Patient Relations

The "mHealth" industry has exploded, and smartphones, tablets, and apps are the buzzwords du jour. Trying to figure out how mobile devices and mHealth solutions can work for your practice can be overwhelming, but it’s crucial to stay current. We tell you how to get plugged in.

Physician profiling, by patients and payers, has become the norm these days, but it seems some doctors are putting a stop to any online comments about their service.Television station KDAF in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas recently ran a story about a local practice that is asking patients to sign a form prohibiting patients from making comments about their visit on the Internet, essentially, as the report says, "turning over editorial content over " to the physician.

Psychiatrist Doug Bey on how his staff helped him and his practice survive and thrive after his two heart attacks.

The future of the direct-pay practice model is bright. Here's how it works, the affect on patients, and where it fits with models promoted by healthcare reform.

A little preparation and communication can go a long way toward a smooth-running practice

Should you buy a standalone app or an EHR-integrated module? We review the pros and cons.

When patients demur over paying for care, don't be a soft touch - there are things you can do to collect

When it comes to creating happier patients, skip the perks in the waiting room and instead focus on boosting the morale of your staff. Here’s how.

Honesty may be the best policy. But is complete truthfulness the compassionate course in every case? Here's what you need to know about the legal, ethical, and professional issues around withholding information from patients.

With a growing shortage of primary-care physicians, NPs are fast becoming the resource of choice

Sometimes in the quest to get the job done, physicians can fail to see the visit from the patient’s point of view.

Placing a sign-in sheet on the reception desk makes the reception process less friendly. Instead, try asking patients to fill out this slip -- and do the necessary paperwork immediately.

If you are closing your practice, you need to let patients know and advise them to find another physician. Here is a letter you can use to get the job done.

Get the message right the first time. Use this form to make sure all the information is covered.

Instead of having patients carry all their medications to every visit, ask them to bring in this simple chart. It's a more efficient way to check for counterindications. You can even give patients a digital copy by saving it to a disk or e-mailing a copy. That makes it easy for patients to update it.

You give annual reviews to staff, why not to physicians? This form gives physicians feedback about their clinical quality, bedside manner, and ability to work with others.

Let new patients know about your policies from the get go. Follow these guidelines.

An easy way to find out what patients think of your practice -- and where you need to improve.

Joyce Dubensky, of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, talks about what happens when medicine and religion interact, and how you can provide religiously conscious care.

You can’t make the medical home model work on a practical basis without technology. But how to know what widgets are essential? Here’s your guide to the must-have technologies for your medical home practice.

Many practices use midlevel providers to care for patients with routine complaints. But it’s important to understand their legal scope of practice and necessary level of supervision.

Advances in care delivery and technology are taking root now that could significantly change the way care is delivered in the future. Healthcare’s innovative thinkers and practitioners give us their predictions for the future.

Editorial director Bob Keaveney wonders, “Are we facing a future without primary-care physicians?”

Do you feel helpless against the threat of lawsuits? Many docs do. Yet there are ways to reduce your risk of being sued. Arm yourself with best practices, to keep malpractice lawyers at bay.

Pay-for-performance programs, or P4P as they are more commonly known, are designed to improve the quality, effectiveness, and safety of patient care.

Want to know how to boost your scores on those seemingly arbitrary online physician-rating sites? The sites aren’t going away, so you’ll need to know how to make the best of them.

Dealing with constant call is the bane of many small physician groups. But with the right planning, even solo physicians can share call just like their big-practice peers. Here’s how.

Healthy referral relationships are vital to a thriving practice - whether you’re a specialist or in primary care. Here’s how a few small gestures and clear communication can keep you and your patients happy.

In many practices, partner conflict is as common as nasal infections. It may be easy to “let it go,” but that can lead to unprofessional conduct. Here’s how to diffuse disagreements and preempt disputes.

The traditional practice of primary care is complex - let’s face it, you could more accurately predict the likelihood of a patient presenting with a subdural hematoma based on his or her symptoms than you might Blue Cross’ likelihood of accepting a preauthorization for the CT scan.