Practice Management

New respect for academic medicine; Helping your med mal carrier see reason; Why punish everyone? Confronting HMOs on coding

A physician discovers a possibly fatal blunder in his own mother's treatment.

Request for information; mail order pharmacies; postcard reminders; release of records

Rising costs, lower reimbursements, and needless regulations have many doctors feeling overwhelmed.

A Texas judge hits a high-profile lawyer with a $50,000 fine for filing a frivolous malpractice suit.

We examine the unprecedented job actions staged and contemplated by New Jersey doctors from a unique viewpoint--as reporters and patients.

It doesn't cost much to thwart hackers and satisfy HIPAA at the same time.

Payers often lump separate claims together to pay you less. But you don't have to let them.

The differences between university-based and private practice have blurred. Productivity incentives, anyone?

Excessive malpractice premiums forced this physician to give up the work she loves.

You can't beat shared medical appointments for patient education and compliance, say proponents.

The practice--known as factoring--can just as easily put you in a financial jam as get you out of one.

We may be able to learn a lot from the methods other countries have for handling malpractice litigation.

Bill payments; accounting rules; accidental disclosures; disclosure to a spouse; treatment for STDs; document shredding

Terminated after four troubled months, this doctor went to court and won $30 million. There are lessons to be learned from his struggles.

Boilerplate policies and warnings may not make fun reading, but they'll help keep you and your Web site out of court.

Having a clinical pharmacist on staff can enhance patient care, prevent medication errors, and make your workday more manageable.

This class-action lawsuit could force insurers to stop shortchanging physicians.

Outsourcing can increase collections and reduce overhead, but it also can burn you. So do your homework.

Here's what to expect in terms of time, money, and staff if you're going to go it on your own.

Many physicians are leaving groups to start small practices of their own. It's not easy, but those we interviewed are glad they did it.

Malpractice tort reform

Pharmacy-based screenings can be a time saver. But are they accurate? And will you see the results?

This doctor wanted to help the poor in the Mississippi Delta. The malpractice climate drove him away.

Helping staffers succeed can be good for your practice--and save you money.

Tort reform; Docket watch; Malpractice rates; Quality care; Access to care

This doctor was left holding the bag when a commercial lab didn't receive prompt payment.

Here's what physicians spend to run their practices--and what you can do to trim costs and boost profits.

Don't be hasty, don't be foolish, don't be scared. Be prepared.

Our latest survey on fees and reimbursements shows a continuing--and substantial--gap between what you charge and what you get paid.