coupled with the massive shift from paper to digital records in recent years, has put the industry in some crosshairs.

Until we create a system that rewards investment in wellness and healthcare dollars not spent, there is reason to fear that the negative effects of healthcare excesses will continue to be borne by households, businesses, and governments.

We've had so much major medical advances in the first half of the 19th century, but physicians are severely being held back from continuing that success.

Physicians can sometimes be hesitant to begin hosting video visits because they are weary about just how effective the technology can be when treating patients. However, once physicians start using telemedicine, they are often shocked at how versatile video technology can be as an additional tool to administering care.

Analytics are rapidly changing how physicians and health systems approach patient care.

A real-world study confirms the effectiveness and safety of the all-oral combination of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for treatment of hepatitis C virus GT2 infection.

Completing these crucial tasks before you switch from an old electronic health record system to a new one can help ensure a successful implementation.

More susceptible to community-acquired pneumonia, researchers advise those with celiac disease to get vaccinated.

New research confirms that humans can make antibodies to neutralize several strains of influenza A, according to new study.

U.S. study finds those with HCV three times more likely to drink five or more drinks per day every day vs. those without HCV infections.

Doctors share the biggest mistakes, missteps and oversights they made when switching from one EHR to another.

The federal government must rethink its strategy of working to put small medical practices out of business.

Critics of MACRA fear MIPS’s extensive reporting requirements, and physicians who choose the APM route may be signing the death warrant for their practices.

Hospitalists concerns, JAMA and the opioid crisis are the hot topics in this edition of Your Voice.

What’s changing about coding in October, and what physicians need to do to prepare.

New ICD-10 procedure and diagnosis codes-added as a result of the thawing of a partial code freeze in effect since 2011-are coming October 1.