Physicians Practice Pearls®

Don't underestimate the power of networking

Feel like you can't do the fee-for-service practice model anymore? Here are several examples of new models in primary care that may the answer for you.

A non-solicitation provision should be carefully tailored to the particular practice and there is no “one-size” approach for everyone.

Providing medical services for free, or at a reduced rate, at your practice comes with some restrictions.

Creating well-written job descriptions for all of your practice's positions is a must-do for your practice.

Because all medical practices are impacted by Medicare cuts ―as most payers tie their fee schedules to Medicare ― it is incumbent upon each of us to step up and make our voice heard.

Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services. How many of your patients truly have a handle on their own healthcare needs?

A 4-step guide to help your office: "Stop Talking About Trash ― STAT"

For small practices, the ongoing monthly costs of an EHR may simply not be affordable. So what alternatives are out there?

Walgreen's, Target, and other retail outlets are selling flu shots, physicals, and an ever expanding list of minor healthcare services traditionally provided in physician offices.

Physicians do need to take into consideration state and federal restrictions on marketing activities - including those daily deal websites.

Every clinician has, no doubt, run into difficult patients. Here are 10 simple tips that may help you manage these challenging appointments.

Do you wonder how you can become more efficient and improve your bottom line? Let technology address efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Practices achieve greatness by focusing on key attributes that allow for financial prosperity, professional growth for staff, satisfied patients, and continuous improvement of operations.

A company's mission statement should represent the core values and ideals of the founders' vision for their practice.

Here's my prediction: your practice will be audited in the next 24 months and asked to return overpayments.

The privacy rules created by HIPAA can seem cumbersome but every practice should evaluate its operations to make sure it is compliant.

Your view of compensation ― as a cost or as an investment ― can have a major impact on the long term growth of your practice.

Knowing what a triple net is ― and isn't ― will help practices understand the true costs of their office leases.

The more you ignore bad behavior the worse it's going to get; here's how to talk to your employees before they become toxic.

No employer ― medical practice or otherwise ― is too small to need a comprehensive employee manual. Is it time to update yours?

The results of medical misunderstandings can be inconvenient at best, disastrous at worst. Here's how to make sure your patients really understand you.

Most physicians are aware that ethically they should not pay those in a position to refer to their practice, nor should they accept gifts from providers to whom they refer patients. However, physicians may not realize that giving and receiving gifts may actually be illegal under numerous laws.

The HITECH Act significantly strengthened aspects of the HIPAA Security Rule. If you are a 'Covered Entity' or 'Business Associate' it's time to get serious!

In medicine, there is an important distinction between clinical quality and perceived clinical quality. They are rarely one and the same, and understanding this distinction is critical for both clinicians and practice administrators.

As medical reimbursements continue to dwindle, the value proposition for participating in insurance plans becomes increasingly weak. Why not break with tradition and contract directly with employers? Here's how to get started.

Learn when and what CPT codes to use with prolonged services codes 99354 and 99355 at your medical practice.

Use technology to free your staff and patients from non-urgent phone calls

The feds have aggressively stepped up their fraud and abuse efforts. Your practice may play by the rules, but that doesn't guarantee it will escape federal scrutiny.

Are you frustrated and overwhelmed by the need to employ a large staff dedicated to processing and submitting insurance claims? Maybe you should consider the direct pay model of care.