Legal

Too 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.

It’s not easy being a doctor in such a transitional period of American healthcare. Practices are pressured with consumer-driven demands from a wider patient-demographic than ever before.

Let 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.

I don’t doubt Dr. Richard Baron’s sincerity in defending MOC (“The man behind MOC defends the program against critics,” August 10, 2016).

Doctors' 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?

10 proven strategies to improve communication.

There are answers to dealing with patient problems while protecting the bottom line.

A sound financial decision on real estate and equipment requires considering unique circumstances.

A new system can hurt a practice’s workflow. Here’s how to get back to top form quickly.

With physician pay on the rise by some measures, now is a good time for doctors to take stock of how to keep more of those dollars in their pocket.

"This can't be right."

How approval hassles for ordering tests or prescribing drugs can get in the way of caring for patients.

Most physicians have incredibly hectic work lives filled with people (the sheer number of patients seen daily), conditions (the vast amount of diagnoses made per week), and stories (the close calls, exciting cases and thrills of practicing medicine), so it seems only natural physicians have a lot to blog about.

The calendar may say the ICD-10 transition is long gone, but practices still will likely feel its repercussions in 2017 in terms of payer requests, denials and the new code set’s influence on value-based care. Looking to next year, practices should start being proactive with these coding opportunities now to consider how the following five factors will impact documenting, coding and billing for care

Nearly two years after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched CPT code 99490, many physician practices, especially smaller ones, are still hesitating to launch chronic care management (CCM) programs.

As physicians continue to maneuver through the electronic health record (EHR) maze, they'll soon start to see more oversight from Uncle Sam.

Family members and caregivers need to be involved as part of the treatment team for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

High-tech approaches to chronic care can help COPD patients avoid hospital visits through better management of their condition.

Patients with stable COPD already using supplemental oxygen should discuss continued use with their physician.

The CAPTURE questionnaire along with a peak flow test could assist primary care physicians with severe COPD diagnosis.

House calls may be making a comeback as a way to cut costs and provide better quality care for the elderly and chronically ill.

The growing shortage of primary care physicians, which is projected to reach 35,600 by 2025 according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, is creating extraordinary competition among healthcare organizations seeking to hire internal medicine doctors.

An accurate diagnosis and knowledge of appropriate non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies are vital to successful COPD management.

Undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has a substantial impact on healthcare costs and utilization, according to two experts.

Looking past 2017, Medicare physician payment reform will have a ripple effect on areas including health IT and the future of independent practice.

With 2017 fast approaching, physicians are taking a hard look at their practice operations to gauge the effects of Medicare payment reform.

Analysis to identify and mitigate risks should follow patient data, according to experts.

Physicians face challenges in preparing systems for the move to value-based reimbursement, including what it will mean for electronic health record systems.

Telemedicine can provide an avenue for cardiologists and other physicians to participate in the shift to value-based care, said Sarah Sossong, MPH, at the 2016 AHA Conference.