Law & Malpractice

You bet they can. Even when you're doing everything right, patient safety and satisfaction can be compromised by inefficient administrative procedures at your practice. Here's what to look for - and how to fix any problems.

Could employer-subsidized health care be nearing its end? Maybe. Here's why that would be a good thing.

Healthcare is in crisis. Americans are in denial. And politicians are running scared. This must be a job for ... an independent commission.

Legal experts now recommend a "full disclosure" approach to talking with patients about unintended outcomes. Some even contend it lowers your risk for lawsuits. Here's how to do it right.

Ordering too many tests? Avoiding problem patients? Here's how to find the right balance in these litigation-happy times.

Will Medicare payments to physicians be Hurricane Katrina's next victim?

The new Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention Act means Chapter 7 filling is out for higher income earners like physicians, as is home equity as a major form of protection.  Here's what it means to you.

Disciplinary actions against physicians are up. Avoiding one is pretty straightforward, but it's still wise to have a plan for dealing with a complaint - and salvaging your career.

A proposed hiatus on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising promises to put prescribing control back in your hands - for now.

Steve Rebagliati, MD, on dealing with the high cost of HIPAA.

Some physicians are finding sideline careers as expert witnesses. Others find themselves testifying frequently on an issue dear to them. Still others are forced to defend their choices on the stand. Here's how to prepare for court.

Plenty of practices, particularly small ones, find the proposition of government-mandated EHRs too daunting without a little help from the folks in Washington, D.C.

The 15-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means physician offices, as places of

The role of physicians in our society is so important and special that government should usually defer to their professional judgment.

Imagine managing a multimillion-dollar company without any formal rules in place to outline how the business is run, the roles of leadership, and decision-making processes. You'd be surprised just how many medical practices operate this way.

The Feds have ushered in a remarkable number of demonstration and pilot projects. Here's what it means for you.

Are you ready to see a physician in the Oval Office?

Compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule was required by April 2005. Are you compliant?

The facts about IPPE

Non-physicians are encroaching on physician domain

Using informed consent to protect against malpractice suits

Should physicians be permitted to assist a terminally ill patient commit suicide?

Understand when you need to pay overtime to staff

Physicians should update compliance plans annually, following the OIG's interest

Are pay-for-performance plans a Trojan horse?

Facts on making legal changes to medical records

How to legally end a patient-physician relationship

An imaginative look forward

Now is the time to start focusing and planning for 2005, from a corporate, financial, and operational standpoint.

Two physicians, two views of the healthcare system and the presidential race.