Operations

Coding is no fun, but you gotta get it right if you wanna get paid. Here’s our guide to coding like a pro.

How is the recession likely to affect your practice? And what can you do to soften the blow?

Negative Nellie, Bitter Betty… Sound familiar? Here’s our advice on spotting a spoiler.

Evidence-based medicine has been around for 16 years. But even though most physicians agree with the concept, it has not yet become the standard of American practice. Why not? And how can you make evidence-based medicine work in your busy office.

How to give your staff the recognition they deserve in a poor economy.

The time to plan for a natural disaster is when the sun is shining - in other words, right now.

One of your employees has succumbed to addiction. What should you do?

A physician uses her drug samples to help out needy patients, but worries she’s putting herself at risk. Who gets her goodies?

A busy internal medical practice learns to push back at payers’ administrative requirements.

Getting a new staffer on board is only the first step to easing your office’s work load. It’s just as important to train her properly, lest she become more a liability than an asset.

Cardiologist David Mokotoff remembers a patient who was demanding, abrasive, and obnoxious - and whose estate sued him for malpractice. The doctor’s biggest regret: That he hadn’t done better by old Dan.

As healthcare changes, so do patient confidentiality issues. Insurance companies aren’t the only ones demanding to see patient charts: lawyers, auditors, and even employers want a peek. Here’s our guide to navigating privacy issues.

Autodialing machines can be a nuisance, but using them for appointment reminders is a cheap, easy way to reduce no-shows.

If you accept credit cards, and you should, you’ll want to be aware of these hidden fees that card processors charge.

Your patients are going online to get their health questions answered. Might as well point them to sites they can trust. Here’s a good start.

What do you do when your claims keep getting denied by the same payer, seemingly without explanation?

Not ready for an EMR? No problem. Start with baby steps to reduce your paper.

Insurers are slowly figuring out how to pay for online consultations. The time has come to get on the bandwagon.

Yes, there is a way to make more money; by providing better care - and you needn’t wait for some P4P program or “medical home” experiment to get started.

How to make the most of extra services in tough times - and when to cut bait on failing ancillaries.

Building a team takes work, but it’s well worth the effort. Here’s how to avoid the “every-man-for-himself” mentality.

You’ve heard it all from patients who have outstanding accounts. How can you tell a genuine plea for help from a sob story, and when does it matter?

Shake off the cold-weather blahs with these can’t miss spirit warmers.

We like to mix it up at Physicians Practice. So this year, we’ve developed six new columns, a snappy new format, and will feature our fave physician-written essays. Who says practice management can’t be fun? Never fear, your favorite columns will return to provide the expert advice you’ve come to expect from Physicians Practice.

Watch out for these common cross-training missteps.