Practice Management

With President Barack Obama's election victory, physicians can count on continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2013, experts say. Find out what the future has in store.

2012 was a good year to be a physician in Congress up for re-election. See who was re-elected and who wasn't.

Curbing payment errors on medical claims is the focus of a new American Medical Association campaign.

These four “ingrained characteristics†have become virtually invisible to most providers and staff members in affected practices, but they can “seriously inhibit†the ability of practices to transform themselves into Patient-Centered Medical Homes.

The federal government announced a final rule that will implement a pay increase for primary care physicians who treat Medicaid beneficiaries starting in the new year.

Once patient have visited a retail clinic for illness, they aren’t likely to return to their PCPs for similar treatment, but no evidence exists to suggest that retail clinics are negatively affecting preventive medicine at primary care practices, according to a new study.

Over the last 30 years, Medicare spending in the U.S. has grown at a rate nearly three times faster than it has in Canada.

More than a year after the Institute of Medicine set standards for clinical practice guidelines, few guidelines meet them.

Family medicine physicians and internists refer out about a quarter of all their cases, primarily for younger and poorer patients, according to a new study.

Starting a blog can give patients suffering from chronic conditions a greater sense of connection with others, a reduced feeling of isolation and a better understanding of their illnesses, according to a recent study of patient bloggers.

Doctors should be graded on their overuse of low-value procedures, such as imaging tests for patients with uncomplicated lower back pain, advocates a new paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, Republicans and Democrats agree that the future does not look good for the American healthcare system.

Diabetic patients in Italy whose primary care physicians scored higher in empathy had better outcomes and fewer complications, according to a new study from researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.

Tort reform was the most frequently cited issue doctors said they would like to ask the presidential about in a poll on physician social media site Sermo.

Current PCP panel sizes are too large to deliver consistent, high-quality care to each patient, according to a new study, which advocates PCPs delegating many tasks to non-clinicians.

Medical Economics readers discuss concierge services, look toward a seemingly inevitable economic crash, offer their healthcare wish list, and talk about how information sharing can save money.

A new government crackdown on fraud could lead to more audits. Find out how your practice can ensure that no errors occur.

Are you thinking about joining an ACO? See what legal issues you should consider before doing so.

In spite on the issues brought up by utilizing EHR systems, a majority of practices have adopted them. Here's a look at EHRs and e-prescribing.

Four leading Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives want to suspend government incentive payments to physicians for installing electronic health record systems until universal interoperability standards are created.

U.S. physicians have adopted better health habits than the rest of the population, including nurses, according to a recent Gallup-Healthways Physical Health Index and Healthy Behaviors Index.

EHRs might seem impossible to completely understand and use. Learn how team training and consistent utilization can make EHRs work for your practice.

Does your practice have a Web site? If it doesn't, you are missing a key way to get the word out on your practice.

No subject has elicited more reader feedback in recent years than maintenance certification and all of comments were negative. Lois Margaret Nora, the new president and CEO of the American Board of Medical Specialties, provides another perspective.

Has a new landlord taken over your office's premises? Here's why your current lease still needs to be honored.

You've spent years building up your practice and now you're considering joining a local hospital. Discover why you should have goodwill attached to the purchase price.

This month's question focuses on the difference between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM. Find out the answers to this pressing coding question.

Building up your brand takes hard work and diligence. Find out why and how you should protect it.

About 70% of 527 physicians surveyed report that the lack of interoperability of electronic health record (HER) systems, a working exchange infrastructure, and costs associated with development of both are major barriers to improving healthcare's ability to exchange electronic information.

Robert Berenson discusses the future of primary care when it comes to payment, practice structure, and technology.