J. Scott Litton, Jr, MD

As a physician, you are always on the job; even on your flight to a family vacation in Florida when a medical emergency occurs.

Many have debated maintenance of certification, but I think reviewing and refreshing ourselves allows us to be well-rounded physicians.

Physicians will likely have a hard time embracing future changes under the Affordable Care Act as the current effects are less than desirable already.

As physicians, grasp how much work you can do in one day, adjust your schedule accordingly, and start fresh each new day.

Members of your medical practice working together is vital to efficiently treat patients and have a successful office.

Taking time to understand the duties of your staff and provide the appropriate back up when needed is crucial to operating an efficient practice.

Ninety-five percent of my patients take my medical recommendations. It's the other five percent that require more convincing.

When it comes to patient communication, the best way is always a face-to-face encounter, especially when it involves bad news.

Like most medical practices, we offer flu shots to patients. And like most practices, some accept, some refuse, and some go to their grocery store instead.

The difficulty imposed on primary-care physicians as a result of the imperfect Medicare SGR formula creates more hurdles in our day-to-day work flow.

It's the end of the year, and bonuses are likely to get doled out at your medical practice. But don't forget to acknowledge staff year-round.

It's December and that means it's time for your medical practice's annual exam to remain healthy for next year and years to come.

An efficient policy for dealing with pharmaceutical reps visiting your medical practice keeps them, as well as your staff and patients, happy.

EHRs are here to stay, so now physicians need to choose whether to use a laptop or a tablet at their medical practice. Here's what I do.

I'm witnessing more manipulation of the medical system these days and fear with growing strain on healthcare overall, more patients will get what they want.

It's time to come to a final resolution on the Medicare SGR so physicians can stop worrying and start planning for the future.

Today, there are several ways to communicate with patients, but medical practices must choose wisely so the messages are properly received.

Providing in-home care may add extra hours to your schedule as a physician, but it produces satisfied patients and great word of mouth about your practice.

My own triumph over being overweight demonstrated to patients that I could follow the advice I give and understand their difficulties.

Running a medical practice is hard enough, but when the economy adds stressors, it gets even harder.

Amidst healthcare reform, ACOs, and watching primary care colleagues select employment over independence, I wonder whether solo practice is still for me.

It's great that CMS now provides a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, but my patients are hesitant to come in for one.

From what insurance I'll take to questions about Medicare, my patients are starting to ask about the impact of the ACA on their care.

Whether sharing knowledge with medical students or with peers, teaching what you know is an important part of being a physician.

The wise physician will find methods to fairly compensate and reward excellent patient care delivered by their medical practice staff.

Interruptions are part of daily life at a medical practice, but by addressing frequent work flow issues proactively, you can maintain great patient care.

As a physician in private practice, I am seeing the ingredients provided for the perfect storm and concerned about the direction of our healthcare system.