Balancing Medical Knowledge with Patients' Beliefs
Many of our patients employ treatments that we would never recommend, and others refuse treatments that we do recommend. Here's how we deal at our practice.
A Promising Future for Independent Medical Practices
We believe that the future of U.S. healthcare is decentralized, mobilized, and democratized. Here's why.
Five Words that Improve Patient, Physician Communication
Much of great customer service medical practices comes down to whether you can help patients differentiate their wants from their needs.
The 'Ethnocentrism' of Physicians is a Threat to Patient Care
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.
Another Attack on Small Practices: Exclusion from Quality Rankings
When so-called “quality measures” don’t include small medical practices, patients lose out on finding great physicians.
The Measles Outbreak: Anti-vaccinators Put Us All in Jeopardy
The present outbreak of measles tells a sad story of the impact of market forces on American healthcare.
How the Direct Project Helps Physicians Exchange Information Securely
The ability to securely communicate ePHI to any provider at any other medical practice or hospital with any EHR may not be as far off as you think.
When Retail-Based Health Clinics Benefit Patient Care
Retail-based medical clinics have their drawbacks, but they sometimes provide useful alternatives to patients.
Why I Won’t Collect Deductibles, Coinsurance at Time of Service
If it were possible to predict insurance payments, I wouldn’t be so overwhelmed by appeals and take backs.
When Measures to Protect PHI Jeopardize Patient Care
Measures to protect privacy sound good in theory, but unnecessary protections raise the cost and lower the efficiency of legitimate medical record sharing
Why Insurance Companies Should Collect Patient Payments
It's time to take patient collections out of physicians' practices to truly have patients make responsible choices about their healthcare dollars.
Medical Practice Price Transparency: Good Business or RICO Violation?
Patients expect more transparency for the cost of their healthcare, but I wonder if sharing my practice's fees and contracted rates will violate RICO.
Primary Care Vs. the Emergency Department: One Practice's Perspective
Primary-care practices are unfairly blamed for not providing enough care and advice to patients.
The Impact of Income Inequality on Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs
A recent interaction with a patient over who should and shouldn't pay copays due to income got me thinking about how income equality affects healthcare costs.
It's Time to Stop Oversimplifying Healthcare If We Hope to Fix It
Atul Gawande and others tend to speak about healthcare as if it is simple and straightforward. But those of us on the front lines know it is multi-layered and diverse.
How to Have Your Very Own Micropractice
My husband and I owe the success of our practice to being a micropractice and our participation in an independent physician association.
It's Time to Put Portability Back into HIPAA
Current HIPAA regulations are prohibiting provider-to-provider communications and, in turn, hurting both patients and physicians.