Physicians Practice Pearls®

Hiring mistakes can be costly, resulting in high turnover, reduced productivity, and lackluster moral. Here are some easy ways to refine your interviewing skills.

Illness can lead to trying and often tender times for patients and their loved ones. Here are five ways physicians can manage intimate patient encounters.

Done haphazardly or postponed until a month before a new physician starts, sloppy credentialing can spell cash-flow delays and more. Here's how to do it right.

It is important for practices to participate in patient-centered programs in order to focus their culture on improving the patient experience.

Information overload is emotionally unhealthy and can result in poor concentration, poor decision making, and an inability to get work done.

Claims are paid based on the CPT code submitted to the payer. The diagnosis code supports medical necessity and tells the payer why the service was performed.

Patient-centered care is not just for primary-care practices. Here's what you need to know about the Patient-Centered Specialty Practice program.

It's hard to know what your staff really thinks. However, finding out is important: good staff morale isn't a nicety, it's a necessity to the health of your practice.

Public speaking for medical professionals can be daunting. But adequate preparation and a clear vision of what you want to share will help ensure success.

While the physician will set the tone for patient visits, staff members can and should help facilitate that process.

Happy patients are less likely to sue your practice. Develop your patient-staff relationships to keep them content.

Don't be seduced into thinking "more is better." Multitasking can actually slow down productivity in your practice.

Fifteen months into a direct-pay practice, this physician recommends building a financial reserve first for any physician considering a similar path.

If you participate in quality care programs be sure you have a good understanding of your data. Otherwise you could lose out on potential revenue from payers.

Physicians may feel they praise staff members, but, in reality many come up short. Here are guidelines for giving effective praise.

Sometimes patients show up for preventive care and an urgent problem. Should you eat the cost for one service? Or bill for both?

You're skilled with a scalpel, but do you ever wonder how to handle a knife and fork at a formal meal? Don't worry we've got you covered.

Administrators and physicians are both leaders. While each role is important and unique, in order to be most effective, they need to work together.

Does your practice have an ICD-10 transition plan? Don't forget about prior authorizations.

While text messaging can be a fast and simplified form of healthcare communication, it is fundamentally flawed in terms of HIPAA compliance.

Physicians can often be pulled in too many directions. Developing strategies to better manage time is one solution.

Despite being a welcome addition to a short-staffed practice, a locum tenens doc needs to follow a few ground rules to fit in.

With the advent of cloud computing, practices are now able to have better access to their data; using any platform, any device, and at anytime.

As a physician, the decision to participate in new healthcare exchange plans may not be up to you. Make sure you understand all the nuances.

Technology is an important factor in improving the way you care for your patients. Unfortunately too many practices fail to use it to communicate with them.

While the decision to change to a direct-pay practice can be the most difficult one a physician can make, there is a second decision that is nearly as difficult: What to charge for services.

The ICD-10 transition will require a significant change in mindset for practice administrators and staff alike. The time for excuses is past.

Keeping A/R within healthy limits will become more difficult as health reform rolls out. Here are nine steps your practice can take to collect all that it is due.