Practice Management

More than a year after the Institute of Medicine set standards for clinical practice guidelines, few guidelines meet them.

Family medicine physicians and internists refer out about a quarter of all their cases, primarily for younger and poorer patients, according to a new study.

Starting a blog can give patients suffering from chronic conditions a greater sense of connection with others, a reduced feeling of isolation and a better understanding of their illnesses, according to a recent study of patient bloggers.

Doctors should be graded on their overuse of low-value procedures, such as imaging tests for patients with uncomplicated lower back pain, advocates a new paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, Republicans and Democrats agree that the future does not look good for the American healthcare system.

Diabetic patients in Italy whose primary care physicians scored higher in empathy had better outcomes and fewer complications, according to a new study from researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.

Tort reform was the most frequently cited issue doctors said they would like to ask the presidential about in a poll on physician social media site Sermo.

Current PCP panel sizes are too large to deliver consistent, high-quality care to each patient, according to a new study, which advocates PCPs delegating many tasks to non-clinicians.

Medical Economics readers discuss concierge services, look toward a seemingly inevitable economic crash, offer their healthcare wish list, and talk about how information sharing can save money.

A new government crackdown on fraud could lead to more audits. Find out how your practice can ensure that no errors occur.

Are you thinking about joining an ACO? See what legal issues you should consider before doing so.

In spite on the issues brought up by utilizing EHR systems, a majority of practices have adopted them. Here's a look at EHRs and e-prescribing.

Four leading Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives want to suspend government incentive payments to physicians for installing electronic health record systems until universal interoperability standards are created.

U.S. physicians have adopted better health habits than the rest of the population, including nurses, according to a recent Gallup-Healthways Physical Health Index and Healthy Behaviors Index.

EHRs might seem impossible to completely understand and use. Learn how team training and consistent utilization can make EHRs work for your practice.

Does your practice have a Web site? If it doesn't, you are missing a key way to get the word out on your practice.

No subject has elicited more reader feedback in recent years than maintenance certification and all of comments were negative. Lois Margaret Nora, the new president and CEO of the American Board of Medical Specialties, provides another perspective.

Has a new landlord taken over your office's premises? Here's why your current lease still needs to be honored.

You've spent years building up your practice and now you're considering joining a local hospital. Discover why you should have goodwill attached to the purchase price.

This month's question focuses on the difference between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM. Find out the answers to this pressing coding question.

Building up your brand takes hard work and diligence. Find out why and how you should protect it.

About 70% of 527 physicians surveyed report that the lack of interoperability of electronic health record (HER) systems, a working exchange infrastructure, and costs associated with development of both are major barriers to improving healthcare's ability to exchange electronic information.

Robert Berenson discusses the future of primary care when it comes to payment, practice structure, and technology.

If your experience mirrors some trends in patient visits and hours worked revealed by participants in Medical Economics' 84th continuing study, you may be packing more patient visits into your already-busy days.

More than 90% of patients who were granted access to their doctors' notes through a secure online portal said it would affect their decisions when seeking care in the future.

Medical Economics' EHR Best Practices Study participants offer more tips on meaningful use, training, interoperability, and cloud-based systems.

Getting your finances in order can be difficult when free time is hard to come by. See what online tools are out there to help get your finances in order.

Feeling like you're seeing more patients than ever before? Medical Economics' 2012 Productivity survey indicates that you may be right.

Beyond the financial impact, cuts to a practice budget can affect patients, operations, and staff and physician morale. Find out the one question to ask before making a move, as well as the area that most likely can be trimmed.

Primary care physicians move to new locations at a lower rate than most specialists, according to a new study.