Practice Management

New breach notification rules have been in effect that call for immediate notification of a patient if her personal data are leaked.

Gynecologists are more successful with instant claims adjudication than any other group of specialists, with 89% of gynecology claims resolved in less than 10 seconds

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to award $598 million in grants to open as many as 70 regional offices next year to help practices adopt electronic health record systems.

Nearly half of physicians believe that various off-label uses of prescription drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a national survey.

Patients are going to have direct-to-consumer genetic tests done, regardless of our position on the subject. At the very least, we can offer them sound advice on the matter.

To Err Is Human challenged the medical community to cut in half within five years the "shocking" number of people who die from medical errors. Yet a decade later, the rate of medical error is actually increasing, according to federal analysts.

Choice of physicians and other health-care providers is sometimes influenced by quality data.

Physicians have many questions for consulting firms related to effects of the recession.

Massachusetts was the ideal setting to attempt universal coverage, but the influx of newly insured strained the system's ability to provide care and drove up costs. Dr. Lockwood offers his perspective on lessons to be learned from their mistakes.

As part of the economic stimulus package, the federal government is expected to spend more than $35 billion during the next decade on Medicare and Medicaid bonuses to physicians and hospitals that adopt certified electronic health records (EHRs), American Medical News (3/16/09) reported.

A small but growing number of physicians are asking patients to sign agreements pledging not to post negative remarks about them on Web sites that allow the public to rate medical encounters.

Finding the best way to fix our broken health-care system remains one of our major challenges. Dr. Charles J. Lockwood summarizes two competing approaches, one championed by Michael Porter, which revolves around integrated practice units (IPU), and one recommended by Alain Enthoven, which hinges on the use of large integrated health-care delivery systems (IHS).

Court in Arkansas ruled that hospital acted improperly when it used a credentialing policy that denied admitting privileges to doctors with interest in competing hospitals.

Patient safety was one of the most important topics at this year's Annual Clinical Meeting at ACOG.

The looming health-care crisis will bring about a sea change in the practice of medicine, predicts this expert. He assesses whether specialized teams or a return to capitation will likely win out and gives tips on preparing your ob/gyn practice for an uncertain future.

Here's how new regulations will affect ob/gyns.

Sick of high premiums? If you're willing to control risk in your practice and be involved in decisions, this non-traditional liability insurance option may be for you.

Dr. Carrie Klima discusses the value of educating patients in a group setting, rather than one on one.

The practice of medicine has become too complex for ob/gyns to rely solely on their memories to keep patients safe. A mishap during the test flight of the B17 bomber taught its designers the value of a preflight checklist, and clinicians can likewise benefit from preprocedure checklists.

As the burden of uncompensated care mounts, some companies are offering credit histories to help screen prospective patients and collect overdue bills.

Fear of litigation, damage to reputation, and ostracism by peers have been responsible for a "code of silence." The wiser course in most circumstances is to reveal one's mistakes, and have a well thought out protocol for providing full disclosure.

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology stopped issuing their usual certificates in 2008 and have switched to a "maintenance of certification" protocol that requires all ob/gyns to walk through a more demanding 6-year process involving CME offerings, a written examination, and chart reviews.

State medical societies are conducting economic impact studies to show that physician practices pump billions of dollars into local and state economies through payrolls and purchases of local goods and services, so that local businesses and government assist physician practices with small business loans, etc.

Fear of litigation, damage to reputation, and ostracism by peers have been responsible for a "code of silence." The wiser course in most circumstances is to reveal one's mistakes, and have a well thought out protocol for providing full disclosure.

Department of Health and Human Services refuses to release data on grounds that doing so would infringe on physicians' privacy rights.

The Joint Commission announced that it will revise and develop accreditation standards for culturally competent patient care in hospitals.

It's still possible-with a solid banking relationship, a sharp business plan, and ample collateral.

To maintain a financially healthy practice, obgyns may want to think about alternative malpractice insurance, ancillary services, and astute retirement planning.

Malpractice insurance: Experts give pros and cons of alternatives to traditional liability insurance: risk retention groups and captives.

Wise investments, optimal stock allocation, an understanding of the social security system, and expert financial advice can help physicians achieve a comfortable lifestyle.