Patient Relations

Here are five things that physicians can do to mitigate the risk of not only frivolous suits, but legitimate ones.

Standard SMS text messaging is not encrypted, secure, or HIPAA compliant. Without taking proper precautions, texting with patients puts your practice at risk.

Consultant Charlie Hauck provides five key components for practices to resolve conflict when it occurs and try to reduce it from happening in the first place.

As more Hispanics immigrate to the United States, it's time for medical practices to reconsider their traditional marketing efforts.

Over the years, I have found that a common problem in healthcare teams is not the content of the communication shared with patients and staff but how it is presented.

Doctors and their practices are similar to any product or service: They represent a brand, and like all products or services, that brand must be protected.

Do you have a set policy for sending your delinquent patients to collections? By implementing a clear policy, you have a greater chance of collecting on those accounts.

Small unpaid claims can add up to big problems for your medical practice. Here's how to find the best partner to collect what's owed for your medical services.

Here are five marketing tips that work like magic to grow your patient base, through engaging with your community.

There are all kinds of health apps that track blood pressure, medications, nutrition, you name it. Now Apple is entering the fray with the goal of interoperability.

Our Great American Physician Survey, Sponsored by Kareo, indicates greater physician acceptance of alternate practice models to help themselves and patients.

The chief patient safety officer at medical malpractice insurer The Doctors Company identifies six common communication missteps physicians make.

As physicians, we have fundamentally failed to clearly communicate to patients what we do, what we cannot do, how we do it, and why it costs what it does.

A former boss once said to me, “Medicine is all about the docs.” Indeed it is, but the staff that supports the docs determines how patients feel about the practice.

Some patients are choosing to drive long distances to continue seeing a trusted physician who has moved. But is it OK to retain a "back up" physician, just in case?

Technology continues to be promoted as a way to increase efficiencies; but will doctors lose that important human contact and touch as it grows?

Patient surveys almost always sound like a good idea, but most of the time poorly thought-out objectives and questions make them a waste of time and money.

Despite rising rates of prescription drug abuse, there is no real consensus in the physician community on treatment protocols. Physicians often follow their own heart.

Smart use of your patient portal can not only help physicians meet meaningful use rules, but also foster better patient interactions.

While J&J is a product-based company, its methods of connecting with consumers can easily be translated to medical practices. Here are four strategies.

A poor first impression will diminish patient confidence, lower patient volume, and reduce your brand value. Here are some simple ways to start off on the right foot.

Twenty-three-year-olds are now the single largest age group in the U.S. Here's how to attract them to your practice and keep them around for the long term.

More than 8 million patients have signed up for insurance due to the ACA, according to HHS, but where are all of them?

Having a very well written financial policy isn't enough. It's all about staff training and verbal explanations to patients.

One way to ensure patients understand your payment requirements is to ask them to sign a payment policy. Here's a sample policy to consider adapting for your practice.

These four challenges have the unfortunate ability to largely overshadow a physician's professional accomplishments, board certifications, and industry accolades.

The most tangible benefit of meditation is the sense of calm and peace, even balance that you feel. It is also a great technique to foster the art of customer service.

With costs front and center for patients, in simple and stark terms: If you can’t deliver what the consumer perceives as quality, you will lose.

Illness can lead to trying and often tender times for patients and their loved ones. Here are five ways physicians can manage intimate patient encounters.