Practice Management

An exclusive table showing the billing codes most frequently used by primary care physicians between September and December 2013.

Additional information regarding the Medical Economics Top 100 EHR list

Most primary care physicians will see only small payment increases in 2014 from Medicare and commercial payers. The good news is that the sustainable growth rate formula stands a good chance of being repealed, and whatever replaces it will reward value over volume.

Do you have patients who are not compliant with your office protocols? Do they skip appointments, forget their paperwork, call the office for routine prescription refills, or pay their bills late? If you have these kinds of patients, it’s time to train them about your office protocols.

One area of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance that can be confusing for medical practices is the obligation to provide sign language interpreting services to patients who are deaf and hard of hearing. That requirement is more stringent than many realize.

Coding Expert Renee Stantz provides more details about the new Evaluation and Management codes for 2014 and other Current Procedural Terminology revisions

While it’s still too soon to predict a large-scale national expansion in retail clinic numbers, some experts believe their calling card-convenience-should be a consideration for every medical practice in the United States.

Physicians are being called on to change patient expectations about antibiotic use, and experts say it’s about communication.

As primary care practices seek to increase availability to their patients, experts say non-traditional hours can significantly benefit practices financially. Here's how.

As primary care practices consider transforming to the Patient Centered Medical Home framework, one of the key concepts is increasing practice availability to patients. Adding nontraditional hours is worth exploring to meet patient needs and increase profitability.

In the era of accountable care, influencing healthy behavior is a must for physicians. January represents an opportune time to motivate patients to lose weight, seek treatment and live a healthier lifestyle.

January represents an opportune time to motivate patients to change behaviors and adopt healthier lifestyles. Here are five wellness apps physicians can recommend.

‘Walk with a Doc’ program shows you how to model healthy behaviors and strengthen the patient-physician bond

One study suggests that when it comes to managing hypertension, nearly 69% of patients visited a primary care physician compared to 24% who visited a specialist.

A new study from Oregon is casting doubt on the assumption that expanding health insurance will decrease the use of Emergency Departments (ED) for non-emergency care and will eventually lead to a reduction in overall healthcare costs.

Physicians looking for employment have an opportunity to take advantage of doctor shortages-more hospitals have vacancies

Millions of people might be signing up for healthcare insurance under Obamacare, but verifying their eligibility may pose major administrative challenges for physicians in January. Management experts offer advice.

With so many changes in healthcare this year, it is no surprise that our top 10 Facebook stories range from medical schools to marijuana.

Doctors don't have to be the only provider of care to patients in order to feel professional satisfaction, a reader writes.

A reader writes that today's physicans are subject to so many government requirements that they can no longer practice in the way that best suits patients.

A reader questions the methodology used to compile the Medical Economics Top 100 EHR list.

The dynamics of primary care will enter a new era as major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) take effect on January 1, 2014. While the changes are expansive and the impacts are in many ways still unknown, experts who spoke with Medical Economics offered predictions falling into five main categories.

Do you have too many patients? Primary care physicians with crowded waiting rooms already feel overburdened. Many physicians are thinking of closing their practices to new patients. Experts say that no matter how busy you are, closing your panel may be a mistake.

The impact of the health exchanges and Medicaid expansion will depend on geography, but every practice will be affected to some extent.

No matter if you are a good manager of your staff or not, at some point you will (or should) have to review their performance and consider raises