Behind two Congressional health reform plans

Physicians have embraced ambient documentation faster than almost any technology before it. But every note it writes carries your signature, and lawyers, auditors and patients are starting to read those notes closely.

The top news stories in medicine this week.

HFMA proposes ‘Declaration on Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability’ as physicians and patients feel the squeeze.

Prescription abandonment climbs sharply as out-of-pocket costs rise, and prior authorization delays push more patients away. Showing cost and coverage at the point of prescribing could change whether patients ever start therapy.

From opt-out handling and consent records to encryption and carrier registration, here's what a compliant patient texting system needs and the questions to ask before choosing a vendor.

Clear service pages, detailed provider bios and attention to review patterns help patients feel confident before they ever call the office.

Paying membership fees with pretax employer dollars held cost growth to 0.9% a year, but the numbers come with caveats physicians should know before pitching employers.

Adding more tasks right now with no explanation is a formula for clinician burnout.