Bridging the gap…between the business of medicine and the practice of medicine.
eSubscriber Back Issues
2010
Becoming a 5-star Practice—May / Jun 2010
What makes a primary care practice exceptional: providing quality care, having a smooth-running office, focusing on teamwork, or using the latest technology? It may be all of that plus what may be an underestimated ingredient: communicating your caring attitude to your patients. This issue of Doctor’s Digest takes a unique look at what constitutes a “5-star practice” and how to become one.
Health Information Technology—Mar / Apr 2010
Author Janet Colwell guides you through what is likely the most confusing and potentially expensive purchase: an electronic health record (EHR) system. She explains how the stimulus package might affect which system is right for you and when and how you should buy it. She offers practical advice to help match your practice goals to the right EHR, specific questions to ask vendors, and tips to overcome the inevitable technical and morale obstacles.
How to Error-proof Your Practice—Jan / Feb 2010
In this issue of Doctor’s Digest we explain how to look at your office systems and why you should do it. We discuss tools that can help you reduce medical errors, we show you how to regain the thousands of dollars you may be losing because of administrative blunders, we give you the latest on technology that can give you a boost in preventing errors, and we we take you behind the scenes to learn how several practices are putting these technologies to work. Finally, we address the sensitive issue of what to do when errors do occur.
2009
Your Practice and the Recession—Nov / Dec 2009
In this issue of Doctor’s Digest we explain how and why the recession is taking its toll on primary care practices. We show you how to make productive changes and what your coping strategies might include. We explain the Medicare and Medicaid incentives in the stimulus package and what you should do right now to qualify for them. We give you nuts-and-bolts ideas to tighten and strengthen your billing process, then walk you through options that could significantly change the way you practice medicine. Finally, we help you figure out how to diversify now in order to position yourself for future success.
Best Practices: Patient Safety—Sep / Oct 2009
In this issue of Doctor’s Digest we explain why safety is more important than ever for your practice and examine new healthcare solutions that are being developed. We show you resources that can help you do a better job at medication safety—electronic prescribing is just part of the formula—and first steps you can take today to make that happen. We discuss how patient safety organizations and the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative fit into the mix and why participating in quality improvement efforts makes good sense for your practice.
Marketing for the Primary Care Physician—Jul / Aug 2009
This issue of Doctor’s Digest walks you through the basic steps for creating your own individual marketing plan; we explain how to develop your ‘brand,’ what makes a good marketing strategy; and the tools you’ll need to make it happen.
Primary Care and the Medical Home—May / Jun 2009
This issue of Doctor’s Digest explores why support is burgeoning now for the medical home, and describes the tools you’ll need to make the transition for your practice.
Accurate Billing and Coding—Mar / Apr 2009
This issue of Doctor’s Digest explores the many uses for coding and gives physicians and their staff members the information they need to ensure that their billing and coding systems are accurate and efficient.
Time Management—Jan / Feb 2009
This issue of Doctor’s Digest looks at how to schedule patients, stay focused, conduct office visits, and manage staff so that you can provide high-quality patient care—and still have time for family and hobbies.
2008
Ethics in Medicine—Nov / Dec 2008
This issue of Doctor’s Digest looks at new ethical challenges in medical practice, such as how to balance technological advances with patient privacy, or how to reconcile business goals with patient care.
Raise Your Scores—Sept / Oct 2008
This issue of Doctor’s Digest explores the quality-measurement movement: its roots, players, and tools as well as implications for physicians. We’ll look at real-life practices and explore how quality-measurement projects have worked for them.
Technology for Patient and Practice—July / Aug 2008
This issue of Doctor’s Digest looks at the promise and pitfalls of health information technology (HIT) in 2008.
Small Practice Survival Guide—May / June 2008
This issue of Doctor’s Digest offers practical advice from physicians, medical practice management consultants, and others who work with physicians in small practices.
Reducing Practice Risk—Mar / Apr 2008
This issue of Doctor’s Digest looks at how physicians can structure their practices, train their staffs, equip their offices, and retool their own skills to improve patient care and minimize exposure to risk.
Consumer-driven Healthcare—Jan / Feb 2008
In this issue of Doctor’s Digest, we take a look at one of the latest approaches to solving the healthcare crisis in our country: consumer-driven healthcare, or CDHC.
2007
Personal & Professional Growth—Nov / Dec 2007
This issue of Doctor’s Digest gives physicians a framework for evaluating career directions and customizing practices to fit professional and personal goals.
Health Policy Review—Sept / Oct 2007
In this issue, we outline and relay the background on health policy decisions made in Washington so that readers can come to their own conclusions about how to steer the country through the healthcare maze.
Emergency Planning—July / Aug 2007
In this issue, we look at the ins and outs of preparing your family, your staff, and your patients for an emergency situation.
Financial Visioning—May / June 2007
In this issue, we’ll help you chart a course to meet your financial and life goals.
Optimize Your Practice—Mar / Apr 2007
This issue provides the information you need to set up, streamline, and optimize your practice for profitability, productivity, and ultimately premium patient care.
Evidence-Based Medicine—Jan / Feb 2007
Payers are now taking the lead in using data to restructure reimbursement and develop guidelines and best practices. Physicians must understand how this may affect them and their practice.
2006
Guide to Well-Being—Nov / Dec 2006
It’s difficult to attend to your own needs when you’re constantly meeting the needs of others. So in this issue, we turn the spotlight on you.
Surviving the Malpractice Crisis—Sept / Oct 2006
One can’t think of anything that diminishes professional satisfaction more than the medical malpractice crisis.
Patient-Physician Communication—July / Aug 2006
Physicians need to know a great deal in order to practice medicine—and they need to know how to communicate with their patients.
Managing Your Practice—May / June 2006
Rising overhead costs and tighter third-party reimbursement policies continue to put a strain on medical practice profits. Many physicians complain that they work longer hours and make less money.
Financial Planning—Mar / Apr 2006
Financial planning is the process of setting long- and short-term financial goals and developing a plan to achieve those goals.
Technology in Practice—Jan / Feb 2006
Electronic Health Records (EHR) offer significant benefits to medical practices and to the healthcare system as a whole. Decide whether the advantages outweigh the costs.
2005
Finding Work-Life Balance—Nov / Dec 2005
A growing number of doctors say they have difficulty striking the right balance between the important work they do and the needs of their families and their own emotional well-being.
Physician’s Legal Handbook—Sept / Oct 2005
A growing number of states are considered crisis areas in terms of malpractice insurance access and affordability. Physicians need to cope with rising premiums and litigious patients.
Resolving Practice Dilemmas—July / Aug 2005
Effective practice management requires physicians to have keen problem solving skills.
Retirement Planning—May / June 2005
Sponsoring a retirement program in a medical practice not only gives physicians a tax-efficient vehicle for saving, it provides a valued fringe benefit to staff members that helps attract and retain the best employees.
Maximizing Practice Profits—Mar / Apr 2005
Many doctors complain of decreasing or stagnating earnings. More than ever before, a medical practice needs to be run efficiently in order to be profitable.
Error-Proofing Your Practice—Jan / Feb 2005
Medical errors are taking place in all healthcare settings, and are leading to patient injuries and legal problems for physicians. And many of these errors and injuries are avoidable.
While reproduction of Doctor’s Digest editorial is not allowed without written consent of the publisher, for your convenience, print versions of our back issues are available. Material is presented for informational purposes only. Physicians should consult with their own practice managers before implementing changes.
