Law & Malpractice

Some physicians are finding sideline careers as expert witnesses. Others find themselves testifying frequently on an issue dear to them. Still others are forced to defend their choices on the stand. Here's how to prepare for court.

Plenty of practices, particularly small ones, find the proposition of government-mandated EHRs too daunting without a little help from the folks in Washington, D.C.

The 15-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means physician offices, as places of

The role of physicians in our society is so important and special that government should usually defer to their professional judgment.

Imagine managing a multimillion-dollar company without any formal rules in place to outline how the business is run, the roles of leadership, and decision-making processes. You'd be surprised just how many medical practices operate this way.

The Feds have ushered in a remarkable number of demonstration and pilot projects. Here's what it means for you.

Are you ready to see a physician in the Oval Office?

Compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule was required by April 2005. Are you compliant?

The facts about IPPE

Non-physicians are encroaching on physician domain

Using informed consent to protect against malpractice suits

Should physicians be permitted to assist a terminally ill patient commit suicide?

Understand when you need to pay overtime to staff

Physicians should update compliance plans annually, following the OIG's interest

Are pay-for-performance plans a Trojan horse?

Facts on making legal changes to medical records

How to legally end a patient-physician relationship

An imaginative look forward

Now is the time to start focusing and planning for 2005, from a corporate, financial, and operational standpoint.

Two physicians, two views of the healthcare system and the presidential race.

Consider giving patients advance notice if a physician absence is planned.

Politics and Your Practice September 2004

Managing patients from various cultures

Bush and Kerry have different views of the role of physicians

How to ensure integrity for the peer review process

Understand how Stark defines a group practice

Odds are that you have faced a drug-seeking patient. How you respond to them is important.

Be educated and advocate for yourself when it comes to working with Medicare carriers

Cash-only: Are you really ready?

Dropping your malpractice policy may sound great, but don't consider it except as a last resort.