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Law & Malpractice | Patient Relations | Staff | Technology
Current Affairs
Podcast: AMA Trying to Avoid Medicare 'Disaster'
November 12, 2010
Congress is about to address a potential double-digit cut to physician reimbursement under the Medicare program. With a Dec. 1 deadline looming and a lame-duck session of Congress about to reconvene, the American Medical Association is urging lawmakers to take more time to find a long-term solution to declining physician payments.
Podcast: When Religion and Medicine Collide
July 27, 2010
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.
A Lesson from Outside of Healthcare
July 27, 2010
Michael Howe, former CEO of CVS MinuteClinic, discusses how care-delivery models will continue to change and what physicians can learn from industries outside of healthcare.
Finance
ICD-10 and Your Practice
April 14, 2011
Rhonda Buckholtz of the American Academy of Professional Coders answers three of the most important questions practices have about the transition to ICD-10 codes.
Podcast: Tax Tips for Physicians
March 13, 2011
Changing tax laws and other financial issues are a lot for a physician and his office to keep up with. So what can you do to ensure you follow all the necessary guidelines to protect yourself and your practice? You can ask for some help.
Podcast: Improving Physician Productivity
October 22, 2010
Nearly every physician today is looking for ways to boost efficiency and productivity to stay profitable. So how do you achieve this goal without adding staff or compromising your patient satisfaction?
Podcast: Examining Payer Contract Language
October 21, 2010
Negotiating rates with your payers is important, but so is the language in your contracts. Practices can face a number of possibly adverse provisions that could contradict practice policies and cause confusion with patients. But how do you discover and address such provisions?
Podcast: Measuring Productivity Through RVUs
September 28, 2010
Looking for a better way to gauge physician productivity? A number of physicians' practices and hospitals are turning to relative value units (RVUs) over traditional benchmarks including charges, receipts, collections, or number of encounters. But what exactly are RVUs?
Healthcare Reform
Podcast: Accountable Care Organizations and Your Practice
December 13, 2010
The federal government is urging hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare stakeholders to collaborate for better patient care and smaller medical costs through accountable care organizations (ACOs). But with Washington, D.C., still undecided about what ACOs will look like, physicians nationwide are left wondering about their roles in this new initiative.
Podcast: New Policies, Initiatives by the AMA
November 15, 2010
At the American Medical Association's recent policy-making meeting in San Diego, the association weighed in on the structure of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and professionalism when utilizing social media.
Podcast: The Impact of Health Reform on the AMA
November 15, 2010
The path to the Affordable Care Act was not an easy one and continues to generate ongoing debate. The American Medical Association faced heavy criticism for its support of the bill, with many suggesting its membership has suffered as a result.
Podcast: A Lawmaker and a Physician
July 27, 2010
Congressman Michael Burgess, a Republican from Texas who was an OB/GYN before being elected to Congress, discusses healthcare reform and his unique perspective as a lawmaker and a physician.
Law / Malpractice
Podcast: Prescription for Physicians Treating Chronic Pain Patients
September 28, 2011
A conversation about best practices physicians can take when treating patients with chronic pain prescriptions, including how to balance the need to manage pain with avoiding abuse and potential legal issues.
Podcast: Balancing Technology Use, Legal Repercussions for Your Practice
February 8, 2011
Risks like security breaches, privacy violations, and misplaced patient information all need to be addressed when you adopt new technologies at your practice, say the co-authors of a book on "E-Health Hazards."
Podcast: Is the War on Drugs Becoming A War on Doctors?
January 14, 2011
As America's battle against illicit drugs shifts focus away from street-level narcotics and toward prescription painkillers, physicians are increasingly finding themselves targeted for investigation — and prosecution. Attorney Marcos Hasbun offers insight into this trend, and guidance on how well-meaning physicians can continue to help their patients while protecting themselves.
Patient Relations
Podcast: Prescription for Physicians Treating Chronic Pain Patients
September 28, 2011
A conversation about best practices physicians can take when treating patients with chronic pain prescriptions, including how to balance the need to manage pain with avoiding abuse and potential legal issues.
Podcast: Maintaining a Healthy Patient Relationship in the EHR Era
August 17, 2011
Dr. Jeffrey Hertzberg, president of Medformatics, Inc., a Minneapolis-based consulting firm, provides tips, hints, and advice regarding EHR usage during patient exams.
Podcast: Managing Negative Online Reviews
July 26, 2011
A negative comment online about you or your practice isn’t something to cheer about. But it may not be as bad for you as you think. Dr. Randall Wong helps you make a negative a positive.
Podcast: Dealing with 'Problem' Patients
May 13, 2011
Both physicians and patients enter a practice visit with certain expectations. Sometimes they are the same but sometimes, they differ and the relationship can get strained. Patient advocate Trisha Torrey explains how to get on the same page.
Staff
Podcast: Keys to Better Physician Relations
October 22, 2010
Doctors don't always get along with each other. Some might avoid contact with other physicians, or speak negatively about a colleague in front of a patient. This kind of behavior can directly compromise patient care.
Podcast: Creating Positive Practices
October 22, 2010
Workplace negativity can drag down a practice and its staff, hurting both patient care and the bottom line. So what can you do to boost staff morale and encourage teamwork at your office?
Technology
Podcast: Social Media Opportunities for Practice-based Physicians
April 11, 2011
From "Tweeting" a link to a great article or blogging about a hot issue, to suggesting patients “like” your practice on Facebook, using the right online tools can enhance your career. But there are also dangers to spending time as a social doctor on the Internet.
Podcast: Balancing Technology Use, Legal Repercussions for Your Practice
February 8, 2011
Risks like security breaches, privacy violations, and misplaced patient information all need to be addressed when you adopt new technologies at your practice, say the co-authors of a book on "E-Health Hazards."
Podcast: Understanding EHR Certification
October 21, 2010
Are you confused about EHR certification? You're not alone. To receive federal incentive payments for your EHR, you must show that you are using a certified technology in a meaningful way. But what does that really mean — certified technology?
Podcast: EHRs and the Security of Patient Information
October 18, 2010
Most of the highly publicized cases of security breaches involving personal health information have been due to lost or stolen laptops and storage devices. But EHRs are full of personal health information that practices must ensure is protected. And, a recent study showed the general public is still very concerned about the security of EHRs, which could be a barrier to adoption.
Podcast: Training Health IT Workers
August 24, 2010
The federal government’s commitment to encourage more health information technology means there is a need for some 50,000 health IT workers in the next five years. One organization answering that call is the Oregon Institute of Technology, which just launched a health informatics degree program.
