Shirley Grace

Spreading a little positivity your way

How far away are we from having electronic medical records that can truly talk to each other, across health systems and across regions? We decided to find out.

You’re ready to buy an EMR. But how do you know which one is right for your practice?

Evidence-based medicine has been around for 16 years. But even though most physicians agree with the concept, it has not yet become the standard of American practice. Why not? And how can you make evidence-based medicine work in your busy office.

One of your employees has succumbed to addiction. What should you do?

You’ve heard it all from patients who have outstanding accounts. How can you tell a genuine plea for help from a sob story, and when does it matter?

Many physicians think membership in professional associations is the best way to affect change. Others think associations are bloated bureaucracies that don’t earn the dues they collect. Maybe they’re both right?

Shake off the cold-weather blahs with these can’t miss spirit warmers.

Attorneys bill for their time - don’t you wish you could? What if we told you that you can? Here’s how.

Each issue we’ll help you steer clear of hidden pitfalls. This month: Your favorite employee is sweet to you and patients, makes the World’s Best Brownies, and never takes a vacation. But is she robbing you blind?

Here are six myths about HIPAA that your medical practice may believe, but are actually false.

Patients with cancer are scared and confused - there’s so much they need to know. Here’s how to make sure they hear you.

So, you’ve decided to contract out your expertise to practices as well as hospitals. Great. But do you know what your professional service agreement should look like? Here’s the scoop.

Is your practice management system so old it’s beginning to make you less efficient? Frustrated with your current office’s software limitations? It may be time for an upgrade. Our article will get you started.

Can you afford to spend time, effort, and money advocating on your own behalf with state and local lawmakers? You can’t afford not to.

It’s important for every practice to have an identifiable brand - especially when they are trying to attract cash-paying patients.

There’s encouraging news in our third annual Physician Compensation Survey. Primary-care docs are seeing their incomes tick upward - on average. Where do you stack up?

If you’re trying to go broke, our list of common money-losers will get you there fast! We can show you how to tighten those nuts and bolts, and stem your cash drain.

If EMRs were interoperable, patient data would always be accessible, wherever (and by whomever) a patient is treated. That’s the Holy Grail. Will it ever happen?

What Dr. Eckerling sees as innovation, his staff sees as nonstop flux. Can harmony merge with vicissitude?

Medicare has been scrutinizing your practice for more than a year through its P-4-P program. But how is the program performing for you? We put Uncle Sam on our exam table.

Every practice can benefit from some professional advice from time to time. Here’s how to hire the right pro.

With so much health information - some of it credible, some of it hokum - available on the Web, and so many of your patients using it to diagnose themselves before coming to see you, isn’t it time someone put together a physician-friendly guide to the Internet? Well, someone has.

You already know why some patients want to sue: because they suspect, fairly or not, that you made a mistake - and that you don’t really care about them. But what do plaintiffs’ lawyers look for to determine if a case is worth bankrolling? We got ’em to spill their secrets.

After their entire staff left town in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a Louisiana endocrinologist and his office manager/wife want to make sure the new employees stay happy. We can’t keep hurricanes away. But staff retention? We can handle that.

They can be a little intimidating, those IT geeks, what with their tech jargon and oh-so-superior attitude. But it’s your practice. Those are your computers. Here’s how to foster a positive relationship with the experts who keep them humming.

You may be excited about your new EMR, but for some of your patients, a new gizmo in the exam room will take a little getting used to. Some people get nervous about new technology, so you’d better introduce it carefully.

If you think it’s tough being a physician these days, try being a doctor’s spouse or kid. Your family is affected by your challenging, grueling (and, at times, disappointing) choice of career, too. You promised to stick by each other for better or worse. Here’s some help making it work.

We hear you. Unfortunately, physician reimbursement continues to decline, according to the results of our exclusive 2007 Fee Schedule Survey. That’s the bad news. Now here’s the good news: Along with all the hard data, we arm you with the tools you need to fight back.

Think podcasting is some teenage phase? Think again. It may be the key to differentiating your practice and attracting new patients.