Practice Management

While primary care physicians, by and large, worked as much in 2008 as they did the previous year, the number of patients seen increased just marginally, according to Medical Economics' annual productivity survey.

It may be time in the profession to value quality over quantity.

Exceptions that permit referrals under Stark are complex, therefore determining a violation has happened and the preferred way of managing are also difficult.

Alfred J. Maher, MD, differs from most hospital physicians in that he didn't begin working as a hospitalist soon after residency.

The Society of Hospital Medicine's most recent bi-annual survey, which covers 2007-2008, indicates that hospitalists are young (the mean age is 40) and almost two-thirds (65 percent) are male.

With the rapid and sustained growth of the hospitalist movement, cooperation between teams of physicians becomes even more critical.

Whether just done with residency, an experienced hospitalist seeking new work, or a private practice physician transitioning to hospitalist work, a job hunt, at the outset, is an exercise in information-gathering.

More than 140,000 (23 percent) of all office-based physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in the U.S. are now using electronic prescribing, according to Surescripts. At the current pace, the company projects, the total number of health care professionals prescribing medication electronically via its network this year will more than double from the 74,000 active electronic prescribers who used it at the end of last year.

A new Web initiative to be launched in Ohio by several health plans is designed to benefit patients and practices by reducing the time, effort, and expense associated with the paperwork required for office visits.

There are a number of disease processes that must be managed, and doing so offers opportunities for reimbursement that you might not have been aware of.

I sometimes practice medicine with poor vision too. Here are some of my ailments.

An extraordinary number of physicians fail to stay current in their knowledge of coding, resulting in reduced reimbursement or delayed and denied claims.

Rising operating costs, maintaining physician compensation levels, and implementation of electronic health record systems were the top concerns among Medical Group Management Association members this year.

Diagnosis coding under ICD-10 is similar to that of ICD-9, but will use seven letters or digits, whereas ICD-9 uses three or four digits.

A few colleagues are proposing merging into a small group practice and have invited me to join. How do I determine if this is a good idea?

The California Nurses Association reported in September that health plans in the state rejected more than one in five claims from 2002 through June 30 of this year.

Medical interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes won't reduce health costs over the long term, according to a recently published study, but that doesn't mean they don't offer benefits.

Buying a local competitor's practice at the right price is often a cost-effective way to grow your existing practice.

Healthcare costs are expected to increase by 10.5 percent over the next 12 months, according to Aon Consulting.

I think I am busy enough to support an associate. Are there quantifiable measures I can apply to determine whether I should recruit someone?

Preparation is the key to conducting successful interviews-and to hiring the ideal physician.

I've had several negative experiences with the insurance reimbursement system and am thinking of going with an all-cash concierge-style practice. Should I?

Can I bill for a preoperative visit, and if so, what CPT code should be used?

Unfortunately, even though there are CPT codes for simpler procedures, there is currently no code for ring removal or entrapment.

A better future for primary care is right in front of us if we have the courage to change, and indeed we must change.