Practice Management

If all currently deployed telemedicine applications were to replace physician, emergency department, and urgent care visits today, it would save $6 billion annually in healthcare costs, according to a new study by global professional services company Towers Watson.

Wal-Mart has entered the primary care area, opening six clinics since April with six more planned by year’s end.

Although more providers are adopting them, EHRs’ potential for systemwide healthcare transformation has yet to be realized.

A key component of the public website that will list payments doctors receive from drug and medical device makers has been taken offline due to incorrect postings, one week after the AMA cited concerns and asked for a 6-month delay of the launch date.

A MACPAC report challenges commonly held beliefs about Medicaid patients and their use of emergency departments.

States actively embracing two key provisions of the Affordable Care Act show steepest declines in those without insurance.

Strong passwords are the first line of defense against computer hackers. But a government report warns that patients are at risk because the certification process for electronic health records doesn’t require the use of a strong password.

Physicians are finding barriers to electronic information exchange difficult to overcome.

Despite a healthcare environment that’s pushing physicians toward employment, many doctors still value their autonomy, and are exploring strategies to preserve their independence in the face of increasing burdens and financial difficulty.

A writer says that accountable care organizations (ACOs) will be successful only if the goals of all participating organizations, including patients, are aligned.

A new clinical guideline from the American College of Physicians says routine pelvic exams for asymptomatic, nonpregnant women exposes women to unnecessary harm with little medical benefit.

Creating a system where each staff member works at the top of his or her license can improve the care a practice provides its patients.

Physicians should understand the major changes for coding gastrointestinal ailments in the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision.

ACA, malpractice, hospital consolidation and patient demands pose new ethical pressures for U.S. physicians. Here are four ethical dilemmas that many doctors face on a regular basis.

As calls from government and private payers intensify for hospitals to trim costs and become more transparent in their pricing, some experts believe the pendulum may swing to favor providers delivering quality care at the best price.

Outsourcing revenue cycle management can ease strain on practices, but physicians must study the details before signing a contract.

A common issue in almost all physician employment agreements concerns restrictive and non-solicitation covenants. Some physicians and employers have the impression that such covenants are not enforceable, when the truth is more complex.

Meaningful, timely cost information leads consumers away from hospitals, towards freestanding and office-based procedures

Answers to billing and coding questions submitted by readers

Physicians at private clinics may soon be seeing more veterans. Congress approved on Thursday a $16.3 billion overhaul to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

EHR systems certified for Meaningful Use stage 2 are often unable to exchange patient data between providers, despite this being one of the requirements for attestation, EHR vendors and physician advocates told a government committee.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed in a final rule that October 1, 2015, will be the deadline for the implementation of ICD-10.

Some patients may be reluctant to divulge information when their physician uses an electronic health record (EHR) out of fear for their data’s security, according to a recent study.

Six states have announced they will continue pay increases to primary care physicians that took place under the Medicaid expansion, but physicians are reporting the increases have done little to boost their incomes or acceptance of Medicaid patients.

An Institute of Medicine report revealed deficiencies in the Graduate Medical Education funding program and offers a roadmap for future improvements.