Obamacare rising costs creating challenges for physicians
December 7th 2016With President-Elect Donald Trump having campaigned vowing to repeal Obamacare, there are some who feel that the federal government’s announcement that premiums for midlevel health plans under the Affordable Care Act are expected to increase by an average of 25% in 2017 is nothing to worry about.
Can computers help doctors reduce diagnostic errors?
December 5th 2016If an advanced computer like IBM’s Watson can go on Jeopardy and win, can a computer start diagnosing patients better than a human doctor? The possibility could mean a reduction in a diagnostic error rate that the Institute of Medicine estimates may be as high as 15%.
Loans v. leases: which is better for private practice equipment?
December 5th 2016To take on a lease or take out a loan? For many small business owners, that really is the question. Especially for those in the medical field, it’s a tough choice between leasing expensive new equipment or financing it with a loan.
Understanding the current state of clinical decision support systems
November 30th 2016Clinical decision support (CDS) systems have been hailed for their potential to reduce medical errors and increase healthcare quality and efficiency; therefore, it is critical for physicians to consider implementing a CDS system at their practice.
Hospice consultation should be a quality metric
November 26th 2016Too many physicians lack the skills to discuss end-of-life wishes with patients. It is awkward for the doctors to even bring up the topic in certain circumstances. Doctors are trained to save peoples’ lives, not to give up on them. But physicians need to change their mindset.
MACRA: Small practice hug or regulatory choke hold?
November 25th 2016Let me state this from the start: I believe CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt when he says that the rules of his agency’s Medicare reimbursement reform don’t slight small practices and are designed to make it easier to report quality data.
Salaries soar for doctors, so why aren't they happy?
November 25th 2016Doctors' pay is slowly but steadily improving, Medicare’s sustainable growth rate is a thing of the past and demand for primary care physicians is surging under the Affordable Care Act. So why aren’t doctors happier when it comes to their salaries?